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Jam with the Band includes Wii Speaker Channel compatibility
Nintendo of Europe sent a press release out, offering the first details and track listing for the European release of Jam with the Band, confirming that this release is based on the sequel, Daigasso! Band Brothers DX. The DS music title supports Band Brothers DX's downloadable WiiWare channel, which allows music made in the game to be played through the Wii, and thus through your TV's sound system. This way, bands of up to eight DSes can play together and hear the combined result. The cartridge will include 50 songs, including "The Final Countdown," "We Are the Champions," and a fairly random assortment of popular music from the last few decades, as well as medleys of Nintendo music. You can find the tracks announced so far after the break. Nintendo will release around 50 additional songs, and user-created performances, as free DLC. [Via Videogamer]
The new Japanese Wii Shop menu item demystified
The latest Japanese Wii software update added this item to the Wii Shop Channel's settings, with a gold icon and a label about "bonus content." Above it is a link to Club Nintendo through the browser and a link to the settings for Wii Shop presents. The "bonus content" link prompts users to enter 16-digit codes before being awarded ... something. But what is this bonus content? Free Wii Points as a promotion for game purchases? VC games linked to retail games in the same series? A puppy?It might be that stuff later, but for right now, it's how you get the Speaker Channel that interfaces with Daigasso! Band Brothers DX on the DS. A bit disappointing, sure, but having infrastructure in place for Wii Shop bonus stuff could lead to interesting things in the future. Gallery: Band Brothers DX
User-generated content rules Band Brothers DX
For most of us, Band Brothers DX is just one of many unattainable titles in the Japanese market. We want to play it and love the crap out of it, but our inability to understand the Japanese squigglies keeps us from realizing just how great the game is. Thanks to Spencer at Siliconera, we can keep up with the most beloved content for the title.You can see the top 100 downloads yourself right here. It's not going to mean much to a majority of you, but if you're looking for the top downloads of this week, then peep this: Shuchi Shin (Shuchi Shin) Gake no Ue no Ponyo (Miyazaki movie theme?) Nakanai de (Shuchi Shin) Kiseki (GReeeeN) Nando mo (Aoyama Thelma)* created by Nintendo [Via Siliconera]
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 7/7-7/13
There's so much DS software love in the top ten that we don't know what to highlight! If pressed, though, we'll have to choose Densetsu no Stafi 5, because 1) Stafy is just the cutest and 2) it performed better than the rest. Band Brothers DX is inching toward 200,000 sales, though, and will probably hit that landmark next week.The other DS love goes to Hana Yori Dango: Koi Seyo Onago, an otome based on an anime/manga/j-drama. Although the chances of it happening are about ... zero ... we'd love to see that one localized, as Hana Yori Dango is one of our guilty pleasures. Last but not least, we'll mention the sometimes inappropriate Gegege no Kitarou, which debuted in ninth. (Oh yeah -- there's also Derby Stallion, but really.)Software sales gave DS hardware a small boost, but Nintendo's handheld is still stuck behind the PSP: PSP: 56,998 (559) Nintendo DS: 48,540 (1,085) Wii: 41,768 (2,757) PlayStation 3: 12,458 (1,901) PlayStation 2: 10,405 (1,363) Xbox 360: 3,807 (969) To check out the Japanese software sales numbers and rankings, just click past the break. (Our apologies -- we could only find translations for the top ten games!)
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/30-7/6
The most recent Japanese charts showed us that musical instruments have more legs than horses, as Band Brothers DX jumped up into the first place spot. Meanwhie, Nanashi no Game made its debut in the top ten, but only sold a total of 30,000 copies. Hardware sales were also interesting, as the DS stubbornly held onto the second spot: PSP: 56,439 (2,442) Nintendo DS: 47,455 (1,429) Wii: 44,525 (3,955) PlayStation 3: 14,359 (3,614) PlayStation 2: 11,768 ( 4,095) Xbox 360: 4,776 (328) With the Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G craze finally starting to quiet a bit, we don't think it will be too long before the PSP dips closer to DS sales (as long as Nintendo's handheld can maintain its own momentum). Enough about the future, though -- it's all about the now. So, go on and see how software fared last week in Japan by clicking past the break.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 6/23-6/29
Oh, Japanese gamers, how we love you -- after all, only you would buy 150,000 copies of Derby Stallion in one week. Such sales were enough to put this DS horse racing sim into first place, above Band Brothers DX and even the Wii's Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World. Besides Derby Stallion and Band Brothers, another DS title that made it into the top ten was Higurashi no Naku Koru ni Kazuna, a murder mystery visual novel.The beauty of it all is that this DS software success managed to propel DS hardware into second place, barely skating past the Wii: PSP: 58,861 (490) Nintendo DS: 48,884 (12,285) Wii: 48,480 (7,443) PlayStation 3: 17,973 (2,363) PlayStation 2: 7,673 (1,327) Xbox 360: 5,104 (2,549) To see sales numbers and rankings for the top ten games, just click past the break.
Nintendo delays Daigasso! Band Brothers bootlegging
In a likely accidental move similar to Square Enix's FFCC "Moogle of Death" screen, Nintendo has temporarily stalled pirates from completely enjoying Daigasso! Band Brothers DX. Not long after the rhythm game shipped out in Japan, crooked gamers around the world downloaded the ROM only to find that it didn't work as expected. According to initial reports, because Band Brothers DX uses a 1mb save instead of traditional 512kb saves, the ROM refuses to load on many flashcarts. Of course, determined delinquents have already found a workaround, and some flashcarts will load the ROM successfully without any required hacking, but pirates are also finding themselves unable to access the 200 downloadable songs available through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.Seeing as the game comes with only 30 tracks installed, the online songs are a huge draw for people playing Band Brothers DX! Though we expect hackers and flashcart manufacturers to fully "patch" the ROM in a few days, if not in a few hours, it's nice to hear that there are still a few things out there capable of temporarily flummoxing the DS piracy scene.%Gallery-24427%
Bust ghosts and wish upon stars with Band Brothers DX
As we've previously noted, there's a lot more to Band Brothers DX than J-pop. Nintendo just updated the list of the game's downloadable content, and there are several tracks (most of which tick the "shamelessly camp" and "80s" boxes) that will be recognizable to western eyes. These include cheesy power rock anthem "The Final Countdown," "Last Christmas," "Y.M.C.A.," and ... the Ghostbusters theme?! Man, you better believe that we're just one Thundercats theme away from getting our import on right this second, Nintendo! Here's what being offered up, complete with YouTube linkage: "Ghostbusters" "Last Christmas" "Daydream Believer" "Stand by Me" "The Loco-Motion" "Saturday Night" "The Final Countdown" "When You Wish Upon A Star" "Gonna Fly Now" "Highway Star" "ABC" "Y.M.C.A." As if choosing what to download wasn't already difficult enough! Hit the gallery for a dozen fresh shots of the title. %Gallery-24427%[Via Siliconera]
Band Brothers DX: choose your DLC carefully
It feels churlish to complain about the expansive range of DLC offered up by Band Brothers DX. In case you forgot, the game will allow users to download up to 100 extra songs from a choice of 200 (far outstripping the amount of tracks offered by any other DS music game), yet posters on NeoGAF have now discovered that once you've downloaded one of your 100 tracks, that's it -- there's no way to delete tracks, or replace them with new songs.Curious about this limiting feature, N-Sider's Matt Behrens checked out the official site for the game, which seemed to confirm the findings. On the site, Nintendo explains that this is due to rights restrictions that prevent the erasing or replacement of the music, and urges players to use "Audition Mode," a feature that plays songs before you elect to download them. Sounds like solid advice![Via N-Sider]
Band Brothers DX Speaker Channel in action
When we heard about the Speaker Channel that would allow Band Brothers DX players to share tracks with one another, we were immediately smitten with the title, even if we knew in the back of our mind that we'd probably never get to play it. Regardless of the end product's quality, strives such as this set precedents for others to utilize the DS and Wii together in interesting fashions.Now, we can view the Channel in action, courtesy of the video uploaded over at the Touch DS site. We'd like to embed it, but, alas, we cannot. So, head on over and give it a look.
Band Brothers DX enlists Japanese celebrity for commercial
Nintendo of Japan's DS site has a new commercial up for Band Brothers DX. With the title due for release in Japan on the 26th of this month, Nintendo is putting on its marketing hat and showing a new ad to Japanese gamers.Nintendo has enlisted the aid of Japanese celeb Thelma Aoyama to help them promote the title. If you're clueless as to who she is, then you probably don't live in Japan and should check out this Wikipedia page.Sadly, like most Japanese advertisements, this one is way too short and doesn't show enough gameplay.%Gallery-24427%
Check out the track lists for Band Brothers DX
The Band Brothers DX website lists all the jammable tracks available in the rhythm title, including both downloadable and in-game songs. Since the list is in Japanese, we did our best to translate (read: search the internet for a translation), which we've posted after the break.For classical music lovers (like this blogger), the in-game song list is like a piece of cake wrapped in brownie batter. Everyone else may be a wee bit disappointed, though, as the tracks only include five J-pop songs among a plethora of Mozart and the like. To keep it interesting, the classical songs are remixed in different styles, like tango, Eurobeat, pop, jazz, and more. Some unique combinations include a reggae version of Beethoven's "Pathétique Sonata" and a Famicom version of Schubert's "The Trout" (click here and here to listen to them in their original classical styles).The list of downloadable songs is much more J-poppy, however, offering tracks like "Flavor of Life" by Utada Hikaru, which is the recurring theme of J-drama Hana Yori Dango. There are also a handful of anime songs to help tickle your J-fetish.If you want to see both of the translated song lists for Band Brothers DX, just click on past the break. Gallery: Band Brothers DX
Band Brothers DX introduces new way to embarrass yourself in public
Along with the launch of its official Band Brothers DX site yesterday, Nintendo has released a set of screenshots showing off the rhythm game's new features, such as its downloadable songs and acoustic guitar.One addition that we've been hoping to see more of is the Karaoke Bar (pictured right), a mode in which you can practice your singing abilities with the Nintendo DS's mic. We bet you can't wait to sing Ashley's Theme Song while other people on the bus/train whisper and giggle about your off-key performance.Of course, following the lyrics might prove to be difficult considering that most the words will be written in Japanese, but there's no need to worry about that, as Nintendo will likely localize Band Brothers DX, just like it localized the original game, Jam With The Band ... on opposite day. When you're done feeling bitter about all that, jump into our gallery below for more screenshots. There's some great looking boxart to be found there!%Gallery-24427%
Band Brothers DX site open for jamming
Well, it seems like today we were just writing about Band Brothers DX. Oh wait, we were! Okay then, twice in one day it is.For those of you hungry for more Band Brothers DX, know that the website for the game has gone live. It's in Japanese, so navigation isn't going to be easy. But, if you decide to head on over there, you'll find a breakdown on the Speaker Channel, as well as some other goodies.[Via Go Nintendo]
User-created content is the heart of Band Brothers DX
Gamers in Japan will likely be delighted to hear this bit of news. Band Brothers DX will allow players to share content they created in the game, namely compositions. By uploading them online, other games may then access and download the tracks. Pretty neat, eh? We think so.Of course, this only works for folks in Japan, meaning that we're incredibly jealous. We hope, nay, need this game to be localized. So, Nintendo, get on it!
Jam with the screens of Band Brothers DX
With all the new features that are being added to Band Brothers DX, the sequel to Daigasso! Band Brothers, we can't help but really, really hope it gets localized. Sure, importing is always an option, but we want access to all the drool-worthy downloadable content. We wouldn't mind English menus either, to make navigating around the software easier.At the moment, though, all we can do is stare at screens for a game that we hope we get. So, mosey on past the break to check out the newest images, and hope against all odds that Barbara the Bat's appearance as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be enough to kick-start the series outside of Japan.
DS Daily: Feature invention
We couldn't stop telling ourselves all day yesterday how cool the newest feature in Band Brothers DX is. That got us to thinking about our lovely little chat topics we have every day and what some of you wonderful readers might have knocking around your noggins.So, in line with what Band Brothers DX is doing, what upcoming game would you like to see have something like this? In fact, what ideas do you have period? Whether it's just as simple as in-game currency exchanging between a Wii and DS game or for a special Channel on the Wii (we envision something like hosting a Pokémon tournament and having live stats tracking through the Wii), we want to hear it. Hit us with your best ideas!
Nintendo: Wii 'Speaker Channel' for blasting Band Bros. sequel
Nintendo fans and tech nuts: what you're about to read will be music to your ears. According to the most recent issue of Japan's top video games publication, Weekly Famitsu, the sequel to Nintendo's strictly Japanese DS title Daigasso! Band Brothers (above) will take Wii-DS connectivity to new (volume) levels. Titled Band Bros. DX, the new game will let players stream their best performances to the Wii for output through TV speakers, stereos, home theater systems -- whatever you've got your Wii pumping sound out of. The key is a forthcoming "Speaker Channel" for Wii which, while not officially dated, would seem to be a shoe-in for day-and-date launch with Band Bros. DX in Japan. For those unfamiliar with the game, it allows up to eight players on individual DS systems to pick an instrument and "play" the included songs, or jam out and create their own. The original Band Bros. was -- at one time -- due for release in the US as Jam with the Band! but has vanished from the radar. Hopefully this sequel will survive the trip Stateside; stores would likely be alive with the sound of ringing registers for this Wii and DS duet's debut. [Via Wii Fanboy]
Band Brothers DX allows players to share tracks
When the Wii and DS come together, it's better than Voltron. First, we start getting DS demos sort of regularly from the Wii, now this. Of course, as with all incredibly awesome game news, it comes from Japan.According to the latest issue of Famitsu, owners of Band Brothers DX, the rhythm-based DS title from Nintendo, will be able to share tracks by using the Speaker Channel. It's a new Channel for the Wii that will allow you to stream music created in the DS game to your TV, as well as upload tracks online for others users to download. What other games do you think could benefit from stuff like this? How would you like to see the Wii's capabilities incorporated in other DS games in the future?[Via Game | Life]
New Band Brothers on DS uses Wii 'Speaker Channel'
The sequel to the currently Japan-only DS music game Daigasso! Band Brothers takes advantage of the rarely-used Wii/DS interface, with awesome-sounding results. Band Brothers DX, in addition to a host of neat Wi-Fi features, will connect to a downloadable Wii "Speaker Channel." The channel allows players to stream their user-created music to the Wii, for a more public performance.Long ago, the first Daigasso! was to be released in the U.S. and Europe as Jam with the Band! Maybe now that the sequel will show off the Wii's connectivity features, and its use of "channels," in a unique way, Nintendo will see fit to release the sequel worldwide.
