Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl have combined to conquer Europe this week (apart from Denmark where -- gah! -- the Brawl slayer Pro Cycling Manager 2008: Tour De France is now top!).

In fact, it's been a week for Nintendo to cherish, with games for the Wii and DS taking up eight places in Holland's top ten, and every single spot in the German chart. Howzat?! In slightly more upsetting news, Carnival: Funfair Games has been spotted skulking around the UK top ten again. Ewww.

Check out the full charts from across the continent past the jump.

Ah, only in Europe could Pro Cycling Manager 2008: Tour De France beat Super Smash Bros. Brawl in Brawl's second week on sale (cheers, Denmark). Thankfully, that occurrence is a minor aberration, because Nintendo's fighter is soundly thrashing the opposition everywhere else.

Actually, it's been a strong week for Wii showings in general, with Wii Play, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart Wii ranking high. And check out Big Beach Sports -- number two in the UK! Shame it's a load of codswallop.

Next week: lol, Summer Athletics. This week's charts lie past the break!

When will the UK stop freaking out about Bully? If you guessed "Never," "Probably not anytime soon," "Not in this lifetime," or "Is that a rhetorical question?" then you're on the right track.

The newest slew of censorship whinings stemmed from a commercial for the game, which some people found "offensive," "distasteful," and (insert negative adjective here). The ad featured typical Bully shenanigans: destruction of property, wedgies, and so forth. The Advertising Standards Authority received thirty-one complaints about the commercial in question, as a handful of folks were upset that children could easily see it on their tellies.

Take Two blames sensationalist media coverage for the complaints, and as for the ASA? They don't seem too worried, as the organization declined to take any action regarding the ad. Even so, Take Two has no plans to run it again in the future.

To see the "offensive" commercial for yourself, just click past the break.

Says industry veteran (and longtime D&D nerd) Ian Livingstone. He's speaking from the Eidos camp, and isn't happy about the UK government's approach to building a sustainable development industry.

In an interiew with Develop, he stated that "The Government should address the issues of skills and costs for the UK to remain competitive." Basically, it's costing way too many quid to train the young'uns up in the ways of development, and the rising costs of tea and crumpets aren't helping none too much either.

While cheaper labor markets are blitzing the competition, the UK is slowing down and becoming more expensive. It's up to the developers themselves to manage their own projects and create strong IPs, but according to Livingstone, "The Government needs to invest in this valuable Creative Industries asset or suffer the consequences."

Publishers go to where the action is, picking up the best games at the best prices, and they are shying away from the UK in this regard. Canada is apparently leading the way for the bargain basement publisher deal, and "it is up to Government to make it attractive for them to operate in the UK." No financially viable investments for publishers + no new talent = industry in trouble. Make link go now for the full interview with Livingstone.

Animal Crossing is coming. This is a fact. What form it will take when it does arrive is a deeper mystery. Somebody at the UK edition of the Official Nintendo Magazine knows the answer to this, damn them, and they aren't afraid to shout about it.

The above image (art from Animal Crossing: Wild World on the DS) appears on the "Coming Next Month" page in the latest issue of the mag, and was dutifully scanned and internetalized by a Go Nintendo reader for all of us to speculate about. "It's been a while," reads the accompanying caption, keeping us on tenterhooks. "It's time to revisit an old friend. How's your village doing these days?"

All of which is very exciting, but by the time the next edition of Official Nintendo Magazine appears (August 1st), we may have already heard more from E3. Either way, we'll know something about this game soon. Prepare your Golden Shovels, everybody!

If British accents annoy you, do not click this link. This one. Right here. It will take you to the Feel Great Britain website, where group after group of chortling, crumpet-eating British lads and lasses have a go at Wii Fit. The site is designed to complement to upcoming Feel Great Britain tour, running through July and August.

Nintendo aren't just sitting back and letting Wii Fit sell itself (which it does quite nicely, thanks). It's good to see they understand that exercising is an ongoing activity, and they are willing to actively support the product during the months ahead. If you happen to be British and haven't balanced your way to fitness yet, check out the website for official tour dates.

If you guessed "those vile, reprehensible videogames," then you're absolutely correct. The Daily Mail has published a report on Jake Roberts, a 13-year-old British youth who took his own life in February following an argument over a confiscated Wii game. A tragic tale, to be sure, but there's no doubt that the Mail's angle on the story leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth.

In truth, this is hardly surprising. The Daily Mail has always stooped low to make its point, and the newspaper can barely wait to get into the shameful, dirty business of pointing fingers and furthering its own anti-gaming agenda through the story of a teen ending his own life. Tasteful, right? Right from the first line and throughout most of the article, the Mail insists on linking Jake's death with the dispute over his Wii, wilfully ignoring the possibility that other factors may have influenced Jake's sad decision over a longer period of time.

Or, to put it another way, it's another proud day for the mainstream press.

[Via Destructoid]

A lengthy, to-and-fro legal battle between the BBFC and Rockstar prevented Manhunt 2 from being released in the UK, with the BBFC eventually giving up and granting the game an "18" certificate in March. Having won its right to lop limbs clean off be released in Britain, it was no surprise that the title appeared in Nintendo's latest European release schedule this morning.

But wait, for there's another twist to this twistiest of sagas! A Rockstar spokesperson contacted Eurogamer earlier today to reveal that it "has no confirmed release date set for Manhunt 2 in Europe." Ho boy. If any Europeans out there are beginning to feel particularly indifferent about Manhunt 2 at this stage, we can't say we blame you.

We've been following Wario Land: The Shake Dimension for quite some time now. After the numerous scans and screens, we're about ready to hear something on a release date for the game. Well, as ready as we are in North America, it looks like Europe is the only region with a cemented release for the game. Wario Land: The Shake Dimension will release in Europe on September 26th.

Aside from that game, Nintendo of Europe also dished out release dates for plenty of other Wii games, including Baroque (July 18) and Manhunt 2 (August). To check out the full list, head on past the break.

You don't have to be a gas mask-wearing, telepathic oddball to know what dominated Europe this week. Metal Gear Solid 4's ascent to numero uno throughout most of Europe was thoroughly predictable, though that's not to suggest that Wii titles had it rough.

Most managed to maintain high spots (seriously, Britain, what is it about LEGO and Indiana Jones?), while there was a heartwarming comeback for Wii Fit, which finally seems to be getting restocked here. It's reappeared in the Irish and Dutch top tens, and made 11th in the UK. Sports Island debuted in European countries that aren't Britain this week, and for the most part had a storming start, with a third place in Holland and eighth in Germany. Yet there is also sad news, reader: Okami -- beautiful, stunning, endlessly gorgeous Okami -- only reached 20th. In Sweden. Gah.

Next week, brace yourselves for the arrival in the charts of Ferrari Challenge and Alone in the Dark (except in Scandinavia, of course).

Check out this week's charts beyond the break. Lederhosen optional.

If you like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and you happen to live in the UK, then this announcement might have some kind of connection with you. Twenty Gamestation stores across the nation will each be hosting a 64-person Super Smash Bros. Showdown on June 28. This is no slouchy, bored-marketing-guy tournament either. Every winner from every store will take home a 40" Samsung LCD TV and a Samsung Home Theater System, with all the DVD and surround sound trimmings.

Tournaments are great and all, but this one is really something else. The prizes are actually extremely good, and you only need to win six matches to take home the grand prize. Only one Fanboy blogger lives in the UK, but fortunately he is awful at Brawl. In fact, he doesn't even own the game. Or pants.

Register for your local tournament at the official website -- it's probably going to fill up fast, so make like a tree and hurry.


[Via press release]

Having watched the in-the-flesh Harrison Ford creak and grimace his way through Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on the big screen, this week European consumers got a chance to give the LEGO version a leg-up to the top of the charts.

And mostly, that's just what they did. The Wii edition of LEGO Indiana Jones: Original Adventures showed Grand Theft Auto IV who was boss in the UK by nabbing top spot, and versions for other consoles charted well elsewhere on the continent. It's no surprise that LEGO Indy did so well in Blighty -- we still recall the whole country tripping over itself in the rush to pick up the LEGO Star Wars games. Evidently, the titles have that oft-discussed crossover appeal that most marketing types would slaughter their entire families for.

On a sadder note, Mario Kart Wii bowed out of the Dutch and UK top tens, Deca Sports Sports Island only reached 15th in Britain, and Wii Fit is keeping up its disappearing act ... everywhere but Germany. So much for your empty, empty promises, Nintendo! Oh, and the Spanish charts failed to materialize this week, probably because they're all busy gawking at the footy.

Check out what Europe is buying past the break, and don't forget to join us next week, when we'll be sulking about how nobody bought Okami.

Nintendo UK, along with the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, are teaming up to offer patrons of this year's show a chance to try out some Nintendo products. The show itself is a 3-day event, which is held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and will be conducted between Sunday, August 10th and Tuesday, August 12th of this year. We have no idea exactly what Nintendo will have available on the show floor, but you can bet the Wii will be there.

David Yarnton, Nintendo UK boss, said Nintendo is "very proud to continue our support of EIF for the third year running. Edinburgh Interactive Festival raises our industry's profile into the wider cultural arena and celebrates the input, talent and creativity from all with a common interest in video games." EIFChairman Chris Deering also chimed in, commenting that "Nintendo's support of Interactive Festival in Edinburgh is great news and demonstrates an understanding of the importance of a cultural games event within the landscape of the world's biggest cultural Festival. Games and EIF have been embraced this year by Scotland PLC like no other year and the support of Nintendo is an important factor in encouraging these respected organisations' commitment to us." So, you Edinburghians are in luck, yet again!

Having never been to the UK, we honestly don't know what to expect from these shows. Sure, the official website provides some insight, but we'd much rather hear from folks who've attended. So, have you been to EIF in the past?