Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Sadly, we only had one copy of Alone in the Dark to giveaway. The lucky person who was able to nab it? Why, that's none other than:

• Fin Diesel

Better luck next time to all of you that entered. And, to everyone, thanks for reading!

We're giving away one copy of Alone in the Dark to a lucky reader. What do you have to make sure that lucky reader is you? It's super easy!

Head on over to the original contest post for our latest giveaway by clicking that highlighted text there. Time is running out, as the giveaway ends this Sunday night. So head on over and get all of the details already!

Were you curious about Atari's latest Alone in the Dark game? Well, here's your chance to check it out. And, for free! We're giving one lucky reader a copy of the game (valued at $50). How can you take a stab at getting this for yourself?

Well, simply leave a comment between now and Sunday, August 10th at 11:59pm ET and you're entered. What should be in your comment? Well, why don't you tell us what you're most afraid of. Cool? Okay then!

Of course, there are some stipulations. For one, you have to be at least 18 years of age or older. Second, you have to be a current and legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). Third, you've got to read the official rules.

Best of luck to you all and thanks for reading!

While most readers of Wii Fanboy don't have to face this kind of problem, there are many nations throughout the world that force gamers to resort to the gray market to pick up their system of choice. Take India, for example, the second most populated country in the world.

Sony and Microsoft have distributors in the country, but the Wii doesn't. However, that may change soon enough, after Milestone Interactive tests out the market for Wii software. We're not entirely confident in Milestone's approach, though. For one, it hardly seems smart to base results on game sales when the console itself hasn't even officially released yet. On the other hand, since that's just how things are in India (and they're not likely to change anytime soon), we can understand Milestone's rush to get the ball rolling.

Here comes the other, less excusable problem: the game Milestone chose to distribute is Alone in the Dark Wii. Not even critics are playing the Wii version of Alone in the Dark, so is it fair to assess the Wii's chances based on Atari's survival horror title? Also, because Indian gamers import their Wiis, we wonder if the region of the disc will have any effect on sales.

At least this is a step in the right direction, but now that supply for the Wii is starting to meet demand globally, we hope Nintendo branches out into some of the areas it currently neglects.



[Thanks, Vijay!]

A new video of "Get Wii Fit with Alyson" was added to the Nintendo Channel, this time featuring the dancer and friends trying out the yoga exercises. If you think watching someone else do yoga might be exciting, you'd be wrong. The most entertaining part is when Alyson says about the virtual male trainer, "I think I'll call it Brad. You're rad, Brad." Ironically, that's also that part that made us start sobbing, wondering when it would end.

You can also watch "info" videos that promote Alone in the Dark, Order Up!, Magnetica Twist, and a number of other games. The highlight for us was watching Wall-E being adorable in the Wall-E TV Spot, but that's not to say it made us want to buy the Wii title. It did make us want to go and see Wall-E, though.

Here's the full list of the new videos on the Nintendo Channel, for you to check out at your leisure:

• Get Wii Fit with Alyson: Yoga
• Magnetica Twist Info Video
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Hall of Fame Induction
• Cabela's Trophy Bucks Info Video
• Alone in the Dark Info Video
• Wall-E TV Spot
• Order Up! Info Video
• Paws & Claws Pet Vet Healing Hands TV Spot (DS)
  
• My Weight Loss Coach Info Video (DS)
  
• Guitar Hero On Tour Launch Video (DS)
  

How do we know you aren't playing Alone in the Dark? Because nobody is playing Alone in the Dark. Seriously, we can't find any reviews for the Wii version anywhere. So, with that, we wonder what exactly are you playing? There's plenty of new games to choose from this week.

What are you playing?

This week, Atari's big title hits retail shelves. Will it be the scary and wonderful title they've been promoting it to be? Only time will tell. It's certainly not alone, this week, as the Wii gets several new releases. Let's check them out!

• Alone in the Dark
• Top Spin 3
• Rock Band (apparently its release last week was false, despite just about everyone listing it for release)
• Wall-E
• Big Beach Sports
• Cocoto Kart Racer
• Myth Makers: Trixie in Toyland

This week's Sunday ads bring some interesting sales and deals to the table. Most noticeably, it seems like Bully: Scholarship Edition has had a universal price drop, and now only costs $30. Circuit City is the only store to advertise this, but from checking around at other retailers, the slashed price seems like the rule and not the exception. While $50 for the port might have been too expensive for your tastes, $30 sounds a bit easier to swallow.

All the other deals worth mentioning will probably only motivate folks who were already on the fence. Best Buy, for example, is offering a $10 gift card to those who purchase Alone in the Dark. As for Circuit City, the retailer has a handful of $20 games marked down to $15 (Balloon Pop, Furu Furu Park, and Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, namely).

Topping it all off is Amazon's "Deal of the Day," which ends at 3am EST. Here you can find ezGear's Wii Rechargable Battery and Charger, which you can use to charge up your Wiimotes. We're not sure how reliable ezGear is when it comes to third-party accessories, but for $10, this dock might be worth a try.

Hopefully your wallets will come out unscathed from this gauntlet of deals, but if not, feel free to rant at us for our evil, tempting ways.

[Via CAG]

Source: $10 gift card with purchase of Alone in the Dark at Best Buy
Source: Amazon's "Deal of the Day" -- ezGear's Wii Rechargable Battery and Charger
Source: Circuit City (for sales on Balloon Pop, Furu Furu Park, and Rival Swords)

Say what you will about Alone in the Dark's limited Wii features, but using the Wii's controls to bludgeon someone with a chair looks all kinds of fun.

With that off our chests, this trailer did a good job of making us crave Atari's survival-horror title. While we can't help but be skeptical when developers implement an abundance of motion controls (only because games become more tedious than fun if things get too complicated), we're looking forward to seeing if Alone in the Dark hits the mark. Since we just rhymed, you know we're not lying.



[Via GoNintendo]

We already have an idea of what the Wii controls in Alone in the Dark will be like, but how about the rest of the game? We knew there'd be a few things scaled down from the 360, PS3, and PC versions, but what? MTV Multiplayer's Patrick Klepek has the dish on that, and we're not too disappointed with what's been left out.

First and most obviously, the Wii version's graphics won't be as pretty. Aside from that, though, some of the environments had to be changed, and according to Klepek, some new levels were constructed for Alone in the Dark Wii. (We assume that means there are new levels remodeled on the old levels, not that there are new levels.) For example, Central Park is a large, open world on the HD systems, whereas it's not on the Wii. With changes in the environments also came slight changes in the story, but we're not sure how significant these alterations are.

You can also expect some gameplay elements to disappear, like dynamic fire. Things can still light on fire, but not, uh, dynamically.

Losing the open world scenarios is what hurts the most, but the other changes don't seem too bad. Are these cuts enough to scare you away from the Wii version, or is it all just sausage to you?

Atari has dished out some new screens from upcoming title Alone in the Dark. Most of the shots feature protagonist Edward Carnby navigating dark and spooky environments. We even get a glimpse of old Ed's car, as he speeds around the abandoned streets bordering Central Park. Personally, we like a good scare every now and then. What about you?

You can check out the new images in our gallery below.

Finally, someone actually takes the time to show us some of the Wii's controls. We've been wondering about that, since those Xbox 360 and PS3 fanboys and fangirls have those fancy-schmancy graphics, the Wii has been left out in the cold, alone and hungry. Not anymore, as we all finally get a glimpse at the game running on Wii.

The beginning of the interview is filled with PS3/Xbox 360 gameplay, so you'll want to fast-forward to about the 2 minute mark, where it starts to get good.

[Via Joystiq]

Atari has the right idea when it comes to limited editions, as the Alone in the Dark limited edition package above boasts a plethora of goodies for the fan. If you're having trouble making out all of the things in the box above, here's a bulleted list for easy consumption:

• Edward Carnby figurine
• official soundtrack
• art book
• making-of documentary
• the custom box it all comes in

We know some of you aren't all that excited about Atari's upcoming game, but for those of you still looking to find out what's going down in Central Park, will you be picking up this limited edition bundle?

If you were anticipating going through Atari's latest, Alone in the Dark, for the Wii, then know that you'll just need to wait a bit longer; the game has been pushed back from May to June. No word on what the developers need to fix in the game, but we're wondering if the game couldn't benefit from a little extra development time.

Sure, it's been awhile waiting for a new Alone in the Dark game, but when it finally releases, you'll definitely want the best game possible, right?


[Via Joystiq]

Hervé Sliwa, lead designer on Alone in the Dark, released a developer diary in which he gushes over the chance to work on one of his favorite games, and who could blame him? Whether or not you happen to like this particular title, the idea of being in his shoes -- and working on a new vision of something you love -- has to be exciting. In fact, the entire diary entry reads like a fanboy's dream come true; Sliwa swears he applied to Infogrames because of Alone in the Dark, because of the game's innovation and narrative. If nothing else, this gives us some hope about the remake. Sure, some may not welcome the level-skip function, and maybe everyone's not happy with the screenshots, but it certainly sounds as though the game is in good hands.

As far as actual information goes about development, this entry is a little on the light side. However, near the end, Sliwa does mention that the sight of Central Park at night inspired the project. The contrast between the brightly-lit city and a particularly dark patch in the park just struck a chord, and the first idea for the new game slithered forth from the depths of night. While we'd love to get some down and dirty details on the game, or perhaps a video or two, it's nice to see the beginning of the process, particularly when the mind behind it is so enthusiastic. It's contagious, as well; in honor of Sliwa's excitement, we tracked down some new artwork and Wii-specific screens, and have tucked them into the gallery below, along with the older shots.