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Arma 3 takes us all for a ride with Kart DLC [April Fools!]
The first official (and totally not real) bit of premium DLC for open-world shooter Arma 3 is kart racing. Arma 3 Karts includes (well, it would, if it existed) time-trial races and open-world kart battles, with seven versions of vehicles to choose from. "Since we're already in the zombie business with DayZ, we felt the next logical expansion would be to take on karting," (real) Creative Director Jay Crowe writes on the Bohemia Interactive blog. "Our sandbox could not be called complete without karts, and thus we set ourselves the goal to recreate this pure form of racing. Welcome to Arma 3's World of Karts: drive / overtake / win." Arma 3 Karts is due out in the second quarter of 2014 (no, it isn't). [Image: Bohemia Interactive]
Play Mario Kart Wii in your very own inflatable kart
CTA Digital has unveiled one of its largest Wii accessories yet: a $40 inflatable kart with an attached steering wheel controller, into which you can insert the Wiimote to play Mario Kart Wii and other racing games. Our first impulse is to make fun of this unnecessary accessory (an "unnecessory," if you will), but two things give us pause: CTA is using the item's marketing to publicize Kids are Heroes, an organization that encourages community involvement among kids -- even going so far as to use Ricky Springer, who races real karts to raise money and awareness for Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder, as a spokesman. Unlike other plastic Wii accessories, there is no doubt in our minds that if our six-year-old selves had seen an inflatable car you could use as a game controller, we would have freaked out.
Banjo-Kazooie hit the track in Sega All-Stars Racing trailer
Rare's bear and backpacked bird make their debut in this latest Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing trailer. The Banjo-Kazooie team tear up the track big-truck style -- mainly because they're in a big friggin' truck. The trailer also takes care to remind us Avatars will be playable in the Xbox 360 version of the game -- but, really, who cares? Banjo and Kazooie are in a big friggin' truck!
Polarbit makes Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D for the iPhone
Of all the racers we've seen for the iPhone so far (and there are quite a few), this might be the one I'm most interested in -- Polarbit, who've already dipped into the iPhone's racing game capabilities with Raging Thunder, is working on a Crash Bandicoot-branded kart racing game for the iPhone (video here). And it sounds like it's got everything you'd want in a kart racing game on a console, much less on a smartphone platform -- twelve tracks, lots of characters, lots of weapons and powerups, and configurable controls. There are going to be a ton of racing games out when the App Store drops, but something silly and fun like this, crafted by a developer who knows their way around the fledgling platform, will probably be very near the top of the list.Can't wait to play it. No exact word on when Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is coming, but it can't be too late after the App Store releases, and we'd guess $10 for a price, since that's what most of these things will be going for. Definitely looks like it might be a standout among the plethora of accelerometer racing games we'll be sure to have.
Nintendo details Mario Kart Wii channel, online play
We've known for a while that Mario Kart Wii would support twelve-player online races, but given Nintendo's less-than-stellar online record, we were a little worried about how smooth the online experience would be. Well, we're a little less worried now that the Nintendo UK web site has revealed some details of how online racing on the Wii will work. Among the details discussed: Spectator mode - When you join a room in progress, you can watch the race unfold while waiting for a new one to start. Global friend view - Lets you view your friends' locations and online status. Room structure - Host chooses race type, but player votes determine course selection. The site also revealed a dedicated Mario Kart Wii channel, which can be run independently of the disc-version of the game. The channel lets players view global rankings, share and download ghost data, and download daily missions (similar to those found in Mario Kart DS). Can we suggest a mission dedicated to arranging dropped banana peels into jaunty patterns? That would be awesome.[Via WiiFanboy]
More online details for Mario Kart Wii and its Channel
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/New_details_on_Mario_Kart_Wii_s_online_play_and_Channel'; We didn't really expect Mario Kart Wii to have much in common with Wii Fit other than sales, but that's the approach Nintendo is taking with the kart racer's online features. Nintendo previously announced that Mario Kart Wii will use a "Mario Kart Channel" that, like the Wii Fit Channel, stays accessible from the Wii Menu even when the disc is not in the drive. You can use this Channel to view and download ghost data of other players and race against them (presumably you'll need the disc for the racing parts). Nintendo has released additional information about this Channel which reveals just how useful and smart their detached Channels can be.The Channel lets you register friends and check their online status (awesome), look at rankings, and view the current Competition. What's a Competition? "Nintendo will on a regular basis invite players to speedy challenges similar to the Missions of Mario Kart DS." It kind of sounds like Nintendo is actually encouraging online play for once.%Gallery-4772%
New screenz of Homie Rollerz
The version of Homie Rollerz I played at PAX was extremely early; the graphics were rough, and at one point I actually found a shortcut that shouldn't have existed (I'm pretty sure I drove through a mountain). I've never had any particular attachment to the Homies franchise, but I liked the basic concept of a kart-racing game with tricks. These screens of Homie Rollerz look better than the version I played. The burrito car looks exactly like it did in the PAX version, but the environments look more complete. And, to be fair, only one car is a burrito.
Today's hungriest video: Aqua Teens
The half-baked, non sequitur style of Adult Swim prevails in this trailer for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am. They couldn't even resize footage from different sources to be the same resolution. That's the Adult Swim seal of approval.Strangely -- like some of those cartoon shows the kids are into -- the trailer comes off as engaging and funny. There's golf cart racing, a helpless Carl taking the detectives' abuse, Mooninites, and very little actual golf. Hopefully the actual game will strike a similar balance.See the trailer after the break.
DS Fanboy Favorites: Eric's top five
All this week, the DS Fanboy staff is letting you in on a few of their favorite titles. Each day, a different member of the staff will present their personal top five DS games along with a snapshot of their gaming paraphernalia and habits, in an effort to provide our readers with a little more information on the tastes and personalities of our writers. When my afternoons aren't busied by hours of photoshopping cat heads onto pictures of my friends, I pass the time with puzzlers and plumbers on my DS Lite. But those kitten-free days are few and far between, so I end up being able to only fit either the most polished or the most eccentric games into my packed schedule. Wario: Master of Disguise? Sorry, I've got things to do and feline faces to retouch. Lost in Blue 2? I'll have to pass -- I'm already lost in trying to get these whiskers to look perfect. My collection is a mishmash of AAA titles and niche releases, their cases piled atop one another like a Jenga stack of mismatched blocks, threatening to topple over at any moment. Just pulling a game from the middle of the shaky structure is an act preceded by hours of anxiety and self-doubt. Having my wife provide commentary during the ordeal, remarking "Oh god, it's going to crash this time for sure, I just know it. Why'd you even try, Eric?! Game over, man! Game over!" as I tug out my copy of Advance Wars DS doesn't make the challenge any easier. So when I do manage to put aside the pussycat photos and secure a game to play, it better damn well be worth it. Journey forth and read which of those titles have captured a place not only on my top five list, but in my heart.
Mario Kart DS slot car set is designed to prevent snaking
"Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday, come on down to the Mario Kart DS Slot Car Race Track for some wild, no-rules racing action! Bring the whole family for an afternoon of Mario Kart-style toy racing excitement! Watch some of the best drivers in the business, including YOU and YOUR FRIENDS, take on one of the toughest tracks there is! You'll see twists and turns, thrills and spills, only at the Mario Kart DS Slot Car Race Track! Pay for the whole seat, but you'll only use the edge."Wow, we didn't even buy one of these slot car sets and we're already having fun with it. Anyone up for simulating the Mario Kart experience in ... well, not real life, but miniature fake real life?[Via NeoGAF]
Confirmed: Mario Kart 64 on the VC next Monday
My goodness yes. After an absolute absence of any N64 games since the launch title Super Mario 64, a recent press release from Nintendo has confirmed that next week will see the arrival of one of the greatest N64 games ever released: Mario Kart 64.Mario Kart DS has improved upon the series in many ways, but there's no denying that four-player split-screen charm. Don't you dare not pick this up, people. We're watching you.Closely.
Mario Kart DS shortcut demonstration [update 1]
It's embarrassing, I know. To be so thoroughly destroyed by yours truly in Mario Kart DS is a humbling experience. Still, any master such as myself still wants a bit of competition now and then, and thus this video, posted by the folks over at Nintendo of Europe, highlights some of the games' numerous shortcuts and tricks. There are even one or two even I didn't know about (Delfino boardwalk jump!), so with this video in mind, perhaps you'll all fare better in the future. MK:DS won't be back in the rotation for a few more weeks, but the day will soon come. Train, young warriors, and perhaps you might stand a chance.Oh. And that blue shell dodge at the end is a thing of beauty.[via 4cr][Update 1: And typos shall inherit the Earth]
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night (11/28/06)
The votes are in and our Game Night game has been chosen. We'll be meeting up in the same room as last week, at the same time. All of the details, including the results of the poll determining what game we'll be playing tonight, are after the break.
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night (tonight!)
Tonight's the night! We introduced this feature last week and, as we had hoped, you guys (and gals) were totally on board with the idea. We're glad because spending Tuesday nights alone, chained to the radiator and whipped mercilessly as we blog our lives, and fingertips, away just isn't our ideal night. We need the hour-long break. We need the hope. So, read on ahead for all of the details you'll need to get your Mario Kart on with the DS Fanboy staff!
Pro-Idee kicks out pricey, portable go-cart funfest
We're down with fanciful portable gaming, and we're certainly crazy over limited edition toys from overseas, and Pro-Idee's suitcase-based go-cart track fits both bills quite nicely. Even if your work regulations won't allow you to toss a PSP or DS Lite in the otherwise pointless front shirt pocket, your boss will have no idea that the sleek, silver briefcase you're toting actually contains a two-player cart racing game, complete with a two-meter long track, stop watch, and a built-in battery pack for "five hours" of rubber-burning madness. Sure to make those long flights zip by, this jewel will be supposedly be limited to 60 units and will demand a whopping €598 ($766), which is probably a good bit less than you'd pay for an oh-so-coveted Playstation 3 right about now.[Via TRFJ]
DS addiction: just can't put that DS down!
Avid flickr user and mountain climber extraordinaire Rappateng recently had a buddy of his take some snapshots during their latest mountain-tackling adventure. A few of the snapshots are of great interest as Rappateng reports he took several breathers to throw down in some Mario Kart DS mid-climb. We can't condone such an activity as it presents several clear dangers. These include: Dropping the DS Lite to its doom Banging the DS Lite against a rock while trying to snake No Wi-Fi connection in nature Jealous friend could very well kill you with a rock, take your DS Lite, and leave you to rot under a pile of Poison Ivy We assume Rappateng's next adventure will include climbing some icy mountain in a foreign country, all in an attempt to make the most badass Christmas card ever.[Via Infendo]
Ape Escape racer details trickle in
Details about the Ape Escape racing-themed game have been reported by Famitsu recently, and I must say, only the Japanese could come up with something this strange. The game, which in Japan is titled Sarugetchu Piposaru Racer, goes Go-Bot style by putting wheels on monkey's arms and legs and will have 46 different racers to choose from.But because of the ways these vehicular monkeys are built, a racer's speed and power-sliding can be altered by re-positioning the monkey's arms or legs during the race. In addition, the game will feature monkey-vehicle customization and upgrades. Look to get your monkey business on later this year.I really don't know what to say about this game, but it just might be the kind of game the PSP needs, and if it'sis successful, it could open the floodgates in combining monkeys or other animals with all kinds of different things. How about we tar and feather some monkeys, slap on some machine guns or harpoons on their heads and have a flying-based combat game? The possibilities are endless, my friends.(Via Gamespot)
Accessorize with Nintendo
You know, we aren't above wanting to wear clothes bearing the Nintendo logo or building our own NES-shaped beds (with fully-functioning cartridge flap). We're fanboys, it's kind of what we do. We've seen the NES belt buckle and countless different T-shirts featuring Mario and size mattering. So, it was during our daily stalking browsing of the flickr databases that we came across this helpful diagram of a trendy way that you female (or long-haired male) readers could get some more Mario in your life while neglecting to succumb to the masses. We imagine there are other hair styles one could achieve with said stylus, but we're into video games, not so much hair.In what ways do you like to accessorize with Nintendo? Post some pictures or send us your story!
