We're Back in Business

If you've already seen, the site is back up, and we apologize for the site being down for almost three weeks, but we'll try to pick things up after we're settle down. I would like to thank UZG (current webmaster), Jeremy (ex-webmaster, founder), Secret322, and espicially Mprunty from GamingEvolution who got the site today. We will also try to put up articles as soon as possible and we'll try to recover as much news as we can.

Pre E3: Marvel: Ultimate Alliance on the Wii

Activision announced last thursday that they are in works on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Raven Software, the guys behind the X-men action/ roleplaying series, is developing the title. Over 20 characters from the Marvel universe will be playable, and they can choose Marvel favorites such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade, and ect.

"Marvel: Ultimate Alliance delivers a new twist on action/RPGs where players' actions and choices ultimately determine what happens to the Marvel universe," states Will Kassoy of Activision. "This coupled with the game's enormous character roster will deliver an action-packed experience that comic book fans have been waiting for."

The title will be release this fall on all next gen platform, including the Wii

Source: Wii IGN

-Falco8

Weekly Japanese Chart Sales

Here's the (late) weekly Japanese chart sales for the week of April 17.

Software:
1. GBA - Mother 3 (Nintendo): 205,914 (*NEW*)
2. PS2 - Dragon Quest Mystrious Dungeon Yangus (Square-Enix): 127,502 (*NEW*)
3. PS2 - Final Fantasy XI Aht Urhgan expansion (Square-Enix): 75,983 (*NEW*)
4. NDS - Motto Otona no DS Training/Brain Training 2 (Nintendo): 70,831 (1,957,633)
5. PSP - Dragonball Z Shin Budokai (Bandai): 70,559 (*NEW*)
6. PS2 - Okami (Capcom): 60,161 (*NEW*)
7. NDS - Brain Training/Brain Age (Nintendo): 48,493 (1,977,999)
8. NDS - Animal Crossing Wild World (Nintendo): 42,994 (2,505,056)
9. NDS - Eigo Zuke/English Training (Nintendo): 39,757 (886,471)
10. NDS - Pokemon Ranger: Diamond & Pearl e-no Michi (Nintendo): 31,640 (390,641)

Hardware:
DSL: 168,809 (996,546)
PSP: 32,323 (641,722)
PS2: 25,763 (529,978)
GBM: 18,390 (81,068)
GBASP: 11,044 (111,858)
NDS: 8,051 (775,824)
360: 3,990 (41,277)
GCN: 1,106 (44,755)
GBA: 58 (2,455)
XBX: 16 (1,371)

YTD / LTD
NDS - 1,772,370 / 7,419,322
PSP - 641,722 / 3,324,684
NDS Lead - 1,130,648 / 4,094,638

Source: Media Create

-Falco8

Pre E3: Tony Hawk: DownHill Jam Exclusive for Wii and DS

Nintendo Power has reported that Activision has confirmed that Tony Hawk: DownHill Jam will be an exclusive on the Wii and DS and the game is being developed by Toys for Bob.

On the Wii version of DownHill Jam, you will be able to use the Wii controller to control the movement by tilting the remote to go which direction and you'll use the buttons to do any tricks. The Wii version will have four player split-screen multiplay action and eight new levels to play on and new skaters to face. Toys for boys also implemented a new boost meter when you push the controller forward.

Look out for this game at E3 2006 next week!

Source: Nintendo Power

-Falco8

Nintendo Revolution now named Nintendo Wii

Introducing… Wii. As in “we.”

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games… and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive “ii” spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.

Official Wii Site

-hasbeenhere

Pre E3: THQ E3 lineup

THQ released their E3 2006 lineup


Barnyard (PS2, GC, GBA, and PC)
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (PS2, GC, Revolution, GBA, DS, and PC)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (PS2, GC, Xbox, Revolution, PSP, GBA, DS, and PC)
Nicktoons (working title) (PS2, GC, GBA, and DS)
Unfabulous (GBA)
Danny Phantom: Urban Jungle (DS and GBA)

Source: GC Cafe

-Falco8

Pre E3: Super Monkey Ball on the Revolution

SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced Super Monkey Ball™: Banana Blitz developed by SEGA Studios for the Nintendo Revolution system. AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo's new console with new mind-blowing puzzle levels and a wealth of new and exciting Party Games specifically designed to fully exploit the innovative Nintendo Revolution controller. Other titles will have a difficult time matching the multitude of possible variations in game control as presented in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.

"The Nintendo Revolution presents a totally unique avenue for our developers to explore the art of game design," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz will present a mind-boggling array of gameplay innovations that will excite and challenge gamers while pushing the boundaries of imagination forward."

The single-player puzzle levels in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz have been innovatively designed to challenge gamers' skills like never before. For the first time in the Super Monkey Ball franchise, AiAi and his friends will have the ability to jump when players flick the Nintendo Revolution controller in an upward motion. The ability to jump has given game designers another dimension in which to expand the Super Monkey Ball gameplay experience and allows gamers a whole new way to interact with the franchise; this time in true three-dimensional fashion.

The Party Games, for which the Super Monkey Ball franchise is famous, return with more variety than ever. An abundance of new Party Games have been creatively designed to take advantage of the Revolution controller in a multitude of ways. Gamers will find themselves competing in a traditional game of ring toss, or even smacking pesky moles in a game of "Whack-a-Mole." Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz's large library of Party Games is sure to inspire friendly competition anytime.

Source: GC Cafe

-Falco8

NIBRIS Announces Sadness to Appear in Black and White

NIBRIS reports that their Revolution horror title, Sadness will be shown in black and white.

“We [NIBRIS] decided to follow Nintendo’s path, which definitely fights the stagnation which has occurred in video games, and creates new trends. With this move, we want to create a unique environment, which is only available in Sadness.” NIBRIS employee

Now RawmeatCowboy says that this idea is interesting and he's glad that NIBRIS is taking this route. I think it's interesting too, bit I'm a bit skeptic at the same time. Why I'm skeptic is because causual gamers who love to see beautiful "colors" in their game, will disregard the game because the game will be in just "black and white", but we'll see when NIBRIS release more information and any media of Sadness.

Source: GoNintendo

-Falco8

Ubisoft Officially Announces Red Steel

Ubisoft announced today that they are in development of Red Steel, an first person shooter that is exclusive for the Revolution. The game takes place in modern Japan, and you will be able to wield a katana sword and a gun with emtionally and immersive gameplay.

Chief creative officer at Ubisoft, Serge Hascoet says, "We're honored to announce this exciting new franchise and we're confident that Red Steel will be the must-have title for the Revolution when it launches...We have been working closely with Nintendo to take full advantage of the innovative controller to create a thrilling experience that can only exist on the Revolution."

Also Reggie Fils-Aime, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo of America says "Nintendo is excited to have Ubisoft bring Red Steel to the Revolution launch lineup...Ubisoft makes some of the most innovative and critically acclaimed games in the industry and from what we have seen from Red Steel it is going to be a standout exclusive title on the Revolution. The Red Steel brand will reflect this expertise and build upon Ubisoft's past to invigorate the future experience allowed within the Revolution platform."

Ubisoft will have the chance to display their Revolution FPS game at this year E3 2006, and we can't wait to see what's in store for us.

Source: GC Cafe

-Falco8

Top Gear for DS

The article was taken from GoNintendo.

"Tantalus Interactive is happy to announce its partnership with Japanese publisher Kemco to develop an innovative new racing title for the DS platform. The two companies collaborated in 2003 to produce the award winning Top Gear Rally on GBA, a game ultimately published by Nintendo. This extension of the relationship will see the creation of an original racing title for the DS, leveraging Kemco’s popular Top Gear brand. The new game, Top Gear: Downforce, will ship late in 2006 and will be the second DS release for Tantalus, following on from the hugely popular SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger.

Tantalus CEO Tom Crago said the company was happy to have the opportunity to develop another title in the Top Gear franchise. 'We loved the original Top Gear on N64, and of course our rally title on GBA was a big success. This time around we’re attempting something completely different. We want to create a racing game that feels perfectly at home on the DS platform, something built from the ground up to exploit the cool features of the hardware.'

Kemco President Masakatsu Hirose shared Crago’s enthusiasm. 'Top Gear Rally on GBA rates among Kemco’s most successful releases. Many people enjoyed this title, and we know that with Tantalus we can create a new game within the franchise that will be just as popular.'

Top Gear: Downforce will be a ‘top-down’ style racer, boasting 3D models, robust vehicle physics, and the ability to place hazards on the track surface using the touch screen of the DS. The game will also allow for wireless multiplayer races and data sharing between players.

More details about Top Gear: Downforce will be available at E3 in May."

Source: GoNintendo

-Falco8

Big Brain Academy and Sudoku Gridmaster comes to the DS

The article was taken from Nintendo.com.

"Two new titles for Nintendo DSâ„¢ will extend Nintendo's mental mastery and guarantee Nintendo DS owners will have plenty of ways to keep their brains busy this summer.

Big Brain Academyâ„¢ is the second game in the record-breaking brain-training series taking Japan by storm. In Big Brain Academy, players perform a series of fun and mentally stimulating mini-games. The game then assigns them a letter grade and cites a famous person or profession with a similar set of skills. This graphically appealing title measures skills like thinking, memorization, analysis, identification and computation. Big Brain Academy, Rated E for Everyone, launches May 29.

A month later, sudoku fans will find themselves in number-crunching heaven as Sudoku Gridmaster makes its way to Nintendo DS on June 26. The system's touch screen makes choosing or writing numbers easy. Players will find more than 400 puzzles, all of which were selected by the original creators of sudoku.

Sudoku is the most popular puzzle game in the world right now, and Sudoku Gridmaster puts hundreds of puzzles in portable form, just in time for the summer travel season. To satisfy novices and sudoku experts alike, the puzzles come in four difficulty settings: practice, easy, normal and hard. Sudoku Gridmaster is Rated E for Everyone."

Source: Nintendo.com

-Falco8

More "Immersed" Red Steel Info

Now thanks to The Revolution Lifestyle, we have a more "cleared up" information about Red Steel, the Revolution FPS exclusive game. The news article was abit long, so if you want to info, click here.

Source: The Revolution Lifestyle

-Falco8

Revolution to Have Twenty Launch Titles

Game Informer, a video game magazine which released exclusive info about the FPS Revolution title, Red Steel, has gotten the chance to talk to Nintendo's Senior Vice President of Marketing, George Harrison about the Revolution's upcoming launch in detail.

Harrison tells Game Informer that the Revolution will have twenty titles for its launch day and about a third (six or seven) games will becoming from Nintendo, which makes the Revolution the largest console launch in Nintendo's history. Also he says that the Revolution will cost less than $299, and most of the titles will cost less than $60, but some games might see a $60 priced on them.

Nintendo is coming strong with the Revolution's release, and also we all can't wait to what's in store in E3!

Source: GC Cafe

-Falco8

Weekly Japanese Chart Sales

Here's the Weekly Japanese Chart sales for the week of March 27.

Software:
01. PS2 - Pro Soccer wo Tsukurou Europe Championship (Sega): 149,370 (*NEW*)
02. PS2 - Another Century's Episode 2 (Banpresto): 111,411 (*NEW*)
03. NDS - Motto Otona no DS Training/Brain Training 2 (Nintendo): 86,206 (1,734,846)
04. PS2 - Final Fantasy XII (Square-Enix): 85,909 (2,087,853)
05. NDS - Pokemon Ranger: Diamond & Pearl e-no Michi (Nintendo): 83,244 (276,580)
06. NDS - Oideyo Dobutsu no Mori/Animal Crossing DS (Nintendo): 79,563 (2,350,164)
07. NDS - Otona no DS Training/Brain Training (Nintendo): 52,474 (1,821,293)
08. NDS - Eigo Zuke/English Training (Nintendo): 49,949 (753,106)
09. PSP - Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable (Konami): 44,999 (*NEW*)
10. PSP - Naruto: Narutimate Portable (Bandai): 40,527 (*NEW*)


Hardware
DSL: 149,371 (532,037)
NDS: 59,903 (680,684)
PSP: 36,943 (552,494)
PS2: 33,301 (447,771)
GBASP: 6,732 (89,231)
360: 3,258 (33,422)
GBM: 2,992 (55,889)
NGC: 1,492 (41,345
GBA: 151 (2,240)
XBX: 68 (1,281)


Source: Media Create

-Falco8

DS Download Station Store Locator

There is now a store locator on nintendo.com/dsdownloadstation.

Source: Nintendo.com

-hasbeenhere

More Info on Red Steel

Revolution IGN reports that the Red Steel, exclusive title for the Revolution, will have sword fighting and shooting gameplay mechanics. Also the Revo screenshots that we've shown on the site is displayed in 16x9 widescreen.

The biggest aspect about this game is the Revolution's controller. For example, you could hold a gun and a sword normally or you could your gun or sword sideways on how you hold the controller, and you could also block incoming attack with your sword. IGN also stated that the gamer could jump over obstacles or taking cover by a flick of the Revolution's controller, and finally the game will have online multiplayer and it will be a launch title for the Revolution

Source: Revolution IGN

-Falco8

First Revolution Screenshots!

STOP THE PRESSES!
...................
Not us!

On topic, A game called Red Steel is in the works for revolution, and Game Informer are doing a big expo on it, featuring screenshots from the actual game!

Game informer claims that Red steel “comes from the Ubisoft Paris team, which is comprised of industry veterans who worked on franchises like Prince of Persia, Far Cry Instincts, Ghost Recon, and Splinter Cell.”

A big thanks to Go Nintendo for the quote and scans who thank InfectedZero and Game Informer for that.

Rumor: Tony Hawk Comes to the Revolution

Words coming from IGN's own Matt's blog, reports that Activision will release their upcoming skateboarding game, Tony Hawk Down Hill Jam on Nintendo's next-gen console, Revolution. He further reports that the skateboarding game will use the the Revolution's controller and also the game will be a launch title for the Revolution.

No word has come from Activision, so you could take this news with grains of salt.

Source: DSRevolution

-Falco8

Weekly Japanese Hardware Chart Sales

Here's the Weekly Japanese Chart sales for the week of March 20.

Hardware
1. Nintendo DS Lite - 119.986
2. Nintendo DS - 39.307
3. PlayStation 2 - 34.169
4. Sony PSP - 31.077
5. Game Boy Advance SP - 5.627
6. Game Boy Micro - 4.883
7. GameCube - 1.458
8. Xbox 360 - 1.415
9. Xbox - 117
10. Game Boy Advance - 98

Source: Media Create

-Falco8

Sol Tournaments presents: The Easter Soliday Tourney

Incredibly cheesy name, but it's the word Tournament that counts.On Saturday the 8th of April, I'm hosting a Hunters tournament. The winner will recieve An undecided title (plus a banner for message boards with it on) with an optional prize of 2 million Bells in ACWW.Now for details, simplified.

- The Preliminary rounds begin on Saturday, the beginning of the UK Easter Holidays (but mine have already started. =P)- Each Preliminary round is a 4 player survival battle with 3 lives each. (Possibly 3, if the 4-way server problems don't disappear)
- Every day after the prelims will be the real rounds. These will be arranged by timezone and when you are available, as well as rank.
- When you lose, you lose. Luckily you'll be entered into a "Loser" Friend pool, so you can battle with all your fellow participants.

That pretty much sums it up. Now, there are 4 non-working days in the holidays after it begins, with a possible two matches per day. So logically 4x4x2 makes 32 places. Thus, with the prelims, this comes to a grand total of 64 prelim places.

I have a freewebs site currently under refurbishment for this tounrament complete with chatroom and message board. My sources tell me the chatroom is filled with pron, so that may be taken down.

Lastly, I just want to go over how the prelims work. each of the participants are matched with an opponent and have a battle of their choice. The winner is entered into the tournament. If turnout is less that 40, then the prelims will simply be a winners ladder to weed out the exess players.And I'll leave you with a Sign up sheet. Simply e-mail me your Name and Friend code and i'll add you to the growing roster.

http://www.freewebs.com/soltournaments/

P.S: I understand this isn't strictly news, but wasn't Narnia's hosting way back in Winter non-news also?

e-mail: jaredsol@gmail.com

Linking your MPH Hunters liscence

A neat little exploited by SHORTY, this allows you to show a hunters liscense pic on your favorite message board, but one that's updated every two hours.

http://www.freewebs.com/shorty252/index.htm

If you follow the instructions there, then you get the final result. But just as a simplifier, here's what you do.

1) Log in on NintendoWifi.com
2) Link your DS to your account
3) Go into any top ten leaderboards and right click on your name in yellow
4) copy the URL link in the box that appears
5) Either use the complex HTML supplied on the site, or use IMG tags on sites such as invisionfree message boards.