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Ken, Incineroar and Piranha Plant join 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'
The roster for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is complete. Sort of. During a Nintendo Direct presentation, game director Masahiro Sakurai confirmed that Ken, Ryu's legendary Street Fighter rival, and Incineroar, a feline Pokemon that debuted in Sun and Moon, will be playable characters. That means the game will have a staggering 74 combatants at launch. Ken will be an 'echo fighter' of Ryu and style on his Super Street Fighter II Turbo appearance. He'll play like Ryu but have some unique moves such as his Hell Wheel fling and Shippu Jinraikyaku final Smash. Incineroar, meanwhile, will be focused around wrestler-style grapples and throws.
Smash's new wristband helps perfect your tennis swing
We've come a long, long way since the days when smart wristwear did little more than track your footsteps. Need proof? Smash has unveiled a wearable dedicated to tennis. The wristband uses motion sensors to track many aspects of your swing, ranging from spin to your favorite shot types. Once you're done attacking the ball, you can check your performance through a connected Android or iOS device -- it'll be clear if your volleys need more power, or your backhand is inconsistent.
Hanvon CEO smashes Apple effigy at TouchPad launch (video)
Want to draw attention to an otherwise ordinary piece of consumer electronics? Do something emotive like, say, smash a giant Apple ice sculpture in front of the world's Chinese press. Besides putting the boys in Cupertino on notice, Hanvon's officially launching the company's TouchPad B10 -- a 10.1-inch multitouch capacitive slate that we went hands-on with back in March. A €500ish device that runs Windows 7 on a retired 1.3GHz Celeron M ULV743 processor and Intel GMA 4500 graphics capable of delivering about 3.5 hours of battery life. Other specs include 2GB of memory, a regular ol' 2.5-inch 250GB or 320GB hard disk, HDMI-out, and WiFi. Watch the theatrics after the break while we wait for Hanvon's 1 million units sold announcement.
OU professor submerses laptop in liquid nitrogen, smashes it to prove a point (video)
Hey, students -- pay attention. Not to us, mind you, but to the syllabus provided by your professor. Kieran Mullen, a physics professor at the University of Oklahoma, has a fairly strict rule about gadgets in class: there won't be any, ever, under any circumstances. Balk all you want (understandable given his own clipped-on cellie), but if you sign up for this guy's class, you'll be flipping your phone to "off" and leaving your laptop in the dormitory. And if you try to blaze your own path and slip that netbook into the back row, you might leave bitterly disappointed. As you'll see clearly in the video past the break, Mr. Mullen sought to make a visual point that laptops weren't allowed in class (he calls them "a distraction"), and while it seems that the whole stunt was premeditated, most students acknowledged that his point was driven home. In short, he took a defunct machine, submerged it in liquid nitrogen, and proceeded to make the following statement: "This is just liquid nitrogen, so it alone won't hurt the computer. But this will." Find out exactly what "this" was by hitting that 'Read More' button there on the lower left. [Thanks, studentatOU]
Walmart shopper takes a bat to 29 TVs, lobbies to join Braves' spring training squad
Look, we've all had rough days. Ones that we wish never even happened, in fact. But we've yet to be pushed to the brink where the only logical solution to blow off steam would be to take an aluminum baseball bat to nearly three dozen TVs that weren't ours. For whatever reason (the accused is pleading the Fifth), Westley Strellis waltzed into a Walmart just outside of Atlanta yesterday, where he proceeded to lift a bat from the sporting goods section and then demolish the screens of 29 televisions in the electronics department. Shortly after, he submitted to a pair of handcuffs and 29 counts of criminal damage to property in the second degree, and if the initial tallies are correct, he somehow managed to mar over $22,000 worth of goods. Chin up, Mr. Strellis -- maybe you'll end up in a cell next to this brainiac. P.S. - Store footage of the rampage is after the break.
French magazine shoots handhelds through boards, much to our amusement
Show full PR text As you know, there's one thing we love more than gadgets -- wanton destruction. Combine the two (on someone else's dime, o'course) and we're having a pretty good day. That said, we're glad that there are others out there with our bent, including Amusement, a "gaming lifestyle" mag based en France. Apparently, the theme of the current issue is "computer bugs," with a number of articles illustrated in a clever, artistic, Gallic manner. But that's not what caught our eye -- no, we were into the pictures of handheld game consoles (specifically, a Nintendo DS and a PSP Go) being shot through particle board. Feel free to peep some more action photography after the break -- and we'll just go back to working on our coilgun.
PS3 crashes into Bravia TV at 50 MPH for fun and profit (video)
What happens when you launch a 7-pound (3.2-kg) PS3 Slim into a 46-inch Bravia KDL46X 3100 LCD at 50 miles per hour (80 km/hr)? A video destined to go viral with internet stardom, that's what. Exactly the thing Sony Australia is looking for with a new ad campaign touting its buy a Bravia get a PS3 for free. Awesome, and after the break.
Revolutionary: Capturing the Moment
Every (other) week, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. Segueing from last edition's topic: you've just built a sick Smash Bros. Brawl level, and you're ready to share it with the world. You upload it to your website and throw up some pics from the game's handy built-in photo mode. Everybody can see your creation without needing to first go through the trouble of downloading the level, putting it on an SD card, and loading it up on their Wii. Of course, your level looks like so much fun, they won't be able to resist trying it for themselves. But what if, like so many other games, there was no photo mode? How would you display your masterpiece? Or maybe seeing a still pic isn't enough to really sell the dynamics and spirit of your build. Then what? Read on as we delve into the art of video capture and photo composition -- for games!
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Final Smashes revealed
If there's one thing we learned reading through some of the comments on our mega-spoiler Smash Bros. Brawl post, it's that there are a lot of people who want Mega Man to join in the Smash Bros. series. If there's a second thing we learned, it's that people are very interested in learning the secretive "Final Smash" attacks for each of the revealed characters.Well, we can't help with Mega Man, but thanks to the kindly folks over at GameVideos, we can help with that second problem. The epic eight-minute video below shows off every Final Smash move in sequence. Not all Final Smashes are created equal, though, so we've decided to rank them on a ten point scale based on destructive potential, how well they fit the character and all-around coolness. Don't agree with us? Take it to the comments, Jabroni.Warning: Major spoilers contained below the break.
Japanese Smash Bros. commercials tease its nearing release
GameTrailers shows three Japanese Super Smash Bros. Brawl commercials made of in-game and animated footage. We know you Smash fans have been shaking since Nintendo pushed back the fighting title; let these clips deliver your Nintendo-fighter fix before the February 10 North America release. (Japan gets it at the end of this month, while other territories have to wait even longer.)Keep your eyes peeled for random Nintendo background characters; that's our favorite game-within-the-game.See the other two videos after the break.
Dojo update: Take a back seat
Games that allow you to watch others play the game you've just dropped fifty bucks on have become increasingly prevalent recently. This trend is something of a mystery to us, probably because we're twitchy, fidgety little monkeys who'd much rather roll our sleeves up and jump into the action ourselves.Nevertheless, Brawl will also cater to those who don't mind taking in the action from afar. "Spectator" mode in Nintendo's scrapper is apparently "something that even people who aren't good at games can enjoy," (not us then, because obviously we rock) and will allow spectators to wager coins on the outcome of a battle. And even if you don't win any bets, you'll still get some free stickers just for watching. Because nobody ever really loses in Nintendo games.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Conjecture Countdown: 5 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Super Smash Bros. Brawl's online mode will be revealed! It's an online store in which you can purchase different-colored ties for Donkey Kong.
Conjecture Countdown: 8 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Having peeked into the distant and dystopian future of December 2007 through the mystic arts of augury and tea leaf reading, we've discerned several Assist Trophy characters that are guaranteed to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Take care, young readers, as you pull back the curtain that separates your eager eyes from what lies beyond the post break. Once you've known the truths that destiny has planned, you can never unknow them!
Dojo update: Wario's special moves
We are so happy when the new Brawl info is new for real! Today's update is about Wario's special attacks, which are unexpectedly awesome.We've all seen the amusing flatulence attack from the original trailer. That's the Down special attack, and it gets more powerful the longer the interval between uses. It turns out we saw another Wario special move too.Wario's other special attack, the Side attack, is the business, and is probably going to make Wario quite a popular character. He summons a motorcycle! You can do 180's with the Control Stick (or D-pad?) and jump off with an attack button. You can apparently also be knocked off. The bike seems to be persistent, so can other players hop on and steal it?
Dojo update: Lylat Cruise stage revealed
While battling atop space ships in the Lylat system is nothing new to the Smash Bros. franchise, the revised stage looks a lot better. Now, the ship warps to different sectors, making its way through epic space battles and even the atmosphere of Corneria. Heck, maybe we won't be battling exclusively in Hyrule anymore, with such a promising looking stage as this.Check out all of the new Lylat Cruise stage images in the gallery below.%Gallery-3347%
Wii Warm Up: Composure
Videogame music has come a far cry from the beeps of yesteryear, with amazing works coming from both studios and independent remixers alike. A musical score is now a critical component of game design, and the big names in gaming are some of the most forward-thinking pioneers in the musical world today.Most classic Nintendo themes have been crafted by the well-known Koji Kondo, but Nintendo's consoles have been host to dozens upon dozens of brilliant composers. So, who's your favorite? There's a ridiculous list composing for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, found here (which interestingly omits the famed Nobuo Uematsu, who already composed the game's title theme). Which names stand your hair on end?
Four different controller options for Super Smash Bros.
Today's Smash Bros. blog update provided two things we've all been waiting for since the countdown went up: New information of any kind The controller the game will use. Those of you who said they'd adapt the game to Wiimote/Nunchuk play were right. Those of you who said they'd keep the Gamecube controller compatibility: you were right. Those of you who said it would use the Classic Controller: you were also right. Those of you who said you could play the game with a Wiimote turned on its side: if you existed, you would have been right as well.We had cooled on the subject of Smash Bros., but now we're as excited as we were when we saw Snake pop out of that box. Not only is this going to extend the life of the game (by allowing players to master four different methods of control) but it is also going to allow for different styles of play, and therefore more variety in strategy and technique.
Wii Warm Up: SMAAAASH!
We've got a very simple question for you today: who's your favorite existing Super Smash Bros. character? Is it Ness, or one of the many inferior filler characters they put in so everyone wouldn't just pick Ness?
Rumors: Mario Kart Wii, dates for Smash and Galaxy at E3
French gaming site JeuxFrance is reporting on a few rumors involving the house that N built, mostly revolving around a portly plumber. They're stating that Nintendo is planning on whipping out some big guns at the show, revealing the next installment in the Mario Kart franchise for the Wii, as well as solid release dates for Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Galaxy. As if that weren't enough, they're also reporting that Nintendo will have some big hardware news for us.Maybe they're going to reveal a headset add-on for the Wiimote? As for the other rumors, it's a safe bet that Nintendo will be giving us the goods on release dates for its hottest games this year, already providing us a release date for one of this year's most anticipated games, but the Mario Kart news is anyone's guess. It would make sense for Nintendo to bring a Mario Kart game to the Wii, but is the timing right?
Super Smash Bros. Brawl tidbit roundup
For those not compulsively checking the official Smash Bros. website daily for bare snippets of information, we here at Wii Fanboy have decided to perform the service of coalescing tidbits into tidbigs. Over the past week, a few interesting details have surfaced.Most of the reveals are item-based: you may now move freely with projectile weapons (finally!), and as detailed earlier here, the new "Gooey Bomb" item was unveiled. The most interesting new item, however, is the Smash Ball, which activates character-specific "Final Smash" attacks. Mario's is entitled the "Mario Finale" attack, which unleashes a spread-fire explosion attack, and we've seen Link's Triforce blade attack in an earlier video. Since most competitive Smash Bros. players contend without the randomizing effect of items, it'll be interesting to see if this affects higher-level gameplay.Also unveiled are some of Pit's (of Kid Icarus fame) attacks, which include a controllable arrow of light and limited flight capabilities (most likely the Up+B special). Brawl looks like it's coming together nicely ... do you guys agree?
