Nintendo Wii Fanboy http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com Nintendo Wii Fanboy http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/media/feedlogo.gif Nintendo Wii Fanboy http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com en-us Copyright 2008 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Surprise mahjongg game hits Japanese WiiWare next week [update]http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/surprise-mahjongg-game-hits-japanese-wiiware-next-week/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/surprise-mahjongg-game-hits-japanese-wiiware-next-week/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/surprise-mahjongg-game-hits-japanese-wiiware-next-week/#commentsFiled under: ,


[Update: fixed the title. Thanks, Patrick!]

Out of nowhere, a new WiiWare game showed up on Nintendo of Japan's WiiWare page. Yakuman Wii: Ide Yousuke no Kenjou Mahjongg (Ide Yousuke's Healthy Mahjongg) is a Nintendo-developed, multiplayer mahjongg game with Mii integration and online play. It also features hints from a Mii of Ide Yousuke (who is apparently a famous mahjongg player, and whose name appears in countless mahjongg game titles).

Even though we just found out about it, Nintendo plans to launch it in Japan next week, at a cost of 1,000 Wii Points. However, because it's a mahjongg game, we would be even more surprised to see it released elsewhere.

[Via Gamespot Japan]
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]]>board-gameide-yosuke-mahjongmahjongmahjonggJC Fletcher2008-05-14T18:00:00 00:00Namco Bandai financial report reveals Taiko no Tatsujin Wiihttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/namco-bandai-financial-report-reveals-taiko-no-tatsujin-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/namco-bandai-financial-report-reveals-taiko-no-tatsujin-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/namco-bandai-financial-report-reveals-taiko-no-tatsujin-wii/#commentsFiled under: ,


Buried in the latest Japanese Namco Bandai financial report, in a chart showing their sales projections per game for 2008, is the first mention of a Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) game for Wii, planned for late this year. The company released Ennichi no Tatsujin (Festival Master), a spinoff minigame collection, as a Wii launch title, but this would be the first for-real Taiko on the Wii. They expect to sell around 500,000 copies, the same as they project for Family Trainer.

We're anxious now for an official reveal, because we want to see how the controls will work. Will it use a drum controller, or will players be asked to air-drum with the Wiimote and Nunchuk? There's also the third, more unlikely, option of hitting a drum with the Wiimote, though that would get expensive.

[Via GoNintendo]
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]]>drummusicnamco-bandaitaikotaiko-drum-mastertaiko-no-tatsujinJC Fletcher2008-05-14T14:00:00 00:00Inazuma Eleven headed to consoles, Wii likelyhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/inazuma-eleven-headed-to-consoles-wii-likely/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/inazuma-eleven-headed-to-consoles-wii-likely/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/inazuma-eleven-headed-to-consoles-wii-likely/#commentsFiled under: ,


Level-5 is sinking big money into their DS soccer RPG Inazuma Eleven, seemingly expecting a massive return. The company held a press conference in Tokyo to outline the "Cross-Media Project," which is a somewhat nicer way of describing "milking the new franchise." In addition to the planned manga and anime series, Level-5 president Akihiro Hino revealed an upcoming Inazuma Eleven card game, to be released concurrently with the DS game on August 22.

Along with all this stuff, Level-5 announced a second game, Inazuma Eleven Break, for consoles. No specific console or date was announced, but it's not hard to guess which home console Level-5 would choose for a mass-market children's game. They'd choose the one with a mass market.
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]]>break-inazuma-eleveninazuma-elevenlevel-5rpgsoccerJC Fletcher2008-05-14T13:15:00 00:00That Other Guy's Life as a Kinghttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/that-other-guys-life-as-a-king/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/that-other-guys-life-as-a-king/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/14/that-other-guys-life-as-a-king/#commentsFiled under: ,


With Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King out and tempting obsessives with DLC, it's easy to forget about the other Wii simulation game about a tiny king building a town: Ousama Monogatari (King Story). The latest screens show off King Story's unique textured style well, but they also reveal three of the jobs that the magical king Corobo can force people to take on.

Soldiers (possibly translatable as "grunts") stay close to the king and protect him with close-quarters combat. Carpenters, labeled "normal," act both as builders and architects, designing and building new structures and roads for the town. And farmers, described as "serious," dig holes and plant crops.

Sure, these may seem obvious, but we don't think we can expect normal real-world logic to apply in a game about a kid whose magic crown makes everyone do what he says.
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]]>cingking-storymarvelousproject-osimulationJC Fletcher2008-05-14T09:30:00 00:00VC Tuesday: Champion by defaulthttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/13/vc-tuesday-champion-by-default/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/13/vc-tuesday-champion-by-default/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/13/vc-tuesday-champion-by-default/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Japan's Virtual Console releases today are, literally, infinitely more awesome than our domestic lineup, because they exist. This week was Nintendo of America's turn to take a break from VC games to promote WiiWare, so any Virtual Console game that came out in Japan this week looks that much better in comparison to nothing.

Even without the easy advantage, the lineup is not bad at all. Bubble Bobble is a total classic, as is Alex Kidd in Miracle World. And Martial Champion, Konami's Street Fighter II-era fighter, is the kind of previously unknown oddity we love to see on the VC.

The VC is a great system for that genre, Renegade notwithstanding.
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]]>alex-kiddbubble-bobblemartial-championmaster-systemnestg16vctuesdayJC Fletcher2008-05-13T20:00:00 00:00Wii Fit incense comes and goes, 2000 Star Points savedhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/wii-fit-incense-comes-and-goes-2000-star-points-saved/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/wii-fit-incense-comes-and-goes-2000-star-points-saved/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/wii-fit-incense-comes-and-goes-2000-star-points-saved/#commentsFiled under: ,

Luckily for you, UK gamers, the Wii Fit incense that Nintendo just started offering through the Stars Catalogue is now sold out (along with pretty much anything of substance). That means you no longer have the opportunity to blow 2000 points on some Wii Fit-branded incense.

You've also missed some Mario game holders and Nintendo-character notebooks, which is actually sad. But take solace in the fact that you don't even have to spend one second of your time wondering if those 2000 Star Points would be best put to use on 500 Wii Points (or Street Gangs), or some grocery-store incense in a fancy tin.

[Via NeoGAF]
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]]>incensestars-cataloguewii-fitJC Fletcher2008-05-12T11:45:00 00:00The Wii Game of Haruhi Suzumiyahttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/the-wii-game-of-haruhi-suzumiya/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/the-wii-game-of-haruhi-suzumiya/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/12/the-wii-game-of-haruhi-suzumiya/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The mega-popular anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is now being made into a Wii game, after success on the PS2 and PSP (mostly as vectors for delivery of exclusive Haruhi figurines). The Wii game, we predict, will be the biggest success of all, because
  • it also includes a Haruhi figurine, and
  • it's based on the dance sequence from the anime's ending, which has become an Internet phenomenon
Up to three players control Haruhi, Yuki Nagato and Mikuru Asahina in a motion-based dance game, which seems to involve mimicking poses with Wiimote positioning. In addition, it also contains the standard anime-game adventure component, featuring a new storyline.
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]]>adventureanimedancingharuhi-suzumiyakadokawaJC Fletcher2008-05-12T08:45:00 00:00Cure exotic animals on the Wiihttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/cure-exotic-animals-on-the-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/cure-exotic-animals-on-the-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/cure-exotic-animals-on-the-wii/#commentsFiled under: ,

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]
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]]>codemasterseuropemajescoPALsurgerysurgery-simtoruszoo-hospitalCandace Savino2008-05-07T20:00:00 00:00Block Breaker Deluxe breaks out onto Japanese WiiWarehttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/block-breaker-deluxe-breaks-out-onto-japanese-wiiware/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/block-breaker-deluxe-breaks-out-onto-japanese-wiiware/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/07/block-breaker-deluxe-breaks-out-onto-japanese-wiiware/#commentsFiled under: ,


In what may be Japan's only WiiWare release for May (much like Minna de Puzzloop was the only April release), Gameloft's Block Breaker Deluxe is now available for download in Japan. For 800 points, Japanese gamers can now play a decent-looking Breakout/Arkanoid clone with a neon visual theme and goofy images of "cool" people that make it look so much like a cell-phone game (which it was). Or Miami Nights.

We'd like to see this one soon within the U.S. launch of WiiWare, because we're perfectly willing to overlook all the posing jerks -- and the inauspicious origin of the game -- for a chance at a new big-screen Breakout game.

[Via Inside-Games]
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]]>block-breaker-deluxeblock-kuzushibreakoutgameloftjapanJC Fletcher2008-05-07T13:30:00 00:00VC Tuesday: Bullet Heavenhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/06/vc-tuesday-bullet-heaven/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/06/vc-tuesday-bullet-heaven/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/06/vc-tuesday-bullet-heaven/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Virtual Console is home to a lot of scrolling shooters. It seems like every week, at least one of the releases in every region is a shmup. This week, three of the four games coming out in Japan are shooters. But after years of seeing the once-prominent genre fall into obscurity, we really don't mind having a download service full of the things.

For that matter, the same goes for side-scrolling brawlers, one of which is the other Japanese release this week. The VC is a great system for that genre, Renegade notwithstanding.
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]]>axelayburning-fightstar-parodiersuper-fantasy-zonevctuesdayJC Fletcher2008-05-06T11:15:00 00:00WiiWare games hacked, pirated, and brought to North American Wiishttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/04/wiiware-games-hacked-pirated-and-brought-to-north-american-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/04/wiiware-games-hacked-pirated-and-brought-to-north-american-wii/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/04/wiiware-games-hacked-pirated-and-brought-to-north-american-wii/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Only a few weeks after pirates figured out how to install Virtual Console games on their Wiis for free using the Twilight Hack, a clever trick for running unofficial code on an unmodded systems, hackers have expanded their counterfeit offerings to allow bootleg copies of WiiWare titles.

We're not yet sure if online modes are working, but the fact that pirates can install Japanese WiiWare ROMs/WADs on a US system, as shown above with Family Ping Pong, is impressive (and criminal!). Considering how fast the Wii's piracy scene has been moving, someone will likely soon release instructions on how to bypass microtransactions and install downloadable content updates for free, too.

How long will it be before Nintendo steps in to end these shenanigans? Will that mean the end of Wii homebrew, as well? See, this is why we can't have nice things.
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]]>arc-system-worksfamily-ping-ponghackpiracytwilight-hackwad-installerEric Caoili2008-05-04T15:00:00 00:00Sega UNIQLO shirts available online to UK residentshttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/sega-uniqlo-shirts-available-online-to-uk-residents/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/sega-uniqlo-shirts-available-online-to-uk-residents/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/sega-uniqlo-shirts-available-online-to-uk-residents/#commentsFiled under: ,


The excellent, and affordable, line of Sega shirts from Japanese retailer UNIQLO are now available for purchase via the company's website. Sure, they only deliver within the United Kingdom, but that's a big step closer to, say, Texas, just to name a random location where someone might want to buy a shirt with the House of the Dead 4 logo on it.

Besides, we're mature enough to let our UK friends know about things they may enjoy, even if it doesn't benefit us in the least. Or if, among us, it just benefits Chris, as is the case this time. The Japanese shirts, by the way, come in Sonic-emblazoned bottles -- no idea if UNIQLO is doing the same in the UK.
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]]>segashirtshirtssonicuniqloJC Fletcher2008-05-02T18:00:00 00:00Fishing Master World Challenge update is THIS BIGhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/fishing-master-world-challenge-update-is-this-big/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/fishing-master-world-challenge-update-is-this-big/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/02/fishing-master-world-challenge-update-is-this-big/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Just a few short days ago, we "predicted" (by reading Hudson's web site) that a sequel to Fishing Master would be on the way soon. It turns out we're totally psychic (that's what it is when you can predict the present, right?), as the first screens of Fishing Master: World Challenge have been revealed.

World Challenge takes players on a boat tour around the world. You'll get to see some of the most beautiful and distinctive landmarks of the world -- in the distance, as you sit by a nearby body of water and fish! There will be over 200 varieties of fish, although most of them will fit into the category of "fish you almost caught."
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]]>fishingfishing-masterfishing-master-world-challengehudsonJC Fletcher2008-05-02T13:30:00 00:00Wii Fit distributors getting weekly exercisehttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/wii-fit-distributors-getting-weekly-exercise/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/wii-fit-distributors-getting-weekly-exercise/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/wii-fit-distributors-getting-weekly-exercise/#commentsFiled under: ,


Wii Fit must be easier to produce than Wii consoles. Nintendo hasn't been able to rectify the console shortage that has stretched since the Wii launch, but they have gotten their act together in terms of Wii Fit production.

Nintendo U.K. told GamesIndustry.biz that "stock is coming in all the time on a weekly basis." We're surprised that Nintendo is even pretending to be able to keep up with demand, with Wii Fit as enormously popular as it is there. The true test of their production capacity will be the U.S. launch oh May 19th.
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]]>exerciseshortageshortageswii-fitJC Fletcher2008-04-30T20:00:00 00:00Hudson prepares to show off more Fishing Masteryhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/hudson-prepares-to-show-off-more-fishing-mastery/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/hudson-prepares-to-show-off-more-fishing-mastery/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/hudson-prepares-to-show-off-more-fishing-mastery/#commentsFiled under: ,

A new listing on Hudson's website reveals a planned Japanese release of Mezase!! Tsuri Master Sekai ni Challenge!, which translates to Fishing Master World Challenge. This could mean that the sequel to Fishing Master challenges the player to hook the entire globe with his fishing line, reeling it in impossibly (and dunking himself in the process), or it could mean that you fish in a bunch of different locations.

According to the page, Fishing Master 2 will be released in Japan in July. No U.S. release has been announced yet. The first Fishing Master game got middling reviews, but did come out at $30 in the U.S., to its credit.

[Via NeoGAF]
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]]>fishingfishing-masterhudsonmezase-tsuri-masterJC Fletcher2008-04-30T18:00:00 00:00First Mojipittan DLC spells 'money' for Namco Bandaihttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/first-mojipittan-dlc-spells-money-for-namco-bandai/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/first-mojipittan-dlc-spells-money-for-namco-bandai/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/30/first-mojipittan-dlc-spells-money-for-namco-bandai/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The WiiWare version of Namco Bandai's popular, impossible-to-localize puzzle game Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan (Word Puzzle Mojipittan) got its first add-on pack today. For 200 Wii Points, an additional 30 puzzles, along with new background music for those puzzles, can be downloaded from the Wii Shop, which actually doesn't seem like such a bad deal.

The stages in the pack range from easy enough for children to "Ultra Hard," and have themes like "Countries of the World" and "Sweets." We aren't sure how themes in Mojipittan work -- spelling words in just the appropriate themes seems like it would be pretty hard!

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]]>dlcmojipittannamco-bandaipuzzleword-puzzleJC Fletcher2008-04-30T12:45:00 00:00Alex Kidd in Miracle World expanding into more of the regular worldhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-expanding-into-more-of-the-regular-wo/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-expanding-into-more-of-the-regular-wo/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/alex-kidd-in-miracle-world-expanding-into-more-of-the-regular-wo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sega's one-time flagship game, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, was recently revealed as one of the planned May VC releases in Japan. According to an OFLC rating, it's headed to Australia as well, and from there ... the other regions, probably! The Sega Master System platformer was once built into SMS systems, and now thanks to the Virtual Console, it'll be built into Wiis as well. That's kind of an interesting historical parallel.

Alex Kidd is notable for pioneering the rock-paper-scissors style gameplay seen in many fighting games and RPGs, in which certain attacks are especially effective against certain opposing attacks or defenses. Except in Alex Kidd, instead of elemental weaknesses or high/low attacks, boss fights were literally rock-paper-scissors.

[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
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]]>alex-kiddmaster-systemplatformersegasega-master-systemJC Fletcher2008-04-29T20:00:00 00:00VC Tuesday: Phantasy Detective Clubhttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/vc-tuesday-phantasy-detective-club/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/vc-tuesday-phantasy-detective-club/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/29/vc-tuesday-phantasy-detective-club/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's a rather small week on the Japanese Virtual Console, and one that means virtually nothing to gamers outside of Japan. Usually, Japan's releases allow us a look ahead at what's coming for us. This week's two releases just aren't useful for that purpose.

There's extremely little chance of any of Nintendo's Famicom Tantei Club (Famicom Detective Club) games being released outside Japan, which is unfortunate, because we'd love to play these Nintendo-developed text adventures. The one released today is a Super Famicom remake of the second Famicom Disk System game, whose subtitle translates to "The Girl Standing in the Back."

Phantasy Star III is already out in the U.S. and Europe. The most interesting thing there is why Sega chose to release it elsewhere before Japan. That's pretty rare!
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]]>famicom-tantei-clubphantasy-star-3vctuesdayJC Fletcher2008-04-29T10:30:00 00:00Dubious WiiWare sales numbershttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/28/dubious-wiiware-sales-numbers/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/28/dubious-wiiware-sales-numbers/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/28/dubious-wiiware-sales-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


We don't know how a Ruliweb poster came across these statistics for Japanese sales of four WiiWare games. They could be inaccurate, they could be stolen from some analyst, or they could even be totally made up. Don't start writing any in-depth articles about these sales numbers or anything like that.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is the biggest surprise here. We weren't sure how a very nontraditional Final Fantasy game (with grating DLC) would sell, even in Japan. If this report is to be believed, we have our answer: very well!

[Via NeoGAF]
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]]>dr-mariofinal-fantasymojipittanmy-life-as-a-kingpokemon-ranchJC Fletcher2008-04-28T12:00:00 00:00May's VC games for Japan: May include MSX gameshttp://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/26/mays-vc-games-for-japan-may-include-msx-games/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/26/mays-vc-games-for-japan-may-include-msx-games/http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/26/mays-vc-games-for-japan-may-include-msx-games/#commentsFiled under: ,

Nintendo has released the planned May lineup of Virtual Console games for Japan, and while it doesn't include any megatons (like last month most certainly did), there are at least a lot of games on the list. The first two MSX games, Eggy and Aleste, are supposed to make their fashionably late appearance, but we find it a lot easier to believe that they'll be bumped for some Wonder Boy ports.

Other interesting games, which may actually be released, include: Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard, a shooter similar to Cybernator (in fact director Toshiro Tsuchida worked on both games) and based on the Front Mission series of strategy games; Star Parodier, the "silly" Star Soldier game; and Martial Champion, a CD-based Street Fighter clone from Konami. Hit the break for the full list!


Famicom:
  • Bubble Bobble
Super Famicom:
  • Axelay
  • Ganbare Goemon 2
  • Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard
Master System:
  • Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Mega Drive:
  • Gynoug (Wings of Wor)
  • Super Fantasy Zone
PC Engine:
  • Star Parodier (CD)
  • Fire Pro Wrestling 2nd BOUT
  • Break In
  • Martial Champion (CD)
Neo Geo:
  • Fatal Fury 2
  • Ninja Combat
  • Burning Fight
MSX:
  • Eggy
  • Aleste
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]]>front-missionjapanmartial-championmsxstar-parodiervctuesdayJC Fletcher2008-04-26T12:00:00 00:00