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Premotional Consideration: Eco-Creatures
We usually wait until Sunday to post our Promotional Consideration pieces, but we already have something very special planned for tomorrow's column and we didn't didn't want to hold onto this Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest ad for too long lest you completely forget about the colorful game. The environment-conscious RTS's release went mostly ignored around these parts -- blame it on the rain Shiren the Wanderer. To make up for it, we've torn out and scanned a page advertising Eco-Creatures from this month's issue of Nintendo Power. Hit the "read" link or the image above for the full piece. The recycling arrows integrated into the screenshots are a nice touch!%Gallery-4106%
DS Daily: Download stations
With Majesco's environmentally aware RTS, Eco-Creatures, scheduled for the next DS Download Station update, we're reminded of how great it is that we can actually try out some handheld games now before buying them. And it's not all Nintendo-developed titles, either -- third-party manufacturers are putting out demos for quality titles, too.So, have you taken advantage of Nintendo's DS kiosks yet? Or are you waiting for Nintendo to finally bring Everybody's Nintendo Channel to North American Wiis so you can download demos without ever leaving home?
Eco-Creatures demo to come to a DS download station near you
Should you know the location of a DS Download Station near you and want to give Eco-Creatures a whirl, then today is your lucky day. Majesco has revealed that a demo of the game will be hitting DS Download Stations in the United States starting this month. The demo will be available at over 10,000 stations located in major retail locations throughout the country, residing on units until the month of May (where these cute and cuddly creatures will no doubt have to hibernate for the upcoming winter).Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations for Majesco says the company is excited about this, stating that "Eco-Creatures now joins the ranks of Cooking Mama, Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends and Cake Mania as a phenomenal game launching with the support of a great demo available through the Nintendo kiosk program." He adds "We are confident that anyone who tries Eco-Creatures will be compelled to pick up the full version once it ships and help save the world from ecological disaster."Are you going to be running out to your local download spot to give this a try?%Gallery-4106%
Eco Creatures trailer shows that saving our planet is the thing to do
From watching trailers of Eco Creatures, we've come to learn that having an army of squirrels is the best way to go about saving the environment. What we've also learned is that Eco Creatures might be a pretty fun game. There's a certain charm about this giant orange protagonist (Dorian) and his squirrel army, out to stop industrial harm from polluting and destroying their forest. Besides, how many other environmental RTS games can you say you've played? Also, multiplayer battles with level-create aspects are always a plus.We can't say that we're champing at the bit for this game, but, at the very least, we're looking forward to it. How about you all?
A new peek at the Eco Creatures
Our favorite environmental RTS is on display once again, this time with some English-language screens. Looks like the localization is coming along swimmingly, and it's only matter of time before we'll be ordering squirrels en masse across the forest. Eco Creatures: Save the Forest doesn't yet have a U.S. date, but you can be sure we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for the debut of Dorian on this side of the ocean. In the meantime, check out the new screens in the gallery below. %Gallery-4106%
Check out Check Off for a simple to do list
Check Off is a free little tool that sits discreetly in your menu bar and pops open with a single click to display a basic to do list. I wasn't a big fan of Tiger's native to do list so I started using this a few months ago and it's been a pretty handy little app. Though it looks like Apple finally got its act together by incorporating a to do list into Mail.app, but I don't think I'll give up Check Off entirely since its bare bones functionality has come in rather handy sometimes.Check Off is mainly for jotting down quick notes on tasks you need to complete so don't expect it to do a lot of heavy lifting. If you just need something to keep you on track or are looking for another way to send a to do list to your iPod, though, then Check Off is just the thing. It's also somewhat tweakable -- you can drag and drop to sort folders, color-code your entries, and attach notes to each to do, if you're so inclined. Version 3.7 has just been released with Leopard compatibility and a few bug fixes.[Thanks Justin!]
Eco Creatures on their way to save the planet
From the first whiff of Ecolis, before it became Ecoris, or even the English Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, we were charmed. We didn't need the details to fall in love with the game's whimsical look or the idea of controlling an army of fuzzy squirrels in our mission to save the forest. We're suckers for anything cute, after all, and this game has delivered on that in spades since we caught our first glimpse. We weren't alone, either. DS owners seem to love strategy games of all types (it's just part of our epic good taste), and from the start, we clamored together for an English-language release, as unlikely as it seemed. As the details unspooled -- the first amorphous hint of Wi-Fi functionality that was revealed to be online multiplayer among them -- our desire to get out there and prevent deforestation shot into the stratosphere. Ecoris was simply irresistible. One of our readers even turned the fruity hero into a sculpture and plans to follow up with Dorian's furry sidekicks. Even before Majesco announced the game's localization, Ecoris became a phenomenon, albeit a small one. %Gallery-4106%
Majesco bringing Ecoris to the states
Regular readers will recognize Majesco's latest game announced for the US, Eco Creatures: Save the Forest, as Ecoris, the FernGully-esque RTS that came out in Japan just last month. We thought for sure that this niche title would never make it stateside, but we're happy to see Majesco prove us wrong. Billed as "the first eco-conscious game for the Nintendo DS," Eco Creatures has you leading a woodland army against the pollution and industrialization taking over your Mana Woods. In addition to battling your friends locally (single-card download play and multi-card) and online, you'll also be able to create your own maps to play. Look for Eco Creatures: Save the Forest to plant itself in North America early 2008.%Gallery-4106%
Ecoris video cements it: cutest game ever
What's better than a quick blink of a commercial? A gorgeous long trailer, of course, like the one we have for you after the break. Lightweight's RTS Ecoris is just so insanely adorable that even when we're questioning what we're seeing (is that a cow-demon-vacuum? it's a mystery!), we can't tear ourselves away. We seriously need to pick up that spin move that plants trees. It would really cut down on landscaping costs, though it probably wouldn't be fully appreciated at parties.
New details on Ecoris
The more we learn about Ecoris, the eco-centric RTS, the more we're planning to riot if the game doesn't get an English-language release. Get Atlus on the project right now!The latest updates on Ecoris focus on the beginning of the game, and there are some new details on online play as well. As the story opens, our fruity hero, Durian (sometimes Dorian in non-Japanese articles) begins to notice that not all is well in the forest. Development and pollution are destroying the ecosystem. He's not alone in his observations; the squirrels have noticed the same thing. On their own, the forest creatures are too weak to fight back ... but if they team up, anything is possible. Some other interesting facts about the game: apparently, there's a level-creation mode (we can only guess this comes in as you start to rebuild the forest), and once created, you can utilize those new stages in online battles. Our translation here may be a little rough, but it also seems as though Durian can either summon some sort of ancestral spirit, or take on its form, and you will need that power to pass certain sections. Ecoris is sounding more fascinating every day. For those gamers for whom the language barrier isn't a barrier at all, this one is looking like it may just be a must-import title.
Ecoris or Ecolis -- either way, the online is multiplayer
To those of you who were less-than-pleased at the idea of a RTS title with a bacteria flavor, it looks like Ecolis is now known as Ecoris. The good news is that the game is still adorable, and it looks like the Wi-Fi capability will in fact be online multiplayer. Now if only someone would explain exactly what the hero, Dorian, is. Jeux-France likens him to a Totoro, but we remain unconvinced. You can ponder his origins while perusing the new images in our updated gallery below.Ecoris is scheduled for an August release in Japan, and we're crossing our fingers for a localization some time after that.%Gallery-4106%
Featherweight plastic rims roll closer to production
Granted, there are options out there if you're looking to buy rims not constructed from some type of metallic matter, but for the tamer crowd, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's plastic alternatives are probably more your style. The firm's research team has reportedly developed fiber-reinforced plastics that enabled trial wheels to last some 250,000 kilometers without falling apart, and they are hoping that designers will soon have "more latitude in their choice of material." The next challenge, however, is convincing regulators that non-metal rims have what it takes to be a safe addition to your next vehicle, but barring any major catastrophes in future test scenarios, you won't find us complaining about wheels that weigh (and cost) less.[Via Autoblog]
Ecolis boxart reveals WiFi and panda support
Online support seems like a prerequisite for any decent RTS release, but it's never safe to assume with DS and Wii games. Thankfully, the boxart for Ecolis indicates that the InterChannel title will make use of Nintendo's WiFi connection in addition to its "download play" features. We're not sure if that means online duels, item shops, or a near-useless messaging system, but it's something -- a quantity that's arguably better than nothing. If you haven't been properly introduced, Ecolis is a strategy title in which you command an army of woodland creatures against the pollution and deforestation taking over their homes. You'll also be tackling issues like global warming and recycling while you plant new trees to restore damaged forests. The eco-friendly message doesn't end there; as evidenced by the panda stamped on the game's packaging, a portion of Ecolis' proceeds will be donated to Japan's World Wide Fund for Nature.%Gallery-4106%[Via Ruliweb]
Command an army of squirrels with Ecolis
We're not sure how we missed Ecolis when the game was first announced last February, but Insert Credit thankfully brought the colorful RTS to our eager attention. Developed by Lightweight (Bushido Blade series), Ecolis charges you with the task of defending wilderness habitats from pollution and deforestation. You'll have a variety of woodland creatures to manage and command during the FernGully-esque adventure. The concept art alone was enough to leave us charmed, but the accompanying screenshots are filled with just as much character. Head past the post break for Famitsu's magazine scans of the title from a few months ago. If you have any idea what that orange, message-bag-carrying creature is supposed to be, make sure to drop us a line.
ASUS W5F reviewed
That 12.1-inch ASUS W5F ultra-portable pulled an enthusiastic review over at PC Perspective. They ran a 1.66GHz T2300 Core Duo model packing 512MB of DDR2 RAM and a 5400rpm 100GB disk through the gauntlet of tests and found this "attention magnet" to make all contenders look "bulky and unrefined." They were stoked by their unit's performance and integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, bundled Bluetooth mouse, and SPDIF output for full-on digital audio. They also noted the laptop's battery life compared to others in the class even though their W5F only eked-out about 3.5 of the 4-hours advertised under a "reasonable office load." The biggest knock came for the single SODIMM slot for RAM upgrades and that "Vista-ready" Intel GMA 950 graphics engine which means you won't be doing any serious fraggin' here. But hey, if that's your gig then you should be looking elsewhere anyway.
