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Wii releases for the week of May 28th
Can you believe it? This week, we have a list of Wii releases -- an actual list, which means more than one title. Brilliant! At least, it seems that way until we head out to the shops and peer into our wallets, which immediately shrivel in the face of the epic list of games we want to buy. But we're greedy like that. So what's it for you this week? Will you bear the brunt of multiple game purchases? Are you going to wait awhile before making any decisions? Mario Party 8 Mortal Kombat: Armageddon Surf's Up Tamagotchi: Party On!
DS Daily: Variety - is it really the spice of life?
We're curious ... when you're not playing the DS, what are you playing instead? Are you filling your non-handheld time with the Wii, or even -- gasp -- another system? That's where this blogger tends to fall of late; between the Halo 3 Beta and the recent release of Catan on the Xbox Live Marketplace (we love the boardgame), there's a little variety in the gaming schedule of late. After all, for those of us who aren't Poké-fiends, the last few weeks have been a little more on the mediocre side of things ... which, considering our continuing obsession with Puzzle Quest, is probably a good thing for the ol' wallet.But we do wonder what other games take your fancy. Perhaps World of Warcraft or another MMO? Are you one of the seven people who've bought a PS3? Next week, we figure Mario Party 8 will suck up tons of free time, so we're getting that non-Nintendo gaming in now. How about you? Are you sticking with your beloved DS, or do you sometimes branch out a little?
Friday Video: Massive NMS round-up edition
The Nintendo Media Summit may not have offered up the huge news, but it did give us one thing that's awesome -- a metric ton (less than a megaton) of trailers for all the games we'll be playing in the coming months. So we thought it might be a good week for a very special video spotlight, and instead of one or two videos, we'll hook you up with several. Dare we even say many? See for yourself after the jump.
NMS: Multiplayer mayhem with Mario Party 8
With its release just around the corner, many are looking to Mario Party 8 to fill the empty void in their life. The void of having no Wii games that are fun and engaging. Well, the folks over at Joystiq aren't of the mind that this game will fill the void, as they comment that even with the implementation of the Wiimote has improved the title somewhat, however it still feels stale on the whole. This is due mainly because most of Mario Party 8's minigames are just variations of those found in previous titles. Not only that, but they feel the graphics really look bad. But honestly who plays these games for the graphics? %Gallery-3452%
Nintendo Media Summit: Mario Party 8 hands-on (Wii)
One of the games that was shown at this week's Nintendo Media Summit was Mario Party 8, the latest in a long line of Mario-themed party games. Coming out next week on the 29th, the game boasts mini-game action for up to four players as they fight there way around a variety of new gameboards. The game looks like a solid addition to a decent series, but it's probably not going to be winning over any new fans. The graphics were Gamecube level at best and really the only new addition that it seemed to bring to the series was extensive use of the motion controls. The mini-games all appeared to variations of older Mario Party games or of a very similar theme, though at the rate Mario Party games are released I guess thats not a huge surprise. Luckily, the magic of the Wiimote did allow them to mix things up a bit by including games like shaking up cans of soda until they burst or lassoing barrels off a platform. It was a fun enough title to play, and made good use of the controller, but it still managed to feel stale. Maybe it was the lack of friends around to play it with, or maybe after this long the series just needs a bit of a break. And of course, there is no online play. If you are a huge fan of the previous Mario Party titles, then I'd say its worth giving this one a shot when it comes out next week. Otherwise I'd heavily recommend giving this one a rent to see if the motion-sensitive gameplay is really worth partying with Mario again. %Gallery-3408%
Joystiq hands-on: Mario Party 8 (Wii)
Like the early days of the DS, the Wii still hasn't really found its own identity just yet. Still lacking a Brain Training or a Nintendogs, minigames are de rigeur on the system at the moment. Certainly the Wiimote is well suited for minigames, and it's been hoped that it will breathe some new life into a rather tired Nintendo franchise. Yup, Mario Party 8. Joystiq got to play an incomplete version of the "ocho" at the Osaka leg of Japan's World Hobby Fair. Six different minigames were on display: Lasso the barrels: Swing the lasso (Wiimote) in a circle, once you've got some momentum going, throw the lasso forward, grabbing a barrels for points (don't throw Wiimote). Some barrels are worth more points than others. Ball tilt: Balls fall from ceiling. Direct bouncing balls to their correct container by rotating the wiimote. Green on the left, and purple on the right. Drink shaking: Simply shake the Wiimote up and down; fastest shaker wins. Target shooting: Just as in Wii Play, shoot targets with your Wiimote. The high score zone constantly changes so you have to think fast. Jet ski jumps: Move your jet skier to the ramps to pick up coins. The challenge comes from the difficult controls. Crank turning: Turn a crank as fast you can. Exactly the same as the similar WarioWare minigame. Overall, the minigames were solid and fun, if not a tad on the simple side. If the board game side of things (not shown in this early version) is a winner, this could be a fun party game, if not an inventive one. They don't have their Brain Training yet.
Wii like to (Mario) party
This short video from the upcoming Mario Party 8 should be just enough to whet your appetite for some silly multiplayer action. This is one game we're definitely planning on checking out -- but how about you? Where's the latest Mario Party fall on your list of must-haves? If nothing else, it certainly falls in with the Wii philosophy about playing games together! Check the video out after the jump.
Fuzzy new Mario Party 8 screens
Mario Party started a multiplayer frenzy back on the Nintendo 64 that has yet to die down. Now, seven years later, gamers are getting ready for Mario Party 8. We haven't heard or seen a lot about the game aside from a few seconds in a Wii trailer but judging from the blurry screens, we expect it to hold true to traditional Mario Party. From what we can tell, players will compete in activities like tightrope walking and painting. Check out a few more screens after the break! [Thanks Mickey!]
