NintendoOfJapan
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Nintendo of Japan calling it quits on Famicom hardware support
It's an end of an era, we suppose. No longer can you bash up your Famicom for flatly refusing to entertain your cartridge of choice and expect Nintendo of Japan to fix it up all pretty for you, like it's been doing for the past 20+ years. For whatever reason, Nintendo has been providing hardware support for the Famicom since its inception, which certainly seems a little extreme, but who's complaining? That support is finally ending, along with support for the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, Game Boy and Game Boy Pocket -- relative newcomers to the console game when pitted against grandpa Famicom. Repairs will officially end on October 31st, and the reasoning is pretty simple: there just aren't enough spare parts laying around to make the repairs. Nintendo of America stopped supporting the NES a few years back, so this really is the end of the line. Oh, and Nintendo would like to take this opportunity to remind you that it wouldn't mind at all if you give it money again to repurchase your old favorites on the Wii's Virtual Console -- now that's service.[Via Advanced MN Wii]
New videos at Super Paper Mario's Japanese site
Nintendo of Japan has put up a teaser page for its next big Wii release, Super Paper Mario. Considering that the US release date (4/09) is a week and a half earlier than Japan's, we're not sure which to blame for why their official site came up before North America's -- our laziness or their industriousness.Along with the standard story and cast previews, there are three gameplay videos, with nine more promised. The movie clip showing what happens when Mario gets a star is definitely worth a watch. We've really grown fond of seeing the giant plumber kick aside warp pipes ever since he picked up the habit in New Super Mario Bros.Keep an eye on the site as there are still two unrevealed sections. With the game's release being only a few weeks away, they won't be able to hold onto those last bits of hidden info for too long!
Nintendo? Who's he?
Not thirty years ago, the question of who or what Nintendo is would have been answered "Nintendo? Who's he?" Several years later, Nintendo continues to shock gamers worldwide. Sure there have been some rough patches but with the success of the DS and the release of the Wii just around the corner, Nintendo could come full circle and then some. News 4 Gamers posted a news segment that takes a look at Nintendo when the NES was first released. Gone is the banter that video games are the devil's work and you can't see a Jack Thompson for miles. It's just a great exploration of gaming at its popular birth. See the video after the break and get ready to have tons and tons of flashbacks.
Opera browser optional?
The official Nintendo of Japan website was recently updated with some new information. Thanks to the Babel Fish, implanted in the skulls of all Wii Fanboy staff members, an accurate translation is as follows. 512MB of internal flash memory for storing applications, data, etc. Opera browser (optional) Short start-up times for applications stored in flash memory, such as virtual console games and the browser. That's interesting. Nintendo will certainly not offer two retail packages that differ only in the inclusion of a piece of software, and we doubt the browser will be sold as a traditional game at retail outlets. Therefore, the probable scenario is that Nintendo will offer the Opera browser as a download through their Virtual Console service, and most likely make you pay to do it. While we gnash our teeth, we also understand that those guys at Opera want a piece of the pie...and hopefully, it won't be terribly expensive.
