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New trailers for Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2
We got quite a bit of 3DS news from today's Nintendo Direct, but it wasn't without a few tender morsels for Wii U owners. In addition to Little Mac appearing in Super Smash Bros, Game Boy Advance games hitting Virtual Console and the announcement of NES Remix 2, Nintendo rolled out new trailers for some of the Wii U's biggest upcoming games. Settle in and get comfy for a few minutes as you take in fresh footage of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, and Bayonetta 2.
Fujifilm teases a new X-mount camera with full manual dials and possible weather sealing
Fujilfilm's current range of X-mount cameras have hardly struggled to attract a following, but there's always room for a fresh addition, especially if it brings quicker manual controls. Judging from the official teaser image above, we should expect just such a camera to arrive on January 28th, with a nice big ISO dial to complement the shutter and exposure compensation dials already found on the X-Pro1. If we're happy to indulge in a bit of gossip, courtesy of MirrorlessRumors, then it's also possible that the coming model will add something else the X-Pro1 was missing: a weather-sealed body. If that turns out to be true, then the Nikon Df could have some competition on its hands -- not over raw specs perhaps (because it somehow feels unlikely that Fujifilm has suddenly come up with a full-frame X-TRANS sensor that could match the Df's), but at least over size, weight and price.
X: Rebirth rockets into orbit, discovers new launch trailer
Drop the DualShock 4 for a minute - you've got an entire universe to explore. This week marks Egosoft's return to its cult-favorite space simulator franchise with the release of X: Rebirth, a PC game that can now be found on Steam for $50.
X Rebirth pops out this November
Come November 15, X Rebirth resurrects Egosoft's cult-favorite series of space simulations, though as you can see from this trailer the simulation doesn't go quite so far as to eliminate physically-unlikely fiery balls of death erupting from busted spaceships.
Stick and Rudder: Ten space sims to fill your Star Citizen void
This week I'd like to throw around a few ideas for enjoying yourself in Star Citizen's absence. Yeah, there's the hangar module, and it's pretty spectacular for what it is. But after dorking around in cockpits and doing a few I'll-be-in-my-bunk Jayne Cobb impersonations as I wedge my avatar into my Aurora's sleeping compartment, I ache to spool up those engines and go somewhere. Fortunately there are a ton of worthy space sims that we can use to while away the next couple of years. Or the next couple of months, because dogfighting alpha!
New Monolith Soft game 'X' coming to Wii U in 2014
X, a new game from Monolith Soft, is coming to Wii U in 2014. "The goal is to create a large-scale open world that players can explore seamlessly," Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said during the E3 Nintendo Direct stream today. Monolith Soft's previous game was Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles.
Nintendo reveals new Monolith Soft game for Wii U, looks like Xenoblade
Nintendo has announced a new game from Monolith Soft, developer of Xenoblade Chronicles. A new trailer shows off gameplay and graphics reminiscent of Xenoblade Chronicles, complete with grand, sweeping environments and massive monsters. The game will be directed by Tetsuya Takahashi and will feature music by Hiroyuki Sawano.The game has no title at the moment, though a large red X is displayed at the end of the trailer, indicating it probably fits in the "Xeno" series in one way or another.
Cyanogenmod 9 struts its stuff on HTC's One X
So you've procured yourself HTC's new super slim, 4.7-inch halo phone: the One X. By now, you probably have the device set up just the way you like it: applications configured, widgets in place and Adele ringtone set. But there's just something else left to do, isn't there? If (like some of us) you're a smartphone user who just can't leave well enough alone, you'll be excited to learn that a build of Cyanogenmod 9 for the Uno Equis has been made available via the MoDaCo forums. The ROM will deliver that stock Android experience, and all those CM9 accoutrements, to those that don't fancy the panache of Sense 4.0. The forum post does caution that the One's camera, and hotspot functionality, aren't currently working, so interested parties best proceed with caution. If all that doesn't phase you, grab a cup of coffee, get the Android SDK all warmed up and take this ROM for a spin!
PSA: HTC One X priced up to £330 in the UK, also available for free (update: $800 in Canada)
Chances are you're still melting over the impressive HTC One X benchmarks, and that's just the dual-core Snapdragon S4 taking care of business. As you may know, those of you in the Old Continent will see a quad-core flavor hit the shelves, and it's looking like that version is getting priced a wee bit earlier. So, just how much will you have to shell out to snag one of HTC's latest? Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse both have the One X listed as high as £329.99 (about $527) on contract, though you can also grab a free one if you take on a longer, more expensive plan on Orange, O2 and Vodafone. Carphone's site shows you can expect the device to land at your doorstep in the week of April 2nd. In the meantime, take a look at our hands-on to remind you how badly you need it. Update: It looks like Canadians can now also pre-order the HSPA+ version of the phone courtesy of NCIX, although they'll have to part with a hefty $800 (off-contract, of course).
Some Assembly Required: A look at Vendetta Online
The setup is pretty familiar. It's an MMO, it takes place entirely in outer space, and your avatar is your spaceship. There's a lot of trading, a lot of missioning, and PvP if you want it -- possibly even if you don't. Crucially, there's freedom to go your own way and precious little hand-holding. It's clearly inspired by Elite, and there's a fair bit of the X series in there as well. Nope, I'm not talking about EVE Online but rather Vendetta Online, an indie sandbox MMORPG that actually has more in common with classic space-trading sims than it does with CCP's New Eden.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Video Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Photos make great mementos for important moments, but a picture of your kid taking her first step or writing his first blog post isn't quite as meaningful as a full-motion video of the event in question. That's why a video recorder of some sort is a must-have, and while your average compact camera is capturing better footage than ever, sometimes you need something a little more dedicated. That's when you need a camcorder, and this year we even have a bunch of 3D models to choose from. Which ones are right for you and for your budget? Click on through to find out.
Motorola Droid X now getting OTA Android 2.2 update
Good way to start Wednesday, indeed. Right on schedule (and not a minute too soon), the over-the-air Android 2.2 (aka Froyo) update for Motorola Droid X has started propagating the radio waves. We've received dozens of tips already, from those who both checked manually and received notification in the status bar. In addition to a new Android, there's also improves visual voicemail with Bluetooth support, a refreshed mobile hotspot app, and a fix to prevent data connections from dropping as you move between WiFi and 3G coverage. Go on, check your phone now -- and don't forget to pick up the new Gmail when you're done updating. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
How would you change Motorola's Droid X?
Last week we gave the Apple loyalists in attendance a chance to rip and rag the iPhone 4, and this time around we're doing the same for Motorola's best frienemies. The Droid X is without question the largest Droid in the family today, and calling it a showstopper on Verizon would probably be understating things. Now that it's been on the market a few months, we're curious to know how you early adopters like (or dislike) it. Did the massive screen end up being too large for comfort? Anything you'd tweak software-wise? How's the VZW service been? Might your world change if Android 2.2 ever hits in official fashion? Go on and let us know how you'd alter this behemoth down in comments below -- but give it some real thought first, cool? Cool.
Apple keeps antennagate alive with Droid X's 'kill switch' (video)
We had a feeling Apple wasn't done showing off the apparent reception woes of its competitors -- after all, the company already updated once this week with the Nokia N97 mini. Now it's going after Motorola's celebrity of the moment (and known iPhone 4 bully), the Droid X. You can see Cupertino's results in the video after the break, but unlike Apple's other videos, we can't seem to recreate this one as easily with our Droid Xs. But hey, it's not like anyone's gonna buy a big phone anyway, right?
Motorola Droid X stars in its clearest off-the-cuff preview yet (update: comparison shots!)
Let's be honest, we've seen more Droid X / Xtreme / Shadow spy shots than we can keep track of at this point, but for the latest batch, Mr. Blurrycam must've forgot his trademark blur filter and delivered us the cleanest images yet -- for shame, we know. Here's what the current owners of the super-secret phone, Gadget University, are claiming: 4.3-inch screen (it seems to jump between 4.3 and 4.1, depending on whom you ask), 1GHz Snapdragon processor, HDMI out, HD video recording, Android 2.1 with a "new version of Motoblur" (Ninjablur, you say?), and hardware navigation buttons. The Verizon logo is again unmistakably clear, and according to the site's "inside information," the Droid X (as the Model number says) is coming next month, with training beginning at the end of this month. [Thanks, Sean] Update: And here it is alongside some of its contemporaries. Thanks, Jeremey!
Mysterious Motorola Droid X coming to Verizon?
The gang at Phandroid have got their hands on pics alleging to be Verizon internal documentation that details an up-and-coming handset called the Droid X. Honestly, this sounds like it could still be an internal name to us, although there has been some speculation that the handset is, in fact, the launch name of the Motorola Shadow / Xtreme that would be accompanying the Droid 2 for a Summer launch. Moving on down the line, this thing purportedly has a 4.3-inch display and Safari 4.0 for the browser. While Android's browser is also WebKit-based, we're calling shenanigans on any info that says this phone (if it exists) is shipping with Safari. More info to fuel your rich fantasy life after the break.
Interview: Q-Games and Nintendo on X-Scape
Click to N-Ter the galleryDylan Cuthbert's Q-Games has returned to the world of X, a Game Boy game designed by Nintendo and Cuthbert's Argonaut Software. Q-Games and Nintendo have created X-Scape, a DSiWare sequel to the 3D space tank game (coincidentally, "3D Space Tank" is the Australian title for X-Scape). Shortly before the announcement of the DSiWare title's May 31 release date, we spoke to Cuthbert, along with Assistant Director Kazushi Maeta and Kazuyuki Gofuku, in charge of Development Coordination for the title at Nintendo, about resurrecting the old franchise, the freedom of downloadable software, and, yes, the secret "Totaka's Song" first heard in X. %Gallery-86442%
webOS port of Xorg in the works, OpenOffice support the inevitable result
In the absence of a full, editable version of Documents To Go (DataViz still hasn't released it), this might be of some serious interest to the Palm community -- or those that are willing to muck around a bit, anyway. X.org's X server implementation has been successfully shoehorned onto a Pre, meaning that we're well on our way to being able to run arbitrary Linux-based X11 apps on our phones -- including the mighty OpenOffice, as demonstrated here. It seems we're still a ways off yet; the devs have some file system issues to work through, which they say will likely take "weeks to months, rather than days" to fix, but it's a promising start. What, you'd never dreamed of running a desktop office suite on a 3.1-inch display? Follow the break for video.
Rock Band Weekly: X, Carrie Underwood, Little Fish, Ace Frehley, OneRepublic
Despite American punk rock band X being next week's featured Rock Band DLC pack artist, we decided to go with a picture of Carrie Underwood. Why? Isn't it obvious?! Her single, "All-American Girl," available next week, speaks to the struggles of the middle-class American female. Of gender roles, a father's love and providing babies for your husband. It's like the "American Pie" of a new generation. So that's why Underwood gets featured with that "how do I spend my next million, y'all?" look. Check out the full release list after the break.
Smoking Gun teases original IP with preview of 'X' graphic novel, ARG
It's been two years since Relic staffers John Johnson and Drew Dunlop (producer and lead programmer on Company of Heroes, respectively) left the company to set up their own, Smoking Gun Interactive. As we reported back in May, the studio has teamed with cyberpunk trailblazer and author Douglas Rushkoff to create an array of multimedia products based on its yet-to-be-revealed premiere franchise. This week, we get a look at what they've been up to with the first of four sneak previews of X, a graphic novel launching next year that lays the foundation for Smoking Gun's new IP.Hidden within the preview (on page 13, actually) is a link to a tie-in ARG that borrows the opening of the classic text adventure, Zork. This Easter egg is actually pretty appropriate, given that Rushkoff coined the term "viral media." We've gotten as far as "decoding" the Declaration of Independence, which, at least in the conspiracy-filled universe of X, contains warnings of aliens among us and a coming global tyranny. (As opposed to more modern government documents, which warn of a steep fine for filing your taxes late.)
