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Play GBA games (badly) on the Wii
While Nintendo is quick to tout the Wii's extensive backward-compatibility with all GameCube software, the sleek white system is a pretty bad fit for the Cube's Game Boy Player hardware add-on. Rather than leaving that clunky old Cube out in the entertainment center, Wii News recommends the Datel Advance Game Port, a sleek-looking accessory that plugs into the GameCube/Wii memory card slot and lets you play Game Boy Advance games on the big screen. What Wii News doesn't tell you is that the Datel Advance Game Port is a buggy mess. In our reviews of the discontinued hardware, games ran with inconsistent slowdown, laggy controls and audio problems. What's more, the port only plays Game Boy Advance games, unlike the official Game Boy Player, which works with games dating all the way back to the black-and-white classic portable. If you're really desperate for Game Boy games on your TV, spring for the Nintendo-approved solution and not this third-party knock-off. Or just sit around and wait for the oft-rumored addition of Game Boy support for the Virtual Console.
Tiny hotness: playing the Wii on a GBA SP (update 1)
In using a special cartridge that allows a video signal to be sent to the GBA, You Tube user jackal27 rocks his Wii on the portable's tiny screen. Obviously, the practical use of such a feature is almost nonexistent, but it makes for a fun little You Tube video. Check out the video, which has been embedded past the post break.Update: me am not so English good (I omitted a word or two in the post).
A different approach to cartridge storage
When we conducted our daily perusal of poppa site Joystiq, we were intrigued by the above image. A DS cartridge case that allows one to hold up to 4 DS game cartridges and one GBA game cartridge. The case is Shogakukan's Hyper Carrying Case, available to Japanese consumers for a cool ¥480 (or roughly $4 USD). Do not be fooled by the wonderful graphic on the front of the case though. Inside there are no Mega Man games. [Via Joystiq]
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Nintendo responds to Game Boy accident that killed UK boy
Nintendo of Europe has offered its condolences to the family of Connor O'Keefe, the seven-year-old UK boy who was electrocuted and tragically killed last Saturday when unplugging his Game Boy power supply. Connor was vacationing with his family in Thailand when the fatal accident occurred. The UK (230V/50Hz) and Thailand (220V/50Hz) use similar voltage standards.Nintendo did not issue any further comments, claiming that details of the incident were still unclear. Police have declared the tragedy an accident. "No blame has been attached," said Lt. Colonel Sopol Borirok.
Mazes of Fate 2 coming to DS
Sabarasa Entertainment has eyes for the DS apparently, as they already have begun work on a sequel to Mazes of Fate, a GBA title that released just this past week. We cannot find any reviews for the game online, having navigated the many tubes it is comprised of in search of just one score. Regardless, a sequel is coming, says Sabarasa Entertainment CEO Javier Otaegui:"We are definitely thinking of the DS, but not for porting exactly this game. We have already started pre-production work for Mazes of Fate 2 for DS."
Kid arrested for stealing Xmas present from under tree
What ever happened to the ol' lump of coal punishment? A South Carolina woman decided her son was so out of line when he stole the Game Boy Advance she had purchased as his Christmas present that she had the 12 year-old arrested. He was charged, as a juvenile, with petty larceny.The GBA theft follows an alleged string of offenses carried out by the boy, including shoplifting, stealing from mom's wallet, and punching a cop. At his court appearance, the mother will seek to turn her son over to the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
Nintendo: the Game Boy has one more holiday left in it
Even with the DS selling with the consistency of those hotcakes people seem to love, Nintendo thinks the Game Boy has at least one holiday left in it. In speaking with Reuters, Nintendo head honcho Reggie Fils-Aime lays it all on the table, revealing that the GBA is still selling well and is a great first handheld system for young gamers."We think that Game Boy Advance certainly has at least one more holiday season left in it. For us, it continues to be a great stepping stone for five-, six-, seven-year-old consumers to have their first great handheld gaming experience and then transition right into DS. For as great a Black Friday weekend that we had on DS, we had just as good a selling season so far on Game Boy Advance."This is all confusing, making us wonder just how long of a life the handheld really has left. Reggie isn't willing to divulge anything on its future or a successor to its throne, obviously, instead leaving us to jump to our own conclusions. Considering the wild popularity of the DS, is there even a future for a new Game Boy?
New Harry Potter game under development
EA has announced a new Harry Potter game based on the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The movie, which is based on J.K Rowling's fifth book, has Harry returning to Hogwart's only to be questioned about his previous year's encounter with Lord Voldemort. With the wizarding community questioning that Lord Voldemort has returned, as well as the Minister of Magic doubting Dumbledore, it's all up to Harry to set things straight.While this is the first Harry Potter game to grace the newest consoles, the DS and GBA versions of the game should not be excluded in the excitement of all Hogwarts-loving fans out there. With multiple characters at your disposal, the concepts presented by this game sound interesting and we'll update you as news develops.
DS Fanboy Review: Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (GBA)
Just about everyone has heard of Tony Hawk. Whether you're a fan of skateboarding or gaming, the man has made an impact, often considered equal, in both cultures. With his first game being released way back when on the original Playstation, folks have had plenty of time to learn how to bust kickflips and grind massive rails in his games.His games on the GBA have been no joke, either. Featuring an isolated bird's eye view, previous games featured excellent 3D graphics and gameplay on the portable system. But where the old games were all about busting big lines and tearing up the course to your heart's content, this game is more of a racing game and, as such, you're limited in the tricks department.
GBA gets new My Little Ponies game, DS Fanboy staff reveals dark secret
Yes, we love them. Something about taking a small, boldly-colored plastic pony and combing its hair for hours just clicks with us. It was worth the torrent of swirlies and beatings we took during High School for our High five if you love My Little Pony T-shirt. We refused to stop wearing it. It was our favorite shirt.Anyway, today we suddenly find ourselves having more of a spring in our step on those days we've played with our ponies and catching ourselves looking at the sky with an awe for life unequalled. Playing with those ponies puts us in a great mood. It gives us a reason to live and no matter how many times we're caught playing with them in the dark, we'll never stop. We'll never stop loving those ponies.So it is with great elation and comfort that we found out a new GBA game based on the property was being handled by THQ. Being able to take the ponies on the road without, well ... actually taking them on the road (you don't want to see us have to give them a bath, because we will). Soon, we'll be able to practice our obsession safely behind the screen of our GBA SP or DS Lite.
September NPD sales numbers
The September NPD sales numbers have come in and the DS, once again, did favorably. Out of all consoles, DS titles had a good showing, taking up four spots. Of course, Madden took the top spot, showing that we Americans love our football. Madden NFL 07 - PS2 Saints Row - Xbox 360 Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - PS2 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team - DS Madden NFL 07 - Xbox 360 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team - GBA Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - GC Madden NFL 07 - Xbox Star Fox Command - DS New Super Mario Bros. - DS NBA Live 07 - PS2 Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - Xbox 360 Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - Xbox Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus - PS2 Test Drive Unlimited - Xbox 360 Dead Rising - Xbox 360 Mario Hoops 3-on-3 - DS Okami - PS2 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories - PS2 Madden NFL 07 - PSP We've included a listing of the top DS and GBA game only listings, available after the break.
Metal Slug on GBA no more
According to the latest issue of Famitsu, by way of DS-x2, four Metal Slug titles slated for released on the GBA have been cancelled. Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug 3, and Metal Slug X have all been tossed to the garbage. No other information explaining why the titles have been cancelled is available. Could it have something to do with the upcoming release of Metal Slug Anthology?
A financial look at the "console war"... how each is faring
The third calendar quarter has come to a close and with it, some financial statements from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. What does this matter, you ask? Looking at the earnings can really cut through the internet hype, jargon, rumors, and walls of flame and really show you whether or not a company is in trouble (financially). Let's start with the company that's in trouble: Sony.Sony has reported earnings that have "plummeted 94 percent to $14.4 million because of costs related to its laptop battery recall. But it also reported a $369 million operating loss in its video game business because of start-up costs for the PlayStation 3. Sony's game revenues decreased 20 percent to $1.4 billion from a year ago because of a decline in PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 sales, as well as a price cut on the PS2." Ouch! There's also a ton of spare PS3 inventory in Japan (save the blue laser diodes, we imagine) and $3 billion short term and long term debt. They've got $4.7 billion in cash, though, so they're not "under" yet. Should the PS3 fail, Sony will have one hell of a time coming back.Microsoft, naturally, has a war chest of cash -- $31.4 billion (in gold bullions, too!). Let's talk sales: "sales rose 70 percent in the Entertainment and Devices division, which includes games, to $1.03 billion in the quarter. The division cut its loss from $173 million a year ago to $96 million. Microsoft says it is on target to hit profitability by the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2008." On XBL, there are over 4 million subscribers. Even more good news (for Microsoft, they're probably throwing a $2.3 million party for this) is that the 360 consoles in Japan that come bundled with Blue Dragon have sold out. Yep, all 20 of them (joking, joking).What of Nintendo? "Nintendo reported sales of $2.5 billion, up 69 percent from a year earlier. Net income was $458.6 million, up from a loss a year ago. Nintendo has $6.6 billion in cash. Nintendo is forecasting sales of $6.2 billion and profits of $843 million for the year ended March 31, 2007." Everything else is pudding -- of course they're selling tons of DS's and GBA's... Nintendo's doing well, as usual (GameCube aside).
Have GBA, will travel
Here's one from the just plain unusual file: one intrepid family has decided to turn traveling around the world into a photo project starring the GBA. Rather, a young boy playing a GBA, hence the pun in the name of the set at Flickr -- "Game Boy Around the World." Ah, Game Boy-spotting, Game Boys in the wild, Game Boys gone wild -- the humor potential here is almost frightening in its vastness. Too bad the photos are actually good; we'd much prefer to crack jokes, but we're too busy goggling at all the wonders. We just hope the kid featured in the pictures took some time to look around as well ... after all, this project is funny because it's true.[Via Joystiq]
Handheld history reveals PSP's slim figure [Update 1]
Joystiq, the attention-craving parent site to PSP Fanboy, recently compared the sizes of history's greatest handhelds. When looking at the handhelds in size order, one can see that the PSP sits smack in the middle. Game Boy micro: 5.6 cubic inches Game Boy Advance SP: 9.81 cubic inches DS Lite: 12.96 cubic inches Wonderswan: 13.33 cubic inches Wonderswan Color: 14.1 cubic inches Wonderswan Crystals: 14.68 cubic inches Neo Geo Pocket Color: 17.35 cubic inches Sony PSP: 17.52 cubic inches Game Boy Advance: 17.64 cubic inches GP2X: 19.61 cubic inches DS Phat: 22.01 cubic inches Game Boy: 26.39 cubic inches Gamepark 32: 26.83 cubic inches Sega Nomad: 49.36 cubic inches Game Gear: 50.86 cubic inches Atari Lynx: 68.53 cubic inches We should be thankful that the PSP is no monstrosity like the Game Gear... Then again, I did love my Game Gear (pictured).[Thanks, Zebulunite!][Update 1: Whoa, how did that HTML glitch happen? It totally wasn't like that when I typed it. Anyways, fixed.]
DS releases for the week of October 23rd [update 1]
Another week comes and another assault of games are released for the DS and GBA. This week brings plenty of tasty morsels of maniacal offerings, but if you're like us, you're wondering just how you will store any more games in your already crammed case. Personally, our entire wardrobe of pants had to be changed out for cargos since we need at least 3 pockets just for our DS Lite and games. Click into the post to check out the releases and tell us which game (or games) tickles your fancy this week![Update: We added a photo image credit to 8 Bit Joystick.]
Minisite for Final Fantasy V launches
For those of you with an addiction for turn-based role-playing games and fantasies of the final sort, the Japanese minisite for Final Fantasy V has launched. Within it are such treasures as character bios, a breakdown on the game's job system, and an introduction to the game's story. With three new job classes in Gladiator, Cannoneer, and Oracle, along with a new dungeon, Final Fantasy V is one appealing GBA game.
Nintendo MP3 player for DS coming this fall?
Music-hungry Nintendo fanboys in Japan have already been able to get their fix in the form of the Play-Yan adapter for the DS and Game Boy Advance/Micro, but it looks like the rest of us might soon be able to rock some beats between bouts of New Super Mario Bros as well if this latest bit of info pans out. According to a brochure that reportedly surfaced at the Leipzig Games Convention, Nintendo is set to release an MP3 player adapter for the DS and Game Boy Advance this fall -- October 6th to be specific (in Europe, at least) -- and like the Play-Yan, the add-on will use SD cards (up to 2GB) for storage and have its own headphone port, although it apparently lacks the Play-Yan's video capabilities. Price is reported to be €30, or just under forty bucks, although there's still no official word from Nintendo, which we'd guess would be coming fairly soon if that release date is solid.[Via Joystiq]
Creator of GBA emulator speaks out
Many of you seem very interested in homebrew lately. With the release of a super-easy way to downgrade firmware, it seems like many of you are ready to experiment with homebrew. While I prefer to support original endeavors, it's pretty obvious that the greatest lure for homebrew is piracy emulation. Exophase is a relatively new coder to the PSP homebrew scene, but he's already come out with a full speed Game Boy Advance emulator for the system. In an interview with DCEmu, he reveales some interesting info about his work.DCEmu: The release of this emulator has been compared to the shock of Ultrahle and Bleem, emulators that werent thought possible until they were released, are you proud that your the first to get a decentplayable GBA Emulator out there ? Exophase: Heh, well, I'm just glad that at least some people can play some games well. I know it was nice being able to play Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for a while when I had nothing else to do.You can check out the rest of the interview at DCEmu.See also:More interviews with more homebrewersCommodore64 emulator for PSPWonderswan emulator for PSP
Final Fantasy V screens = brainwashing
Final Fantasy. How is it that this series keeps popping up this fall? Are Square and Nintendo trying to kill us with FF propaganda and brainwash us so that we will never play another RPG, nor will we want to? We think the answer is yes. And to prove our point, here are some more Final Fantasy V Advance screens to continue the brainwashing. After all, it has already taken affect on us, if you couldn't already tell.
