family-ski
Latest
We Ski and Snowboard and Look at New Screens
Click image for new screens Namco Bandai just sent off a bunch of new screens for Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard. The screens feature everything from splitscreen gameplay down to penguins on skis. If you were wondering, yes, we do approve of penguins on skis. It defintely gets them around faster than walking and, boy, are they cute. Click on the image above or hit up the gallery below for the new screens.%Gallery-33423%
We Ski and Snowboard through lovely scenery
For a cutesy game about cartoony, low-detail characters in vast expanses of snow, Namco Bandai's We Ski series looks a lot better than it needs to. Not that we're complaining! We'd always prefer to enjoy looking at a Wii game whenever possible, and developers don't always enable us to do so.The latest screenshots of We Ski & Snowboard are a bit small, but the nice lighting and detailed mountain backdrops are still clearly visible. We might be crazy (for snowboards!), but we think this one looks better than its predecessor! Again, not like we can make such judgments based on tiny-ish screens. We can safely say it looks nice!%Gallery-33423%
European families can Ski & Snowboard this February
One more Wii game announcement from Atari! The company has announced plans to bring Namco Bandai's Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard to Europe in February of 2009, one month before We Ski & Snowboard is released in the US. The sequel will be released under the streamlined title Family Ski & Snowboard. Like its predecessor, which was used as a sort of proof of concept for the Balance Board, Family Ski & Snowboard supports both Wiimote/Nunchuk controls and the Wii Fit accessory.Two new locales, Mt. Angrio and Jamboree Snow Resort, are playable in the sequel, which also adds new features like half pipes, animal search and rescue tasks, and, of course, snowboarding. %Gallery-33423%
Family Ski: World Ski and Snowboard and Dinosaur Suit
The new followup to We Ski may improve on the reality of the snowboarding and/or skiing experience. Aside from the obviously reduced costs associated with playing a Wii game versus taking a vacation, and the sharply reduced likelihood of serious falling-off-a-mountain-related injury, Family Ski: World Ski and Snowboard allows you to play a game of snowboard tag under the supervision of a guy in a dinosaur suit. We're glad to see the silly suits return.Speaking of silliness, the new course in World Ski and Snowboard also features a gigantic donut to jump through. Also there are normal races and half-pipes and such, if you're interested in stuff like that.%Gallery-33423%
We Ski & Snowboard & look at screenshots
Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard looks cute and fun, sure -- mostly because it looks a lot like We Ski. In fact, it pretty much is We Ski, just with the option of turning the Balance Board sideways and some new levels, and yet we're oddly compelled by these screenshots. Whether or not you enjoyed the games' predecessor, which got mixed reviews, we'll guess you'll find these shots as appealing as we do. %Gallery-33423%
Nintendo conference screen mega-roundup!
Click for full-sized image Nintendo announced a lot of games last night at their Japanese conference. Many of them, like Punch-Out!! here, were brand new. Some, like Supan Smasher and Cosmic Walker, we still don't know anything about. But we've got screenshots. So many screenshots. After the break, you'll find galleries of all the new games, along with new screens of some upcoming games we've known about for a while. Of special interest to us: the previously-announced Oboro Muramasa Youtouden, coming to the US as Muramasa: The Demon Blade, because it looks super hot, Karaoke Joysound Wii, which appears to have art by Parappa creator Rodney Alan Greenblat, and Takuto of Magic (Wand of Magic), which appears to be a followup to Taito's LostMagic on the DS. %Gallery-33381%
Guess the new feature in Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard
Nintendo used the first Family Ski from Namco Bandai (called We Ski here) as a showcase for the Balance Board, to show that the board could be used for more than exergaming. One of the next titles to use the Wii Fit peripheral will be ... the sequel to Family Ski! Called Family Ski: World Ski & Snowboard, the new game adds (obviously) one new method of downhill transport, the snowboard. The snowboard can be operated like the snowboard in Wii Fit, using a rotated Balance Board, or with the Wiimote alone. The new game also features a new locale, the Jamboree Snow Resort, with all-new courses.
Family Ski heading to Europe in June
We've already witnessed Europe (and particularly Britain) going absolutely potty for Wii Fit, and it won't be long before the region gets its next Balance Board compatible game.Luckily for Namco Bandai, it's one of their games. Family Ski (it'll be keeping the Japanese name for its European release, though whether it gets the angry U.S. boxart is still a mystery) will be reaching the pistes of Europe on June 13th, just in time for when the folks there start getting bored of Wii Fit, and disused Balance Boards begin to clog up closets and attics.%Gallery-17418%
We Ski videos leave us anything but chilled
We Ski continues to take the tundra lightly look like an infectious bundle of fun. Just check out the folks in this first English-language trailer for Namco Bandai's ski-me-do, giddy with excitement as their chibi avatars pull off stunts and swerve effortlessly across the slopes. That'll be us! Soon! With each passing trailer, we find ourselves wanting to play this more and more -- with the Balance Board, naturally (though four Balance Boards won't be cheap).This latest round of footage came from Namco Bandai's Editor Day event, and there's more past the break.%Gallery-17418%
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9
To most of us, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is old news. The U.S. has had it since last summer, and even Europe has been enjoying the game for a few months now. It only debuted in Japan last week, though, and we were happily surprised to see it make the top five. It only sold 32,000 copies in its first week, but that's still not too shabby for a Metroid game in Japan. Hopefully, the game will have some legs and not plunge off the charts after its first week, like many other first-person shooters tend to do.As for other software, the Wii didn't have too many games in the top thirty -- only eight, in fact -- yet it was still the second most represented gaming system on the charts. With the exception of the aforementioned Metroid and Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV, all the Wiis top games have consistently stuck around for (at least) a few weeks. In other news, Smash Bros. once again failed to take the first place spot. The game beat out last week's chart champ, the new Gundam for the PS2, but fell behind the newly released Yakuza 3.In hardware, the Wii claimed the top spot once again as Japan is clearly so over the Mint Green PSP (that was so five minutes ago). You can check out the hardware and software numbers for last week in Japan after the break -- we recommend that you do so.
We Ski gets the Kirby treatment
The Japanese boxart for We Ski (Family Ski over there) used a simple ski-resort signage theme. It may not have been the most exciting boxart, but it's pretty nice-looking, and kind of serene. Very vacation-y. The American boxart dials the serenity way down and the excitement way up. We expect the totally extreme skiers here to be headed back to the lodge to slam some Chibi Mountain Dew. Except for the guy in the back, who just came along because there was an extra ticket, even though he doesn't really like skiing.The facial expressions remind us of Nintendo of America's frequent edits of Kirby boxarts. Nintendo knows that if we're going to buy a game about a spherical pink baby, he had better be one angry baby. A few examples can be found after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2
People interested in Japanese game sales probably have one question on their minds: Did Super Smash Bros. Brawl hold onto the top spot last week? Well, the answer is, no. The new Gundam game for the PS2 managed to end Brawl's reign, and end it convincingly. In fact, Smash barely stayed in second, with Wii Fit being right up the fighter's grill.The Wii itself also lost the top spot last week, overtaken by the PSP in hardware for the first time since Brawl's release. Aside from those major changes, though, everything looks to be what we'd expect, with Winning Eleven and Family Ski continuing to champion the cause for third parties.Go on and take a look at the numbers after the break ... or else.
Rumor: We Ski to be cheap enough for non-skiers
Yep, the sport itself might be the preserve of those wealthy enough to blow $800 on a jacket, but it looks like Namco Bandai may have paupers like us in mind when it comes to We Ski. The game just appeared on GameStop sporting a bargain-basement price of $29.99. That's our kind of sport!Of course, in skiing it's the extras which really hit your wallet, and that seems to hold true in the case of Namco Bandai's game. Throw in a Balance Board and enough Wiimotes and Nunchuks for all the family to get involved, and suddenly We Ski starts to sound about as expensive as skiing again. Oh well.[Via Go Nintendo]
We Ski relaxes at the lodge with some new screens
After hitting up the slopes for a few hours, some fresh screens for We Ski have settled down by the fireplace in the lodge. As we sip hot cocoa and enjoy the crackling fire together, we ask what kind of multiplayer features We Ski has. "4-player fun, you say?" we excitingly inquire, taking care to pour our eyes over every single last screenshot. You, too, may join us at the fireplace. All you need to do is check out the screenshots in our gallery below and you will be whisked away to a fantasy land of splendor. Or, you know, to a ski mountain.%Gallery-17418%
Namco's 'We Ski' coming to US in spring 2008
Narrowly avoiding the obvious and overused pun, Namco Bandai has announced intentions to bring its Japanese Wii title Family Ski over to North America as We Ski. Like the Japanese version, We Ski will be fully compatible with the Wii Balance Board, allowing players to shimmy and slalom their way down the virtual mountains.We Ski matches Nintendo's family-friendly aesthetic with cutesy customizable characters, and the option to import your Mii's and let them join in on all the snowy action. In addition to the standard ski modes, the game also includes free-style and photography modes, and allows up to four players to ski free on over a dozen courses.With the title announced for a spring 2008 release, and the Wii Balance Board making its way to North America on May 19, We Ski will undoubtedly become the unofficial companion game to the Wii Fit package, as the first third-party software to support the peripheral.
We join Japanese families in skiing this May
Namco Bandai has announced to IGN that the first game in their Family sports series, Family Ski, will be localized for North American release in May under the name We Ski. You see, "We" sounds like "Wii," and "Wii" is the name of the console on which the game will appear. Not to mention the fact that "Wii" plus some sport-related term evokes a certain popular game.The May release seems perfectly timed to coincide with the release of Wii Fit and the Balance Board, which We Ski also (optionally) uses. It's no surprise to us that this is getting a localized release; due to its Balance Board use, the game has been getting a lot of attention, not the least of which comes from Nintendo themselves. At the GDC Balance Board talk, Nintendo's Takao Sawano talked the game up and even showed a promotional video.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/18-2/24
Super Smash Bros. Brawl hung onto the top spot last week, but not by much. For the first time, the king of Nintendo fighters was actually close to the game behind it, with a lead of less than 10,000 units. Considering that Brawl has dominated for a month and is already over the million mark, though, we're not surprised to see a little less dominance from the title.A lot of new software was released last week, which finally caused Super Mario Galaxy to fall out of the top thirty. Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 was the Wii's new game, debuting at the number six spot. Family Ski also managed to jump up five spots, despite the plethora of new titles.On the hardware side, the Wii continues to reign in first place. The PSP and DS aren't too far behind, but the Wii is outselling the PS3 4:1 with the help of Brawl.You can check out the listings and sales numbers -- they're posted after the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/11-2/17
The Wii extended its hardware lead over the PSP this week (which dropped to third), as Smash Bros. continued to dominate in software. Family Ski fell out of the top ten, but still shows some legs at spot sixteen.Predictably, Nintendo's big games (i.e., games with "Wii" in their titles) are still doing well on the charts. Super Mario Galaxy, which has been in danger of falling out of the top thirty, managed to hang in tough despite the big load of new releases littering the chart. The Wii also had the second best showing of games this week, with six in the top thirty (the DS was first with fifteen). With the exception of Namco Bandai's Family Ski, though, they were all first party titles.The hardware and software numbers are listed for your perusal after the break.
Reggie on catching Xbox 360, Balance Board support
If serial name-taker and ass-kicker Reggie Fils-Aime has his way, the future is already looking decidedly grim for Nintendo's opposition.In interviews with Bloomberg and IGN respectively, the Nintendo bigwig has discussed how he hopes to see the Wii overtake the Xbox 360 in North America by June (currently, Nintendo's console is outselling Microsoft's by a reasonably slim margin each month), and has promised that "over ten games are in development that take advantage of the Balance Board."We already know that Family Ski will be making use of Nintendo's wobbly slab (in conjunction with the Wiimote and nunchuk, which quite brilliantly double as ski poles), but that means there are still nine Balance Board-compatible games out there, waiting to be revealed. If you're listening, 1080° Snowboarding, now is the time for a comeback!Read - Reggie on overtaking Xbox 360 by June [Via NeoGAF]Read - Reggie: Ten games in development for Balance Board [Via Joystiq]
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/4-2/10
We had a nice little surprise on the Japanese sales charts this week, as Family Ski showed that it has some legs. Debuting at spot twelve last week, Namco Bandai's title inched its way up while other new titles fell, claiming eighth place. As for Brawl, the game was predictably unable to maintain its outrageous first week sales, but still sold well and took the first spot convincingly. Some regulars made their return to the top, like Wii Fit and Wii Sports, while others fell off the chart completely, like Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.The Wii also continues to reign as the top seller in hardware, selling more than triple the amount of PS3s. The PSP, however, is trailing closely at its heels. All in all, we think it was a good week for the Wii, but take a look for yourself after the break.
