Posts by Candace Savino at Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Get to know EA's Facebreakers

Posted May 11th 2008 5:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Video

We've been keeping our eyes on Facebreaker, EA's charmingly silly boxing title. The latest slew of videos feature some "getting to know you" segments with two characters in the game, who are, in a word, strange. It's these quirky characters that make Facebreaker stand out from some of the other boxing games on the Wii, though.

The trailer above shows Romeo, who looks even scarier when he's washing a car than when he's boxing. After the break you can also check out Steve, the nerdy black-belt that likes to ride rhinos and play "Wizards and Lizards."

Continue reading Get to know EA's Facebreakers

Wii Warm Up: A day for moms

Posted May 11th 2008 10:30AM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Wii Warm Up

It's that time of year again: Mother's Day!

So, we thought we'd ask: has your mother ever played the Wii? If so, what games does she like? If not, do you think there are any games she might enjoy? Perhaps Wii Fit?

Go ahead and share any Mother's Day related thoughts here!

Nintendo reveals WiiWare launch List

Posted May 10th 2008 2:30PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Rumors, WiiWare

The North American WiiWare launch is almost upon us, and instead of the stealth releases that we thought were coming, Nintendo's press release of WiiWare games debuting this Monday (along with their point values) was recently leaked. While we can't be sure this list is 100% valid, it looks like we can expect the following:

Defend Your Castle -- 500 Wii Points
Pop -- 700 Wii Points
V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack -- 700 Wii Points
TV Show King -- 1000 Wii Points
LostWinds -- 1000 Wii Points
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King -- 1500 Wii Points

Although we're disappointed by the lack of Dr. Mario, this looks like a pretty solid launch list to us. It'll be difficult to pick and choose exactly which titles we want, but there are definitely some that stand out more than others.

How about you? Do you plan on downloading any of the above, or are you going to wait for impressions and reviews first?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4

Posted May 9th 2008 5:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Another Week in ...

Ah, remember Link's Crossbow Training? The game that was bundled with the Wii Zapper last November (December, for PALs)? It was only released in Japan last week. If sales are any indication, though, Japanese gamers were clamoring for the goron-junk shooter rail shooter, as it claimed the third place spot.

Even so, Link had to hail to the king (baby), as Mario Kart Wii still dominated the charts. The other big news for Mario Kart Wii? It passed one million sales in the Far East, denoting its success. Meanwhile, Deca Sports clamored back into the top ten, but Brawl only slipped further downward, thus answering our question from last week. Also proving that the Japanese love their sports games for the Wii, Bandai Namco's Pro Baseball Family Stadium debuted at spot twenty.

The Wii triumphed in hardware last week as well. While the console continues to trail behind Sony's handheld, Wii sales went up almost 30,000 units from last week -- perhaps from the Link's Crossbow boost. Go on and check things out for yourself after the break, if you feel so inclined.

Continue reading Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4

NES gets digital plastic surgery

Posted May 8th 2008 10:30PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Fan stuff

Before you fall to the ground from being stunned by such a beautiful NES, please note: it's a concept art, not a mod. We wish it were real, though, because we could definitely see ourselves clamoring to buy oldschool systems if they came in pretty packages like this. From the sleek shape, to the coloring, to the LEDs, to the controllers, the whole thing is just incredibly yummy. The best part is that it looks great without deviating too much from the original model -- kind of like Wii Fanboy's idea for a redesigned (and upgraded) Wii console.

Spanish digital artist Javier Segovia deserves the credit for this one. Nintendo, please take note. And be sure to check out some of the other retro mods we've featured here on the site in our gallery below!

Gallery: Retro Mods

A portable SNES we wouldn't mind getting our hands on

We're falling for Wall-E, the GameCube mod

[Via Kotaku]

Mind over Mutant has Wii focus

Posted May 8th 2008 6:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Video

Reading favorable impressions from the Joystiq crew about Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant helped put the game onto our selective radars. Watching this video, which features the game's senior producer Kristen Forbes, then got us even more intrigued.

Forbes points out a lot of issues that bug Wii gamers to no end -- the lack of commitment to the Wii's graphical capabilities, for one, and unnecessary waggle, for another. If the next Crash iteration can really fix these problems, though, we'll definitely be looking forward to the game's release this fall.

Wii Fit preorders jog away from retailers

Posted May 8th 2008 12:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

If you plan on getting Wii Fit without being trampled by Oprah-watching woman types, you better have secured your preorder already, as pickings are getting slim.

Not only has Amazon stopped taking them for Nintendo's popular fitness game, but IGN reports that GameStop has also suspended preorders for the title and Game Crazy is nearly tapped out. GoNintendo notes that Toys R Us (dot com) has run out of preorder stock, too, leaving Walmart's online store as one of the few options left -- although we're sure it's only a matter of time before that ends, as well.

This sounds eerily similar to what happened in the UK a few weeks ago, and now retail copies of Wii Fit seem to be more scarce than holy grails there. The one lesson that we can take away from all this? Nintendo is really good at printing money.

Gallery: Wii Fit

Party Crashers won't crash our parties

Posted May 7th 2008 10:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

We know what you're thinking: the Wii needs another minigame compilation!

The latest in the line of "party games" is Party Crashers, which has a crash test dummy theme to it. Specifically, the game was inspired by Twelve Interactive's Cid the Dummy -- a multiplatform game that's not even out yet. Even worse, many of the games will have to be unlocked, and if you've ever played a party game with a "feature" like that before, we're sure you know how annoying it is.

There'll be twenty-five minigames available in this title, which will range from puzzles to music-based games. To get an idea of what these will entail, some of the activities include "Pie in the Face," "Chinese Plates," "Dummy Cannonball," "Pizza Delivery," "Treasure Island," and "Dummy Dance." You won't be able to play such tantalizing-sounding minis until next April, though, since that's the planned release month.

Even though we're labeling this as do not want, we're glad we had an excuse to listen to the Crash Test Dummies' "MMM MMM MMM MMM." We always find a silver lining!

Cure exotic animals on the Wii

Posted May 7th 2008 8:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News, Imports

If you thought that Trauma Center's return to the DS would mean the end of medical games on the Wii, you were wrong.

Zoo Hospital isn't just about normal doctoring, though -- as you can probably figure out from the game's title, you'll be a veterinarian (or, straight out of vet school, at least) that works on curing exotic animals from sicknesses.

Surgeries won't be the only tasks you'll be performing in Zoo Hospital. You'll also do X-Ray and dentistry related tasks to soothe the forty-eight ailing animals. But even if you find the premise interesting, you might not want to get your hopes too high, as the DS version off the game (also developed by Torus) was apparently not that good.

Zoo Hospital is planned to launch in European and PAL territories during Q4, 2008.

Gallery: Zoo Hospital

[Via press release]

Metareview: Boom Blox

Posted May 7th 2008 4:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Metareview

Gamers these days seem to be obsessed with the divide between what's "casual" and what's "hardcore." Often, software is immediately labeled for one group or the other. That's why it's nice to see games that bridge this gap, like Steven Spielberg's Boom Blox. There's nothing better than a title that everyone can enjoy. Did people enjoy it, though?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes:

1UP (100/100) loved the game so much that they gave it an A+: "Boom Blox is simply a laundry list of great features and options wrapped around an incredibly fun, expertly designed, and well-tuned puzzle game. Sure, its cute veneer won't do it any favors with the more intense console crowd, but I found it charming and refreshingly cheery. It's a casual game made for a casual crowd, but it's far and away the best one I've ever played."

IGN (81/100) enjoyed a lot of the game's features, but felt that the title's biggest strength was its addictive multiplayer: "EA has really capitalized on the Wii remote to give you pinpoint accuracy as you make throws with real, calculated velocity -- throws that interact with block formations encased in genuine physics. You will find the single-player offering robust and varied, but the multiplayer mode -- compatible for up to four gamers -- is tantamount to crack cocaine in its ability to addict. And while there are hundreds of levels to keep you busy, there's also a full-blown stage creator that works hand-in-hand with WiiConnect24."

Wired (80/100) praises the game's mass appeal: "Boom Blox does what so many Wii titles wish they could, by splitting the difference between casual players and lifelong gamers. You can pass the Wiimote to your grandma or a 5-year-old and they'll have a ball with its clever mix of brainy puzzles and satisfying explosions. But hard-core players like me will find a surprising amount of depth to the gameplay and a satisfying, addictive challenge."

Gallery: BOOM BLOX

Wii Fit has a broad definition of fat

Posted May 7th 2008 12:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

Don't take Wii Fit's weight assessments to heart.

According to an angry poster at DISBoards, the game recently labeled a ten year old child in the UK as overweight, even though she's 4'9" and weights only six stones (84 pounds). Ouch. We're no doctors, but from what we can tell by browsing around the 'net, that's actually underweight. Assuming the poster isn't lying and that all the information was entered in correctly, we're surprised that Wii Fit would make such a mistake. We know that BMI calculations aren't always accurate in classifying someone's health, but that just seems ridiculous.

The relative of the girl said that the child was pretty devastated by Wii Fit's assessment, and her family had a hard time convincing her that she wasn't fat.

While we don't appreciate Wii Fit's attempt to make people look like mini-Skeletors, the message is clear: take this game with a grain of salt. Wii Fit isn't a doctor or nutritionist -- it's just a game. So don't let it launch you into a hunger strike, or turn you into an anorexic.

Gallery: Wii Fit

[Via CVG]

Nintendo Channel now live

Posted May 7th 2008 6:30AM by Candace Savino
Filed under: News

That blue glow from our Wiis can only mean one thing -- time for an update!

This wasn't just any old update, though. After months of coveting the service, the Nintendo Channel (known in Japan as Everybody's Nintendo Channel) is finally available for download via the Wii Shop Channel. The download is free, but will take up a few blocks, so make sure you have enough space. You'll also need to have updated your Wii since March 20th in order to get it, according to Nintendo.

We're pretty pleased with what the channel has to offer so far. There's already around forty videos available for your viewing pleasure. Most of them are just trailers for upcoming Nintendo games, but there's also a nice little Miyamoto interview.

Aside from watching videos, make sure to click on the "Find Titles for You" tab. Here, you can check out the newest titles for Nintendo consoles, and also download demos for DS games.

These are just our initial impressions from browsing around the channel, so if you notice any other neat features, be sure to let us know in the comments! Nintendo also posted a video of the various things you can do with the channel, which you can check out here.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Brawl Stage of the Week: It's Tetris time

Posted May 6th 2008 4:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Brawl Stage of the Week

Last week we mentioned that we wanted to feature a DS-related stage. Reader Chris stepped up and sent us two Tetris levels, one of which we chose to feature.

Called "Sziltoj 2," this stage is meant to represent "a Tetris game in progress," according to Chris. Considering the limited amount of tools that you're given in the stage builder, we think he pulled this off pretty well. Come check out how after the break!

Continue reading Brawl Stage of the Week: It's Tetris time

Walmart fattens Wii Fit with $10 gift card

Posted May 6th 2008 12:00PM by Candace Savino
Filed under: Sales

With preorders already sold out at Amazon, we can bet that Wii Fit will share the same success in North America that the game has seen in Europe and Japan. But, is it just soccer moms and casual gamers who are spending the hefty $90 for this nongame, or do readers like you have an interest in the product as well?

While some core gamers might not have succumbed to the Wii Fit hype, we're sure quite a few of you are more than intrigued by Nintendo's latest innovation. If so, you might be interested to know that Walmart is offering a $10 gift card with Wii Fit preorders. Of course, since shipping and tax will amount to more than $10, you're not actually saving anything. Yet, should you want to avoid the angry mom rush in brick and mortar stores and get something in return for your troubles, it might not be too bad of an idea to take advantage of this offer.

If you're considering this deal, just keep in mind that it ends on May 11th (or possibly earlier if Walmart runs out of stock).

Gallery: Wii Fit

[Thanks, Tristan and bakk!]

Japanese preorder bonus dawns for Tales of Symphonia

Posted May 5th 2008 11:00PM by Candace Savino

Adding to the ever-growing list of "cool stuff Japan gets that we don't," Bandai Namco is offering a sweet preorder bonus with Tales of Symphonia. The RPG, which releases in Japan in late June, will come with a Dramatic DVD for gamers that preorder the title. The DVD will include original animated scenes that add to the game's story, which sounds like a pretty nice extra to us.

We're sure the DVD will never see the light of day outside of Japan (officially), so the rest of us will just have to be content to look at screens and pretend that's dramatic. Some new screens might help you with such a task, so just click on the "Read" link below (or the picture above) to check them out.

Gallery: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

[Via Gemaga]

Next Page >

DragonBall Z: Burst Limit video pummels your eyes PS3 Poll Police: Voice your opinion on the GameTrailers debacle Blu-ray movie releases for the week of May 11	Blizzard cracks down on arena win trading Addon Spotlight: Steal Your Carbon All the World's a Stage: Descriptions done right
Bid on Ken Levine autographed copy of BioShock Rumor: First Banjo-Kazooie 3 screens surface Guitar Hero III Muse DLC arrives on the XBLM	Get to know EA's Facebreakers Wii Warm Up: A day for moms Protothea might not be terrible
Rumor: CoroCoro Comic reveals Pokemon Platinum Promotional Consideration: Advertising with Power, revisited Meet the heroes of Lagaard	Worldwide PSP releases for the week of May 11 Sora no Kiseki the 3rd website revealed Phantasy Star Portable box art revealed

Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Get to know EA's Facebreakers

Wii Warm Up: A day for moms

Nintendo reveals WiiWare launch List

Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/28-5/4

NES gets digital plastic surgery

Mind over Mutant has Wii focus

Wii Fit preorders jog away from retailers

Party Crashers won't crash our parties

Cure exotic animals on the Wii

Metareview: Boom Blox

Wii Fit has a broad definition of fat

Nintendo Channel now live

Brawl Stage of the Week: It's Tetris time

Walmart fattens Wii Fit with $10 gift card

Japanese preorder bonus dawns for Tales of Symphonia

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