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Sudoku ... for the Wii?
That's right, the popular number puzzles are making their way to living rooms across the world, because there can apparently never be enough sudoku. This is an easy choice for the DS -- that's why there's so much of it -- but we're uncertain about the potential fun of Wii-based sudoku. Maybe as part of something else, but as its own game ... we'll see. Not sure how it'll be played out? Never fear, developer Hudson Soft prepared a movie that should serve to answer all those questions.
Wing Island and Kororinpa get pushed ... up?
A pair of anticipated titles from Hudson are set to release a little bit earlier than expected. With Wing Island and Kororinpa both set to release on the 20th of this month and retailing for $39.99 each, this should help quench the thirst of gamers who feel they are suffering from a gamer's drought. So, who's going to be picking these games up? Getting both, or are you only going to get one? Could you care less about either?[via WiiNintendo.net]
Splatterhouse, Double Dungeons due next month on VC
It's time to don your Terror Mask and grab a chainsaw. According to Hudson's Virtual Console list, next month will bring rise to Splatterhouse and Double Dungeons on the Nintendo Wii.Splatterhouse is a classic gorefest, full of blood and guts and severed hands that flick you off (an homage to Evil Dead II, to be sure). It's a welcome addition the Virtual Console and one of the few titles guaranteed to earn an M rating. Double Dungeon is a first-person RPG similar to Wizardry.Sega also recently announced four titles, including Vectorman and Beyond Oasis, for release soon, likely in March.
Splatterhouse does the Monster Mash onto US/EU Virtual Console
The Virtual Console is really starting to heat up! We can't believe it, but it looks like American and European fanboys are going to get a great game before Japan does: Namco's gory Turbografx-16 brawler Splatterhouse. This is definitely one of the three best games ever about a masked parapsychology major trapped in a haunted mansion and forced to destroy lots of disgusting monsters with a board, and it's coming sometime in March!We're also getting Double Dungeons-- but as Turbografx-16 lovers, we're trying to put a positive spin on this news article, and would prefer to talk more about Splatterhouse.What Turbografx-16 games are you waiting for? We're dying for Blazing Lazers and China Warrior ourselves.[Via Siliconera]
Bomberman Land Wii is adorable
It shouldn't be noteworthy that a Bomberman game is cute, but recent developments have called the cuteness of all future Bomberman games into question. Thankfully, we can confirm that yes, we have confirmation on big-headed characters, and we are go for cuddliness.We are also go for minigames, which makes us a little nervous. We kind of have enough minigames already on the Wii, and we don't need much content from Bomberman other than multiplayer bombing. Online bombing would be great, of course, but that might be too much to ask.Exclusive "scrolling through some screenshots" minigame* after the break.*by which we mean "screenshots for you to scroll through, and not a game at all."[Via QJNet]
Hudson interviews the real-life Master Higgins
Takahashi Meijin ("Master Takahashi") is the nickname of a longtime Hudson employee named Toshiyuki Takahashi, who became famous in Japan for his ability to tap buttons really, really quickly -- up to 16 times a second. This amazing power lent itself to videogames, naturally.After making a few TV appearances, and becoming a Hudson mascot of sorts (along with that adorable bee), he lent his appearance to videogames, too. Specifically, the Adventure Island games, which were called Takahashi Meijin no Boukenjima ("Takahashi Meijin's Adventure Island") in Japan. When you play New Adventure Island on the Virtual Console-- which you should do, as soon as possible-- you're playing as a grass-skirted Takahashi Meijin.Hudson's US branch has posted an interview with this legendary figure, which is not only interesting for the novelty of being an interview with a videogame character, but because he really knows his stuff about Hudson and their history. We can't wait until they post an interview with Air Zonk.
Two more Hudson VC titles announced
If only Nintendo could be this forthcoming on their own VC releases, eh? Then again, every Monday is a veritable holiday, gifts cunningly wrapped in inauspicious boxes.Anyway, Hudson has announced yet another two Turbo-Grafx 16 games for release in February: New Adventure Island and Chew-Man-Fu. We hear good things about the first, but the name of the second is just so endearing. These days, it almost feels like Hudson is supporting the Virtual Console more than Nintendo is ... will today's releases shock and wow us? Stay tuned, readers! Same Wii time, same Wii channel!
Fuzion Frenzy 2 gets reviewed and spit on
TeamXbox received an early copy of Fuzion Frenzy 2 and decided to pull an all-nighter reviewing the party game goodness. They came away less than impressed, giving it an overall score of 6.6. But we have to ask, why? We have yet to get our hands on the game, but after looking at why they gave it such a horrible score it doesn't look justifiable. 6.5 in the gameplay category because they felt that "eighty percent of the included games are fun. The other twenty percent are just plain difficult to play and uninteresting" ... that equates to an 8.0 in our ratings book. We're thinking that if you liked the original Fuzion Frenzy then the sequel will more than satisfy your party game hunger. Make the jump for the review, but we're holding off our judgments until we get some hands on time.
Joystiq hands-on: Mario Party 8 (Wii)
Like the early days of the DS, the Wii still hasn't really found its own identity just yet. Still lacking a Brain Training or a Nintendogs, minigames are de rigeur on the system at the moment. Certainly the Wiimote is well suited for minigames, and it's been hoped that it will breathe some new life into a rather tired Nintendo franchise. Yup, Mario Party 8. Joystiq got to play an incomplete version of the "ocho" at the Osaka leg of Japan's World Hobby Fair. Six different minigames were on display: Lasso the barrels: Swing the lasso (Wiimote) in a circle, once you've got some momentum going, throw the lasso forward, grabbing a barrels for points (don't throw Wiimote). Some barrels are worth more points than others. Ball tilt: Balls fall from ceiling. Direct bouncing balls to their correct container by rotating the wiimote. Green on the left, and purple on the right. Drink shaking: Simply shake the Wiimote up and down; fastest shaker wins. Target shooting: Just as in Wii Play, shoot targets with your Wiimote. The high score zone constantly changes so you have to think fast. Jet ski jumps: Move your jet skier to the ramps to pick up coins. The challenge comes from the difficult controls. Crank turning: Turn a crank as fast you can. Exactly the same as the similar WarioWare minigame. Overall, the minigames were solid and fun, if not a tad on the simple side. If the board game side of things (not shown in this early version) is a winner, this could be a fun party game, if not an inventive one. They don't have their Brain Training yet.
Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a Gamerscore goldmine
Xbox 360 Achievements has uncovered the achievements for the upcoming Fuzion Frenzy 2, the sequel to the original Xbox party game. It's good news for Gamerscore whores, as the achievements look fairly simple and the point rewards are high. Seriously, there are only 2 achievements worth less than 50 points. There are 14 achievements in all. 2 of them are worth 25 points, 7 worth 50, 3 worth 100, and 2 worth 150. The achievements are rewarded for finishing the game as each character, winning online games, and unlocking minigames. It doesn't look like any of them are particularly difficult. Hell, only one of them requires you to win more than one online game. So, if you're a Gamerscore fanatic, Fuzion Frenzy looks like it could be your new best friend. That is unless we're completely wrong and the game is as tough as nails. Given that it's from the same people that gave the world Mario Party, we'd say the chances of that are slim.See also:Fuzion Frenzy 2 gameplay compilation 1Fuzion Frenzy 2 gameplay compilation 2
2 more TG-16 VC games revealed
The folks over at Bits Bytes Pixels Sprites have discovered that two new Virtual Console games, as of now unannounced, will be headed to the Wii sometime in the near future. See, in poking around Hudson Entertainment's website, they found pages for both Alien Crush and Dungeon Explorer, mentioning their inclusion into Nintendo's Virtual Console line of games. For the unaware, Alien Crush is a pinball title with an extra-terrestrial theme, where Dungeon Explorer has playing as Detective John Gutter, a tough-as-nails cop with a dark past. As witness to a rather disgusting murder with no evidence left on the scene beside your testimony, you have 48 hours to find the one responsible before your fellow police officers toss you into the slammer.OK, we're kidding. You do, in fact, explore dungeons. [Via Joystiq]
TG-16 games hit the Wii
We were a little concerned when the Wii's Virtual Console launched this Sunday without any downloadable TurboGrafx-16 games, despite a promise from a Nintendo press release that Bomberman '93 would be one of the games that was "ready to play on launch day." Were there problems finalizing the Wii's TG-16 emulator? Licensing issues still to be worked out with HudsonSoft? A general feeling that players didn't care about the little known system?Well, it seems our rhetorical hand-wringing was a little premature, because as of today Bomberman '93 and Bonk's Adventure are both downloadable from the Wii Shop Channel for 600 Wii points ($6). A post from Hudson staffer John on the Hudson Entertainment forums suggests the games were indeed playable on dev kits by launch day, but might have been delayed due to a hitch in the certification process for the TG-16 games. Whatever the reason, we're just glad the problems have been worked out and we can now play around with the original headbanger to our heart's content.
Fuzion Frenzy 2, new maps, games revealed
Microsoft released some new shots of Fuzion Frenzy 2 today. The game promises to whisk players off to exotic locations. This week's exotic locations are a planet called Blazer (wonder what the weather is like) and, um, Earth. Okay, Earth isn't exactly exotic, but nobody plays Fuzion Frenzy for the backdrops. At least no one that we know. And we know, like, everybody. No, you play it for the minigames. Today we bring you shots of 7 new games and descriptions of each. The game pictured above is "Amoeba Hunting" on Earth. Players must destroy amoeba with bombs while being careful not to get caught in the explosions themselves. Read on for more shots with descriptions and (hilarious) captions.
Hudson's Wii page launches
Hudson has finally launched their Japanese Wii games page, which features plenty 'O screenshots for Wing Island, Bomberman Land, Fishing Master, and Korinpa. The page also does a nice job paraphrasing each game's features, length of play, and Wiimote use. Also, all games are releasing by the end of this year in Japan, aside from Bomberman Land, which is set for an early 2007 release.
TGS Marketplace content, 9/22
Here's the rundown of today's Marketplace content.Fuzion Frenzy 2 demoPortal TrailerTGS Showfloor video 1TGS Showfloor video Day 1 (Japan)GM Sensui Interview (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #1 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #2 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #3 (Japan)Xbox Live The Party #4 (Japan)Not much for those of us outside Japan., but the Fuzion Frenzy 2 demo is certainly welcome. We guess that whole "no demos on Friday" thing is pretty much dead by now.360 at the Tokyo Game Show:Lost Planet and Viva Piñata videoMicrosoft TGS briefing video now availableToday's Marketplace content, 9/21DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro videoVideo of Trusty Bell
TGS demo, Fuzion Frenzy 2! [update 1]
We haven't checked out the rest of today's TGS content yet, because the first thing we saw was the Fuzion Frenzy 2 demo! We're downloading it right now (293 MB). Impressions will be up once we play it.Update: See our impressions of the demo after the break.
Rumor: Mystery XBLA game is Lode Runner
Our man, Godfree, over at Gamertag Radio sent us another tip about our would be mystery XBLA game. Shake the magic 8 ball with us ... "signs point to Lode Runner." Check out this detective work on IloveXBLA.com: "No joke, I'm fairly certain I figured it out. Let's look at the trail of tips. Ross Erickson says that Lode Runner in very good hands, which would dictate hands that want to put it on Xbox Live Arcade (since he wants the game). Luke Smith thinks it might be Bomberman On this GamerScore blog post they dropped a hint that Peter Moore said "what happens in Shinjuku stays in Shinjuku." Later on this GamerTag Radio thread Microsoft's John Porcaro dropped a hint that "what happens in Montana stays in Montana". Ok, so with the current hints down how did I make the connection. Here's my timeline. I originally thought the game must be Bomberman, so I was looking for links between Shinjuku, Montana and Hudson Entertainment the creators of Bomberman. Score! Hudson Soft moved to Shinjuku in 1985 shortly before releasing Bomberman. While on the page I noticed Hudson Software also released Lode Runner for NES, and remembered they are currently doing a DS version. Lode Runner was originally published by Broderbund, who operate out of MONTANA. According to Game Dev Map there are no current game developers operating in Montana. I don't think it can get any clearer than that. Case closed in my opinion, next week's release is Lode Runner!" Nice work. We couldn't agree more. Lode Runner is definitely a major franchise worthy of the hype that we've generated seen in the last week. What do you think? Did these guys nail it, or is it something else? [Thanks, Godfree]
TGS: Today's Marketplace content, 9/21 [update 1]
Another day, another batch of content. TGS rolls on, and Microsoft gives us more to drool over. Now, without further ado, today's content:Vista Game MontageFusion Frenzy 2 trailer (Weren't we just talking about this?)Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom trailerTeam Fortress 2 trailerTable Tennis trailer (Japan only)TGS ThemeWe haven't had a chance to watch any of these, but we'll give you the skinny once we do. If anybody spots one of these trailers floating around the interweb, send us a tip and we'll post it.360 at the Tokyo Game Show:DOAX2 video makes us feel naughtyLost Odyssey intro videoVideo of Trusty BellSee Blue Dragon gameplay (finally)And the mystery XBLA game is ...Update: We've realized there will be a lot of content in the next few weeks. Changed headline to reflect the date that the content went up.
Party in a box: Fuzion Frenzy 2 images
There are some of us (you know who you are) that have fond memories minigame festival that was Fuzion Frenzy. Others among us felt that it lacked the substance of, say, a Mario Party. It's interesting, then, that Microsoft has approached Hudson -- developer of the Mario Party series -- to create Fuzion Frenzy 2. We don't know if the game will feature an overall hub or board like the Mario Party titles, but we can at least be guaranteed that there will be tons of minigames. These screens show off some of the characters and what appears to be a casino themed world. Hopefully, Hudson has learned something from their recent effort and won't forget to include local multiplayer.Anyone looking forward to this one?
Hudson names flyer, reveals other info
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away we made a claim that the rumored Pilotwings title coming to the Wii would be developed by Hudson. Well, we were wrong. Turns out, Hudson doesn't even need the Pilotwings name as they've come up with their own flight-based title in Wing Island. We aren't surprised in the least as Hudson has pledged to fully support Nintendo's console.Naturally, the Wiimote will act as a yoke for the plane, allowing a more realistic control scheme for navigating the skies. A variety of missions and unlockable content, the game will also feature multiplayer, however we're unsure as to whether multiplayer encompasses playing online or if it is strictly limited to local play. Does this mean that the rumored Bonk title is a no-go or being put on the back burner?The game's page at Hudson's site may be accessed here.
