GamerBlips - Latest DS News Articles

Hello Kitty Party - DS - Screenshots

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:11:04 +0000

As part of Hello Kitty's 35th Anniversary celebration, Majesco Entertainment Company, an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced that it has partnered with Barnstorm Games to publish Hello Kitty Party for Nintendo DS. The newest video game featuring the super-cute and irresistible pop-icon, Hello Kitty Party lets players dance, shop, cook, iron and much more in 25 themed games designed for fans. In Hello Kitty Party, players help Hello Kitty and SANRIO friends - including Keroppi, Badtz-Maru, My Melody and others - plan and throw a super fun party. Players can send out personalized party invitations; design and iron the perfect dress; shop for party fare; play puzzles and match games; and dress Hello Kitty in a variety of outfits and accessories. In addition, players can have fun in the kitchen-washing, slicing, frying and cooking party food before the guests arrive. When the party is in full swing, players can also show off their moves in the Dance Contest!

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Phantasy Star Zero Review

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:21:00 +0000

It'd be an understatement to say I was a fan of the original Phantasy Star Online . While my classmates in high school would often blame their poor marks on lengthy football practices or alcohol-fueled social events, the reason for my own slipping grades was less typical: My level 100 HUcast ate my homework. Nearly a decade later, Phantasy Star Zero on the DS manages to stir up some of that long-dormant obsession. It looks and plays like a lost sequel to the classic Dreamcast dungeon crawler, but that vintage feel also stands out as its most glaring flaw -- with its high-maintenance camera, imprecise controls, and lousy user interface, Phantasy Star Zero could easily pass for an action-RPG from 2001. And even though it's packed with all-new environments, enemies, and characters, I can't help but feel like this is the same game that I played in lieu of studying for Chemistry exams.

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DS | Need for Speed: Nitro Review

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:08:47 +0000

This cleverly-designed racer controls well, but its lack of variety takes some air out of the tires. Score: 7.0 / good Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Need for Speed: Nitro Review " was posted by Laura Parker on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:08:47 -0800

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DSi LL Sells 103K in Japan in Two Days

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:26:00 +0000

The new, fat DSi isn't having quite the splash of its slim cousin, but sales from its first two days in Japan are impressive regardless. Kotaku reports that according to Enterbrain numbers, the DSi LL sold 103,524 units in its first two days on the market. The original DSi sold 170,000 units in the same time period, but at that point the enhanced online functionality and promise of DSiWare was an entirely new feature, so it makes sense that it spurred some more interest. The PSP Go sold 28,000 units in its first day of sales in Japan, significantly less than even the bulkier, spectator-friendly DSi LL. Of course, it also wasn't an iteration of the DS, and Japanese consumers seem to consistently purchase every new version of that system. No wonder Nintendo keeps making them. If you want to see just how big the DSi LL is, check out our comparison gallery where we stack it against an original DS, a PSP, a netbook, ...

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Morning Hangover -- What's Your Thanksgiving Travel Game?

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Welcome to Morning Hangover -- an excellent way to start your day with the crew at TheFeed...no matter what you're recovering from. Every morning you'll hear musings from our editors and have the chance to share your thoughts on what's going on in the gaming world. Many of us (yours truly included) will be spending a significant amount of time at the airport over the coming week. It's a time to pretend Xbox Live and PlayStation Network don't exist and get reacquainted with the DS and PSP. What game will be occupying your time over the Thanksgiving holiday? I'll be hopefully checking out Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story . My last experience with the series ended in tears, as a battery error resulted in a saved game with dozens of hours of progress being erased. I haven't been able to develop the courage to return...until now. It's been long enough. The pain....has healed.

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Review: Maestro: Jump In Music

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:18:00 +0000

Whatever that means. In a world where music games are dominant, it always catches our attention when games attempt to implement rhythm in a more creative way than aping Harmonix's scrolling notes. Maestro: Jump in Music is an oddly titled and lovable platformer that weaves music into its running and jumping, punctuating every jump you make or object you collect with a thump or a twang. It takes a simple concept and executes it in a fresh, creative and unique way. As the music plays, Maestro the little pink birdie (I like to think of him as a penguin, because penguins are awesome) runs from left to right across the screen, suspended on a sort of tightrope. You stroke the tightrope upwards or downwards to pluck a note and make him jump or drop down. Collectable icons - fruit, stars or tiny golden angels, depending on what level you're playing - are scattered around the place, and collecting them also hits a note. The platforming augments the music: do well, collect things and jump at the ...

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News: Foto Showdown coming to DSi

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0000

It's a camera-powered RPG from Konami. Konami has unveiled Foto Showdown, a new RPG which is played using the DSi camera. The idea is you take photos and the DSi uses "advanced colour recognition" to generate monsters from them. You can then test out their unique powers in epic battles. There are more than 100 levels to play through and over 150 monsters to collect. Players can fight with up to six monsters at once and they get more powerful with each battle they win. You can also upgrade their powers, buy better weapons, give them tools and heal them with medicine. The DSi's wireless functionality allows players to take part in multiplayer battles and swap monsters. Read more... > >

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Review: COP: The Recruit

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Not much. "This is essentially not cool." So said my character, Dan Miles, on a case gone wrong. Man. Etc. It has become my refrain for the entire game. But oh, oh but oh, it's a game that's trying so very, very hard to fit in. COP, as its title so excitedly shouts, desperately wants to hang around with GTA. It sees GTA in the playground, watching it scuff its boots against the wall with the other cool kids, staring enviously at the apparent ease with which the rock star game emits its nonchalant air. If COP could just cultivate such an image, surely GTA would accept it, consider it a peer? COP bought clothes that looked like GTA's, kinda, different logos but the same from a distance. It wrote Tippex swear words all over its pencil case just like it had seen GTA do. It tried putting some gel in its hair to get rid of that damned side parting. But GTA still never looks up when COP walks past in the corridor. If you ignore the technical problems that make COP missable, it's this ...

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DS | Assassin's Creed II: Discovery Review

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:34:29 +0000

In spite of some nagging issues, this 2D platformer is fun to play and captures the spirit of the series. Score: 7.0 / good Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Assassin's Creed II: Discovery Review " was posted by Kevin VanOrd on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:34:29 -0800

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Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines Review

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:53:00 +0000

The Assassin's Creed universe got its first handheld installment with Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles for the DS. Now the franchise is moving to the PlayStation Portable with Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines . Jeremy Zoss has the review: "When a portable spin-off of a console game attempts to bring the original’s gameplay to a handheld, it’s hard not to compare the scaled-down version to its big brother. The danger of this mentality is that it invites comparisons to the original, which is (almost) always a better gaming experience. In many ways, Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines successfully emulates the gameplay of the console game. Unfortunately, this PSP port has carried over some of that game’s flaws as well as its strengths." Click here to read the rest of the review and see the game's score!

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DS | CandyGeist Screens

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:24:01 +0000

14 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | CandyGeist Screens " was posted on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:24:01 -0800

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DS | Foto Showdown Screens

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:00:01 +0000

8 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Foto Showdown Screens " was posted on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:01 -0800

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Band Hero (DS)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

With three portable iterations of Guitar Hero currently on store shelves, it was inevitable that Activision would introduce the full-on band experience onto Nintendo's popular handheld -- but how well does it work? Reviewer Megan Watt tried her hand at the DS version of Band Hero, but the lack of a career mode and On Tour's infamous hand-cramping peripheral really hurts the overall experience.

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Nintendo DSi XL

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:15:00 +0000

A real eye-opener. We'll admit our first response to the news and initial pictures of the DSi XL was less than positive. We had fat DS units, we spent a mint getting smaller ones, so why would we want to spend cash buying a bigger one again? Click here to read the full article

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Morning Hangover -- What's Your Thanksgiving Travel Game?

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

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Nintendo Plans Blue, White DSi Bundles For Black Friday

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:20:00 +0000

Nintendo will launch limited-edition DSi bundles for the holiday shopping date known as "Black Friday," offering special colors and $20 worth of pre-installed software. Beginning on November 27, consumers can purchase either Metallic Blue or White DSis that each come with five different DSiWare software installs -- the blue hardware is themed around Mario, and the White is themed around brain teasers. The Metallic Blue DS includes Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again, Dr. ...

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PSP | CNET UK faceoff: iPhone versus PSP and DS

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:01:34 +0000

GameSpot UK's sister site compares Apple's handheld gaming credentials against established players Sony and Nintendo. Get the full article at GameSpot " PSP | CNET UK faceoff: iPhone versus PSP and DS " was posted by Luke Anderson on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:01:34 -0800

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Infinite Lives Glitch Found in New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:46:37 +0000

Remember the 99 lives trick in New Super Mario Bros. for DS? Apparently a similar exploit can be found in its Wii sibling. The glitch basically gives the player(s) infinite coins, which then gives an endless amount of lives. Continue reading to watch the video demonstrating the glitch.

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Man Weds His DS Game (News)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:05:00 +0000

In one of the stranger stories to come out of last week, an unnamed man legally married Nene Anegasaki, one of the lead girls in the Japanese Nintendo DS dating sim "Love Plus" at a church in Guam.

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Man Weds His DS Game (Updated with Video) (News)

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:05:00 +0000

In one of the stranger stories to come out of last week, an unnamed man legally married Nene Anegasaki, one of the lead girls in the Japanese Nintendo DS dating sim "Love Plus" at a church in Guam.

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G4's Favorite Nintendo DS Games

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

The DS is five years old today , so the G4 staff got together over a long e-mail thread and discussed everyone's favorite games for the system that surprised everybody. (" Two screens? What are they thinking? ") As a testament to the DS' amazing library, there were no duplicate submissions for favorite game. Feel free to join the thread in the comments below! Mike D'Alonzo -- Manager, G4 Interactive Services To this day, my favorite DS game is still Brain Age . There’s nothing that motivates you to want to be smarter more than the shame of being told that your brain is literally years older than you are. It’s always fun to feel your lack of intelligence and your mortality, all at once. Should it, perhaps have been called Shame Age ? You bet! Rob Manuel -- X-Play Associate Producer The World Ends With You : Daring, innovative, quirky; there are few games that can tout such praises, let alone a JRPG from Square Enix. The World Ends With ...

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Five Years of the Nintendo DS

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

November isn’t just a time for big games to launch. It’s traditionally a time when game consoles make their big splash in the States. With the exception of the PlayStation 2 and the PSP, every major game console of this decade has launched in November in the US. Can you believe that Nintendo DS launched a half-decade ago? I sure can’t. Alongside the console big boys, one of this decade’s most important gaming platforms came out in November. Like the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360, I’m taking a look at the history of the platform, and the prognosis for the coming year. Launch Date: November 21, 2004 Launch Price: $149.99 Significant Price Drops and Hardware Iterations Nintendo DS Lite (released June 11, 2006 for $129.99) revamped several features from the original DS hardware, including: Weight (21% lighter than launch model) Size (58% smaller than launch model) Extended Battery Life lasts up to five hours long than launch ...

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My Games This Weekend - 11.20.09 - New Super Mario Bros. Wii and WWE

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:38:29 +0000

This weekend, it's more New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The wife and I have already stepped into the dark land of World 8, and will soon make Bowser eat his own shell. So far, the game really hasn't been all that difficult, even with two of us getting in the way of one-another. Nonetheless, it's been quite a fun ride, and I can't wait to go back and start exploring for secrets, Star Coins, and such. I'm also aiming to get WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 for the Wii underway, so keep an eye out for that review soon. In the meantime, I've got the DS version in progress, so hopefully that will show up sometime early next week. In addition, WWE Survivor Series is this Sunday, and I'll likely have Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, aka "the best game in the series" with me. Funny that in one game, I have to ensure Bowser's survival, while in the other, he's soon going to wish he was never born. Such is life. So, those are my games this weekend, what are yours?

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DS | Windy Windam Screens

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000

6 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Windy Windam Screens " was posted on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:01 -0800

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C.O.P. The Recruit - DS - GR Review

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:51:42 +0000

Less entertaining than pepper spray in the eyes. If you take away everything that makes Grand Theft Auto edgy, exciting, and fun, you get COP: The Recruit . It could have made the third-person action genre viable on the Nintendo DS, but sadly it misses the mark. [image1]Gamers take up the controls as Dan Miles. A street-thug-turned-greenhorn-cop who recently joined the City Control Division, a high-tech New York city police force, who’s been assigned to stop a terrorist called Bomb Zombie—hardcore name, right?—from blowing up the city. And that’s it for the story—it’s nothing special and there are better and more compelling storylines in old Steven Seagal movies, which is saying a lot. The story moves forward with the help of cut-scenes that use the in-game engine and animé-esque cartoons. This is an interesting idea, but it’s held back by the game’s blocky and pixel-ly appearance. It is a DS game so the hardware has its ...

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DS | Big in Japan Nov. 9-15: J-League Pro Soccer Club

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:12:22 +0000

Sega dethrones Winning Eleven with its own footie sim for the PSP; Sony's portable, PS3 nearly tie at top of hardware chart. Konami's World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 internationally) opened big in Japan for the week of November 2-8, shifting some 217,000 units. One week later, and a new soccer game has worked its way to the top of Media Create's weekly sales chart; this one with a decidedly Japanese bent. For the week of November 9-15, Sega's J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J on the PSP scored big with 84,966 units sold. If only the cover coach was as excited as the cover text. Beyond J-League, the mid-November week had a number of charting debuts. Namco Bandai scored with Dragon Ball: Raging Blast, as the PlayStation 3 edition secured third with 57,972. Square Enix's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers for the Wii, which is due in North America on December 26, ...

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REVIEW: C.O.P. The Recruit Pushes the DS More Than You Would Think

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:44:40 +0000

What the Game's About C.O.P. The Recruit is an open-world game on the DS that puts you in control of Dan Miles, a former illegal street racer turned C.O.P., better known as Criminal Overturn Program recruit. Your partnership with a Detective Winter hits a road block when he is falsely arrested and Dan turns back to his former life to figure out what exactly happened. This time around, he's undercover. The arrest was just one part of a vast conspiracy that has horrible repercussions if the plan succeeds. What's Hot If someone were to glance at the game on your DS, they might mistake it for a full-blown Grand Theft Auto game. COP is a much tamer approach to open-world, sandbox-like games; however, the technology that is it built around is some of the most impressive seen on the DS yet. You have free reign over New York City where you run and drive all over the place. There are pedestrians, lamp posts, mailboxes and other background items that bring the city to life. The game runs smoothly with no ...

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DS | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Eiji Aonuma Interview

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:47:06 +0000

GameSpot UK interviews Nintendo's Eiji Aonuma about the latest Zelda adventure. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Eiji Aonuma Interview " was posted by markwalton on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:47:06 -0800

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Wii | Gamer's Gift Bag: Wii and DS

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:14:57 +0000

It's the holiday season once again, and GameSpot is back with the Gamer's Gift Bag for the Wii and DS! Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot " Wii | Gamer's Gift Bag: Wii and DS " was posted by takeshi on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:14:57 -0800

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DS | Hello Kitty Party Screens

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:18:00 +0000

10 new shots posted. Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Hello Kitty Party Screens " was posted on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:18:00 -0800

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Media: Take That! The Phoenix Wright Trilogy Heads to WiiWare in Early 2010

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:41:14 +0000

As we learned earlier this week, the rumor is true that Capcom is bringing the Ace Attorney series to WiiWare. And as Capcom has now revealed, the games are coming out in North America and Europe early next year as well. While the European dates are unknown, the first game will come to North America in January, with Justice for All in March and Trials and Tribulations in May, each for 1,000 Wii Points. May will also bring the bonus fifth case from the DS version for 100 Wii Points. One would be remiss to not mention that each game finally has multiple save slots. Learn more about it in the press release after the cut, then check out our gallery, which has 58 images, including screens and new art of Phoenix and friends swinging Wii Remotes.

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DS | Crime Scene Official Trailer 1

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:27:44 +0000

Solve murders and all sorts of crime scenes in this latest trailer! Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Crime Scene Official Trailer 1 " was posted by DanM on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:27:44 -0800

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Capcom Saves Everyone Money By Releasing Phoenix Wright On WiiWare Next Year

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:09:00 +0000

It's not a cheap proposition to track down all of the Phoenix Wright releases on the DS, but Capcom's making that problem a little easier to solve starting in January. The publisher will be releasing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney , Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials And Tribulations through Nintendo's WiiWare service. The best part? Each installment will cost you only $10 each. Praise you, Capcom. The first installment arrives January, followed by a sequel per month in February and March. There does not appear to be much of difference between the handheld and WiiWare versions of Phoenix Wright , other than expanding the view to widescreen. It's not truly widescreen, though; there's a border surrounding to make up for the missing space, but it still looks better than a stretched screen.

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Capcom Saves Everyone Money By Releasing Phoenix Wright On WiiWare

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:09:00 +0000

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History of Nintendo: The Game Boy Color

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:15:00 +0000

ONM remember the handheld granddaddy. Ah, the faithful old Game Boy Color, handheld forerunner to the GBA and great granddaddy of the all-conquering DS, DSi and now, the DS XL. Click here to read the full article

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Miyamoto: "New SMB Wii the most challenging yet"

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:08:00 +0000

Nintendo's game guru outlines how SMB has more 'oomph'. Nintendo's gaming guru Shigeru Miyamoto believes that player will find New Super Mario Bros. Wii more challenging than the DS original. Click here to read the full article

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Club Nintendo Offering Authentic Game & Watch Reward

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:03:54 +0000

Once again, it seems Japan is getting a much better Club Nintendo reward than its U.S. counterpart. Club Nintendo of Japan has announced a Game and Watch LCD game for members of Platinum status. Specifically, the game is Ball. As I just said, this is an authentic LCD game, not a DS port. If you are not familiar with Ball, it was the first release in the Game & Watch series of LCD games, released nearly three decades ago. Members of Gold status will receive a mere calendar, sadly.

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Wii | Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney WiiWare First Look

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:04:35 +0000

We try out Capcom’s legal game in WiiWare form--now with more waving. Capcom gave us a surprise look at the just announced Wiiware version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney at a press event last night. The game is a conversion of the first DS game for the Wii which modifies the game’s presentation to account for a single screen and motion controls. We tried out the game and, although still a work in progress, it looks like Phoenix Wright’s first adventure is making a comfortable jump to the Wii. For those not in the know about Capcom’s pointy lawyer, the Phoenix Wright series follows the ace attorney as he starts out defending a childhood friend on a murder charge, but soon finds himself in a complicated mess. You’ll play as the smartly attired and sensibly coiffed hero and guide him as he investigates, interrogates and objects his way to the truth’ or at least a court victory. The Wiiware game should be familiar to anyone who played the game on the DS with some ...

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DS | Ace Attorney trio filing onto WiiWare

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:39:57 +0000

Capcom porting original Phoenix Wright court room drama to Nintendo's console beginning in January for $10; Justice for All in March, Trials and Tribulations in May. In June, Capcom said that Ace Attorneys Investigations: Miles Edgeworth would be available for the DS on February 16. With no other installments in Capcom's court room drama franchise announced, it would logically follow that Miles Edgeworth would be the next game released in the Ace Attorney franchise. However, those that made such an assumption would, in fact, be wrong. Will anyone object to a $1 add-on? Today, Capcom said that it will port the three original DS installments in the Ace Attorney franchise to Nintendo's downloadable game service, WiiWare. A pared down version of Phoenix Wright's initial 2005 outing will lead things off in January for 1,000 Wii points ($10). The game will include the first four cases found in the DS installment, with the fifth ...

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Assassin's Creed II Discovery

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Assassin's Creed II Discovery is a bit of an improvement over the previous AC game on DS, Altair's Chronicles . This time around, developer Ubisoft Montreal, does more than just try to cram a poor imitation of its console game onto the DS. Discovery is something of a sidequest to the Assassin's Creed 2 console version (most likely taking place between Sequences 11 and 14), and plays as a 2D side-scroller where you employ stealth and speed to help other assassins, defeat Templars, and protect some explorer named Cristoffo Corombo (Yes, that Columbus Corombo). I didn't think I'd like playing stealth in a 2D game, but Discovery pulls it off well. There's something oddly satisfying about watching the animation of a kill and hearing the "ching" of your sword piercing metal and flesh. I just wish the rest of the fighting in the game was as gratifying; most of the fights are just blocking the enemy's attacks by holding the "R" ...

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DS | Zelda 'surprise' planned for E3 2010

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:00:10 +0000

Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma says developer has been "trying something new" with the structure of Link's upcoming Wii installment, due next year. Nintendo certainly brought Mario to the party at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo , announcing such titles starring the portly plumber as Galaxy 2, Bowser's Inside Story, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, the publisher's other workhorse franchise, Zelda, went largely unnoticed, save for Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS, which had been announced several months prior at the 2009 Game Developers Conference . Hey, listen! However, Nintendo's creative mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto did drop some hints about the franchise during the show, saying a new console installment is "targeted" for 2010 . Today, producer Eiji Aonuma told the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine that the publisher should have a few details to share on the as-yet-unnamed Zelda game come E3 ...

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DS | Sports Authority to stock Wiis, fitness games

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:13:59 +0000

Retailer will begin stocking consoles and exer-games including Wii Fit, Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum, and others; dedicated EA Sports Active outlets also spotted. Get the full article at GameSpot " DS | Sports Authority to stock Wiis, fitness games " was posted by Tor Thorsen on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:13:59 -0800

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Analyst: Reviews Don't Matter To DS Users

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:38:00 +0000

At the Montreal International Game Summit, industry analyst Jesse Divnich (the Director of Analyst Services at EEDAR) dropped an interesting bombshell: When it comes to games, critical scores don't matter as much as marketing. According to Divnich's research, marketing influences game sales three times as much as reviews. How much review scores influence sales is console-specific, according to Divnich. “Review scores don’t matter on DS,” he said, using critical darling Scribblenauts as an example. Just about every critic raved about the DS puzzle game, but it's not the top-selling DS game of all time by a long, long shot. Divnich's (depressing) take-away: “There is no compelling reason to focus on quality, you should literally just spend that money and time on marketing." It's hard to argue with Divnich and company's finding. As games become a less niche-oriented entertainment, the public response seems to be leaning closer to responses to ...

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Metroid Prime May Come Back to DS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:34:00 +0000

The Metroid Prime series isn't dead yet, according to an Official Nintendo Magazine interview with Metroid head Kensuke Tanabe. "We are always planning to make new games in the Metroid Prime series," he said. "Depending on the timing and the situation, we cannot deny the possibility of realizing it on the DS or DSi." While it's far from a commitment to a new DS game akin to Metroid Prime Hunters it is at least an indication that they have sequels in mind and aren't ruling anything out. This isn't the first time Tanabe has pointed to Hunters as an inspiration for the future of the series. A few months ago he mentioned interest in multiplayer for Prime, an oft-requested feature that only appeared in the DS iteration so far. Whether the future of the series keeps its multiplayer on the DS or moves it to the Wii, we at least know that Metroid: Other M isn't taking over completely for Samus' future.

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New Lufia Confirmed for DS, Remake of Lufia II

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:13:11 +0000

Last week, it was announced that Square Enix would be bringing back the Lufia series, known as Estpolis in Japan. However, we didn't know the platform. Now, Famitsu has confirmed that the game will be heading to what seems to be Square-Enix's go-to console, the Nintendo DS. Estpolis: The Land Cursed by Gods will actually be a remake of the classic Lufia 2, adding 3D graphics and voice acting. The action will be on the top screen, with the bottom screen used for a map, as well as to switch out party members. It'll also be developed by Neverland, who worked on the previous games for Taito. The game is set for release in Japan on February 25th.

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A Postmortem on Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey has finally been confirmed by Atlus for a March US release, but that's...well, in March. In Japan the game's been out for nearly two months, and as if to rub this in our faces, Famitsu magazine this week published a postmortem of the game, interviewing producer Kazuma Kaneko and director Eiji Ishida about the thought process behind this very, er, strange journey. The first question tackled: Why did they release the first new game in the core Shin Megami Tensei series on a portable? "The first thought was to make a large-scale on the RPG, which can be done with a relatively small dev team," Ishida replied. "From there, Kaneko wrote a pitch to make a DS game in the Shin Megami Tensei series, the game that got him to join the company in the first place." "I think one of the best things about the DS is the way it demands your concentration as you hold it in your hands," Kaneko added. ...

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Ace Attorney Getting WiiWare'd En Masse

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:22:00 +0000

If you've wanted to play Capcom's Ace Attorney series but never quite got around to it (or are against the Nintendo DS for religious reasons), you're in luck. Capcom announced this week that the first three games in the ribald lawyer-'em-up adventure series -- the so-called "Phoenix Wright trilogy" -- will all be ported to WiiWare in Japan starting next month. On December 15, you'll be able to buy the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on WiiWare in Japan for 900 Wii points. This will be followed up by Justice for All on January 26 (1200 Wii points), Trials and Tribulations on February 23 (1200 Wii points), and Chapter 5 of the first Phoenix Wright (which was new to Japan when the DS ports came out, but not to Americans) on March 16 for 300 Wii points. The Wiiware ports will not feature many enhancements, other than the requisite Wiimote support for adventure-sequence navigation and hilarious objection ...

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Lufia Series Returns to DS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Following up their teaser announcement on Famitsu.com last week, Square Enix released the first official details today on Estpolis: The Lands Cursed by the Gods , a brand-new Nintendo DS installment in the role-playing series known as Lufia in America. The game's due out February 25 in Japan for 5980 yen; no US date has been announced. The new Estpolis is being developed by Lufia creator Neverland Company, with much of the staff of Lufia II closely involved with the project. That's no accident, as it turns out: This Estpolis is an action-RPG "rebirth" of Lufia II, which originally hit the Super NES in 1996. Starring Maxim, a young monster hunter blessed with impressive and mysterious powers, the game features him and his friends on a quest to uncover what lurks behind the Wave Device, an object that grants the user godlike powers. As in Lufia II, the game will feature dungeons that focus heavily on puzzle-solving; ...

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News: Metroid Prime series could continue on DS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:12:46 +0000

Producer can't 'deny the possibility of realising it on DS'.

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Gallery: Monster Rancher DS

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:21:00 +0000