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Wii launch window: 32 Wii games, 30 VC games
Nintendo has blasted out a list confirming the 32 Wii and 30 Virtual Console games (spanning five consoles) that will be available in the five weeks between the system's November 19th launch and the end of 2006. We're not sure exactly which games may not make that November 19th launch date, but it seems reasonable to presume the VC games will be there on launch day, previously dated titles like Zelda, and the 530 GameCube titles they're eager to remind us will work from the get go. Nintendo does remind us that "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess emerges [Ed. will emerge?] as this season's video game masterpiece." Hey, way to throw that third party trash to the curb! We agree it stands head and shoulders above some of the more forgettable entries filling up this list (we're sure Happy Feet will be a slightly less impressive masterpiece), but it's nice to see them being so candid about it. Check out the entire list after the break, and let us know if there's anything missing that we thought would be there. We'll start: Ubisoft's forgettable WWII dogfighter, Blazing Angels. It came out for the Xbox 360 in March, was confirmed by Ubisoft to be a launch window game in August, was again confirmed by Nintendo to be a launch title in September, and now it's evidently missing. What's up? See also: PlayStation 3 launch window titles announced [Thanks for all the tips, everyone!]
Japanese software sales chart, Oct. 2-8: The Gundam Strikes Back
The last time a PSP title was this high in the Japanese software sales chart, it was SD Gundam G Generation Portable, and it was the fastest-selling PSP game to date. And now it's Gundam Battle Royale's turn at trying to upset Nintendo's DS games, which Andrew predicted more than a month ago. Is the guy psychic or something? 1. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PS2) - 263,897 / *NEW* 2. Pokemon Diamond (DS) - 254,080 / 1,074,127 3. Pokemon Pearl (DS) - 212,193 / 980,881 4. Gundam Battle Royale (PSP) - 64,986 / *NEW* 5. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 40,114 / 3,233,793 6. Zaidan Houjin Nippon Kanji Nouryoku Kentei Kyoukai Kounin: KanKen DS (DS) - 38,799 / 84,091 7. Minna no Tennis (PS2) - Sony - 32,962 / 416,507 8. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Square Enix - 30,418 / 781,713 9. Brain Training 2 (DS) - Nintendo - 26,600 / 3,288,248 10. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) - Nintendo - 22,787 / 3,305,244 While Gundam Battle Royale's sold less than half of what SD Gundam G Generation Portable (155,634) sold in its first week, it was still enough to capture the fourth spot. It seems the Japanese eat up these Gundam games faster than my fat uncle Johnny at Thanksgiving. Has Sony finally found its PSP cashcow? Hmmm.
Wedbush Morgan predicts Wii launch lineup and sales
Wedbush Morgan recently released its list of anticipated launch titles and sales figures for both the PS3 and Wii. The sales figures they present are very selective and they do not predict figures for every title, but we take what we can get. Their entire proposed lineup and sales figures, which we must say is not a confirmed list by Nintendo in any shape or form, is included after the break.
DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 gameplay explained
The crew over at Gamespot managed to site down and get a little face-time with the latest build of Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi 2, explaining that the game isn't going to settle for you just sitting on the couch, playing the game as if it's on any console other than the Wii. Oh no, apparently those eager to toss fireballs and teleport will have to actively perform these motions with the Wiimote. Good news though, the controls are less frantic and demand less amounts of wild arm-flinging. So with a more refined control set, you're better able to control the in-game action. This new control scheme combines button-pressing with gesture-based gameplay. For example, to fly you'll press the C button to jump and hover, which will get your character off the ground. Once in the air, you can hold in the C button and move the controller up or down to increase or decrease altitude.
Avatar: The Last Airbender bends its way onto the PSP
What would the PSP be without cartoon-based games like Spongebob and Dragon Ball Z? While many of these games don't appeal to older games like most of us here, they do bring in a very important demographic and help to usher in the next generation of gamers.Having said that, another one of these toon games is making its way onto the PSP in the form of THQ's Avatar: The Last Airbender on Oct. 10.In the game, players will take control of Aang, Katara, Haru and Sokka, and will have the ability to customize bending powers to master the four elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire. From what it looks like so far, there may not be any multi-player function, which may lead to many young boy's shedding tears and getting beaten up at school.[Via FSC Publishing]
New DBZ trailer may have you screaming Kamehameha
Alright, we admit it. Dragon Ball Z happens to be one of our favorite series. It's easy get caught up in 30 episodes where each one is a continuation of the same battle. And it is always worth it to see Goku slip in a famous Kamehameha. Being fans of the games as well, we are always happy to see another DBZ fighter come out. Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 promises a lot with 130 playable characters and a new way of fighting using the Wiimote. Pressing buttons in this game will only get you so far. You must thrust, twist, turn, and "punch" the controller. We can hardly wait to be punching the hell out of some living room air to try and accomplish some of the best moves from DBZ. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is set to release November 22. As always, click continue to see the trailer. [Via IGN]
Fresh English press materials
Nintendo's excellent PR folk who are not only great at their job, but also incredibly attractive people, have finally opened the flood gates and let the subsequent torrent of swirling, wet information engulf our small valley village and decimate our homes. We're fine with it though, because we have been given the information we've waited so long on (it's a small price to pay). The section of the newly-opened Wii.com for the English-speaking crowd has gone live, as well as pages in French and Spanish. Nintendo has also opened up the sub-section of Nintendo.com dedicated to the Wii here. In this sub-section, a translation of some interviews with the Wii engineers and designers that Iwata conducted may be found. Finally, a good press release direct from Nintendo can be seen here. For a list of 52 games planned for the Wii, direct from Nintendo and third-party developers, click on the continue link.
Nintendo releases Wii promo materials, games list [update 2]
The Nintendo public relations juggernaut has finally pulled the trigger on its English language web sites. Check out the English section of Wii.com (also available in Spanish and French), the Wii subsection of Nintendo.com (which includes official translations of the Iwata interview series), and this Nintendo press release for lots of info. straight from the horse's mouth. Also, on Nintendo's press only website, a list of 52 planned Wii games. Check it out after the jump. [Update 1: Gamespot has updated the list with 17 games that have been confirmed as U.S. launch titles. They are noted in bold below] [update 2: Fixed formatting, Updated Gamespot's launch titles]
No online support for 3rd-party Wii devs until 2007
Buried at the bottom of an IGN preview for the Wii's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam is the news that not only is this game not going to feature any online component, but every 3rd-party game that comes out for the Wii won't support anything online either. Not until 2007 will publishers be able to offer up Wi-Fi gaming to eager players who picked up a Wii. Gamers hoping for an online component, however, are in for bad news, because one isn't planned. Activision would not say why, but IGN has separately learned from multiple development sources that Nintendo will not release Wii Wi-Fi Connection libraries to third parties until early 2007, which means that no third party launch title will have an online mode. Well, that's pretty awful. Seems like a pretty dumb move not to allow your third-party developers to offer online play with your launch titles. Online gaming has arguably become essential for most players and considering your system isn't in high-def or truly next-gen graphics wise, what other incentive besides a different control scheme would a gamer have in picking up your product? Check after the break for the possible launch titles that would certainly be affected by this.
DBZ hands-on reveals info
Those guys over at IGN managed to get ahold of the latest build for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and came away impressed. In going over the preview, they managed to pry loose tons of details about the game. The game will take the sandbox approach (free-roaming story mode) and offer 50 hours of gameplay to complete the single-player story. The entirety of the game's content will follow the manga, anime, and many movies, featuring over 120 characters. The game will allow fusion characters such as Gotenks and Vegito to join in on the action, along with a highly-customizable system for each character in the game. Customizing can be done on multiple levels, from cosmetic looks to combos, moves, and special powers. This is all done via an in-game money system allowing the player to purchase upgrades. All of the characters will have optional Japanese voiceovers and fight in interactive arenas twice the size of previous games. Also confirmed is that gamers will have a choice between using the Wiimote or plugging in their GameCube controller to play the game. Finally, the Wii version is to have enhanced graphics when compared to the PS2 game.
Wii launch: who's in, who's out
By way of the like-minded folks at Nwizard (see: they love Nintendo too!), we now have an updated list of the games that will be accompanying the Wii's launch later this year. Given all of increasing support the console is seeing, all the recent titles Ubisoft has said they're working on bringing to the Wii, as well as EA and Midway's support, we now have a list that combines the best from Nintendo with some excellent third-party titles. A full list of launch titles are available after the break. [Via Joystiq]
The confirmed Wii launch lineup
Nintendo gaming site Nwizard has put together a handy list of titles for Nintendo's Wii that are confirmed to be there at launch (whenever that is). So far, the total is set at 27, but of course that number can grow as time gets closer to the inevitable day the Wii comes to stores. While there certainly looks to be a nice, varied list of games there at launch, there are also a few titles on the way that are worth waiting for -- Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are just a couple. Check after the break for the full list.
DBZ hitting Wii in November
Submitted to Go Nintendo, a Japanese scan shows that Dragonball Z Tenkaichi 2 will be releasing for the Wii this November. This estimated release date is obviously for the Japanese gaming world and does not apply to us lowly gamers outside of the Mecca of gaming that the nation is, so we'll have to wait a tad bit longer. No other information can be taken from the scan, other than the knowledge that someone apparently did not enjoy the figurines, choosing to angrily place a giant X across a majority of the scan. The magazine in which this scan comes from is also a mystery at this time.
DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 2 scans
Now, I'm no DBZ expert, but I did have my "phase." As such, I always loved the DBZ movie Tree of Might. I don't know what it is about that independent feature that rocked my world so much, but to this day if it is on, I'll watch it. So imagine my delight in seeing some new scans confirming the inclusion of none other than Turles, the antagonist in Tree of Might. The scans also show the inclusion of other characters, but I honestly have no clue who they are and what movies and/or series they come from.
Confirmed list of Wii games?
We have our own list in the network for confirmed Wii titles, but this list posted over at Gamers Daily is too hard to pass up analyzing. Some of the titles are confirmed, some not so much, but all of them just ooze with possibility. For those of you with the clickophobia (how did you get here?!), the list has been recreated below. Who's looking forward to what? Who thinks the Kid Icarus rumors are BS? Super Mario Wii Super Smash Bros. Wii Metroid Prime 3 Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Wii Animal Crossing Wii Killing Day Splinter Cell 4 Madagaskar 2 Legend of Zelda Wii Mario Kart Wii Donkey Kong Wii The Darkness Possession Madden NFL 07 Suda51/Grasshopers Studio Title Minoru Nakai Title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Two Titles from "Artistic Quality" James Bond 007: Casino Royale Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Sadness Avatar: The Last Airbender Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Pangya Golf Elebits SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam Red Steel Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting Spider Man 3 Raid Over The River Midway Wii Project Disney/Pixar's Cars TNA iMPACT! n-Space Wii Project Kid Icarus Wii Blitz Games Wii Project Camelot RPG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2007 Sonic the Hedgehog Wii Trauma Center Wii Cooking Title
Speculative list of Wii games
With many titles sure to be announced at next week's E3 conference, here's a list of Wii games via Gamers Daily that are believed to grace the console or have been confirmed in one way or another. Let's hope they all see the light of day. From sure bets like Super Mario Bros. to wishful thinkers like Kid Icarus, what are you most anticipating?
How's that third-party Wii support coming along?
This week marked the launch of our new feature highlighting the third-party support for the Nintendo Revolution Wii. A lot has changed since monday, including the unveiling of the official name for Nintendo's next-generation offering. Reader response to the feature has been worse than their gut reaction to the renaming, but we persevere all the same and will continue to update the feature when new titles are announced. This week, 4 new titles were announced, including: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Elebits Madden NFL 2007 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Tony Hawk: Downhill Jam We also received new information regarding Skatto Golf Pangya Revolution Wii. We will be updating this feature everytime new information is revealed on a Wii title, so be sure to check back often.
More DBZ Revolution news
An official press release describes our recent post about a new DBZ game coming to the Revolution. Officially dubbed Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2, the game is set for release later this year during the holidays and features a roster of over 100 fighters, 15 different environments, and over 9 game modes. In regards toward the control scheme of the Revolution's remote, nothing more is said beyond that the player will be able to use it to reenact some of the series' more noteworthy moves such as Goku's Kamehameha. Keep an eye on E3 for more information on this upcoming title.
Who's really going to support the Wii? [update 12]
It's obvious that Nintendo is going to support the Wii. After much speculation as to how the controller works (for the record: sensors placed in front of the TV detect the controller's motion, while internal sensors detect its tilt and yaw), many often speculate as to how one will use it, or who will support it. After all, what good is a console without third-party development? That is where this list comes in. This, we are hoping, will be the definitive list of titles that showcase the Wii's unique controller. We will be constantly updating this list with new titles and new information regarding listed titles. Sure, some lists out there are longer, but those lists are full of untitled projects with no information about the game whatsoever. We hope to provide you some tangible evidence of Wii titles and not just verbal commitments or praises by the developer community. This list will be presented alphabetical by game title. A few of the developers we've listed are independent and still lack a publisher; we have provided below (when possible) outlets by which publishers can contact these firms.
It's beginning to look a lot like Festivus
The list of games to be released this week isn't half shabby, but that's to be expected in the weeks between now and the end of the year, when businesses live or die by their ability to coax consumers out of money they never had to spend in the first place. This is a hefty list of solid titles (compiled by GameTab): PC: F.E.A.R. (10/17) Shattered Union (10/17) X3: Reunion (10/17) Age of Empires III (10/18) Quake 4 (10/18)
