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Mario Kart Wii snakes into stores April 27
Nintendo has announced that its frantic shell-flinging racer, Mario Kart Wii, will see its long-awaited US release on April 27th. The game will include the "intuitive" Wii Wheel, otherwise described as a large hunk of plastic capable of housing your Wii remote. We envision it being less useful for the actual game and better suited to the imaginary car we'll be driving everywhere, complete with lip-powered puttering and unexpected honking to annoy the coworkers at the office.Once you stick Mario Kart Wii into your console, you'll be able to compete with up to 11 other drivers online across 32 courses (half of them recycled from previous games). You can also expect to encounter Mii integration, 10 battle arenas, alternate controller support and a festering hatred for blue shells.
Hudson to bring Tetris to Wii Ware this summer
Following this morning's revealed pricing plans and launch date for Wii Ware in Japan, Hudson Soft unveiled a familiar puzzler for the video game download service -- Tetris. This marks the publisher's fourth announced Wii Ware title, the other three being Star Soldier R, Bomberman, and Joysound (karaoke). Thumbs up to Hudson for an excellent Wii Ware lineup!As with Dr. Mario & Bacillus Extermination, this edition of Tetris will include Mii support and a cooperative mode. While that sounds great, what's up with the blasé Mii expressions in these screenshots? Has years of playing Tetris on their handhelds/phones/graphing calculators dulled them to the game? Perhaps the six-player online matches will win them over? Hudson hasn't announced a specific price or date for Tetris yet, but you can expect to see the game hit the Wii Shopping Channel this summer. %Gallery-18122%
Friday Video: This dog has a hunger for Miis
When house pets attack (video games) must be the theme for the FFV this week, as DSF is featuring a frisky feline and we here at Wii Fanboy present a dog with a dislike for all things Mii. As you can see above, its mouth claps open and shut as it tries to consume the virtual representation of a real human being. We just fear that once the dog puts two and two together, it'll realize that attacking Miis in the real world is much more satisfying. Also, real life Miis probably taste better.
Mario Kart megaton: Mii integration, online menu navigation, and tracks exposed
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/nintendo/Mario_Kart_megaton_Online_Miis_and_tracks_exposed'; Hot on the heels of yesterday's news (and today's, for that matter) on everyone's favorite upcoming racer, Mario kart Wii, comes fresh screens depicting a variety of the game's selling points. We get to see Mii integration (above), as well as a taste for some of the tracks making their way into the game, new and old alike. Not only that, but we get some screens for navigating the online arena and setting up a race.For all of the eye candy, check out our gallery below. %Gallery-4772%
Mario Kart screens reveal playable Koopa Troopa, stunt track
The folks at Nintencast have posted a clutch of new Mario Kart Wii screens, and even taken the time to extract fresh factoids about the game from said shots. While one or two of their findings are less than earth-shattering ("Luigi's circuit is still a simple track"), the odd nugget will prove interesting to those following the game's progress.For instance, we now know that Koopa Troopa will be making only his third appearance in a Mario Kart game (having previously appeared in Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), that race spectators will comprise entirely of Miis, and that the game will feature a kind of "half-pipe" track, presumably to encourage players to pull off stunts, a new addition to the series. We're still not totally convinced by the sight of Donkey Kong performing a handstand while riding a motorbike, but Nintendo doesn't often drop the ball on this series, so we'll remain quietly confident for now.Admittedly, a handful of these screens did already appear in the Famitsu scans we posted a couple of weeks back, but the majority are new to us. Accelerate past the break for more, or race over the "Read" link at the bottom of this post to access the full set.%Gallery-4772%
Mii support, bike wheelies, and an April date for Mario Kart Wii
Three pages packed with Mario Kart Wii info and screenshots charged out of Famitsu this week, rounding the corner into someone's scanner and speeding right to your computer screen. In addition to revealing an April 10th release date for Japan, the magazine shows our mascots pulling off aerial tricks and racing against Miis! Will these personalized characters be a new standard for multiplayer games on the Wii? If it's easy to implement, why not?Mario Kart Wii will also have GameCube controller support, multiplayer for up to twelve people online, online leagues, global rankings, time attack sharing/rankings, ghost uploads/downloads, and 32 different courses -- 16 of which are new, the remaining 16 being classic tracks. We're sure we spotted Delfino Square in at least one of the screens! You can have a look at the scanned pages yourself after the post break. The first one of you to identify the figure drifting past Luigi on the top left of the first page wins a cookie.*%Gallery-4772%*A cookie made of lies.
Winning Eleven's Mii support video turns heads
Very big heads, that is. The folks behind the Official Nintendo Magazine posted a video showing off Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008's RTS-esque plays and what the pitch will look like when you replace your team of normal-sized-head players with a squad of Miis, goofy expressions and all. It's worth watching the five-minute clip for both of those details!The game looks as goofy as NBA Jam's Big Head code, except with soccer! Also, PES 2008 matches will feature full commentary by Jon Champion and Mark Lawrenson, and not some guy yelling out a bunch of foolishness like "Razzle dazzle!" and "Boomshakalaka!" If that sounds like a minus to you, you always have the option of shouting those lines out yourself; that's what we do whenever we're at the dinner table. Kick the read link below for the video. %Gallery-14410%
Check out your channel updates
If your Wii was -- or still is -- all aglow with the soft blue light of hope, it's probably because the Check Mii Out channel has been spifferized and updates are available for download. It's nothing huge, alas; this update is designed to streamline the channel for a better user experience (and a safer one for parents), but if you're a fan of the Mii contests, it's like a little ray of sunshine just for you.So what's changed? It's now easier to find Miis you've put up in the Posting Plaza. When viewing a particular Mii Artisan's profile, there is now an option to show all Miis posted by that Artisan. If you leave in the middle of judging a contest, upon your return, the Miis you selected previously will be retained. Parental Controls are now fully supported in the channel. Users may choose to block the exchange of "user-generated content" from t he main system settings, and when this function is engaged, the Parental Controls PIN will be required to access the channel. You can now view 500 popular Miis at a time in the Posting Plaza instead of only 50. When searching for a particular Mii, the number entered is not lost if no results are returned, which makes it easier to re-enter or correct mistakes prior to a second search. If this all sounds great, go forth and get your download from the Wii Ware section of the shop channel![Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Miis: cute crime-fighters for a new age
And here you thought Miis were just cute little creations whose usefulness was limited to pounding tennis balls and milling about your Mii Plaza. It turns out, however, that the little avatars are also pretty useful -- they may help UK police find the owners of a stolen Wii. The console was found in a "distinctive burgundy bag" and has sixteen Miis that police hope will lead to the rightful owners. They've released the names of some of the Miis, some of which are as distinctive as the bag, apparently (Seb, Pheebes, Nicks, Ellie and Evie), as well as the Wii ID. If you're missing 7901 7431 3732 8898, or it's on your friend list, join with the Miis and help find the owner.[Via Game|Life]
Wii Warm Up: The parade
Yesterday we talked about some particularly dirty Miis, and it got us thinking about all the time that's passed since we discussed Miis. Specifically, your Miis. We used to do an entire Mii spotlight (and may again someday!), but for now, we'd love to hear about some of your favorite Miis. Who've you made? How creative have you been? Do the non-Wii owners in your life enjoy making Miis? We've found it's always hard to get someone to sit down and create a Mii, but once they do, they enjoy the process.
Fresh Winning Eleven info emerges from the tunnel
As we have previously discussed, the Wii version of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be a very different game from the version that appeared on other consoles (and we're not just referring to the Wii-specific logo above). Is that a good or bad thing? We'll know soon enough, because Konami has announced that the game will be out in March.Scouring today's press release, we also learned about a random bunch of other features that are exclusive to the Wii edition. These include the ability to fashion a squad of 16 pre-defined Miis, a "Champions Road" mode that sees you building a team from the opponents you defeat (similar to the "Gacha-get" mode in the DS version), and the way in which sliding tackles can be executed and 'keepers brought out with a shake of the Nunchuk.Oh, and it will have full online play, but if the online support is anything like other versions of the game, expect it to be absolutely lagtastic.[Via press release]
Not safe for people who don't think Miis should have these things on their faces
With the help of his sophomoric brothers, Jesus of Razareth has created some of the dirtiest Miis we've ever come across. There are 19 in total, each one depicting a range of lewd activities and enlarged genitalia.We can't even name some of the pornographic scenes here without forever corrupting the chaste ears of our younger readers. Instead, we'll describe the acts by listing their initials: TB, CG, TF, XQ, and GS. Our eyes went wide when we first saw them, too! If you're alright with loading NSFW images onto your screen, or if you just want to see a Mii showing someone SHJ in SA, then hit the "Read" link below.One Mii's face actually paints a picture of two Miis relieving themselves on another Mii's face, Calvin-style. Why would they want to do that? And why doesn't she jump out of the way? Maybe her face is on fire, and they're only trying to help her put it out? Or perhaps this is a woman who has made a series of bad decisions in her life, this being the latest.
A message for your sweetheart: Eat Mii!
Stumped when it comes to that super-special, unique Valentine's Day gift? Give your sweetheart tiny chocolate people! It's sweet, it's geeky and cute, and you can make Soylent Green jokes and get away with 'em. Paul Pape Designs is offering up little chocolate Miis for Valentine's Day. Each couple (available in milk or white chocolate, and any mix of genders) comes tucked in a little box that looks like a Wii and have little cinnamon hearts bursting from their chests. [Via Addicted Geek; thanks, Simon!]
Check Mii Out -- I've got a panda for a face!
Siliconera posted a video of some popular Japanese Miis, taken from that region's Check Mii Out Channel. Of course it's interesting to see a Japanese take on the ubiquitous Michael Jackson Mii, and we are probably going to go make our own Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Mii now, but we were taken by this Mii, called P.D. His hobby is eating. We are humbled and embarrassed now that none of our Miis have face-panda.We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the exceptional Doraemon, Snoopy, and Diddy Kong Miis as artistic achievements in the field of Mii, but we know who the new star of the Check Mii Out Channel is. It's that Mii's face.
Miis Love Golf (and triple bogeys, too)
Mii integration in games is something we've not seen enough of, particularly in third-party titles. Camelot's forthcoming We Love Golf is looking to change that, however, with publisher Capcom confirming the title will fully support the blobby little people, allowing us to ruin a perfectly good walk play eighteen holes as a rounded, chubbier version of ourselves.It also means we'll be treated to the bizarre sight of permanently grinning Miis looking thoroughly chuffed about that triple bogey putt they just sank. Odd.Anyhow, there's a dozen new screens in the gallery below.%Gallery-10822%
Cheating wife caught out ... by her lover's Mii
Here's one you probably won't find on My Wii Story. A young soldier goes to war in Iraq, taking his DS and (eventually) Wii with him. While he's away, playing Wii Sports with his army buddies, his wife begins to conduct an affair with a ten-pin bowling champion. A little over a year later, the soldier returns to wagging tongues, tips from friends about his wife's indiscretions, and e-mails that reveal plans for his wife and her lover to run away together.Heartbroken, he turns on his Wii to reminisce about the friends he made in Iraq, and comes face to face with the final piece of incriminating evidence: the Mii of his wife's lover, and a list of the times and dates the pair played Wii Bowling together, forever secreted in his Wii's Calendar mode.This, if you were wondering, is the rather poignant tale of "Tony," who courageously sent his story to Go Nintendo. You can read his email in full at the link below.
Cold chillin to 'Check Mii Out' music
While many disregard the Check Mii Out Channel for providing little more than a few minutes of entertainment, the promise of new channel tunes kept us excited about its release. We watched anxiously last ngiht as the software downloaded and Mario ran to collect our coins, babbling to ourselves, "Oh boy oh boy oh boy."We've been fans of the Wii's different system music for some time now, so we were pleased to see that someone has already ripped the new channel's tracks and posted them as downloadable MP3s. You can grab them yourself by clicking the "Read" link below. We're quite fond of the new "Mii Parade" song; it's just so .... funky.See also: Wii Music (Remix) ft. ROBOTOBOTS[Via Galbadia Hotel]
Check Mii Out (sorta) borks Mii sharing
Users who've downloaded Miis from the Check Mii Out Channel will likely run into the same bug detailed in the video embedded above -- any attempts to send a Mii out to one of your friends will be stymied by the system's insistence in listing Nintendo as the receiver. We're pretty sure that Nintendo doesn't want all those Star Wars-themed Miis you've accumulated!We tried this out ourselves, and we found that while Nintendo is listed as the recipient, your friend should still receive your Mii package. Also, exiting and reentering the Mii Channel fixes the glitch, blocking Nintendo out of the transfer. Looks like there's no need to draft any angry letters or petitions about how Nintendo is taking away your God-given right to harass your friends with Greedo Miis! Expect Nintendo to fix this minor bug up with a future firmware update. [Via Go Nintendo]
Check out Wii's "Check Mii Out" Channel
We checked out the rumors back in March and checked out the official announcement back at E3, but tonight we finally get a chance to check out the Check Mii Out channel for ourselves.Upon the first load, the channel asks you to pick a Mii to serve as your "artisan," as sort of signature for any Miis you might choose to share. After that you can choose between two main sections. In the Posting Plaza, you can check out a random assortment of Miis from your region or around the world, and also the most popular Miis as picked by other users. Any Mii you like can be given the "I like it" seal of approval, or be copied and imported directly to your Mii channel. You can also post your created Miis in this section for evaluation. In the Contests area, you can upload Miis based on certain assigned themes -- the first contest asks for your best "Mario without his cap." Once the contest is done in six days, you'll be able to pick out your favorite entries and view the results.It's easier to understand if you see it rather than just reading about it, so check out a quick video after the break.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Check Mii Out now lighting up Wiis
var digg_url='http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Check_Mii_Out_Channel_now_live_PICS'; It's Sunday, and as promised, the Check Mii Out Channel is now available for download on Wiis everywhere. It's pretty straightforward from first glance: you choose a Mii to represent your Wii, and it will be labeled your "Mii Artisan." It looks like you can only choose one Mii Artisan per console, so families who do a lot of Mii creation might have to fight it out (may we recommend a steel cage match?). Once you've designated the Mii who is in charge, you can get rolling with the real meat of the channel.There's the regular submission process, in which you can select any of your Miis for upload and critique. You assign them initials, as well as a "specialty," which can include anything from cooking to comedy, or our personal favorite, writing. They join a parade (viewing options include regional and worldwide) of other Miis. When viewing Miis already submitted, you can choose to see them in motion, with a variety of silly poses (some of which we've captured for you after the break), or you can scroll through columns of static Miis.