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First Apple tablet game announced ... kind of
Unwilling to wait until the rumored Apple tablet thing becomes a reality (probably tomorrow!), iPhone app developer Stand Alone Inc. announced that it's working on a version of its Crosswords iPhone game for the theoretical device's possible 10-inch screen. "We have been anticipating the Apple tablet as the greatest piece of hardware for App developers since iPhone itself," Stand Alone president Bob Gottlieb said in the announcement, "and Crosswords will be even better on the new device." The existence of a game for the tablet shouldn't be taken as confirmation of the tablet itself; though we've had plenty of that. Brian Akaka, of Stand Alone's PR firm Appular, told Joystiq that the game design is speculative. "Stand Alone hasn't received any hardware or specs from Apple," Akaka said. "However, based on the general consensus available publicly, the tablet device is almost guaranteed in our opinion. Thus, the developer has prudently begun work on a new design for the game, in order to take advantage of the expected increase of real estate. The game is being designed to fit a 10-inch screen." So, in the absence of advance info from Apple, Stand Alone has given itself a head start on tablet development -- it hopes. [Via Mac|Life; Kotaku]
And the winner for the first tablet software announcement is...
It had to happen. Somebody had to be the first to announce software for a still-nonexistent piece of hardware. A lot of us in the business of reporting Apple news and rumors were waiting for the shoe to drop on tablet-related software announcements. Sure enough, developer Ben Gottlieb has taken the bold step of announcing an "iPad" (please let that not be the name...) app in development. Gottlieb's Stand Alone, Inc. announced today that they're working on a larger version of their popular Crosswords iPhone app. As Gottlieb mentioned, "The main constraint in developing a Crossword app for mobile devices has been the distinct lack of screen real estate. We have been anticipating the Apple tablet as the greatest piece of hardware for App developers since iPhone itself, and Crosswords will be even better on the new device." So there you have it! A piece of history, right in front of your eyes -- the first software announcement for Apple's tablet device, which hasn't even been officially confirmed yet, and (technically) may not even exist at all. The price and availability of the app were not included in the announcement, but really, let's not sweat the details, shall we?
Swag Saturday: Picross and CrossworDS (DS) [update]
Update: Comments have been closed and winners will be contacted tomorrow (or, ya know, pretty soon). Thanks for playing, every one! Check those inboxes and please by all means join us next week.Interested in using your Nintendo DS for a ton of puzzle solving this summer? We'll bet you are, you little puzzle solver, you! That's why we're offering up a duo of puzzle games this weekend for Swag Saturday with Picross DS and CrossworDS. We're not so much for the crossword puzzles, but we do love a good handheld puzzle game (we're looking at you, Planet Puzzle League), and so we're hoping you could suggest your favorite overlooked handheld puzzle game, dearest reader. You'll have 24 hours to tell us in the comments section after the break so get rambling, ramblers! Leave a comment with your favorite overlooked handheld puzzle game. (That means it can be on DS or GameBoy or PSP or the iPhone, etc. -- any handheld!) You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada, excluding Quebec. (Kisses, citizens of Québec!!) Limit 1 entry per person. This entry period ends at 8:01 pm ET on Sunday, August 9. We'll randomly select two winners at that time to receive: one copy of either Picross DS (ARV $11.50) or CrossworDS (ARV $19.99) (first to answer email gets to choose). For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-4773%%Gallery-3413%
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Merv Griffin's Crosswords
The last XBLA game we will receive in 2008 is Merv Griffin's Crosswords. We're not exactly sure what to make of that, honestly. Hopefully, you can figure out what to make of it by watching our latest installment of XBLA in Brief. Whatever you think of this week's offering, just remember that an entirely new year of Xbox Live Arcade goodness begins tomorrow. Here's hoping 2009 is even better.Download the trial version of Merv Griffrin's Crosswords from Marketplace.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Fanswag: USA Today Crossword Challenge goes to ...
Our latest giveaway has come to a close. We've selected 5 different winners, all of whom should be solving crosswords in record time now. Our winners are: Lord Humongous Kearns ethan42404 Gid Kelvis Congrats to the winners and better luck next time to the rest of you. Thanks for reading DS Fanboy!
DS Download Service aims to improve your vocabulary
Another week means another dose of demos available on the Nintendo Channel. If you've got a Wii, you're in luck. If not, then we suggest you cruise past the break to see one of the many reasons why you should own one.
Carnival Games makes its return to the DS Download Service
For people longing to play new demos via the Nintendo Channel, the frustration continues. All we saw on the channel today was the return of two demos that we never really missed in the first place (we're looking at you, Carnival Games and Crosswords DS Wordsearch).Nintendo also extended the availability dates on three of the existing demos, probably because offering three new ones would have been too satisfying (/bitter). The good news is, you have another week to try out Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 and Contra 4 if you haven't done so already.Click past the break to see yet another underwhelming list of demos.
DS Download Service updates with old demos
For those of you looking to play something brand new this week, you're out of luck. Instead, Nintendo offers us a chance to catch up with some demos me might have missed in the past, allowing folks to download these up until next week. So, if you missed out last time, get on it!
Another unimpressive week of Nintendo Channel demos
With Trauma Center 2 and Contra 4 on the Nintendo Channel's demos list, you may wonder why exactly we're unimpressed. Perhaps it's because there's nothing new offered this week, unless you count the reappearance of certain demos on the list as "new." We don't.To see why we're thoroughly uninspired, check past the break for the full list of "been there, done that" demos.
E3 XBLA release is ... Coffeetime Crosswords? [update]
You know, ever since Microsoft released DOOM in the middle of X06, we've become used to the idea that we should expect some killer games during big events. Last year's E3 gave us Golden Axe and Sonic the Hedgehog. During GDC this year, Microsoft released demos of XNA Community Games, including the highly anticipated XBLA release Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Naturally, we were really fired up to see what would happen during E3 next week. So, what are we getting? Coffeetime Crosswords. Yes, SRSLY. Other than that, there will be free Buku Sudoku DLC and Puzzle Quest is joining Arcade Hits at the reduced price of 800 MS Points (a 400 point cut).Barring any surprises, it's looking like the tradition has been broken.Update: Looks like we might be getting another XBLA game after all.%Gallery-27396%
Searching for more than words in Nintendo's latest demo offerings
This week was a bit of a let down in terms of demos -- then again, it's hard to follow up the excitement of Arkanoid. It seems like Nintendo didn't even try, though. While we were interested in the demo the first time around, Cake Mania 2 already had its heyday. Then, there's Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, which we can't help but be underwhelmed by. Last and maybe least, the only other new demo is from Crosswords DS, which now offers the wordsearch game in addition to crossword puzzles. We guess beggars can't be choosers.Since things always look better in list form, check out the full list of demos available for download after the break.
New DS demos are the old DS demos
When we turned on our Wii earlier to check and see if the recent habit of providing us with new DS demos every week would continue, we stumbled upon something very odd. You see, this week's new DS demos are, in fact, the first set of DS demos that released alongside the Nintendo Channel. Just now, they don't have an expiration date attached to them.For those of you with a bad memory (or no desire to click links), the list of demos available has been placed past the break.
DS Fanboy Review: Crosswords DS
Puzzle games usually offer more bang for their buck than most other types of software. Since many in the genre are relatively easy to design, they're often budget titles, too. But whether or not they come cheaply, you can expect to invest a lot of time in any good puzzler. Games like Picross DS, Professor Layton, and Tetris DS -- which are all very different, and yet reside in the same genre -- continue to keep me occupied despite the months (or years) that have lapsed since their release.As a crossword lover, I naturally expected Crosswords DS to have the same appeal. Adding anagrams and word searches to the formula made the game seem even more delectable, and I gleefully anticipated being sucked into a puzzle-packed experience. As it turns out, though, this first-party title didn't meet my expectations -- in fact, it didn't even come close. Gallery: Crosswords DS
Nintendo Channel: New week, new demos
Will the line-up of DS demos available on the Wii's Nintendo Channel change every week? We're not sure, but it's starting to look like it; at least, some of the demos available have been rotated out in favor of fresh meat. If you were looking for something that was previously available, it might just be gone. Lesson? Download quickly rather than putting it off, because the demo you want may just disappear!Peek past the break for the current list of available demos -- you may be surprised at what you'll find!
WRUP: Expand your vocabulary edition
The majority of this week's releases have one goal in mind: increasing your knowledge. Thanks to the release of the Nintendo Channel, you've all undoubtedly checked out the Crosswords DS demo, among others. So, will you be picking it up this weekend?For those of you not getting your down and across on, what will you be playing this weekend? One of the other new releases? Or, are you playing something older?%Gallery-4773%
DS releases for the week of May 5th
This week is certainly interesting, if not packed with releases. Here in the U.S., we get our hands on Nintendo's answer to the DS crossword title, and our pals in Europe will be spending a little quality time with that ace attorney Apollo Justice. Japan, however, is taking a holiday. Brain Voyage Crosswords DS Speed Racer Travel past the jump to see what's cooking in the rest of the major markets.
See Crosswords DS in motion
You might be surprised to know that Crosswords DS is one of our most anticipated games. Supposing Nintendo offers this as a budget title (which is what online retailers are indicating), not much will stop us from picking it up. If you haven't been following news on this particular puzzle game, though, you can check out the gameplay video embedded above.As we suspected, the anagram mode is almost exactly like Text Twist, which (to us) is Crosswords' main draw. Such a basic but awesome addition will make this the deepest crossword puzzle title to date. We also like how clean the interface looks, even if it is relatively simple.Fortunately, the wait for the game won't be long. Those of us in North America can expect to see it in stores on May 5th. Gallery: Crosswords DS
What's simpler than dentistry?
D3 Publisher has announced the next three games in the Simple DS series. Vol. 33 THE Crossword & Kanji Puzzle will be of limited interest to non-fluent importers for the simple reason that doing crosswords in Japanese is pretty hard for people who don't know a lot of Japanese. Vol. 34 THE Haisha will be a niche product for a different reason.Because "haisha" means "dentist." It's a game about dentistry. From what we can tell, it's a Trauma Center type of game, except the traumas are located entirely within mouths, and seem more troublesome than traumatic. Not that we wanted to do any emergency oral surgery anyway.Vol. 35 should prove to have wider appeal than the others: it's a DS remake of the PS2 Simple game THE Genshijin (Primitive Men), which is one of the rare Simple games to be released in the U.S. (as The Adventures of Darwin). It's a strategy-sim-type game in which you control a tribe of cavemen. The DS version happens to be extremely cute.
Black Friday online bargains for the Nintendo DS
Stuck at home while every one else is out shopping, reaping the savings of Black Friday deals? Or maybe you just didn't want to deal with the crowds, afraid that you'll end up in a fist fight over the last Gold Nintendo DS Lite bundle? No need to worry -- there are a few sales you can still take advantage of online!Amazon New York Times Crosswords - $9.99 Circuit City Cake Mania - $9.99 Cooking Mama - $9.99 EB Games Konami Classics: Arcade Hits- $9.99 New York Times Crosswords - $9.99 [Via CAG]
Crossword solving software that has reached version 1.0.7, eight letters one space
Daniel Jalkut over at Red Sweater has updated his crossword-solving application, Black Ink (formerly MacXword), to version 1.0.7. This definitely seems like a niche piece of software (not because only a few people do crosswords-- almost everyone does), but because I don't know anyone who wants a piece of software to help them get puzzles done.Still, I'm betting that the people who enjoy Black Ink really, really enjoy it. Apparently the program even downloads puzzles "on the go," so if you're not already a crossword fan, maybe it'll turn you into one. The new version adds a menu item for zooming in or out of puzzles, a few interface tweaks, and "correctly-solved detection for puzzles with multi-character answers." I never knew those existed, but there you go.Black Ink is available for $24.95 over on Red Sweater's site.
