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Nintendo: Connecting people
It's time for Nintendo to break out the old Combi vans and pile some consoles into the back, because the team is hitting the road for Australia's Nintendo Connection Tour 2008. The annual event features thousands of young and not-so-young fans gathering together at Westfield shopping centers around the nation to celebrate the latest and greatest in Nintendo gaming.Well, the Aussies won't exactly be enjoying the latest, but it may well be the greatest. At long last the ever-patient crowd will try their hand at kicking each other's butts ... at Super Smash Bros. Brawl. A tournament will separate the true winners from the let's-laugh losers, but even the combat-challenged can hit the track for some Mario Kart, and shred wth Guitar Hero: On Tour. Detailed dates and locations can be found after the jump.This blogger can even remember playing Nintendo 64 games in the back of some guy's van years ago when GoldenEye was all the rage. Wait, was that the official tour? There's a distinct memory with lots of candy ...
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/19-5/25
No new Wii games debuted last week; at least, none that ended up in the top thirty. There was one teensy weensy title that was introduced into the Japanese market, though. You may have heard of it: Guitar Hero III.To put it bluntly, sales for the game were low. In fact, it didn't even make the top fifty in Media Create's charts, and Famitsu reports that the title only sold 1,300 copies. Compared to sales in other regions (like North America and Europe, for example), where Guitar Hero III performed fiercely, you can see that tastes often differ between western and eastern gamers.Other than that, there's not to much to report about the software charts. Battalion Wars 2 managed to hang in the top ten, while Mario Kart Wii slipped into third place. Meanwhile, Smash Bros. Brawl might be in danger of falling out of the top thirty soon.In hardware, the gap between the Wii and the PSP lessened as sales for Nintendo's console rose, while sales for Sony's handheld fell. Still, the PSP had a lead of about 15,000 units last week, keeping the Wii locked in its second place spot:The software numbers are located after the break, so go on and take a look.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Classic DK
This week we're featuring another classically themed stage, as the thought of creating retro levels on Brawl seems to fuel stage submissions. This one in particular is an interpretation of the original Donkey Kong arcade game, in which Mario made his first appearance as Jumpman.Unfortunately, Donkey Kong won't be throwing barrels at you and there are no princesses that need saving. However, if you want a fun brawl on a nostalgia-inducing stage, check out "Classic DK" by blu_j.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/12-5/18
The new kid on the Japanese Wii software block last week was Battalion Wars 2, which faired well enough in its debut to hit the top ten. Will it stay there? Our guess is no, sadly. Still, it's nice to see the game get some recognition in Japan.Once again, the only non-Nintendo title for the Wii that made the top thirty was Deca Sports, which dropped thirteen spots from the week before. Ouch. We're not sure what made Japan fall so out of love with Deca Sports in one week, but the game seems to have lost some of its legs. Smash Bros. Brawl also took a spill, falling from tenth place to nineteenth.The other noticeable drop was Mario Kart Wii, which only fell one spot, but an important spot -- from first to second -- and finally succumbed to the frightening power of Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G. Hardware was also a PSP victory, as the handheld beat all other systems by a convincing margin. Now that you've seen the hardware numbers, check past the break for the software sales.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Metroid revisited
This week we were feeling nostalgic, and nobody's stages sate such cravings as well as Anthony's do. Therefore, we decided to go with another one of his creations. Simply titled "Metroid," this level recreates the look and feel of one our favorite NES classics. In this side-by-side comparison, you can see how well Anthony captured the essence of the original Metroid.
Canadians: Get Smash Bros. Brawl cheap
If you're Canadian and have yet to own Super Smash Bros. Brawl, we're here to help. Amazon.ca is selling the title for a discounted price of $34.99. That's in Canadian dollars, but it comes out to about the same thing in U.S. dollars, meaning that it's cheap. Why are you still reading this? Why aren't you buying the game right now?If you're on the fence, still clutching your wallet tightly and refusing to give up the money, may we present a few reasons why you should buy? It's an awesome game You could totally take us on at Game Night User-created stages means the game will never get boring It's full to the brim with awesome stuff That's really cheap for such an awesome game Good enough for you?%Gallery-3347%[Thanks, Maria!]
Remember that character? Smash Bros. Rejects
It's quite surprising that a new Super Smash Bros. doesn't come out twice a year, considering how much money Nintendo could make off the franchise (not that the company needs the cash). However, as the video above shows, eventually Smash Bros. would start scraping the bottom of the nostalgia barrel for characters.Some forgettable characters are mentioned like Bayou Billy and the Noid ... actually, the Noid was awesome! Anyway, we actually wouldn't mind seeing one of the Battletoads in a Super Smash Bros. game. Can you think of any characters who'd be perfect for Super Smash Bros. Rejects? Dig deep into the recesses of your memory and check the periphery for games you barely remember.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 5/5-5/11
The gap between Wii and PSP sales is slowly but surely decreasing, making us wonder if the Wii might be able to overtake Sony's handheld once the Monster Hunter hype dies down: PSP: 89,884 Wii: 67,308 Nintendo DS: 51,228 PlayStation 3: 8,054 PlayStation 2: 7,464 Xbox 360: 1,298 Yet, the true triumph for the Wii last week was in software. Nintendo scored big all-around, but the Wii claimed six of the top ten spots in the chart. Keep in mind, though, that all the Wii games that made it to the top thirty are first-party titles, with the exception of Deca Sports.In other news, Smash Bros. Brawl managed to hop up five spots, showing us that it won't be disappearing any time soon. Meanwhile, Mario Kart is inching nearer to Brawl's total sales, making it a close race between the two games. To see how they're currently fairing against each other, just click past the break.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Another Castle
The stage we picked this week is called "Another Castle," made by Wii Fanboy reader Logan C. Oldschool Mario fans, take note of the stage's name -- it's a reference. But even if you don't find any princesses here, you can at least find a fun Brawl experience. Just read on past the break to download the castle and learn more about it.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4
Ah, remember Link's Crossbow Training? The game that was bundled with the Wii Zapper last November (December, for PALs)? It was only released in Japan last week. If sales are any indication, though, Japanese gamers were clamoring for the goron-junk shooter rail shooter, as it claimed the third place spot.Even so, Link had to hail to the king (baby), as Mario Kart Wii still dominated the charts. The other big news for Mario Kart Wii? It passed one million sales in the Far East, denoting its success. Meanwhile, Deca Sports clamored back into the top ten, but Brawl only slipped further downward, thus answering our question from last week. Also proving that the Japanese love their sports games for the Wii, Bandai Namco's Pro Baseball Family Stadium debuted at spot twenty.The Wii triumphed in hardware last week as well. While the console continues to trail behind Sony's handheld, Wii sales went up almost 30,000 units from last week -- perhaps from the Link's Crossbow boost. Go on and check things out for yourself after the break, if you feel so inclined.
Brawl Stage of the Week: It's Tetris time
Last week we mentioned that we wanted to feature a DS-related stage. Reader Chris stepped up and sent us two Tetris levels, one of which we chose to feature.Called "Sziltoj 2," this stage is meant to represent "a Tetris game in progress," according to Chris. Considering the limited amount of tools that you're given in the stage builder, we think he pulled this off pretty well. Come check out how after the break!
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/21-4/27
Mario Kart Wii continues to top the charts in Japan, but a lot of movement happened with the Wii's other software. Because a bunch of new games came out last week, Wii Sports, Deca Sports, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl were all knocked out of the top ten. We know that Wii Sports will return to top ten fame soon enough, since it always does, but we'll be interested to see whether the other two titles can pull that off as well.On the hardware side of things, the Wii got sandwiched by the two portables as it jumped up into second place: PSP: 92,411 Wii: 48,796 Nintendo DS: 42,435 PlayStation 3: 9,107 PlayStation 2: 7,108 Xbox 360: 1,283 To see the software sales, just bring your super smooth moves past the break.
Brawl Stage of the Week: The Web
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's Brawl Stage of the Week feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you keep your Brawl experience fresh. This week we're featuring a completely original stage, made by SoshiKitai. Called "The Web," Soshi considers this one his masterpiece -- and we can see why. The picture doesn't really translate how fun and crazy this stage actually is. In fact, "The Web" is so massive that not even the warp star trick can fully capture it. Luckily, you can experience it for yourself by downloading it here, but check on after the break for some more details on the stage and instructions on how to play it.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/14-4/20
The Wii had a good week in Japan, as far as sales are concerned. With Mario Kart Wii continuing to champion the cause, the little white console almost nabbed second place in hardware: PSP: 85,421 Nintendo DS: 44,551 Wii: 44,241 PlayStation 3: 7,438 PlayStation 2: 6,545 Xbox 360: 1,076 Even in software, five of the top ten games were Wii titles. Wii Sports found its way back into the coveted ten once again, managing to coexist peacefully with Hudson's Deca Sports. Wii Play, meanwhile, performed the worst in relation to the rest of the Wii games in the top thirty, but still ended up in spot twelve.Check after the break to see just how well Mario Kart Wii did last week in Japan.
Brawl Stage of the Week: Super Mario World
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's "Stage of the Week" feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you freshen up your Brawl experience.This week's featured Brawl stage offers a generous serving of nostalgia. Although we're sure it won't be the last classic game scene that we'll showcase here, we chose this as the first because of the creativity and execution that went into it. We're not sure where the very talented Anthony got the idea to recreate Yoshi's House from Super Mario World, but it looks absolutely smashing.Not only that, but the stage is also fun to play on. It seems simple enough, but the multiple platforms and tiers add some variety and depth. You don't have to take our word for it, though, since you can download it for yourselves here. (Instructions for playing on the stage are located after the break!)If you want to see one of your favorite fan-made stages (or one of your own creations!) featured here, be sure to email it as an attachment to smashsubs@nintendowiifanboy.com. From the hard, to the ridiculous, to the incredibly awesome, to the even more ridiculous, we want to see them all!Note: Sorry for the noticeable photoshopping -- unfortunately, the Brawl camera doesn't allow you to take big enough pictures. Image credit: Anthony's site.%Gallery-20570%
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13
It looks like just the same old stuff for Wii sales in Japan last week. Wait a minute -- what's that, you say? Mario Kart Wii dominated Japan? Sure enough, sitting pretty at the top of the charts is Nintendo's famous kart racer, with almost half a million copies sold in its first week.Despite the Mario Kart bump, the Wii only took third place in hardware. Considering that Japanese gamers love them some handhelds, though, that's not too much of a surprise. One little observation that may floor you, on the other hand, is that Brawl was already overtaken by Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in total sales.See it to believe it after the break.
Louisiana resident wins GameStop's Smash Bros. Brawl tournament
Remember when that little game nobody paid any attention to called Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out ... it was last month, remember? Well, GameStop helped promote the indie title by holding a tournament to support the game's fanbase and raise awareness. According to GameStop, the tournament had over 75,000 players and, following a couple semi-final rounds across the country, culminated last weekend in San Jose with Lee Martin of Houma, Lousiana, emerging victorious.Martin (pictured above, he's the skinny one) walked away with a 37" LCD-TV, the entire Nintendo Wii software library, a Wii console, selected accessories and $5,000 in cash. Martin brawled against 60 other opponents at the store, district and regional levels on his way to winning the championship. No word yet which fat man pictured Martin got to take home as a trophy for winning.%Gallery-20804%
Tiring of Smash Bros? Introducing Wii Fanboy's Stage of the Week
Akin to X3F's awesome weekly Halo 3 Community Content, the gang at sister site Nintendo Wii Fanboy has introduced a new weekly feature, aptly titled Brawl Stage of the Week, where they'll be showcasing the best user-made Super Smash Bros. Brawl levels and offering them for download.The inaugural edition highlights a rather self-flattering level: the Joystiq logo, as poorly interpreted by our very own James Ransom-Wiley. Suggestions for the feature? Think you can do a better Brawl stage? Of course you can! Submit your levels to smashsubs AAT nintendowiifanboy DAWT com ... we'll be waiting. Gallery: Brawl Stage of the Week
Brawl Stage of the Week: Joystiq edition
Welcome to Nintendo Wii Fanboy's "Stage of the Week" feature, in which we showcase some of our favorite Smash Bros. Brawl stages. We'll have some themed weeks, some contest weeks, and some "whatever we damn well please" weeks to help you freshen up your Brawl experience.Before you ask, the answer is no -- we're not going to propose to you. We're in love with ourselves too much to do anything like that, which is why the stage we're showcasing this week is all about narcissism. If you look closely at the stage pictured above, you can see that it spells out the name of our mother site, Joystiq. Now, that's not to say we picked this stage because we'd be totally fired if we didn't (just play along, folks). Yet, despite our evil Joystiq overlords, we just love the idea of our favorite gaming blog (besides this one and this one) invading our brawls.Awesome name-in-the-stage stuff aside, though, the level is pretty basic. There are a few falling boxes and moving platforms, but nothing that you Smash Bros. pros couldn't handle. Still, we have to give credit to James Ransom-Wiley for creating this amazing display of self love. To try out the stage for yourself, just download it here. Once you've done that, you can check out our instructions (posted after the break) if you need help playing it on your Wii.Of course, this is just week one, and there will be many more stage features to come. We'd very much like to see some of your contributions and suggestions, so send them in to smashsubs@nintendowiifanboy.com. From the hard, to the ridiculous, to the incredibly awesome, to the even more ridiculous, make sure to show us your favorites (and your own creations)!%Gallery-20570%
Entrance to the Brawl just got a bit cheaper
Uh, unless you're a first-time reader of the site or, perhaps, were just born yesterday, then we can understand why you have never heard of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. All you need to know is that it's one of the best games on the Wii and offers up some great multiplayer action. For the rest of you, know that online retailer Buy.com is offering Nintendo's masterpiece for $44.44. And that's with free shipping!Odds are, you already own the game. But, that doesn't mean you can't buy a copy for a friend. Or your grandmother. Or the local crossing guard. What about your mailman? Look, just buy a couple copies and hand them out to random people on the street. This game needs to be experienced by all.%Gallery-3347%[Thanks, Gerson!]
