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DS language tool prevents international incidents
There's nothing more embarrassing than standing in the tastefully decorated lobby of a Japanese hotel, fumbling with an English-to-Japanese dictionary and blurting out, "Your mother was a hamster," when you actually meant to ask for one of those teensy packets of shampoo. Language barriers are tough to overcome, much more so than dandruff.Luckily, portable consoles can provide a much-needed grappling hook for scaling these wordy walls swathed in obscure grammatical graffiti. Much in the same vein as Sony's own PSP Talkman software, Tabi no Yubisashi Kaiwachou (which either translates to Conversation Notebook for Travelers...or Archaic Speech Patsy for Eels) turns the DS into a fully functional interpreter that translates text, outputs audio samples and generally helps to prevent uncomfortable international incidents. The supported languages are Thai, Chinese, Korean, American English and German, each one released as a seperate volume and accompanied by its own obscenely adorable multilingual mascot. American English is represented by a surprisingly friendly bear, if you must know. Though Tabi no Yubisashi Kaiwachou was originally slated for a March release, it is now scheduled to hit Japan at the end of this month. [Thanks, Siliconera!]
Download station gutted and exposed
Unlike the intimidating, oblong towers that litter the streets of Japan, the American DS download station is a more understated affair, consisting of not much more than a seemingly innocent white box and an aura of mystery. Thanks to an impromptu photographer, we can now view the wizard behind the curtain without fear of deadly reprisals.Inside, a plain 'ole phat DS equipped with a special game card sits and contentedly waits for a fellow DS to connect and download a demo. When Nintendo decides that it's time for some fresh demos, only the game card in the transmitting DS needs to be replaced. Seems like a simple and efficient system, provided some crazy person doesn't bust open the box, take some pictures and run off with the unit. [Via Joystiq]
Brain Maiming: New Sudoku game
Nintendo sends word regarding a matter of gray importance: Sudoku. Not to be confused with the murderous little Japanese girl that crawls out of the television on a weekly basis (that would be Sadako), the puzzle game has addicted many with its gentle massaging of that most intelligent and squishy of organs, the brain. With 400 different puzzles (all selected by the original creators of Sudoku), however, Sudoku Gridmaster is likely to be less of a massage and more of a brutal mashing. Not content with sticking some Sudoku puzzles in the upcoming Brain Age, Nintendo is releasing a stand-alone title featuring four difficulty settings and input via the touch screen. If you're keen on subjecting your brain to that sort of thing, make a mental note of Sudoku Gridmaster's June 26 release date.
Import review: Contact
Gamebrink has posted a review of Contact, currently the most anticipated DS title that doesn't involve a duo of energetic plumbers. Instead, you get an eccentric professor looking for the parts of his downed spaceship in an original RPG that supports Wi-Fi play. The article praises the game for its unique story, excellent presentation and varied locations. I especially like how the game breaks the fourth wall right off the bat, having the professor communicate to you as the player on the other side of a mysterious portable device. The professor will quiz you about some of your favorite things at the start of the game, often sharing his own opinion regarding your answers. It's a cute little gameplay device that, according to the review, really boosts the immersion factor (often quite tricky for a portable game to get right).The only qualm brought to light was the fact that the game's combat system comes across as a bit shallow. Still, if an RPG has enough personality and a great story to tell, it can often get away with such issues. It's when things are the other way around that you start having problems. The English version of Contact should be out later this year, courtesy of Atlus.[Thanks Sense!]
Top Gear: Downforce announced for DS
Tantalus (you may remember them for Spongebob Squarepants: Yellow Avenger) and Kemco (you may remember them for, um, Batman: Dark Tomorrow) sent me a politely worded press release informing me of their intention to release Top Gear: Downforce for the Nintendo DS. Following the original Top Gear (N64) and the rally-themed GBA sequel (which was rather good), the game is set for release late in 2006 and will presumably involve fast cars going around a track. In other words, something completely different!"This time around we’re attempting something completely different," says Tantalus CEO Tom Crago. "We want to create a racing game that feels perfectly at home on the DS platform, something built from the ground up to exploit the cool features of the hardware." One of the features touted for this top-down, 3D racer is the ability to lay down road hazards via the touch screen, sure to annoy the people you're wirelessly playing against. The press release doesn't say anything about Nintendo Wi-Fi, but we'd expect no less from something exploiting the cool features of the hardware. The DS could definitely use some more racing games in its online garage.
Japanese hardware sales: The Lite fantastic
Usually, this paragraph is reserved for detailing some sort of absurd story that eventually concludes with me obtaining the latest Japanese sales chart. This week, I thought I'd try something completely different and jump straight to the point, deftly dodging all the nonsense that merely ends up delaying you from getting to the information you so desperately desire. "The readers are sure to appreciate that," I said to myself. I immediately started working on this post, vowing that I wouldn't waste reams and reams of text on an inconsequential setup to what is likely to be a pretty weak joke. Japanese sales chart for the week ranging from 27 March to 2 April, here we come! The ranking, according to number of units sold, is a follows: DS Lite: 149,371 Phat DS: 59,903 PSP: 36,943 PS2: 33,301 GBA SP: 6,732 Xbox 360: 3,258 Game Boy Micro: 2,992 Gamecube: 1,492 GBA: 151 Xbox: 68 The DS Lite is still obliterating the rest of the chart and shows no signs of relenting. The only interesting thing this week is that the Xbox 360 seems to have gained a little sales momentum, moving up a few spaces and overtaking the Game Boy Micro and the Gamecube in the process. Previous Japanese hardware charts: Lite on its feet (20 March - 26 March) Lite get! (13 March - 19 March) Lite's out (27 Feb - 5 March)
Phoenix Wright calls iTunes to the stand
Capcom of Japan sends news that the soundtracks to all of the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright to you and me) games will be hitting the Japanese iTunes store, each song fetching a price to the tune of about $1.25. Complete albums will go for between $8 and $20. (Converted to American currency for your convenience.) The music in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney certainly spurred you on to point out that final contradiction just as the shady witness was cracking, but I don't think it would work as well when detached from the game. I think prolonged exposure to it in its seperate form is likely to result in feelings of elevator claustrophobia, along with a strong desire to play the full game. Still, I'd like to see Capcom's musical endeavor succeed, if only for the reason that it might prompt them to throw some more Mega Man remix soundtracks on Apple's download service. I could listen to the Mega Man 2 title screen music or the theme from Ring Man's stage all day. Any other great Capcom tunes you'd like to have on your MP3 player? [Thanks mandarin! Strange image from Siliconera.]
DS Lite shortage subsiding
After all the incessant waiting, unrewarded anticipation and violent Japanese rioting, it seems that Nintendo's recent boost in DS Lite shipments is finally filtering through to the rest of the world. Two of the more popular online import sites, Play-Asia and Lik-Sang, are reporting that their Lite stock levels are now entering more comfortable levels, free of enormous waiting periods and fluctuating prices.That is, if you're getting an Enamel Navy or an Ice Blue unit. The Crystal White Lite, which Lik-Sang has amusingly dubbed the Crystal Cocaine model, is still proving quite tricky to track down. If you're not keen on sticking with your original choice, might we recommend the deluxe Destitute Cardboard DS Lite? [Thanks CJN!]
Animal Crossing contest: Honorable mentions
After trawling through my inbox, examining every image and rolling my eyes at the umpteenth entry that had some sort of Jamaican angle, I've finally picked a winner for DS Fanboy's Animal Crossing contest. In case you're late to the anthropomorphic party, the task was to modify the above image with three simple guidelines: It had to make sense. It had to be funny. It had to not kill me instantly. Apart from those requirements, readers were free to get as creative as their deranged minds allowed. For the most part, you guys did an outstanding job, put a load of effort into your submissions and clearly spent a lot of time thinking up ways in which to take Miyamoto's meeting with a hardcore fan in strange and slightly creepy directions. Isn't it strange how Miyamoto's facial expression is always hilarious no matter what the context?Click through to see some of my favorite, non-winning entries.
Brave Story told on DS
4 Color Rebellion got a hold of some Famitsu scans from a brand new Bandai game called Brave Story. Based on an upcoming Gonzo Digimation film (the guys that did Last Exile, if I'm not mistaken), it revolves around a young boy forced to wield a sword and embark on a perilous, family-saving journey, one fraught with ghosts, magic and terrifying sliding tile puzzles. The game happens to be an old-fashioned point-and-click (or is that tap?) adventure game, resulting in my desire to see this game translated for a US release grow quite rapidly. The game boasts quite an appealing art style and, judging by the icons in the HUD, some pretty typical adventure gameplay mechanics.The DS is an ideal platform for the genre, and after the stellar Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (and to a far lesser degree, Trace Memory), I'm convinced that adventure gaming will continue to find new avenues to explore, a situation far removed from the repeated (and incorrect) claims that the genre is "dead". It's not dead--it has merely changed and moved beyond its traditional PC platform. I don't think anyone ever expected adventure games to eventually include wacky manga-inspired titles on a portable platform.
Preview: New Super Mario Bros.
1up has posted a preview of Mario's latest return to block-busting, mushroom-mashing, princess-procuring platforming and the qualities observed are quite promising. Everything old is new again. Perhaps unsurprisingly, New Super Mario Bros. still plays and feels exactly the way you'd want and expect it to, even despite the addition of Mario Kart's nefarious blue shell and a mushroom that unleashes Mariozilla upon an unsuspecting world. Actually, the preview does make it seem like becoming giant Mario makes things a tad too easy. It's an awesome sight as far as giant plumbers are concerned, but the act of running from one end of the level to the other with nothing to stop your progress seems less enticing. Hopefully that particular mushroom won't be abused in the game proper. New Super Mario Bros. is currently slated for release on 15 March May (unless Nintendo rudely changes the date again).
Nintendo updates European release schedule
Hot on the heels of some evidence that the guys and gals at Nintendo of Europe have been dragging their feet when it comes to release dates, comes a fresh list of their forthcoming titles. Things are looking considerably less dire here, but I still feel a bit sorry for those Europeans that were unable to import and had to wait so long for Trauma Center. It's almost criminal. Megaman Battle Network 5 Double Team DS (Capcom/Nintendo) - 14 April Tetris DS (Nintendo) - 21 April Trauma Centre: Under the Knife (Atlus/Nintendo) - 28 April Pokémon Link! (Nintendo) - 5 May Metroid Prime Hunters (Nintendo) - 5 May Super Princess Peach (Nintendo) - 26 May Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo) - 9 June New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo) - 30 June Also worthy of note is the Euro release date of what is undoubtedly the biggest GBA game this year--Final Fantasy IV arrives on 2 June.
Engineering the DS Lite: 2 Nintendo hardware vets speak
Ever wonder what decisions go into a hardware redesign? Thanks to the latest edition of Nintendo's Japanese online mag, we finally get a portable peek into the DS Lite.Two Nintendo engineers who worked on the cuter DS sibling reveal how they pulled off the svelte new look while maintaining things like usability, battery life, and cost.Who knew that the new stylus was made "longer and wider to accommodate older users" (the Brain Age demographic who'd taken such a shine to the now shinier little system)? Durable, reliable hardware: it's what Nintendo does best. Let's hope they continue that trend with the Lite, as well as whatever other slicker iterations of the handheld that we're tempted to purchase -- or repurchase -- in the future.[Thanks, Princess Zelda; also via DS Fanboy]See also: Nintendo DS proven toilet-safe Playstation 2 goes silver (redux)
New Super Mario undelayed, out May 15th
The official website for the upcoming DS title, New Super Mario Bros., has been updated again. No more delays this time, instead Nintendo has managed to drop the brothers Mario on us a week earlier! Seeing as how the DS Lite is "due in May" in North America, we used simple logic, some grade school arithmetic, our intimate knowledge of the Gregorian calendar, and more than a little speculation, to arrive at the possibility that the DS Lite might accompany NSMB May 15th, just days after E3! Oh shiny DS Lite / Mario combo attack, you make us weak in the knees.[Thanks, Princess Zelda]
Japanese hardware sales: Lite on its feet
Taking a break from my usual posting routine, I embarked on a totally manly picnic today and quickly found myself gazing up at the sky and trying to spot familiar shapes in the clouds. A tortoise, a banana, a wolf and Optimus Prime all gently floated by, though none of those were quite as interesting as the Japanese sales chart for the week ranging from 20 March to 26 March which quite unexpectedly made an appearance. I quickly jotted the information down right before the cloud morphed into an uncanny Woody Allen. The ranking, according to number of units sold, is a follows: DS Lite: 119,986 Phat DS: 39,307 PS2: 34,169 PSP: 31,077 GBA SP: 5,627 GB Micro: 4,883 Gamecube: 1,458 Xbox 360: 1,415 Xbox: 117 GBA: 98 Before you whip out your calculators, let me break it to you bluntly: The DS Lite sold more units than everything else on the chart combined (and that's including our Phat friend). Coupled with the news that my DS Lite has finally embarked upon a journey across the ocean, it makes for a very happy Nintendo day indeed.Previous Japanese hardware charts: Lite get! (13 March - 19 March) Lite's out (27 Feb - 5 March) Once more, with feeling (20 Feb - 26 Feb)
DS Lite in May says EGM
An EGM scan pretty much confirms what we've all been thinking: The DS Lite looks set to launch on 21 May, the same day New Super Mario Bros. bounces into stores. Don't worry--the game will still work on the old DS![Via Joystiq]
EGM: DS Lite arriving in May!
The latest issue of EGM reports that the DS Lite is "due in May" on North American shores. The snippet coincides with 1Up's recent speculation, but does not contain further information that would validate this claim. Consider this a rumor — for now.
Kiosk Hunting: Here and there, but mostly there
When you ask DS Fanboy readers to do something for you, they don't waste much time. This is a valuable lesson I've now learned after putting out a call to you guys to let us know where and when you stumble across one of the many Wi-Fi tendrils of Nintendo's download station network currently spreading across the world. My online persona was buried beneath an avalanche of tips, comments and the usual death threats, but it has now surfaced and is ready to start compiling the information in an epic list that's sure to inspire a major motion picture. This is just the second part of our ongoing quest and I hope to keep adding new locations on a weekly basis.A big, slightly overzealous "thank you" to everyone that contributed to this round. If you don't see your highlighted area in the list, be sure to check back later in the month. A few brave souls have also added some new locations to the Frappr map--quite a feat given that working with that application is about as pleasant as a sturdy kick in the head. The format of this list is probably far from optimal, so please let me know how you'd like me to change it in the future. Also, the information from readers isn't always exact, but if you see that one Best Buy (or another store) has a download station in your region, chances are decent that others will have too. You'll know you're close to one by either recognizing a small banner and a DS set in wireless mode behind some plastic or experiencing a lightheaded sensation as Wi-Fi beams scramble your brains.Keep the details (we want street names!), pictures and experiences coming! The full list is but a click away.
New Super Mario delayed, DS Lite could be the culprit
According to the official website, the North American release of New Super Mario Bros. has been pushed back to May 21 (Sunday). The title will likely show up in stores early that week, quite possibly, alongside the new DS Lite. Indeed, 1UP speculates that the game was delayed in order to accompany the launch of the DS Lite in North America. It wouldn't be the first time Nintendo deployed the plumbers to help move new (or updated) system units — and if true, it won't be the last.
New Super Mario Bros. only compatible with DS Lite
In a statement issued today, Nintendo have confirmed that Mario's triumphant return to smashing bricks with his head and chasing after mushrooms in New Super Mario Bros. is poised to help usher in the North American launch of the DS Lite, perhaps to a degree that few gamers were expecting. New Super Mario Bros. will only be compatible with the DS Lite and will not work with the original machine. Nintendo's name-taking, posterior-assaulting marketing guru, Reggie Fills-Aimes, explained that players would be able to see why this decision was made."Players won't be able to see. On the original DS, I mean. The screens on the old system are simply much too dark, making the new Mushroom Kingdom almost impossible to navigate. We had always planned to make New Super Mario Bros. a premier title for the Lite and its superior screens, and what better way to make it exclusive to that system?"This lends more weight to the earlier murmurings of a Mario DS Lite bundle hitting US shores, though Reggie was quick to point out that the recent shortages in Japan may cause the system to launch a bit later than the game itself."New Super Mario Bros. should be out for a little while before the DS Lite, which is a great way of starting the marketing train rolling. The actual system won't take long to catch up though--two months at most."The Lite-only New Super Mario Bros. is currently slated for release on 21 March.[Update: Just in case you're reading this late, this story was an evil, bogus April Fool's trick. Shame on me.]
