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HKO Arena Maps revealed: Happy Fun Cafe and Strawberry Smile Garden
New Arena maps have been announced for Hello Kitty Online Island Adventure's Arena system, which was created to cater particularly to the cutesy-anime-loving PvP players. In a statement released to the public, Sanrio corporation said that it was "taking its lead from a more popular MMORPG which has started to design its game around Arenas." Sanrio notes that the increasing popularity of Arenas indicate that this is the direction that MMOs will be taking for the future, and they believe that building an Arena system for Hello Kitty Online will make the game future-proof. However, Sanrio is quick to note that their Arena system is superior by sheer virtue of the options available in each map, which requires more strategy than the other MMORPG. The first two maps revealed are called the Happy Fun Café and Strawberry Smile Garden maps, each having its unique features and strategic advantages. The Happy Fun Cafe map features a bar/counter at the center of the map which can be used to abuse line-of-sight spells and abilities. Players may also interact with the pastry and refreshments on the counter in order to use them as weapons or consumables. Sanrio believes that this kind of innovative map system will push the envelope of Arena play.Learn more about the second map, Strawberry Smile Garden, after the jump.
Ten April Fools' items that would break Wii Fanboy's heart
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Ten_April_Fools_items_that_would_break_Wii_Fanboy_s_heart'; Well, it's that magical day of the year again where the internet lights on fire with speculation and fake news. April Fools' Day often strikes the gaming sector hard, with fake announcements and "leaks" running wild for a 24-hour period. Well, we're taking action.What we've done is compile a list of the 10 things that would absolutely break our hearts if we read them on this fine first day of April. Why? Well, why not? So head on through and check out our list, starting from the least severe on to something that would surely kill us if we read it. Oh, and tell us some of the things that would break your heart if someone tried to report them as true today while you're at it!
Ten devastating April Fools' jokes
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Ten_devastating_April_Fools_jokes_involving_the_Nintendo_DS'; Once upon a time, April Fools' Day was an innocent little "holiday" filled with harmless pranks and jokes that never hurt a fly -- or a gamer on the Internet. Somewhere, sometime, however, we seem to have lost our way; at some point, April 1st became a minefield of heartbreaking stories that weren't, and woe to the hapless reader who believed in the amazing port, the desired sequel, or the new game announcement posted by a prankster gleefully rubbing his or her hands and cackling madly from on high.Consider this a pre-emptive strike -- we're declaring ten things completely sacred. There are some things you just don't joke about!**Okay, you can, but it'll really, really hurt our feelings. Follow the incredibly sad face! ->
Happy April Fools' from Xbox Live
Oh, April Fools' Day. It is a day that will forever be riddled with falsities and lies. This is particularly true of the video game industry. Given how much fans obsess over every single news-byte and rumor -- we hear there are even entire websites devoted to it -- it's hard to blame all the publishers and developers for wanting to pull one over on their ardent followers. It's all in good fun after all. Enter the latest additions to the Xbox 360 Family: the Wireless Helmet, Xbox Live the Board Game, the Xbox 360 Recon Edition, and the Xbox 360 Vintage Edition. They are -- to save you the trouble -- fake. Of course, they are so obviously fake that it's really not a great April Fools' Day prank (unless you have particularly dense friends, in which case more power to you). Still, it's funny. So, check out the Inside Xbox video (embedded above) and don't forget to pre-order.[Thanks to the many, many people that sent this in!]
Zelda movie trailer whips internet into a frenzy
Ah, IGN, you very nearly had us. Your trailer for a movie based on The Legend of Zelda almost -- almost -- pulled the wool over our young, naive eyes. In fact, this is probably the most impressive, sophisticated April Fools' prank we've witnessed for some time. What gave it away? Well, there's a sliiightly budget feel to some of this. Truth be told, we've seen more convincing Ganons at cosplay conventions, while some of the acting pretty much redefined "hammy."*Goofy as it is, this is still darn excellent, and certainly more impressive than anything we could ever hope to cook up. So, let's see a show of hands: how many of you would queue around the block for tickets to this?* Not that this prevented the Lord of the Rings trilogy from being taken seriously. Yes, yours truly is the only individual in the known universe not to enjoy that overwrought, nine-hour bore-fest.
April Fools in Middle-earth: the Battle of Amon Hen
Okay, this is super obvious, but it's still pretty hilarious. The jokers over at Turbine want to let you know about the next free content update -- no, really -- for Lord of the Rings Online, "The Battle of Amon Hen". Introducing a new playable race, the Fowl Peoples! Grow when you level and supersize your chicken, as you crush your foes into 6, 12 or 20 pieces! We won't ruin all the punchlines here, but there are some real winners, so make sure to check it out. It's a shame it's all a joke -- we're sure many folks would be all over that "Colonel" PvMP rank.
New Hero Class revealed: Bard! Also, new Molten Core for the console
I did not think anything could break me away from the Death Knight class. The minute I got my hands on the Wrath of the Lich King beta, I was going to go to the character selection screen, pick Death Knight, and never look back. Sorry Druid, Sorry Hunter. Sorry Warlock. Maybe I'll come back to you when my uber awesome Death Knight is level 80 and I have Frostmourne in my hot little hands. Blizzard has once again raised the bar. No longer shall I be a Death Knight. Instead, I shall be a Bard. That's right, Blizzard's just announced a new Hero Class, and it's not the Archdruid that was previously rumored.
April Fool's is upon us
Yes, it's only midnight, and already the wackiness has started. These people just couldn't wait to do something a little silly on the first day of April. Reader Tim let us know that Baron Soosdon has quit his job at Machinima.com and stopped making machinima in general. He's said goodbye with (what else?) a Linkin Park video. WoWWiki has apparently switched places with the Guild Wars wiki, and vice versa. Make sure to check out their news section, where they mix up Guild Wars news with WoW news. Have you heard about the CM leaving, or the upcoming sequel? Wowhead's site, as you can see above, looks strangely familiar (thanks to everyone who sent this in). More to come for sure. Don't believe anything you read today (unless you read it here on WoW Insider, of course).
Beware: Tomorrow is April Fools' Day
Just a friendly reminder, folks, tomorrow is April Fool's Day, so be very careful about "breaking news" you might stumble upon. Whether it's Blue Hobbits or Wii.TV, just take what you read with a grain of salt until the clock strikes midnight. Here's some helpful advice: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is: We'd all love for Nintendo to suddenly give everyone who clicks a link a free Wii, but face it, it doesn't seem too likely. Sourcing is important: If a blockbuster April 1 story comes from unnamed sources or a mysteriously dead web site, remain skeptical. The least they could do is forge some documentation for their joke; make them work for it. Pimps at Sea is never coming out: It's a Bungie inside joke, and someone always manages to fall for it. Also, whatever Blizzard announces tomorrow is a lie, so just have a laugh. Duke Nukem Forever is never coming out: That 100% confirmed release date you'll read about tomorrow? Total baloney. Any questions? Here's a bunny with a pancake on its head.
Bristlebane's Day told in pictures
It's Bristlebane's Day in Everquest II until April 2!The god of tricks and pranks has a special job for someone (maybe you!). Look for Blat Berisen outside the gates of your home city... The gods are sending evil thoughts into his brain, and only you can retrieve the tinfoil cap he needs to block them out. Will you accept the challenge? Check out our exclusive gallery for hints to help the quest along -- including amazing shots of the tin cap itself!%Gallery-19394%
Blizzard doesn't deliver on Pandaren Express
While I was attempting to sort out the truth for The Great Panda Debate, I came across Pandaren Express. It sounded too good to be true. Just type /panda in your UI and you'd be rewarded with an interactive menu of Oriental-inspired delights. It was too good to be true, it was a crafty April Fool's prank. I hadn't seen it before, so I thought I would share the link with our readers. The prank was criticized for supporting the belief that World or Warcraft players are lazy and obsessed. I can understand the complaint, but I admit to tabbing out while waiting for arena queues to order pizza online at least once or twice.
April issue of EGM reveals Bungie's next project: Lego Halo
LucasArts isn't the only developer with a proclivity to "hit the bricks", it seems -- according to the latest issue of EGM, Bungie is currently working on a heretofore unannounced project in conjunction with Lego. The brainchild of this unholy union is -- as you've probably already guessed -- Lego Halo. Set to follow the entire storyline of the Halo trilogy, and featuring gameplay similar to the other games in the Lego crossover genre (with just a dash of traditional FPS fare mixed in), this chimera is sure to sell like hotcakes to fans of Master Chief and construction toys both -- if it actually existed, that is.As many of our loyal tipsters (as well as one of our sister sites) didn't realize, this exclusive preview ran in the April edition of EGM -- the same edition which is infamous for its history of April Fools' skullduggery. Sorry to break your naïve heart, if you didn't see this coming -- but the only way you're going to get your hot little hands on Lego Halo is if you order it from a parallel universe. Would you mind picking up a copy of Mushroom Kingdom Hearts for us while you're over there?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
