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Evite your friends to the Wii Party
With the ultimate party accessory releasing soon, Nintendo knew that this would be the perfect time to encourage the party dynamic of the Wii. So, they came up with this whole Wii Party Evite thing. Personally, it's something we can get behind.And Nintendo's own Perrin Kaplan lets us know that Nintendo has been watching us all along (maybe from a tree ... with binoculars). See, they've been following the whole party trend of the Wii and feel it should be encouraged. Without a robust online catalog of games that allow players to connect and play with other gamers around the world, Nintendo wants you to get your friends and family over to your house to enjoy the console as a group. Sure, it means you have to shower, but you should probably be doing that anyway.
Joystiq reviews: Bomberman Live (XBLA)
How many years does it take to perfect a game? Bomberman has existed in some form since 1983. Is almost 25 years enough?Apparently it isn't. I had high expectations for Hudson to create the perfect version for Xbox Live Arcade, especially after the company recognized the mess of Act Zero. The 800-point ($10) Bomberman Live was supposed to be the series-defining version: 4-player local games, 8-players online, HD graphics, all of the favorite old power-ups, and the classic gameplay. Sign me up, I thought.To test this group-based game, I gathered six friends, two 360s, snacks, and plenty of beer. People complimented my chicken wings (thanks for the recipe, Mom), but few positive words were said about Bomberman. Where did this title go wrong?%Gallery-4716%
Reminder: WoW Insider meetup tonight!
If you're in Anaheim for BlizzCon this evening, don't forget: Our first official WoW Insider meetup is tonight at 8PM!We'll be meeting up at the Lost Bar at 1150 W. Magic Way in Anaheim, just minutes away from the Convention Center. We'll be having all kinds of good times, including a trivia contest, some fabulous door prizes, and most likely the imbibing of drinks all night long. All of the WoW Insider staff at BlizzCon will be there, so come by, say hi, and have a good time on the eve of Blizzard's big event! See you there!
Loot hoping, and loot whining
Cryptos posts on the forums about a subject very near and dear to my heart: loot whining. It is one of my great flaws that whenever I get close to a boss that I know drops something I really want, I can't help but share my excitement with my fellow party members, and sometimes (more often then not, unfortunately for them) my guild members. I'm sorry to say that I'm the guy he's talking about-- I'm the guy that is about to fight Murmur telling the guild, "man I sure hope my pretty dress drops." And it's a sign of how amazing my guild really is that they put up with me talking about it all the time.But then again, loot is basically why we play the game in the first place. Shouldn't I, and players like me, be able to share with our fellow players what loot we're going for, to let them in on the stuff we hope we get? Is it right for this GM to actually threaten to disenchant a piece of loot, just because someone says they want it?I definitely agree it can go over the top-- one of my pet peeves is people who join a PUG and try to "reserve" not-yet-dropped items, especially when there are others in the party who would obviously roll on it. And for my part, I've already noticed that I should keep my loot hopes to myself-- my guild doesn't really care about me getting every little upgrade I want. But good loot is the reason why many of us play this game, and so it's only expected that we should be excited at the prospect of getting it, and want to share that with fellow players.
Rumor: Mario Party DS may be online after all
Mario Party DS may have been one of the more exciting DS-related news items to come out of E3, except it was missing one very useful addition: Wi-Fi multiplayer. Wireless multi-card play was included, which is all well and fine, but a soft, sad sigh rippled through us as we realized we couldn't throw down over the internets, Mario Party-style.But wait! Not all hope is lost, it seems. An image has turned up from Nintendo's 2007 catalogue that includes a Wi-Fi logo on the Mario Party DS page. But just what that tiny Wi-Fi logo means, we don't know. It could be Mario Mail rather than anything actually useful. It could even be a misprint for all we know -- but it gives us a tiny shred of hope for the future.[Via GoNintendo]%Gallery-4736%
Nyko Wii Party Station -- it's official, the fun has begun
Yeah, you thought you were living the high life with that pair of rechargeable batteries and tennis racket attachments you ponied up for -- too bad you weren't even halfway to awesome. Nyko's new "Wii Party Station" is the only way to live, with room to charge four Wiimotes, hold and chill four adult beverages and room to house the all important chip and dip bowl and various Wiicessories. Best of all is the completely superfluous score board to make your smack talk so much more effective, and the hand cooling fan really seals the deal. For $25, if you don't have one of these 12 seconds after they hit store shelves, we can't be friends anymore.
Overheard@E3: Analysts like Rock Band
The Rock Band and Bethesda parties were crazy last night -- and everyone is ready to go back to work this morning. The analysts who look into their crystal ball and tell us the future seem to be liking Rock Band, the next game from Harmonix. This morning, outside the EA room at LeMerigot, a cluster of analysts were talking and one mentioned the game, "Rock Band, I was watching them play. This guy, on the drums, I mean, you have to be good."
Joystiq at Bethesda's E3 2007 party
Last night, Joystiq attended the Best Bethesda Softworks E3 Party Ever -- not much of a contest, considering this was also their first E3 party ever -- at the Saddle Ranch Chop House. When we first arrived, the shindig was pretty low key. By the time we left, the venue was packed. Yes, there was bull riding and no, we don't think hotness codes were enforced.%Gallery-4776%
Joystiq impressions: Bomberman Live! (XBLA)
I recently played Bomberman Live! at a Hudson media event, getting a sense for this title that goes back to the original Bomberman formula. This Xbox Live Arcade game is expected to launch later this month and will be available for 800 points ($10).How is it? It's Bomberman. Will you like it? It's Bomberman. Do you like Bomberman? It's Bomberman.%Gallery-4716%
Dance Dance Revolution: Biggest Heads
Konami has released some screens of their new Wii-style Dance Dance Revolution, entitled Dance Dance Revolution HOTTEST PARTY. And it mostly looks like a DDR game, with some small adjustments. Hottest Party (we're going to stop with the caps, if that's all right) includes the same Free Play and Diet Modes as other DDR games, but also includes simultaneous four-player mode for people with really big living rooms.The most noticeable adjustment is head size. That's funny, and a little weird, but totally cosmetic and won't get in the way of anyone's Dance Dance Revolving. What's a little more interesting than cranial embiggening is the Wiimote/Nunchuk usage. There seem to be special arrows that instruct players to point their hands in a certain direction, much like Samba de Amigo. Sometimes even the on-screen characters hold Wiimotes and Nunchuks.The dance pad has made it to the Wii pretty much unscathed, with no Wiimote-shaped cavities or anything. It's a basic dance pad in a Wii color scheme. It appears to be wired, probably USB. We didn't need more-- with the extra waggling, this game seems complicated enough!
Wii Warm Up: Mario Party Hard
Call us old-school, but it just doesn't seem like Mario Party without damage to controllers or players. Our college dorm was a mausoleum of N64 controllers, their lifeless joysticks rattling limply around in the casing, dooming us to a fate of smaller Smash Bros. matches. However, with the substitution of waggle for rotation, those days of joystick fatigue and court-mandated free thumb gloves may be over. Being dedicated Wii players, have you managed to find a way to hurt yourself or your Wiimote playing Mario Party 8? Has the combination of Mario Party and projectile Wiimotes caused a deadly nexus of TV destruction and personal injury? Or is your thumb happy now that you've found a new way to Party?[Thanks for the topic suggestion, Zack!]
Midway reveals Game Party, doesn't get Wii gamers
If it's one thing Wii owners want, it's another minigame compilation title, amirite? No, in fact, I am wrong. Dead wrong. Because, like us, we're pretty sure you don't want any more minigame compilations. The game is to feature "a collection of classic skill games from around the world," including a half-dozen different minigames. These activities are to be comprised of darts, trivia and ... beer pong (looks like it, based on the image above)? Midway will be releasing Game Party come this November.
Midway announces Game Party, cashes in on Wii minigames
Midway just announced Game Party for the Wii, "a collection of classic skill games from around the world," like darts, table hockey, hoop shot (basketball?), and trivia. They go on to gloat that "more than a half dozen games are available." Whoa! Those half-dozen plus, which also seem to include Skee-ball and a variant of beer pong judging by the above image, hardly make a dent in the Wii's now towering pile of minigames, but every little bit helps we suppose. Unsurprisingly, Game Party will be available in November, just in time for ... well, y'know.
Final Fantasy party tonight in San Francisco
This evening Square Enix is having a little Final Fantasy 20th anniversary bash at the PlayStation store in San Francisco. Early attendees will receive T-shirts and be able to purchase FFI on PSP. They'll also be able to play FFII which releases July 24. The event starts at 6PM.Final Fantasy I is only the first in a bunch of Square Enix games and franchises waltzing to the PSP. Star Ocean, FF: Tactics and a little bit of Sephiroth will also be coming to the system in the near future. If you don't feel like picking up a PSP and paying $30, we're pretty sure you can pick up Final Fantasy I - II: Dawn of Souls for Game Boy Advance in a bargain bin close by. Hey, we never say no to a party though. Open bar and Chocobo burgers anyone?[Via PlayStation Blog]
Video: Inside Delicious Generation
Here's a distillation of demos seen at Delicious Generation. This time we're trying something a little different and using Viddler, a service that will reportedly allow you to interactively bash the quality of the video as it plays (no need to mention the interlacing, we see it). Oh, you can leave constructive, useful comments inline as well. So if you're a developer and you'd like to explain what we're seeing, that's good, because the mic at the party wasn't really getting audio past the crowd noise.
A bird's-eye view of the Apple Bash in SF
Click To Play Right now I can hear the band (I'm musically ignorant, so if you know who these kids are, leave it in the comments) playing, so thought I'd share what I can see from the hotel room. Just a taste of what the real attendees are enjoying at 8pm PST...(sorry about the angles, lighting, sound, production values, set decoration and editing-- this is just for fun!)
TUAW at House of Shields tonight
The party starts tonight at 8pm at House of Shields! Apparently we're just a couple of blocks away from the Webkit party (bet they will certainly get a turnout now, huh?) and Buzz Andersen's 4th annual WWDC bash. So let's just take over this part of the city, shall we?House of Shields is at 39 New Montgomery Street. We'll begin the party around 8pm, and start handing out prizes a couple of hours later. Prizes? You mean beyond just t-shirts? As in, possible collectibles? Why yes, thanks for asking. Everyone loves a mystery prize.
Join the Final Fantasy 20th anniversary party
Get your cosplay gear ready, folks. A Final Fantasy party is heading to the PlayStation Store at the Metreon in San Francisco. The date? Tuesday, June 26th. The time? 6PM. According to the press release, "the event will commemorate 20 years of devotion, dedication and passion from the greatest fans in the gaming industry."Attendees of the party will be able to purchase the newly remade PSP version of Final Fantasy, in addition to get a hands-on experience with the upcoming Final Fantasy II. The first one hundred fans to arrive will receive items exclusive to the event. Considering how rabidly devoted Final Fantasy fans are, we recommend you get there early.If any PSP Fanboy readers are planning on attending, let us know: we'd love to see pictures from the event!%Gallery-3237%
Stream iTunes to your Wii
As the console is generally hooked up to a far larger sound system than the computer, it generally behooves the player to make use of a system as a music- or movie-playing device. We admit, the 360's streaming capabilities put it in a class of its own, but the Wii's easy-to-use internet browser has landed it at the center of many a drunk YouTube gathering. We'd previously reported on the success of Last.fm on the Wii, but now you can get your own music collection playing through your five point one, via iTunes.The process is a bit lengthy, but it's very step-by-step. Would any readers like to test this out for us? It's kinda early, and there are gentle hobos living in the attic; we don't want to wake them, you see.[via GoNintendo]
WWDC Party: The Delicious Generation
Those crazy kids behind MacHeist and My Dream App are at it again, this time bringing you a night of drinks, demos, and developers. The Delicious Generation party will feature live demos of upcoming software from prominent Mac developers including Austin Sarner of AppZapper and the Pixelmator team. Mac Media and Developers get in for free, and a select few of us unwashed masses will be admitted to mingle amongst the Mac digerati. For those who don't make it in, there will be a live screencast of the demos, as well as archives of the video for those of you who have more important things to do on the night of the 13th.Scott and Victor will be there representing TUAW, and maybe even giving away some schwag. Party on![via Phill Ryu]
