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New Family Ski scan hits the slopes
As well as containing tons of screens we've not yet seen, the latest Famitsu scan featuring Namco Bandai's Family Ski shows off the title's unique use of Wii peripherals. If you've not yet heard, the game will use the Balance Board, while your Wiimote and Nunchuk double up as ski poles. It's the first title to use all three at once, and although we've yet to see a video of this peripheral fest in action, it promises to be a lot of fun.Perhaps the game will eventually cover all bases, by including a specially devised mini-game that lets a second player shoot bad dudes with the Wii Zapper as player one speeds down the slopes. Or perhaps ideas like that are why we don't design games for a living.Go past the break for a full-size version of the scan above.
RUSH HD delivering HD documentary on downhill skiing
Nah, RUSH HD's forthcoming documentary won't be the first high-definition program dedicated to taking a look at downhill skiing, but what better way to get you all jazzed up about the onset of winter than a fresh look at "the original extreme sport?" Okay, so maybe the Yule Log in HD takes the cake, but we're still slotting this in for second. Scheduled to air this Saturday night at 10:30PM EST (7:30PM PT; 9:30PM C), The Thin Line: Life on the Edge takes a look at what has fueled the sport over the years and includes interviews with some of its most notable figureheads. Additionally, there looks to be quite a few nasty spills crammed into the 90-minute feature, and if you're desperate for a taste a few days early, click on through for a look at the trailer.[Thanks, Erik M.]
Namco Bandai reads minds: Family Ski to use Balance Board
To us, it was a no-brainer: Namco Bandai's Family Ski and Nintendo's Wii Fit Balance Board were always supposed to be together. We're no skiing experts, but the sport seems to involve its fair share of leaning, making the game and Nintendo's wobbly slab the perfect match.The Famitsu scan above suggests that Namco Bandai now feels the same way, despite initially announcing that the game would only use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Unless our memories have failed us, this would make Family Ski the first third-party title to support Nintendo's new peripheral.Presumably, this means we'll be using the Balance Board as well as the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, which sounds damn involving, if nothing else. Indeed, short of the game shipping with a free wind tunnel, snow machine, and a garish all-in-one jumpsuit, we doubt much more could be done in terms of player immersion.[Via GoNintendo]
Families ski in Family Ski
New screenshots of Namco Bandai's seemingly-redundant Family Ski reveal a seemingly-redundant character editor. You can edit your in-game avatar's appearance to look like you! In a Wii game! How novel!The "problem" with the character editors in games like this one, MySims and even the Simple Wii games is that everyone else's take on DIY character design is actually cuter than Nintendo's. We wouldn't mind swapping out our Miis for these little guys. Of course, you have to earn skiwear and accessories in the game to outfit them, but we hardly care what our avatar's parka looks like.For those of you with a keen interest in the snowy sport, you can have a look at some of the 10 courses offered in the game. They're all snow-covered paths, but, like, the sky is different colors.
Satski GPS system charts adventures on the slopes
Just in case your iPod-equipped helmet, head-mounted camera and Bluetooth-enabled parka weren't enough to distract you from actually paying attention to your fear when looking down the mile-long slope ahead, how's about fiddling with the Satski rather than focusing on that pizza wedge? This handhald unit gives skiers, snowboarders and everyone else out there trying to make it down in one piece the ability to record position, altitude, speed and distance while on the mountain. Additionally, you'll find options that enable you to avoid black runs, plot a course, listen to MP3s and play a few games while riding the lift. Heck, there's even links to emergency contacts in case that halfpipe trip goes terribly wrong, and the built-in software lets users export data to Google Earth for future bragging purposes. Reportedly, this intriguing device will be priced at an almost unfathomable £1,500 ($3,087), but those strapped for cash can supposedly rent it for around £28 ($58) per day at participating resorts. Of course, it remains to be seen how well the touch panel responds to those ginormous gloves we all love to wear.UPDATE: Seems that US-based snow bunnies can get this same type of functionality on their current Garmin / Magellan GPS -- and for a lot less cash, too.[Via ShinyShiny]
How to Family Ski
The first reaction we had to Family Ski was surprise that it didn't use the Wii Balance Board. Skiing, which relies so heavily on leaning (we think) seems like a natural fit for the wobbly step, and Nintendo agrees. But these screens, coupled with diagrams of the game's ski-pole-simulating control system, make us think otherwise. Using the Wiimote and Nunchuk as ski poles is a pretty great idea, and the motions look fairly representative.For example, to crouch, you rotate the Wiimote and Nunchuk away from each other, as if you're rotating your hands to hold the poles up so you can assume a lower stance. And to turn, you move the controllers to one side, keeping them parallel.It's clear that with the simple, representative motions (and the cute chibi characters), Family Ski is aiming to be the Wii Sports of falling down a mountain. Whether it achieves this goal is a matter of how Wii Fit's skiing works, and how well these controls work, as well as loads of marketing. At least Featureless Wiimote Diagram Guy is doing his part!
Namco Bandai bringing skiing to Wii
Snowboarding games have been pretty easy to find over the last decade or so, but skiing titles? They're a rarer bird. Indeed, when Horace Goes Skiing is still this writer's fondest recollection of the genre, you sense that there's a gap waiting to be filled.Enter Namco Bandai, which has just announced Family Ski for the Wii. Due for release in Japan during Winter 2007/2008 and able to support up to four players, this cartoony take on the sport is being worked on by the folks behind Ridge Racer.And yes, we know what you're thinking -- this would be perfect on the Wii Balance Board, right? Sadly, Namco Bandai would beg to differ; instead, the Wiimote and nunchuk become your ski poles as you hurtle down the white powdery stuff. Some Mii integration would certainly sweeten the pot, though.Hit the break for a Famitsu scan.
Today's sweatiest video: Wii Fit
With all the fun of balancing combined with the appeal of yoga in front of a TV, Wii Fit isn't aiming for a gamer demographic. But gamers may still have fun getting physical later this year. GameTrailers shows some of the more playful elements: rolling balls into holes, ski jumping, and hula-hooping.Brain Age meets body? Or is Nintendo working its way up to a seven intelligences title? See the latest from Wii Fit after the break.
Portable splint instantly hardens around broken limbs
If you always thought the inkjet approach to healing broken bones was too much of a stretch, you'll probably be interested in the plastic portable splint. Designed by Ching-Sui Kao, Geremi Durand, and Maxime Ducloux, the device is intended to be used by extreme sports participants (guess that includes Wii Sports?) that typically set records in either completion times or amount of damage done to their bodies, and can set your newly-broken limb into place right on the side of the mountain. By wrapping the limb with a set of flexible plastic strips, linking them up with Velcro, and finally applying a sodium citrate-based gel over top, a chemical reaction creates a rigid structure that forms a cast around the arm or leg. Of course, doctors can remove the material at the hospital and apply a more medically-approved rendition, but if you're looking for an easy way to excuse yourself from class or work without actually forging a doctor's note, here's your ticket.
Camelbak teams with Skullcandy on speaker-packed Hellion hydration pack
Joining the growing array of wintry kit suited to help your day at the slopes be a bit more like you never left your AV center, the Camelbak Hellion SC delivers a hydration pack, gear compartments, and few electronics to boot. The brand best know for its wide variety of liquid-toting backpacks has teamed up with Skullcandy on its latest offering, and while the whole color / design scheme is a bit too flamboyant for our tastes, the spec list isn't half bad. Aside from all the random pockets for your keys, gloves, Cheetos, and deodorant, you'll find a 100-ounce sack to keep your Kool-Aid chilled as well as a battery-powered LINK system that pipes audio from any 3.5-millieter audio out jack into the integrated speakers. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be any Bluetooth connectivity or a way to dictate anything other than volume from the strap-mounted "soft touch panel," but boarders that don't already have DAP access on their helmet, coat, or beanie can snap this up right now for just under $250.[Via Talk2MyShirt]
Reusch's Solaris ski gloves pack internal warmers
While you've got your H-Bomb to keep you nice and toasty while surfing through chilly waters, and the Airvantage vest to keep your chest warm while braving the bitter cold, even the most hardcore skiers will probably admit that their fingertips go numb just a few hours after they hit the slopes. Reusch's latest pair of high-end ski gloves looks to solve the chilly finger dilemma (sans USB power), as the new Solaris gloves pack iThermX heating technology, which was developed by Interactive Wear AG. Beneath the supple exterior is an electronics unit with a 16-bit microcontroller that "manages the intelligent power and temperature control and executes application-specific programmable heating algorithms," effectively turning up the heat whenever a user-selected temperature is reached. The heat is powered by two flat, lightweight Li-ion batteries, which can purportedly provide a hand-based oven for "around five hours" before needing to hit up the lodge for a quick recharge. There's even an onboard selector / LED indicator to switch from constant heat to "temperature-defined heating," and while we've no idea just how pricey these gloves will end up being, we're fairly sure any skier who has dealt with freezing fingers will do nearly anything to own them.
iGlove Multi iPod gloves
We've mentioned the Tavo iPod gloves before, but if you want something a little bulkier - and warmer, from the looks of them, check out the iGlove Multi from Marmot. The iGlove Multi (we're really not sure what the "multi" is supposed to mean) is a pair of fleece gloves that are "Click Wheel compatible." They claim to be warm enough to wear by themselves, but thin enough to wear as a liner under your even warmer gloves.So what the heck makes them "Click Wheel compatible?" Glad you asked. The iGlove Multi uses the patent pending Playpoint™ technology on the thumb and forefinger tips, which apparently makes for better Click Wheel contact than your wool mittens. The rest of the glove features silicon printing for enhanced grip and durability.I like the concept of an iPod-friendly glove, in general, but I'd rather see a glove with a warm, snuggly, waterproof iPod pocket built-in and those fancy fabric iPod controls on top. Now that would be a sweet way to hit the slopes.[via Uncrate]
Shred Ready offers up waterproof, helmet-ready Freestyle Audio DAP
We know the winter's coming soon, and if you haven't hit the slopes just yet, we know you're itching to climb back in that ski lift as soon as possible. Shred Ready is making sure those "first day back" errors won't cost you an MP3 player, as its Freestyle Audio DMP is not only small enough to fit in any of the 238 (or so) available pockets your ski coat presumably has, but it's completely waterproof as well. Designed to handle the harsh, unforgiving nature of the mountain, the DAP promises "skip-free" playback from the built-in 512MB of storage, and even if you pull an all-nighter on the black diamond trial, the reported "40 hours" of battery life should keep things jamming 'til the break of dawn. It also comes bundled with the SR Can-Can Earflaps to conveniently attach to your helmet and keep the cabling under control. Unfortunately, the $199.95 price does not include a helmet of your own, but there's certainly no shortage of MP3-ready headgear if this one looks a little steep (ahem) to you.[Via Red Ferret]
Belkin SportCommand for iPod
If you're hitting the slopes with your iPod this winter and you can't afford one of those swanky Burton iPod jackets, you might consider Belkin's new SportCommand - a wireless, weather-resistant, neoprene, armband remote. As you've come to expect from an iPod remote, this one will allow you to play, pause, skip tracks and a control the volume, and it has big enough buttons that even your gloved hands should be able to manage it. It'll set you back $79 USD and should be shipping in North America this November, with subsequent releases in Asia, Australia and Europe, so those of you heading to Zermatt for the holidays should be all set.
