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Art Academy will turn your Wii U GamePad into a canvas
Art Academy is coming to the Wii U, with a multitude of new features designed to take advantage of the system's unique controller. Virtual virtuosos will be able to record and playback their artistic process, and subsequently hang their completed works in a digital gallery. The game will also enable artists to share images on Miiverse. Note that this game is different from the previously-released Art Academy: SketchPad. It will be coming to the Nintendo eShop sometime in 2014. [Image: Nintendo]
Club Nintendo swaps downloadable games, adds Mario Party 2, Art Academy
With a new month comes a new selection of downloadable games for which you can exchange your Club Nintendo Coins. The new lineup is half as varied as those of previous months, offering only one DSiWare download and one Wii Virtual Console game.For 150 Coins each, you can choose Art Academy: First Semester for DSiWare (but only available on 3DS through this offer) or Mario Party 2 for Wii. If you get that one, use the money you saved by buying it with Club Nintendo money to buy some extra controllers, either for friends or to replace the ones ruined by Mario Party.For fans of physical, tangible goods, there's also this new 3DS card case. It holds 18 games and includes four "double-sided card covers." And it looks really nice.
Dead Space 2 holds off FIFA to stay atop UK charts
Dead Space 2 became 2011's first repeat #1 in weekly UK software sales last week, according to Chart-Track, as it beat out a resurgent FIFA 11 (which began the year at #1) to stay atop the charts in its second week at retail. The week's new releases failed to crack the top ten, however, as the latest Mario vs. Donkey Kong (DS) and Mario Sports Mix (Wii) debuted at #11 and #12, respectively. (The only other new entry to make the top 40 was The Sims 3: Outdoor Living Stuff expansion.) Back in the top ten, LittleBigPlanet 2 floated down two spots during the week to #5, while the surprising Art Academy (DS) stayed in attendance, graduating up to #8 (from #9 the previous week). What are the chances Just Dance 2 finally ran out of moves? Check out the complete top ten list after the break.
Best of the Rest: Andrew's picks of 2010
DJ Max Portable 3 I blame myself for not pimping out PM Studio's excellent DJ Max Portable 3 more this year. The Korean music game is quite possibly the only music game you'll ever need on a handheld, thanks to its seemingly endless soundtrack, varied modes, rewarding progression, beautiful graphics, and note charts that will make your fingers cry. Oh, and for the first time in the franchise's history, you actually feel like a DJ. Ludwig makes fun of me for the epileptic fit I get into when playing it, but he just doesn't understand.
Confused Joystiq writer immortalized in Art Academy promotion
The review copy of Art Academy sent to me by Nintendo included a bit of example art saved in its gallery. Specifically, this portrait.
Video: Art Academy makes drawing as easy as 1,2,3,4,5
There are ten lessons included on the retail version of Art Academy. At a Nintendo event, I was able to go through one of them on a DSi XL. As you'll see in the video after the break, Art Academy breaks down the process of drawing a tree into five "simple" steps. What isn't evident in the video is how natural these directions feel. For example, the in-game tutor, Vince, tells you to draw your basic sketch from the ground up. Why? Because that's how trees and branches grow naturally in the environment. By mimicking his example, and listening to his advice, it becomes really easy to understand these basic concepts. Art Academy also goes through the steps of showing you what tools you'll need to use: whether it be a pencil, chalk, paint, etc. While my limited time with Art Academy was very informative, I do have one gripe with the product: there's no way to export your created images off the DS system. Instead of looking at the tree I drew, you'll have to make do with the one in this video. But trust me, mine looked just as good.
Art Academy in session on DS October 25
Nintendo is bundling its two DSiWare Art Academy apps, developed by Headstrong Games (yes, that Headstrong Games) into a single cartridge, for budding artists who appreciate beautiful objects like DS cartridges. Art Academy features all the lessons from both downloadable releases, new "Mini Lessons" and 80 selectable "motifs" (reference pictures). It'll be in stores October 25 for $20. Nintendo announced this with the above picture, drawn in-game by Nintendo PR coordinator Krysta Yang. A recent ad for the European release shows more of what the app can do. Or, more accurately, what can be done with the app by someone who can actually draw. Luckily, it's designed to teach people to draw!
Van Gogh, Caravaggio paintings reproduced in Art Academy
An expanded retail version of Nintendo's DSiWare Art Academy art trainer and creator is being released in Europe next week. To mark the occasion, Nintendo Spain has produced a series of four videos showing famous works being reproduced on a DSi XL. Watch them all after the break.
Hotel Dusk sequel and ... Face Training announced for DS in Europe
[GAME Watch] In a press release announcing its European lineup for the next three months, Nintendo made sure to include a couple of surprises. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, the DS sequel to Hotel Dusk (developed by the now-bankrupt CING), will bring the first game's unique style of sketchy noir to Europe on September 17. One week later on September 24, Nintendo of Europe is resurrecting an extremely odd title from Japan: Face Training: Facial exercises to strengthen and relax from Fumiko Inudo, a game about facial exercises designed to keep your face youthful and expressive. The original Japanese version shipped with a camera that attached to the DS through the GBA slot. The European version is for DSi and DSi XL only, and uses those systems' built-in cameras, along with an included stand. The other major new release in Nintendo's European lineup is Art Academy: Learn painting and drawing techniques with step-by-step training, out on August 8. This is a full DS game based on a series of DSiWare art education apps. More DS and Wii releases can be found in the full schedule.
European Nintendo downloads: Rollway Puzzle, Shadow Dancer
Hidden among a bunch of fairly low-profile releases (although we love Shadow Dancer, and Stop Stress developer Abylight is super nice) is something really cool: a new tilt-controlled DSiWare game. And it's not the one shown off yesterday, nor the wacky one released in Japan. Like Engine Software's tech demo, Rollway Puzzle is a game about moving a ball through mazes -- but with a top-down perspective (and a release date of today). You can see it on video after the break. Stop Stress: A Day of Fury (WiiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Stunt Cars (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points) Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Mega Drive, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Art Academy: Second Semester (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 Wii Points) Move your Brain - Rollway Puzzle (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Sokomania (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) [Thanks, RupeeClock!]
Japanese Nintendo downloads: Trial edition
The WiiWare demo program arrives in Japan today, offering many of the same demos found in North America. Bit.Trip Beat and NyxQuest are out, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is in. Oddly, the Japanese site for the demo program mentions a January 31 end date, which the North American page doesn't. We don't know if that's the end of the whole demo thing or just the expiration date for this set of demos. Also on the Wii today in Japan: two Namco arcade games which are personal favorites: free-scrolling shooter Bosconian (with fantastic "ALART" voice samples), and Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani's weird Libble Rabble. Genterprise continues its budget series on DSiWare, with a top-down racer and a VR-looking action game: Bosconian (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) Libble Rabble (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points) G.G. Series Tetsubou (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) G.G. Series Drift Circuit (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points) Art Academy (First and Second Semester) (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points each) Demos: Pokemon Rumble, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord & World of Goo
NintendoWare Weekly: Dragon Quest Wars, Arkanoid Plus, Altered Beast
Welcome to another Monday, a day when most of us with jobs or school must go back to that place we just love to spend most of our time each week. That is, unless you're one of the lucky few who just sit around waiting for the Wii and DSi shops to update. If you fall into the latter group, we'd just like to thank you for waking up this early to check out what's available for download today on the Wii and DSi. It's nice of you to do so considering you don't have any obligation to be up before noon. Boy, that must be nice. So head past the break and see what's available already!
Nintendo's DS holiday lineup reveals Fieldrunners, Art Style, and more
As usual, Nintendo's lineup announcement contains stuff that has never been announced before, no doubt sending publishers scrambling to get their own press releases ready -- including Nintendo!We now have dates for exciting third-party games like Space Invaders Extreme 2 (October 20) and A Witch's Tale (October 6), and Phantasy Star Zero (November 10). But Nintendo also revealed several DSiWare titles for the first time! The company will follow this week's Art Academy with Art Academy: Second Semester on September 28, followed in Q4 by a DSiWare version of the bit Generations title Digidrive. We're interested in seeing whether Skip takes over or whether Pixeljunk developer Q-Games remakes its GBA game.In other DSiWare news, the Electroplankton titles are due out in Q4, as is Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, which we don't know anything about, Sparkle Snapshots, Picturebook Games: The Royal Bluff, and -- this is going to freak iPhone gamers out -- Fieldrunners!
NintendoWare Weekly: Spaceball, Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge
It's been a longer-than-usual wait, but Nintendo has finally gone ahead and updated with this week's downloadable content. In addition to new WiiWare games, a new Virtual Console game and some fresh DSiWare content, there's a renovated Nintendo Channel to check out. Head past the break and see what's in store this week.
Nintendo trademarks 'Wii Fit Plus' and 'Art Academy'
Nintendo's core needs a workout, but it looks like the company may be planning to pump up its casual audience even more at next week's E3 with Wii Fit Plus. Originally uncovered in April via purported retailer listings, the game's title has been officially trademarked by Nintendo in Japan. Heck, there's even a logo for the game. Since the month-old rumor has borne fruit in terms of an accurate title, we're more likely to believe the November 2009 release date it claimed.Also trademarked by the Big N is Art Academy, a previously unheard -of title with no target platform mentioned. Detailed drawing would seem to lend itself more to DS, though we can't help but imagine a game in the vein of Wii Music in which players "paint" great works of art -- the Mona Lisa, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel -- simply by waggling the Wiimote around.[Via Siliconera]
