Anyone heard of Chrono Trigger? A little game released back in 1995 for the SNES? I realize it's obscure and all but I expect you pinnacles of geekery, you princes of Maine, might have heard of it at some point in your exhaustive games-centric research. Chris informs me (between Chrono Trigger induced pants-wetting sessions) that the original SNES version of Chrono Trigger is "one of the rarest SNES games you can find".
Well, come this holiday season, a version of Chrono Trigger that isn't a complete and total clusterfuck like the PS1 port will be coming to the DS. Excited yet? The mere mention of a port to the DS is enough to cause spasms of delight in even the most stoic of geeks. So I hope you're sitting down, as the DS port will add wireless multiplayer and a new dungeon to explore with your friends. In the palm of your hand. On Chrono Trigger.
Every time I begin to doubt that it's the future something like this happens. Screw flying cars and pill-food, I'll take Chrono Trigger on a device the size of my hands thank you very much.
posted by Chris on June 9, 2008 5:54 PM in Podcast
Join Weekly Geek editors Ross, Jinny, Qais and Chris this week as they discuss the new iPhone, how Apple may (or may not!) destroy the Nintendo DS, Republicans playing World of Warcraft, in-game ads, how the Atari movie could be an epic of our times, and the art of Adolf Hitler. The only other place you could get such a crazy mix of topics is if you were to be harassed by a meth-addled hobo! Don't let the hobo get you! Download the podcast post-haste!
Note: Due to unfortunate technical disturbances in the force, Ross' audio is at whisper-level. Instead of just scrapping this perfectly decent podcast, I opted to release it anyway for posterity. I apologize in advance for any burst eardrums caused by audio schizophrenia.
posted by Chris on April 14, 2008 4:18 PM in Podcast
Who knew what kind of effect Animal Crossing could have on a man? In this week's podcast, Qais recounts his harrowing tale of Tom Nook-related horror, joined by Chris and Ross who laugh in delight at his misery. Nintendo's E3 debut of a new DS is discussed, as well as Bad Company's weapon conspiracy, indie games relying on old school art, video game retail stores that look like Borg ship interiors (and how awesome that would be), and Motley Crue is made fun of for being old. Your questions are also answered within as the mailbag is opened and not mocked in the slightest.
The latest Photoshop Friday over at the inimitable SomethingAwful comes with a couple steampunk re-imaginings of a DS, Wii, and Wiimote. Temper the overwhelming sadness you'll surely feel when you open that Wii rain check this Christmas with another picture of something you can't have.
posted by Qais on November 16, 2007 8:41 AM in Games
We here at the 'Geek, or rather I, have a tendency to stoke the rumor mill any time something juicy drips before our ravenous, news-hungry maws. As such, it is with great pleasure, and perhaps just a bit of mischievous schadenfreude, that I bring you yet another rumor. According to the investigative team at Kotaku, a site with which I'm sure you're familiar if for nothing other than it's journalistic integrity, a new DS is possibly in the works.
George Harrison, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communication at Nintendo, has been quoted thusly:
We don't have any imminent plans for an upgrade for the Nintendo DS. The product is still selling extremely well around the world.
which is a whole lot different from "no new DS ever no, never". Rumors indicate a potentially larger viewing screen, more on board storage, and the removal of the GBA port. Granted, there isn't much in the world that could keep me from spewing bodily fluids of joy over Phantom Hourglassbigger, but if Nintendo takes away my ability to play Japanese imports of GBA games on my DS then my DS will be the last Nintendo system I own. You hear that Nintendo, I'm breaking up with you, consider your friend code hastily erased.
posted by Qais on October 24, 2007 2:23 PM in Games
A while back I came across a game that was so addictive I completely lost myself in it for the better part of a year. That game was Animal Crossing. I obsessed over it. Every day would have at least several hours of Animal Crossing time allotted. If I didn't get my fix I was a force with which to be reckoned, withering all in my path with a look as I made my way to that sweet, sweet Animal Crossing fix.
Eventually I kicked my habit and went on about the business of living a real life instead of simulating one. Those fuckers at Nintendo knew what was up, and they released Animal Crossing for the DS. I tried to resist. I called my sponsor, even went to a few meetings, but Nintendo knows an addict and I came back to the fold. It's a strange sight to see, that of a grown man weeping uncontrollably over his DS at how incredibly weak willed he is. I only wish I hadn't been looking in a mirror. But eventually I regained control and put Animal Crossing away. Sure we still have a fling every now and again, but that bitch has burned me bad and you just can't forget the pain of pushing away your loved ones so you can make the purple tulip.
Once again, Nintendo is back on the block, slingin' the fiends that need a fix and bringing the wandering back home to the warm embrace of an Animal Crossing fix. But Nintendo is no fool, they know they can't keep feeding us the same thing without our addictions eventually moving to another seemingly pointless game. Oh no my friends, now we'll have the opportunity to feed our ravenous addictions together, in an MMO format.
Animal Crossing is ripe for the MMO treatment. The DS flavor of coop play has always been fun, and I'll be the first to admit that I love the Animal Crossing griefer crews lurking in the dark corners of forums rife with typos prevalent enough to make you want to bleach your own eyes. Granted, this is all speculation based on thinly veiled hints dropped by Katsuya Eguchi, head of development for the project, but Nintendo would be a pack of fools not to do this.
posted by Chris on September 25, 2007 11:41 AM in Games
Geometry Wars! Known as one of the reasons I purchased an Xbox 360 - this fantastic series is coming to the DS and the Wii and the requisite marketing rush has begun. Not only have they released a cool trailer featuring dorks dressed in dorky costumes dancing to Particle Man by They Might Be Giants, but we get a heaping helping of LOLcat inspired Geometry Wars humor. Viral marketing is often cheesy and flops miserably, but this is tongue in cheek enough to get a chuckle out of me.
I am a youngin', there I've said it. There are simply some games that I can't connect with people on from a nostalgia standpoint. Now I'm no slouch, I've done my due diligence and gone out of my way to experience classic games so I could at least have an understanding of how much the industry has improved, and how little you can deliver while still providing a really fun game but there are still times I find myself perplexed at the talk of the ancient and saddled with a host of new-old games to find and play.
With that in mind it's difficult to formulate an opinion on the new DS peripheral being released by Taito, the creators of Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, and Qix, all of which I've sought out and played (as a matter of fact Space Invaders is the reason I go to my favorite bar here in Seattle). I've yet to find an original machine so playing with a spinner has never been an option, and while I am usually the first to offer vehement protestation at any bulky peripheral being added to my hand held I am intrigued by having the opportunity to play updates of classic games as they were meant to be played.
There are definitely conflictingreports out over whether this thing is the silicon and plastic incarnation of Christ or just another overpriced piece of crap you'll use once and ignore. Personally I have a feeling I'll end up loving this little thing to death in combo with Space Invaders Extreme while ignoring the rumored Guitar Hero DS peripheral as gimmicky and silly.
Or some enterprising youngster with far too much time on their hands cobbled together pieces from various laptops to create a DS peripheral of Frankensteinian proportion.
As much as it saddens me to say this, if Nintendo bought the rights to this and started producing them commercially we would see hordes of children with them in their laps, as bought by parents sans the ever crucial "clue", come December 26th.
Based strictly on the adorable packaging (and maybe my Final Fantasy fan boy leanings), I bought SquareEnix's Chocobo Tales for the DS earlier this year. It was most certainly a novelty - cute little chickens, inside humor, mini games, and some collectible card slinging on the side. It was great though: challenging at moments and a fun little time killer for a handheld title.
If you liked that, you're sure to blow your top over SquEnix's purported upcoming Wii effort: Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon. Finally a reason to fire up that other small white thing next to my 360! Japanese game rag Famitsu had some lovely screenshots (including the one above) depicting not only a truer RPG game play format, but Chocobos donning the legendary Final Fantasy Black Mage and White Mage garb. This amazing role expansion for our favorite in-game fowls is exciting, to be sure, and it couldn't possibly get any cuter unless you rolled it up in icing and sequins and packaged it as a new Barbie accessory.
Tucked away in the middle of a cluster of gaming stations in the Barker Hangar was one solitary DS Lite. On that DS Lite? Contra 4. That was one of the more remarkable things about the Barker Hangar this year, the best games could just be sitting there, waiting for someone to play them, no lines. All my previous worries about Contra 4 were laid to rest after actually getting to experience it - this is certainly the Contra we all know and love. It's still SUPER hard, I could hardly get past the first level (by hardly I mean I didn't). The addition of a grappling hook feels natural to the series, though it's a bit frustrating it can only shoot straight up and not at an angle a la Bionic Commando. The controls are surprisingly tight for a small third party developer continuing this series, it really just feels natural. The music, the sound effects, everything is meant to harken back to the Contra days of yore. This is going to be an exciting rest of 2007, I tell you what.
Final Fantasy 12 was definitely one of the best Final Fantasy games ever created, and Square Enix knows this. They know it so well that they are releasing about a million spinoffs in the same world as ff12, and surprisingly they all look pretty great. One of these spinoffs is a strange little tactics game for the DS called Revenant Wings. I got to play a bit of it on the show floor and I must say I was impressed. First off, Final Fantasy 12 on a portable system? Yes, please. Throw in some gorgeous fmv cutscenes, fantastic localization (Balthier's lines in the demo were priceless) and a new crisp almost chibi art style and you have a winner on your hands. My only issue with the demo was that the combat and gameplay was very slow paced, being a tactics game. You have to select the character you want to move with the stylus, then you have to select where you want them to walk or who you want them to attack, and then they sloooooooowly walk over and start auto attacking. The demo was pretty short and it didn't give a feel for the grand scope of the battle system, but from what I played I am certainly optimistic.
I really don't understand what is wrong with Nintendo these days. Not even their PR reps can disguise the level of poop being shoveled out onto the Wii, and even the DS these days. Check out this year long lineup in a recent press release.
Whether you're a longtime gamer who likes classic franchises or a newcomer
aiming to keep your brain sharp, Nintendo's summer lineup of games has
something for you. Nintendo's offerings are anchored by key Wii(TM) games
like Metroid Prime(R) 3 Corruption and Mario Strikers(TM) Charged.
Nintendo DS(TM) owners can challenge their minds with games like Brain
Age(TM) 2: More Training in Minutes a Day and the new picture-based puzzle
game, Picross DS(TM).
Licensees also are demonstrating a strong commitment to Wii and Nintendo
DS by announcing more than 40 titles in all genres. The unique controls
of Wii and Nintendo DS make the Nintendo platform versions of these games
entirely new experiences. No matter what your taste or experience level,
you'll keep busy this summer!
Wii
July 30 Mario Strikers Charged Nintendo
Aug. 20 Metroid Prime 3 Corruption Nintendo
September Battalion Wars 2 Nintendo
Aug. 14 High School Musical: Sing It! Disney Interactive Studios
Aug. 14 Madden NFL '08 EA
August Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 EA
August Space Station Tycoon Namco Bandai
August Brunswick Pro Bowling Crave
August Dave Mirra BMX Challenge Crave
August Pinball Hall of Fame: Crave
The Williams Collection
September Brothers in Arms Ubisoft
September Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal Warner Bros.
September George of the Jungle Crave
Fall Boogie EA
Nintendo DS
July 30 Picross DS Nintendo
Aug. 20 Brain Age 2: More Training Nintendo
in Minutes a Day
Sept. 10 DK Jungle Climber Nintendo
Sept. 24 Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol Nintendo
July SimCity EA
July Namco Museum DS Namco Bandai
July Drake & Josh THQ
July Glory Days 2 Eidos
Aug. 14 Madden NFL '08 EA
Aug. 14 High School Musical: Disney Interactive Studios
Makin' the Cut!
Aug. 14 Heroes of Mana Square-Enix
August I SPY: Fun House Activision
August Jewel Quest Expedition Activision
August Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 EA
August Worms: Open Warfare 2 THQ
August Luminous Arc Atlus
August Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus Capcom
August Mega Man Star Force: Leo Capcom
August Mega Man Star Force: Dragon Capcom
August Operation: Vietnam Majesco
August Turn It Around Majesco
August The Wild West Majesco
August Fulllmetal Alchemist Destineer
Trading Card Game
September Drawn to Life THQ
September Zoey 101 THQ
September Crayola Treasure Adventures Crave
September Nancy Drew and The Deadly Majesco
Secret of Olde World Park
September Holly Hobbie & Friends Majesco
September Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Capcom
Trials and Tribulations
September Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck Warner Bros.
September Pet Luv Spa & Resort Tycoon Activision
September Animal Genius Activision
September George of the Jungle Crave
September Jam Sessions Ubisoft
September Professor Brainium Destineer
September Indy 500 Legends Destineer
No. Your third party companies are not showing their support for the Wii. What they are doing is shoveling the same shit at you that they always do. Cartoon Network and Disney Channel tv show games? Who buys that crap? The only games on the list that are anticipation-worthy are Metroid, Phoenix Wright, Heroes of Mana, Sim City and MAYBE Chibi Robo. This will NOT keep me busy this summer, Nintendo. You know what WILL keep me busy? The Xbox Live Arcade. You know the one. Where I can meet up with my friends at any time and jump into a game instantly without having to exchange a 16 digit code. The one that rewards me for in game accomplishments. The one that ACTUALLY WORKS.
I know you make a ton of money off of Pokemon and Brain Age in Japan, but we US gamers are feeling a bit unloved with the severe lack of great titles. At the very least don't try to make it seem like we are getting a deal here. We're not.
My broken USB Nintendo WiFi Dongle will go to international geek-kateer, Max "Milhouse" Wagner. Max lives all the way across the pond in the tiny little country of Luxembourg. I decided to pick Max because this seems to be the only possible way that he'll get to play with his DS online. He doesn't have a wireless LAN, there are no WiFi hotspots in the country, and both Nintendo and eBay will not ship to him. He may very well be the only person in the whole country who even owns a DS. And so here comes The Weekly Geek to save the day!
Now I just hope he doesn't have any problems with fixing it, making this whole thing meaningless.
Congratulations, Max!
And thanks to all who participated. Sorry, but you just couldn't beat this awesomely sad story.
posted by Chris on April 26, 2007 8:17 AM in Games
Well, it seems the rumors are true. Yesterday Joystiq reported that English-named Pokémon were big in Japan, being traded over the Nintendo WFC for rare or high level Japanese ones. I tested this theory last night by putting up my level 6 Buneary named "Your Mom". This morning what did I wake up to? A shiny new Chimchar. Being that I selected a Turtwig as my starting Pokémon, this is quite the boon. I put up a Magikarp named "Engrish" to see if I can get a Piplup. Cross your fingers (or just try it yourself!)
Apparently this is because the Japanese players cannot input English characters to name their Pokémon, so being a culture literally obsessed with the concept of novelty they snatch them up right quick. If you try this, post in the comments what you traded and what you got back! We'd love to know.
posted by Chris on April 15, 2007 7:30 PM in Podcast
This week, The Geek and Chris "Frodo" Furniss discuss why you shouldn't see the Transformers movie (it's not for you), how to possibly rip off Gamestop in theory maybe, some notable Wii releases (Super Paper Mario forevaaaah) and the Guitar Hero II downloadable song price-gouging going on. Will you enjoy it? Probably! Subscribe now, download it here, whatever your flavor.
posted by Chris on March 28, 2007 9:02 AM in Games
I have no idea who came up with the brilliant (sarcasm) idea to tag Mario and Sonic onto some cheesy Olympics title, but they should get a pat on the back. Make it a really hard pat, so it bruises. SEGA and Nintendo have announced that Mario and Sonic are teaming up for a game called Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. What's that you say? Sounds incredibly lame? YEAH! I THOUGHT THAT TOO! We must be psychically connected, you and I. The premise is that Mario and Sonic are going to be competing in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The game is going to come out for the Wii and the DS and should hit sometime at the end of this year.
I can see the appeal in pitting Mario vs. Sonic in a game. But using it to promote the Olympics? That's just odd. This game will probably be given to some unknown second party publisher who will do a horrible job on it, making Mario and Sonic look like their long lost third-world cousins or something. Remember Mario is Missing?
posted by Chris on March 15, 2007 9:31 AM in Games
Today Nintendo issued what may be the longest, most information-packed press release I've ever seen about one of their most anticipated games this year: Pokémon Pearl and Diamond for the DS. Release date: April 22. Standard two versions. Total Pokémon: 480. GBA import: yes. Voice chat: enabled. That's right, Nintendo is also going to release a DS headset and have voice chat for Pokémon. Excitement!
In the release they basically talk about how the friend codes are a "feature" and how they prevent children from talking to people they don't know. To me, it's just a pain in the ass but I understand Nintendo's needs to calm the mighty waters of the sea of parental mis-information and lack of proper child-rearing. Honestly, I'd like to see a study that compares Xbox Live's gamertag system vs. Nintendo's friend codes just to see which one is more secure for kids.
The coolest feature in the game? The global trade board. You can post Pokémon you want to trade on the board and view other people's up for trade. It's like Craig's List for Pokémon! All of these new features make this seem like the must-have Pokémon game out of all of the series, and the upcoming integration with the Wii version of Pokémon will end up sucking many of my sweet hours of free time. Anyone else as excited as I am?
Overview:
This isn't your typical Pokemon game. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is the first game in the series where you can actually play as a Pokemon, instead of some kid who just rules the Pokemon world with an iron fist. Mystery Dungeon has two versions, just like the rest of the games in the series, the Red version being for the Gameboy Advance and the Blue version being for the DS, which allows for dual pack gameplay using both of the DS's slots. Gameplay is at times basic and complicated, navigating through dungeons with your Pokemon Rescue Team. Think turn based Diablo. Being a huge Pokemon fan, I dove right in hoping for an immersive and detailed game with a lot of fanservice. Did I get it? Click the jump to find out. (You know you want to click the jump because you just loooooooove Pokemon)
Nintendo has just announced a special promotion with Toys 'R Us, where you can bring your Nintendo DS to any store in the country from July 23-29th giving you "the opportunity to download
six exclusive virtual gifts via DS Download Stations." From the press release:
Nintendo DS Download Stations at all Toys "R" Us stores nationwide will allow fans to download exclusive Mario-themed items: 1-up mushroom, star, fire bar, goal flag, question box and pipe. The items are sure to add character to any Animal Crossing player's house and, more importantly, make all of their "guests" wildly jealous of their mushroom-chic design skills.
Guess who is heading down to his local scummy toy store this July 23rd? This overgrown man-child, that's who.
--Frodo
I don't know how I feel about the New Super Mario Bros. I picked it up the other day, very excited about this release, it is the first new Mario platformer (where it is just Mario + Luigi) in about 15 years. There was an interview with the director in Nintendo Power last month which was less than encouraging, he didn't seem to know his own characters (saying that the Koopa Kids were in the game when in actuality it's just baby bowser) and stating odd reasons for artistic decisions (the 3d polygon graphics were used because it was "easier").
After seeing more gameplay video on the official website I was convinced that the game would be worthwhile, and I got very excited about playing a great Mario platformer again. But now I'm not so sure.
Granted, it is a fun game. It's challenging and fun in true Mario style, but there is something off about it. It seems to pander too much to our nostalgia without offering anything new, fresh or engaging. One of the things that made the Mario series so special in the past was the exploration and the feeling of being rewarded for diligent secret block searching. There are secrets in NSMB, there are new power-ups and items, but something just seems off. The pandering gets to me. The sound effects are mostly original sounds from the NES days and the music is remixed old tunes with weird sound effects layered over. Would someone picking this game up who had never played the old NES games be put off by the retro sound effects? Would they wonder why the game has such poor audio on purpose? Hearing the original coin up sound is neat the first time, but after the 5000th time it gets a bit annoying. The music leaves much to be desired, as well. There seems to be one overworld and one underworld song and they just loop over and over again. What happened to the great atmospheric tunes of different worlds in the Mario universe? If I go to a desert level, I want a song to help me get into the spirit of things, I don't want the same song to follow me from the snow level, or from the grass level.
The graphics irk me more than anything else. The polyons are just plain lazy, why couldn't the game just have beautifully drawn sprites? Super Paper Mario, coming soon for the Gamecube, takes the lazy route by using pre-existing Paper Mario sprites but looks gorgeous. The polygonal effects just look horrible scaled on the small screen and make the hit detection awkward and frustrating.
The play controls feel odd as well. One of the huge things about Mario games is that the play control is always tight, smooth, and very well done. There is something loose about this game... I don't remember if this was the case in older Mario games, but if you get Mario running one direction, he just keeps running with a bit of momentum, you can literally let go of the control pad and just jump if you are fast enough. This leads to sliding around and inaccurate jumps - death for platform games.
There are many fun bits to the game. It is challenging, like I said, and holds some unlockables and surprises. Something about it is just strikingly unremarkable to me. It feels like it is fun, and I will enjoy playing through it, but once I complete it I will never come back to it like I used to with the NES games.
Have you played it? What do you think? Leave a comment or send it to our mailbag!
posted by Chris on April 3, 2006 7:59 AM in Podcast
This week The Geek, White Mage, Nevery and Frodo talk about the the announcement of Zelda DS, Tetris DS, Metroid Prime Hunters, Revolution news, DS Lite and THINGS. Oh, so many things. April Fool's Jokes. Bah. Also Frodo bought a PSP and now is not in possession of a soul. Here are some show notes.
posted by Chris on March 6, 2006 6:13 AM in Podcast
On this week's show, Frodo is sleepy, Nevery is drunk and The Geek is, well, The Geek. They discuss the Spore video meme, Legos, and nowhere is there a Brokeback Mountain reference. Thank [insert deity here]. Show notes forthcoming.
Well, the contest is over and the winners need to be announced. I think I am just the jerk to do it. The contest was to draw me Tom Nook. I didn't care how, I didn't care what he was doing. Tom Nook had to be involved somehow. We had a lot of entries, but here are the top three:
Third Place: Killa Charlie (Probably not his real name)
Violent while still being amusing. Three thumbs up. You get a t-shirt.
Second Place: Charles Vestal
Chuck actually made us two images of Tom Nook. They were incredible and made me pee my pants and cry. Although not in that order, therefore he didn't win. You also get a t-shirt.
WINNAR: Brittany Zumwalt!!!!!111
Brittany showed us how she could meld postmodern art nouveau and bauhaus with.... ahhhh.... she made a cool watercolor portrait of Tom Nook. That's all that matters. Congrats, you not only get a t-shirt like the two losers but you get a sealed copy of Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS.
posted by Chris on February 27, 2006 6:05 AM in Podcast
This week, Frodo, The Geek, White Mage and Nevery discuss fast food, give you your regular updates on Richard Dean Anderson and Reggie Fils-Aime, talk about Star Trek Online, terrorism in WoW and more!
Have some delicious show notes.
Remember, the Animal Crossing contest ends tomorrow! Send in your Tom Nook pictures to frodo@weeklygeekshow.com to win a free copy of Animal Crossing Wild World for the Nintendo DS!
posted by Chris on February 20, 2006 7:27 AM in Podcast
This week, Frodo, The Geek and Nevery discuss viruses on the Mac, Sony's XBOX Live-like service, Hub, the new DS web browser and they surf IMDB live, on the air for your amusement.
Show notes! They are delicious!
Alright, people. I have a present for you. It is a brand new, unopened copy of Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Do you want it? Of course you do. Why wouldn't you. Here's the deal. I want to give this to you. I will send it out to your house, and it will most likely also include a limited edition Zelda Print, and a T-Shirt. Seriously.
This is what you have to do. I want you to draw a picture of Tom Nook. That's right. Just draw Tom Nook. Easy, huh? Send your pictures to frodo@weeklygeekshow.com with the subject "Tom Nook Drawing", and the best drawing (rated by me, because I am awesome) will win their very own copy of Animal Crossing. Cool? Get to it. Contest ends February 25th.
In a matter of weeks: DS owners will sample free games simply by visiting their local game retailers; players will enjoy live, real-time Wi-Fi voice interaction with their portable game play; the 1 millionth DS owner will log onto Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s wireless gaming service; and a new lighter, brighter DS will make its debut in Japan.
Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing, announced the new DS features during his keynote address today at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ D.I.C.E. conference in Las Vegas.
“Nintendo DS was the only video game system that exceeded expectations in 2005, simply because it dared to be different,†Fils-Aime said. “By further enriching the ways in which players can compete, play and sample new games, that process is accelerating in the opening weeks of 2006.â€
DS Download Service: Starting next month, Nintendo will offer all DS owners free downloadable game demos and other downloadable content at thousands of participating retail locations around the United States. An in-store kiosk will beam wireless demo versions of games and other downloadable content into a players’ Nintendo DS system. Users simply stop by the store with their Nintendo DS, click “DS Download Play†on their system and choose one of a variety of DS games they want to sample. The game will download automatically and users can play all they want (even if they leave the store) until the Nintendo DS is turned off.
Metroid Chat: The new Metroid Prime Hunters game for Nintendo DS will give gamers the ability to chat directly with one another before and after matches played via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players in North America simply click the chat icon and say what they have to say. The microphone of the Nintendo DS picks up voice communication and transmits it to the people on their friend list. Players can use the chat function before a match to agree on settings or after a battle to relive their glories. This Teen-rated first-person adventure arrives March 20 and promises to open a dramatically fun new facet of gaming to Nintendo fans.
Nintendo DS Momentum: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection now boasts more than 20 million different connections, representing more than 850,000 unique users worldwide. Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales worldwide, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide through December. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS there the fastest-selling video game launch ever. In addition to Metroid Prime Hunters, Tetris DS also launches March 20. Using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, up to four players can compete in wireless two- or four-player Tetris DS battles against friends or strangers, near or far.
Nintendo DS Lite: The lighter, brighter Nintendo DS system goes on sale in Japan next month. Nintendo DS Lite is about two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Its availability in other regions will be announced at a later date
I guess this means I should probably buy a DS to replace my stolen one.. Attn Nintendo: If you see this my DS was stolen. I'm open to having one sent to me to review your download service.
Overview:
Electroplankton is weird. Electroplankton is not a game. Electroplankton is not a music maker. Do not taunt Electroplankton. Electroplankton will never sell well in the US. If Electroplankton is anything, it is a work of art.
Many games can fall into the "video games as art" classification. Resident Evil 4 was beautifully rendered and thoughtfully put together, you could call it art. Katamari Damacy was stylish and innovative; also art. Electroplankton is what we call in the world of pretentious art jerks: "art for art's sake". As opposed to the other "arty" games mentioned, there is no plot, no end goal. You don't beat a giant plankton and the credits roll. Electroplankton is the end result of an artist's vision (in this case, Japanese artist Toshio Iwai) and it is nothing less than trancendental. You can control 10 different types of creatures, each one with its own ability. The "Tracey" follows a trail you draw for it, the "Rec Rec" records your voice. Each creature generates sound and beats and color and light which is hypnotic, fluid, and ultimately very entertaining. But it will never sell in the US.
posted by Chris on January 29, 2006 8:07 PM in Podcast
Finland Finland Finland. Oh? Hello. I was pretending to not see you there. This week on The Weekly Geek, Frodo, The Geek and White Mage welcome Nevery to the cast. He, like all of us, will soon feel the cold hand of death as he ages into obscurity. This week we discuss more Pixar and Disney, the Nintendo DS lite, E3 restrictions for this coming year and old Tiger electronic lcd games. And a fun time was had by all. Here are some show notes.
This is not a "take this with a grain of salt" moment.
Today on the Nintendo Japan website, the DS redesign was announced. It is retailing for about $150 US (whatever that is in Yen) and looks completely logical. It doesn't seem to have a GBA slot, it's slimmed down and looks like an iPod. The DS has a very mature iPod-buying audience so this makes complete sense. No surprises here. Move along. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/news/060126.html
posted by Chris on January 17, 2006 4:19 AM in Podcast
This week Frodo, The Geek and White Mage welcome special guest Bonnie Ruberg, a gaming journalist who has written for The Escapist, Wired and The Onion AV Club. They discuss more Revolution rumors, PS3 rumors, violence in video games and using Linden dollars in Second Life to buy real life sex toys. Hurray!
Also, here is the grid I made for posing my nifty designs. Just open the grid in your favorite picture editing program and use the paint bucket tool to fill in each square with the appropriate color.
posted by Chris on December 4, 2005 5:07 PM in Podcast
This week, The Geek, Frodo and White Mage discuss more Xbox 360 stuff, Animal Crossing Wild World, Nintendo DS wifi, new Final Fantasy beverages, online gaming communities and Sony generally being retarded. Also The Geek discusses The Flash and cusses a lot (don't worry, it's bleeped for all you youngins out there).
posted by Chris on November 20, 2005 3:57 PM in Podcast
This week The Geek, Frodo and White Mage discuss the stupidity that is the Spike TV Video Game Awards, the Legend of Zelda movie and what that may be like (probably awesome maybe), Mario Kart DS (again) and something called ZUBBLES. Download the show here or put http://www.weeklygeekshow.com/weeklygeek.rss in your favorite podcasting thinger.
Overview: Mario Kart is a very well-loved series. Chances are, you have played one of the many iterations, either on Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance or Gamecube. It is most likely that I do not have to explain to you that it is a racing game featuring Mario and friends, where there are items to chuck at each other. This is all irrelevant information to you. Mario Kart DS does not break any molds, such as with Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Gamecube, where you had two racers in one kart. No, this game is pure Mario Kart. If you were to ask Nintendo to make ONE Mario Kart game that you could take with you on a deserted island that just happened to have a wifi connection, this would be the one. Featuring over 32 tracks, including original creations and retro revivals, this is the comprehensive Mario Kart title. Single-cart multiplayer for up to 8 racers, 4 different modes, 2 different circuits, and online play make this a huge game, both in scope and size.
Title: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow System: Nintendo DS Developer: Konami
Overview: Finally we see a turn in the tide for the Nintendo DS. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is one of the first in a long string of very strong titles this season, and it certainly lives up to the franchise name. DoS is one of the "Metroid-vania" Castlevania games, which started with Symphony of the Night on the PlayStation, and is heavily influenced by Super Metroid. Basically it is a 2d adventure game where you collect items to become stronger, learn new abilities, and access new areas. You are Soma Cruz, Dracula reincarnated, and you must fight a spooky cult trying to turn you to the side of evil. You fight through their castle full of spooky creatures in order to save your own soul. DoS features dual screens (do I even have to say it?), a stunning soundtrack and impressive gameplay. Read on...
Anyone heard of Chrono Trigger? A little game released back in 1995 for the SNES? I realize it's obscure and all but I expect you pinnacles of geekery, you princes of Maine, might have heard of it at some point in your exhaustive games-centric research. Chris informs me (between Chrono Trigger induced pants-wetting sessions) that the original SNES version of Chrono Trigger is "one of the rarest SNES games you can find".
Tucked away in the middle of a cluster of gaming stations in the Barker Hangar was one solitary DS Lite. On that DS Lite? Contra 4. That was one of the more remarkable things about the Barker Hangar this year, the best games could just be sitting there, waiting for someone to play them, no lines. All my previous worries about Contra 4 were laid to rest after actually getting to experience it - this is certainly the Contra we all know and love. It's still SUPER hard, I could hardly get past the first level (by hardly I mean I didn't). The addition of a grappling hook feels natural to the series, though it's a bit frustrating it can only shoot straight up and not at an angle a la Bionic Commando. The controls are surprisingly tight for a small third party developer continuing this series, it really just feels natural. The music, the sound effects, everything is meant to harken back to the Contra days of yore. This is going to be an exciting rest of 2007, I tell you what. 
I really don't understand what is wrong with Nintendo these days. Not even their PR reps can disguise the level of poop being shoveled out onto the Wii, and even the DS these days. Check out this year long lineup in a recent press release. 
Today Nintendo issued what may be the longest, most information-packed press release I've ever seen about one of their most anticipated games this year: Pokémon Pearl and Diamond for the DS. Release date: April 22. Standard two versions. Total Pokémon: 480. GBA import: yes. Voice chat: enabled. That's right, Nintendo is also going to release a DS headset and have voice chat for Pokémon. Excitement! 
Overview:
Nintendo has just announced a special promotion with Toys 'R Us, where you can bring your Nintendo DS to any store in the country from July 23-29th giving you "the opportunity to download 
I don't know how I feel about the New Super Mario Bros. I picked it up the other day, very excited about this release, it is the first new Mario platformer (where it is just Mario + Luigi) in about 15 years. There was an interview with the director in Nintendo Power last month which was less than encouraging, he didn't seem to know his own characters (saying that the Koopa Kids were in the game when in actuality it's just baby bowser) and stating odd reasons for artistic decisions (the 3d polygon graphics were used because it was "easier").
Alright, people. I have a present for you. It is a brand new, unopened copy of Animal Crossing: Wild World for the Nintendo DS. Do you want it? Of course you do. Why wouldn't you. Here's the deal. I want to give this to you. I will send it out to your house, and it will most likely also include a limited edition Zelda Print, and a T-Shirt. Seriously. 
Overview:
Overview: Mario Kart is a very well-loved series. Chances are, you have played one of the many iterations, either on Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance or Gamecube. It is most likely that I do not have to explain to you that it is a racing game featuring Mario and friends, where there are items to chuck at each other. This is all irrelevant information to you. Mario Kart DS does not break any molds, such as with Mario Kart: Double Dash for the Gamecube, where you had two racers in one kart. No, this game is pure Mario Kart. If you were to ask Nintendo to make ONE Mario Kart game that you could take with you on a deserted island that just happened to have a wifi connection, this would be the one. Featuring over 32 tracks, including original creations and retro revivals, this is the comprehensive Mario Kart title. Single-cart multiplayer for up to 8 racers, 4 different modes, 2 different circuits, and online play make this a huge game, both in scope and size. 
Title: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
