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The NCube: probably the best portable Gamecube of all time (video)
Oh sure, we've seen a few "portable" Gamecube systems over the years, but we've yet to set our eyes on anything as glorious as this. Not surprisingly, the NCube's creator is yet another Ben Heck apprentice, with the case being a heavily modded Datamax Kid's Delight and the display an unmodded Zenith PSone. There's a 2-way switch for running off of batteries or the AC outlet, a relocated memory card slot and a rear-mounted disc drive that's just begging to be broken. Hit the read link for a look at 90 grueling hours of work, or just jump past the break for a celebratory video. [Thanks, Jonathan]
Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil Zeroes in on Dec. 1
Eager to play Resident Evil Zero on the Wii, but not so eager that you've already purchased the GameCube disc? Or the Japanese Wii version that came out in July 2008? Capcom has announced that Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil Zero will be released in North America on December 1, 2009, at a $29.99 price point. Despite Capcom USA's initial protests, American plans for this re-release were finally revealed in March of this year. We assume the December release is entirely a marketing decision, as there is already a localization of Resident Evil Zero, made for the identical GameCube game, which means it probably didn't take too long to prepare this, which adds controller support for the Wiimote/Nunchuk and Classic Controller, for North America.
The 'control' in New Play Control Chibi Robo
The next title to get the New Play Control treatment from Nintendo is Chibi Robo, and in being overhauled for Wii, players can expect new point-and-click-based controls, Siliconera reports. Gone are the analog controls of the original GameCube title, as not only will you guide your robotic munchkin around now by pointing your Wiimote where you want him to go, but you will also be tasked with finishing some of Chibi's chores through motion-based gestures. And the shooting scenes from the original? They've been replaced with light gun-like segments, further taking advantage of the Wiimote's ability to point at things.The game is set for release in Japan on June 11, and no North American release has been mentioned.
Resident Evil Archives staggers toward June 23 release
Fans of Resident Evil (and buying the same game multiple times) will be happy to know that Resident Evil Archives -- the official title for the Wii port of a GameCube remake of a PSOne game -- is slated for a June release, Eurogamer reports. Featuring enhanced Wiimote controls and ... enhanced Wiimote controls, the new-for-Wii version of the game will debut in the US on June 23 for $29.99.%Gallery-32896%
Adapter turns Classic Controller into GameCube controller
From the "ridiculous level of customization" department: a new device from EMS that removes one small deficiency in the Wii Classic Controller's capabilities: the ability to use it on GameCube games. EMS's Classic Linker allows users to plug a Classic Controller into the GameCube controller slot, allowing it to be used as a GameCube controller. As an added bonus, it also allows the use of PlayStation or PS2 controllers! The Wii angle is nice, but where we see this being most useful is in an actual GameCube. The Classic Controller's button layout makes it superior even to the Hori Digital Pad for use in the Game Boy Player.It had better have a longer cord than most controller adapters, because the Classic Controller's little cord doesn't exactly span a room. This accessory is available through Play-Asia for $16.90.[Thanks, dreganfyre!]
Nintendo gets Fenner Investments patent lawsuit dismissed, goes back to printing money
With DS sales continuing their astronomical climb and people still snagging Wii consoles off of shelves faster than you can say: "Your princess is in another castle," Nintendo's doing pretty well for itself in these difficult economic times. It's doing even better today on news that the lawsuit filed against it two years ago by Fenner Investments has been dismissed. The suit alleged that Nintendo inappropriately infringed on a 1998 patent relating to the monitoring of the position of analog joysticks in the Wii and GameCube. Since the company has been using analog sticks at least since 1996's N64, we didn't think this one would go far, and we don't think the proceedings against MS or Sony regarding the same patent will go any further. So, big N can now go back to focusing on other lawsuits and dreaming up new ways to take our hard earned cash.
GameCube era even depressed Miyamoto
Sometimes, one might assume that super-genius game developers don't think the way that you do, but it's just not so! Take, for instance, Shigeru Miyamoto, who you might know for his work on pure undiluted joy. He recently told Japanese mag Famitsu that several aspects of the way Nintendo operated during the N64 and GameCube years made him "very sad." Hey, Shiggy, us too!Of course, we probably have slightly different reasoning. Miyamoto complained about the company trying to follow its competitors during that era, saying, "I was endlessly fascinated with 3D worlds, but what with all the issues I had to tinker with in terms of rendering and processing speed, it got to the point where I didn't know who was making the games any longer." We would have more simply said that "a lot of games for those systems were very, very bad," but it's nice to know the big guy gets where we're coming from.
WiiGator Backup Launcher released, makes chipless GameCube backups on Wii a reality
It's out, and it works; the WiiGator GameCube Backup Launcher we mentioned last week has been released to the open arms of a community of incredibly clumsy gamers. Yes, you who can't possibly keep your discs from getting scratched or cracked or covered in peanut butter by your two-year-old sibling can now play backups of GameCube games on your Wii without having to install any modchips or void any warranties. The app, available with source at the read link, runs in the Wii's Homebrew Channel and enables the playing of GC games from a DVD-R (demonstrated in some incredibly dramatic shakeycam footage below). There are some issues with save games on certain types of memory cards, and not all titles work, but before you complain feel free to crack open those C files and try fixing things yourself, Mr. Critical.[Thanks, Omega]
WiiGator GameCube launcher promises to play "backups" sans modchip
Details are pretty light on this one at the moment, but a couple of videos have cropped up in recent days demoing the as yet unreleased WiiGator GameCube Backup Launcher, which promises to let folks play GameCube "backup" copies on their Wii without a modchip. Judging from the video available after the break, everything sure does appear to work as advertised, although we'll obviously have to wait for it to be released into the wild to know for sure. In the meantime, you can also check out another, blurrier video by hitting up the read link below.
Wii on track to beat PS2, PS3 selling like GameCube
The fine folks at Venture Beat have been pouring over NPD data and have discovered one universal truth: Nintendo has sold a lot of video game consoles. Crazy, huh? We thought the same thing.A closer dissection of the numbers shows the Wii is on pace to topple the PS2, as the Wii has outsold the PS2's comparable initial sales by 10 percent in its first 26 months of availability. In layman's terms, that means that the PS2's first 26 months on store shelves saw it unloading 15.9 million units in the U.S., whereas the Wii has sold 17.5 million here. If these sales continue, the Wii could sell 55 million consoles in America by 2014 and 154 million units worldwide. When you count up the money, that's like 257 hojillion dollars.On the reverse side, the PS3 is performing much like Nintendo's last console did, the GameCube. The PS3 has sold 6.79 million units in the U.S. in its first 26 months, which is a hair more than the 6.75 million GameCubes that were unloaded on consumers. Of course, Nintendo finished in third last generation with that console, which made them rethink their approach and, inevitably, succeed this generation.
Patent shows Wiimote was originally a GameCube peripheral
Some new images and details on Nintendo's patent for the Wiimote have surfaced on the net and they show that the original idea was planned for the GameCube. The Wiimote was to attach to the console via an adapter, much like the WaveBird's. But, as you all know, the GameCube ended up going the way of the dodo, and so the Wii was born. The image to the right shows Mario playing tennis, which is where Nintendo originally got the idea for Wii Sports, we assume, but there's more. Past the break, you can see more diagrams showing how the Wiimote would work with the GameCube, if you're into that kind of thing.%Gallery-14911%
Patent reveals Wii Remote began life as GameCube add-on
What's so interesting about the above image? Is it that the man (?) has no eyes? Is it that he's not using the strap on the Wii Remote? No: it's that this isn't a patent drawing for the Wii Remote at all -- it's for a GameCube controller. The original Japanese patent was submitted by Nintendo in 2006, around the time Shigeru Miyamoto admitted, "[Wii] is based on GC."Now we know its controller was, too, by way of the US Patent and Trademark Office's database, which also contains related drawings. One shows what this line-art person is playing (a tennis game with Mario) and the other is the proverbial smoking gun: a Wii remote and receiver connected to a GameCube, which is, in turn, connected to a TV with sensors attached. Check them out after the break.[Via Siliconera]
Born for Wii: Mario Sunshine
Now that 2008 is tightly packed away into our memories and the glorious new year is unfolding before our very eyes, we're caught between looking backwards at what 2008 imparted upon us and anticipating what 2009 has to offer. Even though Born for Wii is all about looking backwards, it's hard not to be excited about what this year is bringing to the Wii: in just a couple months, the New Play Control version of Pikmin will be hitting the States, and it will be good times. But we've still got awhile to wait until then, and this week we're highlighting a sorely underappreciated Nintendo game of last generation: Super Mario Sunshine.Mario Sunshine was released in 2002 as the first real successor to the groundbreaking Mario 64, and it was clear from the beginning that things were going to be a little different. For starters, Mario was on vacation on a tropical island, and soon found himself equipped with a water pack for cleaning up sludge. Though it was generally well-reviewed, Mario Sunshine has since become somewhat of a whipping boy in the fan community, and many claim that it didn't live up to groundbreaking pedigree Mario 64 established years earlier. Mario Galaxy managed to exceed its predecessors in virtually every way possible, but in the end, Sunshine still has things worth going back for. The wonderful tropical locale, the FLUDD-less levels, and some fun water pack puzzles all made Mario Sunshine a worthwhile endeavor, and a New Play Control version would give Nintendo the chance to polish its shortcomings and give Mario the vacation he deserved. #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-40643% Every week, Born for Wii digs into gaming's sordid past to unearth a new treasure fit for revival on the Nintendo Wii. Be sure to check out last week's entry in the series, NBA Jam, and for more great titles that deserve your attention, take a look at Virtually Overlooked.
Nintendo serves up Mario Tennis trailers
Over at the official site for the Wii de Asobu (Play on Wii, or NEW PLAY CONTROL!) series, there's a pair of Japanese commercials for the Mario Power Tennis remake, as well as a far lengthier gameplay trailer.The adverts we can take or leave, consisting as they do of the usual telegenic Japanese families bouncing around their pristine living rooms. The gameplay clip is worth watching, as it displays the various shots that can be achieved through a well-timed flick of the wrist (top-spin, side-spin, slices, drop shots, etc.). We hope mixing up our shots actually has an effect on the game, because we always found Wii Sports tennis to be not-quite-as-advertised in this respect (though we're willing to accept we just may be rubbish at Wii Sports tennis).Oh yes, and these are non-embeddable, so you'll have to go to the site to watch them. And they call this 2009!Source: TV commercial 1Source: TV commercial 2Source: Gameplay trailer[Via NeoGAF]
New Play Video: Pikmin
We're way into the New Play Control version of Pikmin. Even eight years after its original release, Pikmin remains one of the fresher and more unusual Nintendo franchise games, and the Wii version only improves on it!In this video, Wii Folder's Josh Thomas (standing in front of the screen like a weatherman) introduces the game in a manner appropriate for people who have no idea what Pikmin is. While that means a lot of explanation of stuff you know, it also means a ton of game footage (worth seeing even with a dude in front of it), and all the new Wii content is highlighted. While you're watching previews of Wii remakes on Wii Folder, check out the Klonoa footage!
Nielsen: 2008's most played console was ... PS2
The Nielsen Company is best known for tracking television viewership, but its quantifying of what people spend their time doing doesn't end there. It also tracks console usage among its selected households, and, for 2008 (January through October, at least), the PlayStation 2 was played more than any other.According to Nielsen's findings, PS2 accounted for 31.2% of all console usage minutes measured. Xbox 360 was a distant second with 17.2%, followed by Wii (13.4%), the original Xbox (9.7%), PS3 (7.3%), GameCube (4.6%), and "other" (16.2%). The fact that more hours were spent playing the original Xbox than PS3 is, well, surprising. PS2's dominance isn't; last we checked, there were 87.6 bazillion of them in the world (give or take a few trillion).
Support group time: No 'Zelda' released in 2008
We knew something was missing this year. Turns out TGR triggered what we were longing for when it noted the absence of Legend of Zelda in 2008. In fact, it was the first year since 1999 that we didn't take up Link's sword. Check out a list of the past decade's releases after the break.Hopefully we'll get a new Zelda next year, but for those who need to talk about the emptiness they feel, please be sure to leave a comment. This is a place of love and support. A place of safety. Feel free to cry.
Nintendo opens 'store within store' at Times Square Toys 'R' Us
The Toys "R" Us flagship store in Times Square now features a 1,000 square foot Nintendo department store inside of it. The Nintendo section features a DS bar with eight playable handhelds, a gallery of Nintendo images and is staffed by "Nintendo experts." It's really not that different from what you'd find at the Nintendo World Store, near Rockefeller Plaza.Although we don't quite get the point of this second store (other than to make loads of money, of course), it certainly speaks to the power of the Nintendo brand ... especially among the TRU demographic.
New Play Control! New-ish boxart!
The packages for the Japanese Play on Wii series feature the original boxarts for the GameCube games framed in a new white border, with a blue bar at the bottom explaining that the games have new Wii Remote-based controls. According to teensy preview images found on GameStop.com, the North American New Play Control! versions of Pikmin and Mario Power Tennis, officially announced just yesterday, will employ the same strategy. As in, exactly the same. The only difference (aside from the language stuff and the fact that the North American boxart images are used) is that the Play on Wii boxes feature a curved top border in the blue area. If we're lucky, the covers will be reversible like the Japanese ones. We probably won't be that lucky!We have yet to see the box designs for the European NEW PLAY CONTROL! series. We'll keep you updated, because we love pointing out that the European title for the series seems to officially be NEW PLAY CONTROL! in all caps.Source: PikminSource: Mario Power Tennis
Video: LCD retrofitted onto Nintendo GameCube
Right, so we've spotted some fairly gorgeous LCD-into-GameCube integrations before, and we've even seen a couple that came dangerously close to making us laugh, but it's rare to find a respectable LCD infusion on video. Thus, we present to you Liuhuparta's own GameCube mod, which weds a Sony PSone LCD screen, an integrated Wavebird receiver, loads of wiring / spray paint / blue LEDs and a pinch of TLC with a classic black GC console. Hop on past the break to see portions of the build process and a brief demonstration of it in action.[Thanks, Sami]
