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First 6 minutes of Phantom Hourglass shown
YouTube user vladimire356 recently imported The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and, as a reader of DS Fanboy, took video of the game's opening movie and emailed us the link. It doesn't stop there, though, as we're given a look at the beginning gameplay segments of the title, also. Now, if you're one who just loves to have things spoiled for you, go ahead and head past the post break for the video.
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night 6/21/07 aftermath
Another successful Game Night went down yesterday evening and we only have one question: where were you? We took the time to set out some snacks and refreshments, only to have less people show up compared to last week. We still got to play Planet Puzzle League, but we thought more folks would be there to play other games with those who did not have Planet Puzzle League.You'll show up next week, we trust? What should be the theme game for 6/28/07? Tetris DS Animal Crossing Clubhouse Games
Rockman ZX Advent notepad to carefully avoid writing on
Here's a notepad that we can guarantee will never be used. This promotional Rockman ZX Advent notepad is being given away to a limited number of Japanese e-Capcom shoppers who buy the game online. Those shoppers will then carefully enclose the notepad in a plastic bag and display it on a shelf. Why mess up the Rockman notepad when there are perfectly serviceable junk mail envelopes and backs of hands to write grocery lists on? That's just common sense.
Bioware + Sonic = oh em gee
Sit down.No, seriously, sit down. We've got an amazing piece of news for you. Bioware, who've produced some of the most amazing RPG experiences the industry has ever seen, has finally let the cat loose from its bag prison, informing us that they're teaming up with Sega to create a Sonic role-playing game for the DS. How awesome is that?! Sadly, we won't be getting our hands on the game until next year, but we're incredibly excited for what Bioware can do with the Sonic IP and will gladly wait as the title is almost guaranteed to be something we'll be down for. SEGA of America, Inc. President and COO, Simon Jeffery, shares our optimism, stating that "Everyone at SEGA has huge confidence that Sonic is in the safest of hands, and that BioWare can create the ultimate handheld RPG experience for gamers of all ages." No kidding, Simon. When has Bioware made a bad RPG? That would be ... never.Knuckles punching people until they explode, anyone?
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night 6/21/07
Can you smell that? That certain something in the air? That's right, Game Night is upon us! Are you prepared? Have you told your loved ones you will be unavailable tonight? You probably should. Have you set out some nice clothes and clean underwear? You probably should. Have you clicked past the post break for the details, yet? You probably should.
Take that! Presenting official Phoenix Wright manga
Sometimes the Internet randomly drops some delightful content on our laps. Depending on our mood, we feel that either the forces of the Intertron love us and are giving us wonderful gifts, or that they're conspiring to keep us from working.Case in point: we knew about Court Records and all of the good works they do for those of us afflicted with Gyakutendonitis. But until GoNintendo pointed it out, we hadn't realized that there were fan translations of official Gyakuten Saiban/Phoenix Wright manga available on the site right now. We'll, uh, try to keep posting while we read.[Via GoNintendo]
The (American) Office comes to the DS
While we will always enjoy the British (see: O.G.) version of The Office more, the American version starring funny man Steve Carell has begun to grow on us. We're not quite sure if we're ready to play a video game based on the show, however. Universal seems to think many are, though, as they announced a partnership with developer MumboJumbo to bring a game based on the show to the DS.Nothing has been revealed about the game, but Bill Kispert, vice president and general manager of Universal's Interactive group, thinks the game will be something casual players and fans alike will appreciate. The game, he says, will feature "a proven, addictive game mechanic we think will be welcomed by fans and casual game players alike."So, who's ready to play a game based on The Office?
Chibi Robo Park Patrol site launches
The Japanese site for Chibi Robo Park Patrol has launched, chock full of goodies for the aspiring park patroller. There are character breakdowns, screens and indecipherable text. Well, not entirely indecipherable, but the machine translation at Google isn't the best, so relaying any of the translated information would just be an exercise in futility. So, if navigating Japanese websites is your thing, Nintendo has you covered.See also: Chibi Robo: Park Patrol screens
DS Daily: DS ... Liter?
It's almost (min)E3 time, and you know what that means -- wanton speculation. That's right, game fans, it's time to hop on the rumor train. So what's the story? You won't believe it. No, really.An all new DS. And no, we don't mean a new color. We here in America, we don't get new colors, because we apparently don't buy enough Brain Age. As rumors go, the idea of yet another DS redesign is not terribly un-possible. We saw several versions of the GBA, after all. But seriously, how small can we really go? Sometimes we already confuse it with the checkbook -- and our pals with larger hands occasionally complain of a little cramping as it is. And are bigger screens or a streamlined design necessary? Do we need a different (better?) DS? You decide.
Blogging Zelda
As bloggers ourselves, we understand the incredible demand such a duty can take on a person. Heck, just covering all of the Nintendo news every day, let alone doing other things such as hosting Game Night, is enough to drive a person insane. That's why we can hardly believe this man is set to extensively blog about his experiences in every Zelda game. He's even planning on blogging the latest title still due out on U.S. shores, Phantom Hourglass, and is currently making his way through Zelda II: The Adventures of Link at the moment. Odds are you've already beaten each title yourself (or, should have), but just in case you haven't, or you enjoy reading about someone else's perspective, this just might be a fun read for you.[Via Joystiq]
THQ brings Warhammer 40K: Squad Command to the DS
Usually, when we were playing with figures they were of the GI Joe variety, but many of you fine readers out there probably engaged in some fierce combat with the Warhammer figurines. There were even entries into the video game arena, as the board-turned-video-game kept its strategic elements during its transition. Now, us who find ourselves so fond of handheld gaming, get a chance at seeing what the franchise is all about when Warhammer 40K: Squad Command comes to the DS later this year.You might think we're crazy, upon heading over to THQ's official site and finding only a listing for the game on PSP, but we assure you the title will also be gracing the DS. And, as with the PSP version, should feature Wi-Fi Connect compatible gameplay to boot.
Two lovely Nintendo crafts
These two crafts have the potential to change our lives. How so? In order to acquire and use them, we must learn how to knit, find a reason to start carrying a little handbag, and take more notes. We're not sure we're ready for such a drastic change, so we'll just look at them on the Internet and appreciate them!The felted Mario bag has a tutorial, so if you can knit, we suggest you do so. The Zelda notepad was previously available for sale on Etsy, but is now sold out. Perler bead crafts are not so hard to do, however! [Via Wonderland: here, here]
Short Cuts showcase finalist shows us the Nintendo offices
We've seen some entries in the Nintendo Short Cuts challenge and Nintendo has gotten their top ten favorites already picked (you can find them all, and vote, here). We have to give it to this group, though. When an employee is called into Bowser's office and must dodge all the flames and fireballs, we were cracking up.Check out the entry past the post break.
Japanese Pokemon players, Jirachi chooses you!
Jirachi, the adorable legendary Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire, will soon be on the DS! Briefly, and only in Japan. You'll pretty much have to go on a Pokemon adventure to get one, though.First, players must be members of the Pokemon Fan Club. Then they can request a Jirachi via a form on the Fan Club page; if they're lucky enough to have their request approved, they will then have to go to a Pokemon Center store in Japan between July 1st and 22nd to pick it up. Why not over the Internet?Visitors to Pokemon Centers will also get a Jirachi badge in one of five designs, but only when they buy something. The badges are all basically Jirachi with a different background.
Phantom Hourglass trailer = hot boating action
We must be in a game video kind of mood today here at DS Fanboy, as we bring forth the latest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. In this latest clip, we see lots of Link using his boat, along with other things, but mainly it focuses on him and his sea-faring vessel. And, as our usual thing, we've embedded the video past the post break.Oh, we wish we were getting our hands on the game this week! Lucky Japanese gamers ...
DS Daily: Five dollars down
In the last ten years or so, led by the pre-Gamestop game specialty chains (Babbages, EB, EBX, Software, Etc., Funcoland, Rhino Video Games), the practice of preordering games has become commonplace. Before the preorder, companies just shipped enough products. Crazy, right? We're generally not fond of the practice, since we like to pay money for stuff and not a chance at stuff later, but we recognize that it's firmly entrenched in the gaming business model. How about you all? Do you habitually preorder your games? Or only when you perceive a chance of limited availability? Which do you think benefits more from a preorder-- huge releases or niche games with tiny print runs?
Friday Video: Konami Say Relax
We were unable to embed this week's video for you, but we just ... can't seem to get too upset about it. It must be all the inner peace we're feeling. We suggest you head over to Konami's Dokodemo Yoga page and watch the introductory video for yourself. It's hard to miss-- just click "play movie."Let the soothing music wash over you. It's no problem if you don't know Japanese. The narration will just be relaxing white noise for you. Just let the week's stresses dissipate. Maybe have some tea. Not being yoga practitioners ourselves, we have no idea if it's actually calming, but the video sure is.
May NPD: the N stands for Nintendo
... and the P stands for Pokémon. The May NPD numbers are out, and-- no surprise-- the DS came out on top yet again. The Wii also did quite well, probably exactly as well as it could have given the supplies. Nintendo DS: 423K Nintendo Wii: 338K Sony PSP: 221K Sony PlayStation 2: 187K Microsoft Xbox 360: 155K Sony PlayStation 3: 81K There were only two DS games on the software chart this month, and they're basically one game. Pokémon Diamond (DS) Mario Party 8 (Wii) Spider-Man 3 (PS2) Pokémon Pearl (DS) Wii Play w/remote (Wii) Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360) Guitar Hero II w/guitar (Xbox 360) Spider-Man 3 (Xbox 360) Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Xbox 360) Guitar Hero II w/guitar (PS2) Good for those other consoles for having so many games on the list this month. They try so hard. God bless' em.
Touch Darts with ... a dart
Some promotional items don't require much thought at all. The game's about darts, and the system uses a stylus, so here's a stylus that looks like a dart. You can pretend you're poking a dart board very softly! The real fun here is using this stylus with other games. You can pretend you're being a total sadist to your Nintendogs, for example. And Dream Skincare? More like Dream Acupuncture. Or, if you prefer, Dream Shredding Someone's Face with a Dart.[Via GoNintendo]
WRUP: What is there to play edition
Sure, a few different games released this week, but for us in the United States, Zendoku and Time Ace got pushed back to next week. This leaves some game about a fabulous foursome or something. We could care less about that. What we care about is this planetary puzzle league we keep hearing about. We're playing that this weekend, but what about you? What will you be playing?
