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Walking the streets with the Balance Board
Going outside? Let the common man do that, as tech-savvy folks can just navigate the outside world within the comfort of their own home, with little more than a Balance Board and Google Street View. It's kind of similar to the Google Earth thing we presented back in May. In the least, it's got to be a cheap and easy way to travel to those cities you always wanted to visit, but couldn't afford to go to.[Via Balance Board Blog] The homebrew community has been hard at work creating wonderful experiences for you to enjoy with your Wii. Did you know about homebrew game Masteroids? Or how about the shmup OpenTyrian? Outside of games, people have been using the Balance Board to come up with some really neat stuff. Also, if you wanna watch movies on your Wii, be sure to check out our step-by-step guide. Keep up with the homebrew scene by staying current with our Homebrew category!
GC 2008: Shaun White and company take a road trip
Straight out of Leipzig, a crazy mofo named Shaun White. The latest trailer for Ubisoft's Balance Board-compatible sports title, Shaun White Snowboarding shows off a lot of what you'd expect from a snowboarding game: lots of spinning and big jumps. We're not poking fun, because, to be honest, we think the game looks pretty polished. SSX it may not be, but a fun time it could very well become.%Gallery-29887%
Kororinpa 2 uses balance board, boasts bad GC demo
As you probably noticed (from the title), there's good news and bad news concerning the sequel to the early Wii title Kororinpa. Luckily, the good outweighs the bad. The good, in fact, is great: Kororinpa 2 will feature ten stages that utilize the balance board. While it's not Wii MotionPlus, that'll still add a neat (and challenging, if Wii Fit's marble mini-game is any indication) element to the sequel. The bad? According to the folks at IGN, the game looks terrible on the floor in Leipzig. Don't start huffing and stamping your feet over quality control just yet, though; Kororinpa 2 isn't due until next year. There's still time to give it a fix.%Gallery-30046%
Possible Wii port for upcoming Capcom fighter?
Capcom's Tatsunoko vs Capcom: Cross Generation is a title set to release in Japan this year. If the name throws you (or you don't keep up with the Japanese fighting game scene), just know this: it has Capcom vs in the title so it has to be good. It's almost guaranteed to be great, even, with past titles such as Marvel vs Capcom 2 and the near-perfect Capcom vs SNK 2 being examples of what to expect in terms of quality here. According to a Japanese website, the game could be coming to Wii.The original rumor was that the title will support a "Wii-compatible board," which might cause some to think it's Balance Board support. Well, we found that the term describes the circuit board the arcade game uses, meaning that porting the game to the Wii would not be an impossible task.[Via Nintendic]
Sega: More Balance Board and Zapper-compatible games on the way
For those of you with a lot of plastic junk laying around, taking up space (remember, if you bought Wii Fit, you only played it once), there's hope! Sega has plans for your Nintendo peripherals, so you might be dusting them off in the near future.During an interview, SEGA of America president Simon Jeffrey commented that Sega is "fans of the Wii Zapper" and that their game Ghost Squad "keeps selling." As for the future, he stated that the company has "more Zapper games going," with the same "for the Wii Balance Board, although we have nothing announced yet." We wonder if this will tie in to that mystery Leipzig game?[Via Balance Board Blog]
Washable Balance Board covers repel your grubby feet
Fact: feet are disgusting. Also a fact: the Wii Balance Board is very, very white. What price will you pay to keep it that way, and prevent mucky feet from tarnishing its perfect surface?Linx Products hopes that you'll pay ¥1,554 (around $14). The company recently started marketing these ivory-colored protective covers for Nintendo's peripheral, and they're available now on Amazon Japan for exactly that price. They can be washed up to fifty times, and apparently feature ... some anti-bacterial agent that we couldn't decipher.These are still Japan-only, so the rest of you will have to settle with sticking other stuff on your Balance Boards. Or you could just wash your damn manky feet.[Via Balance Board Blog] Putting your feet on the Balance Board and measuring your own BMI is so last year -- head here to read up on one blogger's quest to measure his apartment. And a cat.
Balance Board becomes interactive storytelling tool
Okay, it's kind of hard to figure out exactly what the Inscape software is -- the website describes it as "a unique integrating collaborative tool supporting a wide range of devices and media formats to enable digital content creators to plan, build, experience and publish interactive multimedia stories." We think it's software that allows you to import content and build an interactive framework for presenting it. We're imagining a PowerPoint with more stuff to do in the presentations, basically. Which means that it could be used for anything from visual novels to self-guided presentations to games.Immersion, who is part of the consortium that works on InScape, has now added a Balance Board interface to the software, enabling whatever these interactive stories are to maintain a new level of, well, immersion. It's cool to see our little toy scale being used in what seems like a serious program. And it's especially cool to see any program "officially" supporting a Wii peripheral.
Balance Board taking over Rabbids TV Party, blog makes butt joke
Ubisoft rather likes money, and therefore is enamored by the best-selling Balance Board. Perhaps this is why the range of Balance Board-compatible minigames in Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party has been stretched, to the point where half of the 75 games will feature Balance Board support -- previously, that figure was one-third. We guess Ubisoft really wants to see you playing with your butt more, amirite lol?!"Hilarity" aside, offering greater Balance Board compatibility makes perfect sense. There's a gap in the market for Balance Board games that aren't Wii Fit right now (only We Ski is currently on store shelves), and Balance Board owners are probably looking for something else to play, now they've perfected their Sun Salutation.%Gallery-23883%[Via Go Nintendo]
Microsoft's Gosen warns of 'thin line between gimmick and great gameplay'
Look, it's not that Microsoft's Xbox VP, David Gosen, dislikes the Wii and its parade of people-friendly peripherals. "What Nintendo have done with the Wii is truly fantastic – there is no question about it." No question at all -- but there is a but. "But I think sometimes there is a thin line between gimmick and great gameplay." And there's no question that said but refers to that thing that lets you play games with your butt.Speaking at a Gamefest UK keynote and later to the folks at Develop, Gosen admitted that while different interfaces, whether they be video cameras or plastic guitars, are important in bringing new players into the market, they need to serve a "truly game changing experience." Gosen went on to cite research which found Wii Fit players abandoned their "digital bathroom scales" quite quickly. "They are not good if they are gimmicks. There is a challenge for us to make sure that all new user interfaces are deep and are rewarding to the end user."And how do you do that, exactly? Gosen offers, "So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes – and we have to treat them with respect." Get the balance of game design right, huh? Sounds like the perfect Wii Fit game, no?
New info on Tetris Party's game modes
Aside from learning about Balance Board support and when the game would be releasing on WiiWare, we haven't heard much about what's in the Tetris Party game. Well, other than Tetris. We all pretty much know what's going on with that.We now have some idea as to what gamers should expect from the title's many modes of play, though. There will be 18 different modes of play, with 10 of them supposedly being never-before-seen variations of single and multiplayer Tetris. Online modes will be titled World Battle and Friend Battle, where up to six players can take part in play simultaneously. Aside from all of that, other modes were mentioned, including Stage Racer, Wii Balance Board Tetris Marathon, Field Climber, and Duel Space modes. We don't have any specific info on those, though, so we'll just have to wait until the game releases to spend some quality time with those modes.%Gallery-18122%
Wii Warm Up: First-party Fanboy
Njoy's "G-Board" Balance Board will become the first third-party Balance Board released to market on September 12th, yet not many of you were bowled over by it.A prohibitive price probably didn't help in that respect (Njoy's Board is just £5 less than Nintendo's own Balance Board, which comes with Wii Fit), but where do you stand (har) in general on third-party controllers and peripherals, be they Zappers, Balance Boards, or Wiimotes? Several gamers we speak to tell us how they'll only buy first-party, the logic being that the original manufacturers of any console will always make the best and most suitable controllers for it. Is that an idea you subscribe to?
For your Njoyment: the first third-party Balance Board
The first third-party Balance Board has appeared over at Amazon's UK site, complete with a price of £64.99 and a release date of September 12th. Handily, it features markings to tell you where your feet need to go (in case you forgot), and a tiny LCD display, which presumably informs you just how hideously overweight you are, and thus how ashamed you should feel when in public. It's being made by a company called Njoy, and is known as the "G-Board Balance Board."Pleased as we are to see increased options in the Balance Board arena, we foresee two problems with this. One: as Nintendo's official Balance Board is already a superbly constructed piece of kit, it's going to take a Herculean effort for the G-Board to beat it on build quality; foot markers and a miniscule LCD panel might not be enough. Two: £64.99?! As we recall, the official model is only £5 more, and comes with a damn good game.[Via Balance Board Blog]
Third-party Wii Balance Board listed on Amazon UK
Are you one of the dozens and dozens of British citizens that wants a Wii Balance Board to play games like Skate It! or Rayman: Raving Rabbids TV Party, but also doesn't want to pay extra for the included Wii Fit game? Well you're in luck! According to a recent Amazon listing, the Njoy G-Board Balance Board will only set you back £64.99 -- a full five pounds less than the £69.99 Wii Fit package. And who needs Wii Fit's virtual personal trainer when you can look down at the G-Board's stylish LCD weight display to see just how unfit you really are?Seriously, the one advantage Njoy's Board might have over the Wii Fit bundle is availability -- as of this writing, the game's short supply has inflated the package price to £102.99 and up on Amazon's marketplace. Penny-pinching balancers can look for their G-Board's on Sept. 12.[Via Engadget]
The Wii Fit balance board is cloned, magically sprouts an LCD display
It looks like Nintendo will finally be getting some challengers to its balance board monopoly... or one at least. Cheapo Wii accessory-maker Njoy is set to introduce its own version of the Wii Fit's footboard come September 12th for the weirdly more-expensive price of £64.99 (or about $130). Of course, Njoy's model does have a built-in LCD display (presumably for checking your weight even when the console is off), though it won't come bundled with any software, virtual trainers, or the assurances of a thorough Mario and Luigi inspection process.[Via Balance Board Blog]
Tetris Party to rock WiiWare this fall, utilizes Balance Board
We just received a press release concerning upcoming Tetris Party. It's set to grace WiiWare this fall, meaning that North American gamers will be able to pick up the title this year and not later, as we were fully expecting. Other than that, the press release doesn't offer us much else to go on.Oh, wait, yes it does! The game will include "modes that utilize the unique point-and-shoot capabilities of the Wii Remote." But, the fun doesn't stop there. The game will also support "the recently released Wii Balance Board." Yes, you just read that correctly. The rumor is true. How it will be utilized is anyone's guess at this point, however.Also, an official site has launched for the game, but it isn't too full of content right now. %Gallery-18122%[Via press release]
Oh man, I am so Wii Fit right now, I have no idea what's going on
There is no better way to celebrate your healthy and happy Wii Fit lifestyle than by embracing the power of a mind-altering drug. To cover up your dirty old Balance Board, AMR Racing (creators of the Hoochie Mama) has created a marijuana print, lovingly entitled Weed White. This isn't exactly the message Nintendo would want to send to the children of the world, but to all the Wii Fit moms out there? Smoking a joint might be totally fair game. You can pick up this cover from Amazon for around $20, which includes a bonus Wiimote skin. Might want to grab a bag of Doritos while you're at it.%Gallery-4745%[Via Balance Board Blog]
E308: Wii Music this year, with Balance Board support [Update 1: Screens]
Wii Music has finally been (roughly) dated, and it looks even better than we expected! The game, which will include more than 50 instruments and Balance Board support, is set for release this year. During the E308 conference, it was announced that the game would be available without the Wii MotionPlus add-on, but will still translate motions similar to those used to play real instruments. Therefore, how you move the Wiimote and Nunchuk, along with the timing in which you press the buttons, will affect how you sound. You can also use the Balance Board for certain instruments, like the drums (where it's used as a pedal). That's probably good news for those of you who were worried about more Rock Band-like peripherals clogging up your homes.Wii Music was made with people who can't play instruments in mind, so that they can "experience the joy of making music," too. Since Miyamoto wanted this game to be accessible to the music illiterate, it doesn't require any note reading and won't rate your performances.Also interesting is that songs can be recorded and made into music videos (starring your Miis). Furthermore, the game supports up to four players (per Miyamoto), but we were slightly confused when it looked like five were performing the Super Mario Bros. theme on stage.Being the competitive music junkies that we are, we're a little bummed that the software doesn't even give you the option of performance evaluation. Even so, this looks like a pretty rad piece of kit.[Update 1: Screens added! See the gallery below.]%Gallery-27713%
Ubisoft's Shaun White Snowboarding to use Wii Balance Board
At Nintendo's E3 press conference this morning, pro snowboarder Shaun White announced the existence of Shaun White Snowboarding, an Ubisoft game "designed from the ground up" to use the Wii Balance Board. The game will be released by the end of the year for the Wii, with a non-Balance-Board equipped versions coming to other systems.
Nintendo E3 2008 press conference: Let's play bingo
#bingochart { border: 2px solid #111; border-collapse: collapse; } #bingochart td { padding: 1px 0px 1px 0px; border: 1px solid #ccc; vertical-align: top; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-size: 80%; line-height: 90%; } #bingochart th { padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: top; text-align: center; margin: 0; } #bingochart a{ filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=100); -moz-opacity: 1;} #bingochart a:hover { filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(opacity=80); -moz-opacity: 0.80;} DS Lite redesign Mega Man 9 That pesky storage problem More Mario sports DLC A new Wii peripheral Link returns Even more Fit What comes after FFIV? Pikmin, baby, yeah! Dragon Quest IX Layton sequels Fanboys love Reggie New Wii colors Balance Board games Guitar Hero for everyone More language trainers Chrono Trigger Pokémon Platinum DS Novel to US Wii Music Captain Rainbow Spore Creatures Animal Crossing Wii Kid Icarus var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Nintendo_E3_2008_press_conference_bingo'; In anticipation of next week's E3 Media and Business Summit, we've prepared bingo cards for each of the big press conferences, filled with some likely (and some not-so-likely) predictions for what each of the big three console makers intends to announce at arguably the biggest trade shows of the year.Today's card is for Nintendo (special thanks to Wii and DS Fanboy). Our fingers are crossed twice over (trust us, it's painful) for the no-brainer Pikmin sequel. Click on each of the slides above for more information about our predictions. The folks at NWF and DSF got a little carried away, so check out their full predictions (Wii, DS).Nintendo's E3 2008 press conference begins Tuesday, July 15, at 9:00am PT (that's 12:00 pm Joystiq Time / ET). As always, we'll be liveblogging the event, so you can play along in real-time with us. (Also: check out all our press conference bingo cards, including some for Microsoft and Sony!)Download a copy (PNG file) and play along!
Rumor: Punch-Out!! Wii to be unveiled at E3
Ding Ding! Some potentially huuuuge news this morning from the pages of Brit magazine NGamer -- apparently, E3 will see Nintendo uppercutting its competition with a new edition of Punch-Out!! for the Wii. Not only that, but the mag reckons Punch Out!! Wii will ship with Balance Board support to let us float like a butterfly dodge and weave, and that we'll be using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to sting like a bee punch.Is this the hardcore-pleasing title that Reggie has previously referenced? It could well be, because we're the hardcore, and we're pleased by this![Via Go Nintendo]
