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'The big three' ARE coming in 2007 (to Japan)
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo confirmed that they do in fact plan to release Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl by the end of this year, as well as pretty much every Nintendo game announced for the Wii. This corroborates an IGN report to the same effect, and is also totally, totally rad. Here's the full list of Nintendo's planned 2007 releases. Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race is slated for June 28, and the rest are all "2007": Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race Wii Health Pack Disaster: Day of Crisis Mario Party 8 Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Wii Music Super Mario Galaxy Super Smash Bros. Brawl Battalion Wars II Forever Blue Mario Strikers Charged Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Keep checking with us for news of the inevitable delays of about half of these. Seriously, that's a lot of first-party Nintendo games for just half a year or so. Aw, we just made ourselves sad with our own skepticism. Still, if half of this stuff does get released in Japan this year, it'll be great news and do a pretty good job of ending any drought that may or may not be happening.Update: fixed some italics and formatting.
No Metroid Prime 3 until after June
A recent interview with Nintendo's name-taker/ass-kicker Reggie Fils-Aime revealed some disappointing (but not surprising) news. Originally scheduled as a Wii launch title, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was pushed back to a vague "er, um, sometime around, uh, 2007" release. That was later refined to "later this year." Now, according to Fils-Aime, Metroid Prime 3 won't see the light of day until after June. And if recent pre-order rumors turn out to be true, it could be way, way after June.Why the delay? According to Reggie, both Nintendo and Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios were disappointed with the sales of Metroid Prime 2. Prime 3 has to be the best game in the series, and that level of perfection takes time.Yes, we want Metroid now, but if it turns out as good as we've been led to believe, it'll be worth the wait.
Metroid Prime 3 delayed until ... 2008?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Metroid_Prime_3_delayed_until_2008'; If you're the type of person who pre-orders things from retail giant Best Buy, then you might have received an email as recently as today explaining that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has been pushed back from its current slated release of Summer 2007 to ... New Year's Eve. This, of course, shouldn't be taken as entirely true, but the fact that Reggie has been dodging the question as of late increases the chances that we won't be seeing Samus until she hits the console later this year in another game first.[Via Codename Revolution]
Metroid Prime 3 gets the preview treatment
You know, sometimes we feel like the luckiest bloggers in the world. Then we see the whip marks in the mirror and read about other people getting to playtest a preview build of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and it throws us into a maddening rage as we, in a Hulk-like trance, destroy everything in our path. Suddenly, our offices full of cobwebs, shackles and Hot Pockets are destroyed and we lay huddled in the corner, crying ourselves to sleep.Now that the introduction of horrible imagery is out of the way, what exactly did GamePro have to say about the game, what little of it they were able to play? Well, impressions were good, however they focus more on the control scheme of utilizing the Wiimote than anything else, speaking of using the Grappling Hook to rob enemy units of their shields.Other than that, GamePro really didn't have anything more to share, so hopefully they're saving all of the juicy information for a more adequately sized preview article.
New Metroid Prime Hunters statue surfaces
Our last glimpse at First 4 Figurines' Metroid-based statues almost caused a heart attack in the DS Fanboy staff. Heck, even our first glimpse at their prototypes was the stuff that resulted in large puddles of drool collecting by our feet as we blankly stood forward, eyes bugging out from our skulls. Their latest figure, which depicts the Kriken Trace from Metroid Prime Hunters, is nothing short of fantastic.
Wii and GameCube side-by-side
Loads of people, especially Nintendo haters, have been questioning the quality of the Wii graphics. French site, NGCFrance, has put up 13 sets of images from games featured on the GameCube and Wii one after the other to compare the difference, if any. We wouldn't completely trust these screens, fellow Wii fanboys/gals. We aren't saying that the site intentionally altered screens to try and make a negative point nor that the pictures are wrong due to our Nintendo fandom, we are just saying to look with an open mind. We especially love the Fire Emblem comparison. Magic blast vs. magic blast. Sweet. On a lighter note, Google translator is teh awesome. Check out what a Nintendo Fanboy from France had to say in Nintendo's defense: me yesterday I played there the mgs and DIFFERENCE EAST MUCH CLEARER than that!!!!!!!! because laWii same on a screen of 120cm reacted very well and remains super beautiful!! and sonic be superb!!! not no concern it above Wii will be more beautiful, more powerful and heuresement!! ^^ zelda tp pouwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwa!!! brilliant comamdes!!! Word.
Oblivion: first magazine scan found
The November issue of OPM has exclusive details of the upcoming PSP version of Oblivion. The scans of the game look not too shabby... it looks a heck of a lot better than the N-Gage Elder Scroll's game. According to the article, the PSP version of Oblivion will be "a very different game with a different story line... it has the experience of the dungeon romp. It doesn't have wide-open, wander-the-landscape kind of stuff."Even though the game's functionality seems a little stripped down, Obivion for PSP will still feature a character creation system, and 18 of the original game's 21 skills. The controls are going to be simplified, of course, and the designers cite Metroid Prime as a source of inspiration, which is only a good thing.Check out the full magazine scan, if you like, or buy the issue when it hits newsstands.[Via E-mpire Forum]
Forget Barbie, we'll take the Samus statue
When we saw First4Figures first Metroid statue, we wondered "where's Samus?" As it turns out, she was coming all along. Though it's not shipping yet, they've released the statue's likely to be final appearance, in both Varia and Gravity suit varieties. Also coming are Samus' Light, Dark, and Phazon suits. The $99 11" tall statue will be available later Q4 2006, which is more than we can say for the recently dated Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. See also:Majora's Mask Fierce Deity Link figurineColossal figurine ... at 1/150 scaleCollectible Metroid statueSamus returns as... a Metroid paperweight
Wii: then and now
"People change. Hairstyles change. Interest rates fluctuate." When Hillary Flammond uttered those words in Top Secret, she clearly hadn't experienced the gaming industry -- a marvelous, often magical place where things change very quickly indeed. As today's cataclysmic explosion of Wii news demonstrates, things can change for better or for worse. Yesterday's truth may become today's obsolete press release. So, what has (and hasn't) changed for Nintendo between then and now?Then: The Wii could play DVDs via an unspecified and entirely nebulous dongle. The original console description reads: "Two Disc Formats, One Slot: Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. Owners will have the option of equipping a small, self-contained attachment to play movies and other DVD content."Now: Inserting a DVD into the system will likely produce a polite error message indicating a complete inability to play DVDs. Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan explains DVD playback was removed "in order to deliver the machine at a cheaper cost and because most people today already own DVD players." On the plus side, this reduces the amount of times we'll have to type a dubious word like "dongle."
CNN Money sees Wii launching as early as September [update 1]
The words of CNN Money's Chris Morris, which suggest a Wii launch in late September or early October, are certainly tantalizing and not entirely unrealistic. Getting the machine onto store shelves and into our loving, embarrassingly weak arms would give Nintendo a healthy lead on the PS3 and Microsoft's glut of holiday titles, not to mention the joy it would grant fans of intergalactic bounty hunters and pointy-eared archers. Morris cites an earlier analyst report by P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research which notes that Nintendo already began manufacturing final retail consoles on 21 June, providing ample time until a prospective September launch.Further evidence comes in the less sturdy form of past release dates of Nintendo consoles, with only the Gamecube missing an October or September release window. Of course, if the Wii launches worldwide immediately, one would expect a strategy similar to that of the DS launch -- that one happened in November as well. While it's not entirely unfeasible, Morris' suggestion is still swathed in speculation. With no details available on manufacturing, Nintendo may have simply started up the production line early (if they did so at all) to avoid launch shortages which plagued the Xbox 360 and are sure to plague Sony's machine.Unfortunately, it looks like the only words we can fully trust right now are the ones from official (and sober) Nintendo men and women.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!][Update 1: Nintendo has (predictably) put the kibosh on this one, with a spokesperson stating, "There's no change in our plan to release the console in the last quarter of this year."]
No new Metroid games for DS this year?
Showing some true 1up-manship, Jeremy Parish has updated his blog with tantalizing non-details about a secret, pre-E3 Nintendo DS press event. Like all of the attending journalists, Parish was allowed to experience some new DS titles ("pretty cool surprises") at the cost of having to keep his opinions bottled up until Nintendo yanks the cork out. Expect the yanking to occur as soon as E3 is upon us.Parish does share one minor detail, though. There wasn't a single new Metroid game. If you had any dreams of playing a traditional, 2D Metroid game on the DS, consider them decisively stomped to teeny, unrecognizable smithereens. At least for now. It's not that I don't like Hunters--it's just that I tend to prefer exploring an intricate network of ancient ruins to repeatedly shooting menacing bounty hunters in the face. Chalk that up to a deranged childhood, if you want.[Via 4cr]
March NPD Sales Chart reveals rampant heroine addiction
Though it's devoid of the actual numbers we know and love, the NPD group has released a list of the top 20 best-selling US games for the merry month of March. The list isn't terribly exciting, but it does reveal a shocking and unspeakable truth about Nintendo gamers. They've been purchasing copies of Metroid Prime: Hunters and Super Princess Peach, playing the games in grimy alleys, their depraved faces lit up only by the flicker of two LCD screens. All that for a shameful heroine fix. The Top 20 best-selling titles for March according to NPD: Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (360) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) Black (PS2) MLB 06: The Show (PS2) Fight Night Round 3 (PS2) Black (Xbox) The Godfather: The Game ( PS2) Fight Night Round 3 (360) God of War (PS2) Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS) Sonic Riders (GCN) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) Super Princess Peach (DS) The Godfather: The Game (Xbox) Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2) Fight Night Round 3 (Xbox) Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) 24: The Game (PS2) Burnout Revenge (360)
Miyamoto a martinet making Metroid Prime
Allen Varney has written a fascinating look at the making of Nintendo's 2002 masterpiece -- and series reinvention -- Metroid Prime. By complimenting the community's fear of updating the venerable franchise with the story of a production environment that warranted such fears, you get a tangible understanding of the pressure and passion that is bound up in a title of Prime's quality. His characterization of Miyamoto as a brilliant, dedicated, and -- most interestingly -- demanding taskmaster stands contrary to many gamers impression of the designer as "a Gepetto whose genius and imagination turned a heap of technology into a living world of delight" (to quote the writers of Smartbomb). Take, for example, this description: "In 2000, Miyamoto himself visited Retro, an event compared to the Emperor visiting the Death Star." Ouch!It's tough love though. Reading about the storied excesses of Retro's founder and the studios subsequent mismanagement, then reflecting on the end result being the excellent Metroid Prime series is a welcome reminder: you have to squeeze coal really hard to make a diamond.
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.
"I EAT POO" tops Metroid Prime online leaderboards
Just when we were starting to think that there was hope for the video game community, someone called "I EAT POO" goes and tops 5 out of the 8 leaderboards in Metroid Prime: Hunters. We're too disillusioned to accurately describe how it feels to be beaten by someone whose name takes its inspiration from feces, so we'll just throw the words "anger", "pain" and "disappointment" in your general direction and hope that you can empathise.In other more mature news, Nathan dropped us a line to tell us that WitendoFi.com (a Nintendo Wifi community) is now tracking aforementioned Metroid Prime stats for its users. So come on WitendoFi users, kick Mr. Pooman's pongy butt off the leaderboards![Via fark. Thanks, murph and Nathan Grebowiec]Update: fixed poo related error. Thanks denigod!
Metroid Prime Hunters commercial all dark and edgy
So, I have this great idea for a Metroid Prime Hunters commercial. Since it would have to appeal to those hip kids of today, the content would have to be dark, gritty and just generally disagreeable. A post-apocalyptic future is obviously the way to go, perhaps with some neon lights and masked strangers thrown in for good measure. With the setting established, we next turn to the other increasingly popular thing amongst teenagers today: Death! Let's have bodies just fall from the sky, complete with a slick narrator saying something like "More ways to die" or something cool like that. Following that, we could have some game footage, but that's not really important. Great pitch, huh?Oh? It's already been done?[Original IGN video here. Thanks dwarpdesign!]
Reggie introduces (old) Metroid Prime 3 video
Some fine Sunday night viewing. We have a clip of the Reggie narrating a video of Metroid Prime 3 ostensibly running on some form of the Revolution hardware. The Revolution Fanboy crew is quick to remind us this isn't new material by any means: it's the same footage Satoru Iwata showed off at last year's E3. Apparently that wasn't the only venue that got to see it, and Iwata wasn't the only Nintendo bigwig who showed it off. Worthwhile viewing for those who haven't seen it... or for those of you with embarrassing gamer-crushes on Reggie. Say it again Reggie... say "make no mistake" again![Harmless rant™: By the way, that Revolution logo is really ugly. They could have submitted that to our (very quiet of late) lineup of possible Revolution interfaces, and we'd have called it a fake; probably even an "amateurish" fake. We know it's not a final name, we know it was only a mockup menu... we're just sayin'. As long as they get that super-sleek micro/DS Lite/Revolution hardware stank all over that logo when it's done, we'll be happier than a pair of wireless revomotes.] [Thanks, DJ Rage; via Revolution Fanboy]
Metroid Prime Hunters punishes chumps
Oh disconnectors, how we loathe thee and thy cowardly response to defeat. According to an interesting interview hype piece at the official Nintendo site, Metroid Prime: Hunters will be keeping track of those who disconnect from a Wi-Fi game in an effort to avoid tarnishing their online records. Mario Kart DS was another game that fell victim to this "strategy", a fact that has encouraged Nintendo to implement and liberally dish out "chump points"."We track a stat that the game calls Connection Percentage, but that I've been calling the Chump Meter. It keeps track of anyone who boots off. So, if I'm beating some kid and he tries to disconnect to avoid the loss, he'll be punished for that. When he turns the game back on, the game will know what happened and it will then hand out some Chump Points."The game will also be able to distinguish between intentional disconnections and the forgivable ones caused by your router unexpectedly exploding. This is certainly excellent news that will soothe many a temper, especially considering that Metroid Prime: Hunters is likely to be one of the most aggressively competitive games on Nintendo's Wi-Fi service thus far. [Thanks Nmaster!]
Metroid Prime Hunters dishes out "chump points"
An interview on the official Nintendo site with Nintendo Game Designer Rich Vorodi has revealed a couple of important aspects of Metroid Prime: Hunters' online play. Firstly, MP:H features a comprehensive stat tracking style system which counts everything from headshots to how far you've walked in the game. Secondly, in an attempt to counter the bane of every online gamer's life--diconnecting players--MP:H will feature a stat called "Connection Percentage" or "Chump points" that tracks how often you get disconnected. That gives other players a chance to choose not to play people that repeatedly disconnect before the game even begins. The interview states that you won't get any "Chump points" for losing your connection but we'll believe this when we see it. How the game will be able to tell between a wireless router blowing up and a player taking out the battery because they were losing, we just don't know. With Metroid Prime: Hunters due out on March 20th it's not long until we find out.[Thanks, Ben Striegel]
Nintendo Wi-Fi hits one million users
And they're all playing Mario Kart DS. Shortly after a dramatic website countdown hit six digits, Nintendo has officially announced that their Wi-Fi service has managed to ensnare over 1 million hapless users. According to Reggie Fils-Aime, all those users represent more than 27 million game sessions. That's certainly an impressive number, but we expect it to grow even further once Metroid Prime: Hunters finds its way into the hands of eager online gamers. The total number of hours that will be lost to Nintendo's Wi-Fi nexus in the next few months is nigh incalculable. Are you one of those 1,000,000 online players?[Via British Gaming Blog. Thanks JonathanEx!]
