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Realistic Zapper mod is impressive, also sort of scary
Say hello to your new little friend, the "WeeP 5 Advanced Zapper," a mash-up of a toy MP5 gun and Wiimote innards (you can see the painted IR sensor just below the muzzle). The WeeP 5 is the work of Instructables user THeOReos, who was left disappointed by the range of gun shells available for the Wii (WHAAAT?!). It's just the ticket if you want your Zapper-compatible games to feel extra authentic, and we'd rather enjoy using it to drop bad dudes in Ghost Squad (though it may not suit Link's Crossbow Training).THeOReos is confident this works well, and has posted a full step-by-step of the building process here. We lack the patience or skillz to make our own, but don't let that put you off building one and sending it to us!%Gallery-35024%[Via Hack A Day]
Toys R Us does 50% off select Wii games
Starting tomorrow and lasting until Saturday, Toys R Us will be offering select Wii games at 50% off. These games are actually some quality titles, too. None of that burning through their stock of Anubis II or anything, we're talking top-notch games. So what's on offer? Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles BWii: Battalion Wars 2 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Not bad, right? So be sure to check their site first thing tomorrow. Who's planning on picking up a game? And what game would that be? [Thanks, TheResidentEvil!]
Capcom to release Umbrella Chronicles bundle in Korea, not U.S.
As it did in Japan, publisher Capcom will be releasing a Biohazard/Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Zapper bundle on June 20th in Korea for ???55,000 (approximately $52.50). No word yet on whether any bonuses will be thrown in with early preorders, but it's very likely!Why don't these third-party bundles ever make it stateside? You'd think that Capcom, a company that has repackaged and sold to us the same game several dozen times in just three years, would be thrilled to thrust upon us yet another box bearing the Resident Evil logo! What's so great about Korea that they should get this package, and not us?%Gallery-3286%
Cheap prices are buzzing around GameFly
If you're one of the cool kids that visits Wii Fanboy often, you probably know that we love bargains. Even more so, we love sharing them with you. We thought we'd tell you, then, that aside from Circuit City having some sweet deals this week, GameFly is also looking to take money out of our pockets. From today to the 19th, GameFly is having a storewide sale, which means cheap games galore. The catch is that they're used, but that's not a big deterrent since the game conditions are usually tip-top.Some highlights include: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law -- $14.99 NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams -- $17.99 Battalion Wars 2 -- $27.99 Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles -- $29.99 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption -- $29.99 We also found some other nice sales over there, so it's worth checking them out if you're craving a new (yet used) Wii game.
Wii and friends: A Great Match
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Wii_and_friends_A_Great_Match'; Why do we love the Wii with friends? Because we want all to share the splendor and majesty that comes from playing the best home gaming console around. So that's why we set out to bring you a nice, easy package of great multiplayer games for the Wii. Both online and local multiplayer is covered, as well as games that have released and those that are still in production. We hope you find this useful in your own life, in some small way, or at least a good place to link a friend who has no idea what they're getting into with the Wii. So read on and see what we have in store, then come back here and tell us what multiplayer experiences you enjoy most on the Wii!
Wii's third-party million-sellers revealed
Ah, how we all knowingly chuckled when Sega predicted it would sell four million copies of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games across the Wii and DS. Like a drunken, rowdy friend boasting of sexual conquests that never actually occurred, Sega's strutting came across as the stuff of fantasy.And then the news came through. They'd sold five million. D'oh!We were reminded of our misplaced Mario & Sonic cynicism again today, after That Videogame Blog listed the third-party games that have shifted one million units on the Wii. Sure enough, the plumber and the hedgehog taunted us from the top of the pile (with 3.4 million sales), while Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (1.8 million), Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (1.6 million), Rayman Raving Rabbids, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Carnival Games (all 1.2 million), and Red Steel (1 million) sat beneath it.Helpfully, author Ashutosh Chhibbar has also listed those titles that are nearing the magical seven-digit landmark, with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, MySims, or LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga just needing one last push.
Umbrella Chronicles ships one million worldwide
The last we heard, Capcom's on-rails homage to the Resident Evil series was nearing one million sales. Capcom made the news official today, though, reporting that Umbrella Chronicles finally reached the lofty landmark.After being available at retail for only four months, the game has shipped one million copies worldwide. Yes, that's "shipped" and not "sold," but it's still impressive despite the technicality. Most of us at Nintendo Wii Fanboy loved the zombie shooter (then again, we're big fans of the Resident Evil series), but we know some of you didn't like the on-rails experience. Even so, it's always good to see third parties succeeding. This is Capcom's second game to break one million on the Wii -- the first, of course, being the company's other Biohazard game, the Resident Evil 4 port. Gallery: Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles [Via NeoGAF]
Umbrella Chronicles ships a million units worldwide
With the successful wii-vival of Resident Evil 4, not to mention plans to introduce waggle to Resident Evil Zero in Japan, there's little question that Capcom enjoys returning to – and drinking from – the Wii's zombie-infested well. And for good reason, as the company announced that its latest trip down memory lane for the Wii, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, has shipped over a million units the world over since the game's debut last November.Impressive, for sure, though what's even more staggering is that the series as a whole has sold more than 34.5 million units globally as of February 29. However, the company is not all about survival horror, having recently confirmed plans for some 15 new projects in the works -- though Capcom will likely always have a special place in its heart (and wallet) for the decaying flesh of the undead.
Capcom sees Q3 profit decline, raises full-year forecast
Capcom has announced (via Gamasutra) the results of its fiscal third quarter, showing 51.66 billion yen in net sales (US $484.5 million; a 4.8 percent increase) but net income dropping 17.8 percent to 3.57 billion yen (US $33.5m). Despite the decline and thanks to expected sales of Devil May Cry 4, Capcom raised its expected fiscal year operating profit to 11.5 billion yen (US $107.9m), a 20 percent increase over last year and 15 percent more than previous forecasts. Strong-selling titles for Capcom include Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles in North America and Monster Hunter 2 in Japan. Zack & Wiki unit sales were noted as growing "steadily" (and given the title's critical praise, it's about time). The publisher's "stagnant" arcade and coin-op divisions and uncertainties in the Japanese and world economies were cited as reasons for its profit drop. Devil May Cry 4 is expected to hit 1.9 million in unit sales by March 31.
Zero Punctuation sinks its teeth into Umbrella Chronicles
This week on Zero Punctuation, gaming misanthrope Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw tackles Wii rail shooter Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. While the acidic one lays into the shamelessly cheesy dialogue and concludes that Capcom's title is "a rather unnecessary game that gaming history will swiftly forget," he also admits the game has "a charming retro feel."The entire review is embedded after the break, but remember, kids: this is Zero Punctuation, and so NSFW.
Another week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 12/31-1/6
The Wii got a huge boost in hardware sales thanks to the New Years holiday, which is known to be big for consumerism in Japan. All system sales increased, in fact, but the gap between the Wii and PSP widened as the Wii sold almost 80,000 more units than it did the previous week. The bump in hardware sales also affected software sales, helping Nintendo regain its domination in the charts. The top twelve games were for Nintendo systems, with a lot of those games either having the words "Wii" or "Mario" in their titles. Wii Sports and Wii Play continue to bully newer titles out of the top ten, while Wii Fit nears the million mark (and according to some trackers, already reached it as of today). Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles also shows some legs by barely making the top thirty, selling 21,000 copies last week for a total of 234,000.It will be interesting to see whether Super Mario Galaxy can hang in the top ten, but regardless, it seems that the game will hit one million sales relatively soon. Also, expect a huge drop in sales all around next week, as holiday spending in Japan finally comes to an end.The hardware and software numbers are listed after the break, for your viewing pleasure.
A cheap and colorful way to make your own Zapper
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/A_cheap_and_colorful_way_to_make_your_own_Zapper'; If you're anything like us, you have a collection of Lego firearms that're much too finely-crafted to take apart and throw back into their plastic pail homes -- detailed handguns, elaborate sniper rifles, and delicately heavy bazookas, all constructed out of multicolored blocks. Not everyone is as appreciative of these brick-built blasters as we are, so we've kept them hidden from the view of friends, significant others, and future offspring hellbent on breaking all of our cool stuff. Suffice it to say, our Lego guns have been a private pleasure. NeoGAF forumer Mrklaw has finally given us a reason to bring out those toy cannons from their hiding places under the bed and in the guest bedroom closet, though, with his DIY Zapper. He fashioned the shell after one of Brando's pistols, leaving an opening in the back for the nunchuck to attach and using a "sliding bit of Technic Lego which pulls against the B button" as a trigger. We're planning to adapt one of our own bulky Lego shotguns to house a Wii remote later tonight; it's gonna be off the chain.%Gallery-31614%
Play Umbrella Chronicles like a reviewer
In the spirit of generating hits for their new blog openness, Capcom has made their Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles reviewer's guide available on Flickr as a gallery. The 12-page document explains all the weapons in the game and how to use them, along with the game's controls. It also introduces the characters, in case the only Resident Evil character with whom you've familiarized yourself is "Zombie."There aren't really any secrets revealed or anything; the reviewer's guide doesn't contain any helpful cheats or other tips to help reviewers fast-track through the game. But it's cool to see this kind of stuff that usually doesn't get released to the public. Also, the thing is nicely laid out.[Via Capcom Blog]
Metareview: Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
We've all been as restless as the walking dead waiting for the first original Resident Evil game on the Wii, wondering if the new gun game will manage to outshine the previous Gun Survivor games and provide both a faithful Resident Evil experience and an awesome light-gun game. Now that reviewers have torn into the title, we can find out if Umbrella Chronicles was the Master of Unlocking ... their hearts.Gametrailers -- 83%: This isn't really a summation of the review, nor is it representative of the whole review, but we just wanted to post it, to point out the kinds of things video game reviewers have to think about: "While Umbrella Chronicles is fantastic overall, there are a few gripes. Annoyances like leeches and small spiders jump at the screen, forcing you to mindlessly shake the remote until you've sliced through them all. Slashing at a creature that's presumably on your face breaks the sense of immersion. Also, the vomit that some zombies spew at you can be quickly shot out of the sky, which doesn't make much sense."1UP -- 75%: 1UP's review finds the game slower-paced and more involved than the average gun game, and loaded with Resident Evil series references: "The files, notes, and diaries you'll often attain while doing so are just one example of the copious fan service that seems to be the true driving force behind the entire experience. Whether you're playing from new perspectives in old scenarios or filling in story gaps with cut-scenes or entire levels, there's a ridiculous amount of information and background for Resident Evil nuts to absorb. The convoluted, poorly acted narrative is as dismissive to newcomers as ever, but they'll be in it for different reasons anyhow (zombies + guns = fun)."GamePro -- 85%: GamePro's reviewer decided to tease another console's upcoming game in the review for this one, presumably just to be mean: "It combines the atmospheric charm of the ResEvil series with awesome light-gun gameplay, then throws in a wealth of bonus material to unlock and discover. It's the perfect way to prepare yourself for the upcoming Resident Evil 5."
Wii releases for the week of November 12th
Wow, that's a lot of games releasing this week. And they all look like they're going to be good games, as well. Not to mention that we finally get our hands on Super Mario Galaxy, which we've been been anxiously awaiting. For all of you who lucked out at your local Best Buy, we're glad to say we're finally joining the ranks of those who've been enjoying the game.This week's releases are: Super Mario Galaxy Geometry Wars: Galaxies Cars: Mater National Spongebob: Atlantis Squarepantis Medal of Honor Heroes 2 Need for Speed Pro Street Petz Catz 2 Petz Horsez 2 Petz Dogz 2 Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles Tomb Raider Anniversary Smarty Pants WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is looking purdy
We've been showing you a lot of Ghost Squad videos lately, but that's no reason to forget the other rail shooter coming out this season. As you can see from the video above (which is titled "The Opening Video," but it's probably just a trailer), the game looks mighty fine, indeed. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is set for release on November 13, which we know will put some more hurt on a lot of wallets. We're definitely interested, at least.
Fresh UC screens show Ken doll zombies
Sometimes a zombie is just going to be naked. We've all been there, fighting for our life against a horde of the undead, only to find one or more of them lacking clothes. It's pretty funny for a moment, then we've all got back to the dispatching of the undead. Old hat, we know.But these new Umbrella Chronicles screens are the stuff of nightmares. Naked zombies taking on a sort of doll-like appearance, lacking any kind of gender definition whatsoever? Man, that's all kinds of scary. Oh, and the mutant monkies aren't exactly the stuff of pleasant dreams, either.%Gallery-3286%
TGS07: Kohler says Umbrella Chronicles just better without the Zapper
Some people are all in favor of the Zapper, as we discussed this morning, but Game|Life's Chris Kohler is not among them ... at least, not when it comes to Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. After trying the game several times, he has consistently found that the Zapper is less optimal for this game than the simple naked combination of the Wii remote and nunchuk. At TGS, he was playing co-op with a freelancer who was even excited about the Zapper and its potential with the game. He played without, and she played with -- and halfway through, they switched.Once finished, he asked her which she preferred ... and she agreed with him. The Zapper may end up being great for other games, but in Umbrella Chronicles, it seems to make actions ungainly rather than precise, particularly when one has to reload or pick up objects. This makes us doubly interested in seeing how the shell affects other games, like the pack-in Link's Crossbow Training, but for now, we think we may just stick to the remote and nunchuk. After all, the remote is a pointing device all on its own, and we've seen just how fantastic it can be for shooting.
TGS07: Umbrella Chronicles trailer shows Wesker as a zombie?!
At two minutes and nine seconds in, the video shows Wesker as a zombie. Why do we think he's a zombie? Well, his mouth is covered in blood. Wesker's red eyes is something we knew from the conclusion of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, but he wasn't into eating flesh or anything (unless we missed something, which is possible considering how long it's been).As for the rest of the trailer, it's pure gold for Resident Evil fans (we can't wait to bust caps in Nemesis). So, hit it up.
Today's most deja vu video: Umbrella Chronicles co-op
This trailer for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles seems eerily familiar for a number of reasons. Beyond the could've-sworn-we-knew co-op feature, the footage also shows environments and bosses from Resident Evil Zero, One and Two, all the way through RE3, covering the initial train ride, the Mansion, and the Raccoon City outbreak. Also, we could've sworn we saw Zombie #17 outside the Winchester in Shaun of the Dead. Guess they gotta make a living somehow, right? Video embedded after the break.
