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Japanese software sales: Self-improvement is key
Since it wouldn't be right to discuss the weekly Japanese hardware sales without also mentioning the accompanying software sales, we've decided to dredge up the numbers for the week ranging from 13 February to 19 February. Though DS games take up half of the chart, the top spot was claimed quite comfortably by Capcom's Monster Hunter 2. The ranking, according to number of units sold, is as follows: Monster Hunter 2 (PS2): 362,173 Brain Training 2 (DS): 64,856 English Training (DS): 52,481 Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS): 50,808 Bleach - Hanatareshi Yabou (PS2): 41,480 Brain Training (DS): 33,194 Monster Hunter Portable (PSP): 27,823 Mario Kart DS (DS): 15,832 Siren 2 (PS2): 12,911 World Soccer Winning Eleven 9: Bonus Pack (PS2): 12,087 It seems that when they're not busy hunting monsters, Japanese gamers are constantly seeking to improve themselves by training their brains and learning new languages. There's a lesson in that. Somewhere...[Thanks Khurrum for reminding us!]
New DS Lite model unveiled
Fresh on the heels of a partial launch delay comes word of a brand new version of the DS Lite. Accompanying the previously announced Enamel Navy, Crystal White and Ice Blue models but aiming for the financially constrained gamer, the Destitute Cardboard DS Lite is expected to retail for under $5. Speaking candidly about the announcement, Nintendo bigwig Satoru Iwata stated that it was a natural progression in innovation for the company and stuff."It's a natural progression in innovation for the company and stuff. Obviously, to keep the costs low we had to remove some of the system's more extravagant features like buttons and the ability to play games, but we feel that we made a choice that accurately reflects today's industry."When questioned on whether the Destitute Cardboard model would retain the DS' trademark touch screen, Mr. Iwata noted that "You can definitely touch the screen to your heart's content." That's certainly very reassuring and not sinister at all. Check out the link for more stunning images. [Via Joystiq]
DS Lite launch delayed...for some
If, like us, you were hoping to pick up either an Enamel Navy or Ice Blue DS Lite when the redesigned system launches in Japan this Thursday, you'd best be prepared to have your hopes stomped to bits beneath the steel boot of a manufacturing problem. Nintendo claims that there was an error in the production of those colors and that there won't be enough units ready that match up to their stringent quality expectations. Hence, Enamel Navy and Ice Blue have been delayed until March 11. You can find ineffectual consolation in the fact the Crystal White DS Lite is unaffected by this problem and will still be releasing this week. You may also find that reason enough to destroy your friend's DS Lite in a fit of jealous rage. (We recommend the latter.)
Japanese hardware sales: Short-lived shortages
The Japanese hardware sales chart for the week ranging from 13 February to 19 February has just arrived at our door, soaking wet and reeking of rotten fish. Despite this, we're still inviting it inside so that we may study its findings and share them with you, our dear readers. The ranking, according to number of units sold, is as follows: DS: 52,099 PSP: 27,430 PS2: 23,433 GBA SP: 5,553 GB Micro: 2,941 Gamecube: 1,814 Xbox 360: 1,314 GBA: 105 Xbox: 92 As you can see, the great DS shortages that were bothering the poor Japanese populace the last few weeks has been somewhat quelled. Nintendo's magical machine is back on top--but for how long? We expect the numbers to start dropping as of next week, what with the impending release of the smaller, brighter and lighter DS. Just how many people will be able to restrain themselves from purchasing the original model mere days before the launch of the new one?
DS homebrew gets organized
Proving that it can boost productivity as well as destroying it, the homebrew scene has churned out a DS organizer suite for us to download and arrange our overly complicated work schedules with. Cleverly entitled DSOrganize, the software boasts a calendar, an address book with vCard support, a day planner, multiple languages, a file browser and rudimentary handwriting recognition. The latter part is excellent news, what with my handwriting being so very rudimentary indeed.Now, presented with this homebrew creation, you may recall a rumor about Nintendo filing a patent for something called V-Pocket, supposedly stemming from them licensing the Palm operating system for the DS. However, unless we missed something, it doesn't look like anything ever came of that. Given its stylus-based interface and Wi-Fi capabilities, the DS seems like it could be an ideal (and cheap) alternative to other handheld organizers, with an added benefit of playing some stellar games. With web browsing taken care of, would you be interested in an official organizer package for the DS?[Thanks mandarin!]
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! Getting! English! Release!?
Is Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! finally getting the localization a game of its musically deranged caliber deserves? Siliconera points us to the delicious rumor that the rhythmic, cheerleading triumph of the human spirit may very well make it to Western shores. According to a Jeux-France article, a Nintendo UK official let it slip that Nintendo was considering releasing the game in Nintendogs-obsessed Europe. But why stop there? The Siliconera author also mentions another internet murmur, indicating that Atlus is looking to procure the game for US release. After experiencing their excellent localization of Trauma Center: Under the Knife, this almost sounded too good to be true. Sadly, after personally contacting and threatening an Atlus staff member, I discovered that it was. "As awesome as the game is, unfortunately Atlus won't be bringing it to you."Bummer. Still, there's a chance (however slight) that Nintendo themselves might deem the game worthy of a witty translation and unleash it upon the masses. If there's anything we've learned from Katamari Damacy, it's that "weird" third-party Japanese games have every chance of success in the US market. Well, that and how to roll up your neighbors into an ever-growing ball of random junk. It's hard to say which of those pieces of knowledge is more useful.[Via Siliconera, thanks Tomm!]
Japan gets more Simple games
If you've never heard of the Simple series of DS games, allow me to bring you up to speed: They're simple games. Well, that was easy. Now that we're on the same page, we can note that two new titles in the successful franchise are headed towards Japan. The first one to hit is Simple DS Series Vol. 7: The Illust Puzzle & Suuji Puzzle. Oddly enough, the game that follows is Vol. 5: The Trump.Though the IGN article provides no simple explanation as to why the volumes are being released in a strange order (it's possible that they just got the numbers wrong), it does mention some of the gameplay you can safely expect. The Illust & Suuji Puzzle is a variant of, you guessed it, Sudoku. There's just no escaping the onslaught of Sudoku, it seems. In fact, we may have to start calling it a "phenomenon", an unpleasant turn of events considering that we struggle on a daily basis to correctly spell big 'ole words like that. The Trump, on the other hand, capitalizes on a different kind of phoneme entirely--card games! It's set to feature 17 different kinds of card-based activities, which should be more than enough to addict those with a fondness for aces and spades. Best of all, both Simple games will incorporate multiplayer support for up to 4 players. Won't someone please pick these up and release them in the West? At the right prices, we're sure they'd turn out to be quite a pheromone.[Thanks, Daniel Warpool!]
Lite vs. Phat: Round One
After commanding their international correspondent to hit the town and feel up the DS Lite as much as possible, the 1up crew have cast their gauntlet in the battle between new and old, solid and sleek. It doesn't take the author very long to come to the conclusion that playing on the Lite emotes a feeling similar to playing on the GBA SP for the first time:"Why didn't Nintendo do this in the first place?"With a more vivid screen and a more responsive d-pad (ideal for snaking in Mario Kart DS, apparently), it seems the new system provides a lot more...and a lot less. The system is notably lighter and thinner, with the only drawbacks from this being slightly more angular L- and R-buttons. Needless to say, the overall impression of the DS Lite is a positive one. We'll be sure to let you know what we think of Nintendo's innovative redesign as soon as inhumanly possible. [Thanks Jamie!]
New Tenchu DS screenies
Though we haven't received as much information on this game as we blindly believe we're entitled to, the fact of the matter is that Tenchu: Dark Shadow (another one of those oh-so-clever titles) contains a healthy number of ninjas. This means that, aside from flipping out and killing people, you can expect to engage in all sorts of sneaky tactics whilst you eliminate your evil warlord foes. It's fair to say that the stealth genre hasn't been truly well represented on the DS yet, and so we're hoping that this game will quietly put things right.As for the actual screenshots posted on DS Advanced, we're thinking that this genre looks to benefit particularly well from the standard "bottom screen is a map" feature. The graphics look a bit rubbish, but if the controls, AI and sound can come together (as with the good titles in the series), it's unlikely to be a major issue for covert ninja fans. Check out the whole batch of screens after the link.[Thanks mandarin!]
Reggie interview: Redesign = Innovation?
In Engadget's most excellent interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's name gathering, posterior assaulting VP of Sales and Marketing, it was revealed that we shouldn't be completely caught by surprise should Nintendo decide to release yet another DS redesign. If you count the model originally unveiled at E3 2004, this future model would represent a 3rd redesign--not that it would stop us from buying it, apparently."Look at how many times we’ve improved on the Game Boy Advance in terms of the look, the feel, screen changes, and everything else. We believe that type of constant innovation is critical to driving this industry [my emphasis], and certainly if you look at the world wide sales of Game Boy Advance, I don’t think anyone would disagree."HOLD IT! Your Honor, there is clearly a contradiction in this story! (...At least I hope so! The whole controversial case is riding on this...) Are we to believe that the act of repackaging and updating the aesthetic qualities of a platform, however attractive, is now considered to be a form of innovation? In the past, the witness has attacked the competition on the same grounds, complaining that they were simply releasing shinier and better versions of previously popular products. The implication was that their approach was the wrong kind of "innovation"! I suggest the witness revise his testimony! (Uh oh, Edgeworth has his serious / constipated face on. I hope he realizes I'm only referring to the actual hardware, not the games!)Food for thought, or lousy leftovers? Be sure to follow the link for the entire interview.
Dismantle your DS in 13 minutes
Or rather: Don't. If you're not one for watching electronic devices being disturbingly dissected, you'd best not watch this video. It depicts an obviously excited man (you can practically feel the exclamation marks hurtling at you) calmly disassembling a standard silver DS into its various parts. Then, he disassembles those parts and, if there's anything left, disassembles that too (even the touch screen!). I found it rather frightening and squirmed in my seat for the full 13-minute operation. I'm now seriously considering using this knowledge in order to completely take apart Blake's DS as an amusing prank. Of course, given that the entire video is in Spanish, I'll no doubt completely fail to reassemble it... as a slightly less amusing prank.
Animal Crossing DS bundle hits next week
According to a listing on retailer EBGames.com, Nintendo is about to unleash a new Nintendo DS bundle--this time starring everyone's favorite anthropomorphic town simulator, Animal Crossing: Wild World. Of course, by new Nintendo DS bundle, we really mean old Nintendo DS bundle. We're afraid there's no Lite at the end of this $149.99 tunnel.[Via GAF]
Presenting the Tinker Toy Steady DS Cam
One of our readers thought it might be a classy idea to share his recent exploits in the world of DS filmmaking with us. "I was trying to make some screen captures of the Ds game "Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan! [sic], but the best way of doing so, would be to capture the whole thing on camera. The problem started when I needed to capture the video from above the DS. It had to be close enough so the camera could capture the video, I had to be able to see the DS and be able to play while taping."While this is hardly a dilemma for those of us with three or more hands, a solution had to be discovered or, in this case, intricately constructed. Grabbing some nearby tinker toys, he set to work on an incredible engineering marvel that would ultimately serve his video-capturing purposes. The end result is a rather colorful, but seemingly effective camera stand...thing. It even allows the camera a certain degree of movement, an absolutely vital feature when it comes to those majestic and sweeping overhead shots.You can view the final video (and ridiculous display of music-and-rhythm action) after you follow the link. [Thanks Forkchop!]
Even more DS conference pictures
There's a strange phenomenon associated with Nintendo press conferences. While the actual events are over within a matter of hours, the repercussions can be felt for days and days on end, with news, pictures and videos exploding from every one of the Internet's strange orifices. Not that we're complaining, mind you.Over at the official Japanese Nintendo website, they've posted a glut of photos from the the recently DS Lite press conference--14 pages to be exact. This includes informative graphs, game box art, potentially lewd suggestions, people marked for death in 7 days, screenshots from upcoming games (including Tetris DS, Calligraphy Training, Children of Mana, Xenosaga I-II, Tenchu: Dark Shadow, Tales of the Tempest, New Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy III, Dynasty Warriors DS, Mario Basket: 3 on 3) and of course, completely mesmerized Japanese women.[Thanks dwarpdesign!]
Mech Assaults DS, charges filed
Though we spotted this about a month ago, Majesco Entertainment has officially revealed some concrete information regarding a DS version of MechAssault, now subtitled Phantom War instead of Shadow War. Personally, we would have gone with Spook Hostility, but we understand that mech fans would prefer if Majesco took this seriously.Judging by their standard PR list of features, they are. Developed by Backbone Entertainment (they worked on the PSP's Death Jnr), the game allows you to commandeer over 20 types of vehicles, upgrade weapons, engage in four-player wireless combat and just generally obliterate anything you can aim your guns at. The only point of worry may come in with the use of the touch screen: "The touch screen lets players intuitively ‘touch’ the cockpit controls to hack into giant ‘Mechs, eject pilots, switch weapons and check battle techniques."That sounds a lot like "There's an in-game menu at the bottom screen," a design that may prove to be irksome in the heat of battle. We thought that aiming via the touch screen (just like in Metroid Prime: Hunters) would be far more intuitive and closer to the dual-analog control of the Xbox titles. Still, we'll wait and see what the exact control scheme is before we stomp on a game that, at the very least, promises giant robots for our puny portable.[Thanks mandarin!]
Nintendogs sales take flight in Europe
A central weakpoint in the people of Europe has now been exposed: They simply can't resist the charm of Nintendo's obscenely adorable polygonal puppies. Nintendogs has now sold 2 million copies over there, with no signs of slowing down. Nintendo attributes this massive success (which eclipses both Japan and North America) to the game's wide appeal that incorporates female gamers. Yes, they have those in Europe too.With the news out of the way, I should express my personal dislike for posting about Nintendogs. I got tired of the game quite a while ago, feeling that I didn't have enough time to properly take care of my puppy. Reminded of this by the news story, I quickly dismissed the urge to go play the game again. "Bah, I don't care about neglecting my dog. He's probably run away by now. I'm over that game." No sooner had I reached the end of the paragraph than I experienced the guilt, eating away at me like a termite infestation in a log cabin. "How could I be so cruel? I have to turn on my DS and check to see if little Gonzo is okay." Damn you, Nintendogs, for making me worry so about a cleverly disguised chunk of programming code!
Doraemon DS shows up in Sega promotion
Blue, time-traveling robotic cat manga news now, with Sega annoucing a raffle tied in with their upcoming game, Doraemon: Nobita no Kyouryuu 2006. If you purchase the game, you'll get a non-golden ticket which can be mailed off to Sega in the hopes of winning a limited edition Doraemon DS. There are 100 of these up for grabs, along with a bunch of DS stickers that accompany a pre-order of the game.Now, not living in Japan may quell your chances of winning somewhat, but we're sure you'll find some of these on Ebay once the DS Lite launches. We've personally run into (and away from) many a Doraemon fan who would likely commit several illegal atrocities in order to obtain this cute DS. [Thanks Siliconera]
DS Lite: Japanese news video
Footage from a Japanese TV news program detailing the DS Lite and its forthcoming web browser and TV tuner add-ons is now available online for your deeply personal watching pleasure. The clip contains plenty of DS Lite action shots, a brief demonstration of the Opera browser and above all, an unmatched level of politeness. Note: "Read" link points to an AVI video file.[Via Engadget]
More DS browser details
Infendo has some of the specifics regarding the recently announced Opera web browser for the DS. First of all, it will not support Java applets, Flash or PDF files, a bit of a bummer if you were particularly keen on watching animations or reading laborious technical documents on your DS.The pint-sized version of Opera will allow for two browsing modes, namely "fit to width" and "DS mode", a zoom function and bookmarking (don't count on RSS support). It'll also be able to recognize your handwriting, allowing you to transform written URLs into text and forego the kind of slow and clunky on-screen keyboard you may find on other portable systems. A final note points out that the browser will be fully compatible with both variants of the DS.The Opera DS browser has its Japanese debut sometime in June, with a US appearance sure to follow shortly.
Another Animal Crossing gift arrives
Being the die-hard romantics that we are, it's unclear how we managed to miss Nintendo's little Valentine's gift to the residents of Animal Crossing: Wild World. Upon connecting to the Wi-Fi network, you should receive a letter from "Your friendo, Nintendo" along with a "Lovely Loveseat" item for your home. How lovely--be sure to lovingly put it in a lovely spot so as to lovingly convey the loveliness of your lovely home (which is brimming with lovingly lovely love.) That was a bit too much. [Thanks JonathanEx!]
