If you'd like to see a virtual board game being played, a trailer is available at the game's website. We're hoping for Saikyou Ginsei Crocodile Dentist next.
Gallery: Saikyou Ginsei Go
[Via Inside-Games]
Posts with tag board-game
Japan to boldly play Go where no man has played Go before (WiiWare)
If you'd like to see a virtual board game being played, a trailer is available at the game's website. We're hoping for Saikyou Ginsei Crocodile Dentist next.
[Via Inside-Games]
Chess Crusade campaigns its cuteness
The developers behind Chess Crusade seem to have gotten the message, as the game looks positively adorable. The cutesy medieval chess pieces serve to soften our embittered hearts, and add an interesting, colorful take to an often bland-looking game. What's even better is that the chess pieces actually attack each other on the board, à la Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
The title does fall a little short when it comes to multiplayer, though. While you can either play against the computer or against a friend locally, Chess Crusade has no WFC options. In chess, your opponent is such a vital aspect to your enjoyment of the game, so we're not sure if this is a sound decision. Perhaps it would have been better off as a cheaper, WiiWare release.
Yet, if online play isn't an issue for you, Chess Crusade is coming to North America in two weeks for the budget price of $19.99. There will also be a DS version available for $5 less.
Atlus hates friendship, announces Dokapon Kingdom
Last week, Atlus sent out a cryptic, humorous "apology" letter from "Player 4," asking forgiveness in advance for humiliating other players in some unannounced game. As it turns out, the teaser was for a localized version of Sting's Dokapon Kingdom, announced today for Wii and PS2. Dokapon Kingdom is a four-player board game/RPG that emphasizes shifting alliances and betrayals between its players, being dubbed a "friendship-destroying party game."The Dokapon Kingdom website features wallpaper, a description of the game's story (in which monsters attack and heroes vie to save the kingdom and earn money from the king), and introductions to three of Dokapon's venal characters.
Dokapon is scheduled for an October 14th release, for $40. After the post break, we've got a trailer and a larger version of the image used in the boxart.
Gallery: Dokapon Kingdom
Continue reading Atlus hates friendship, announces Dokapon Kingdom
Sugoro Chronicle: Monopoly with monsters
The game is a Monopoly-like competition for acquisition of money, with a few interesting RPG-based modifications, most notably battling between characters. There are over 100 jobs the player can choose from, which seem to affect abilities in battle.
Sugoro Chronicle will be out in Japan this August. Their only Wii game to date, Sharuui Takoron, was localized as Octomania by Conspiracy Entertainment, so that would be the most likely avenue of stateside release.
Yakuman Wii's weird non-Mii players
But we're fascinated by Nintendo's decision to use not-Miis as its AI opponents, in a game that includes Miis. Why do that? Why design characters that look sort of like Miis, have similar proportions, but aren't Miis? We understand why the Ide Yousuke character doesn't necessarily adhere to Mii guidelines (to more accurately depict a person), but even he's more Mii-like than these alternate-universe Miis.
Each of the characters has a different play style, which is described in the profile next to the name. Atsuo, here, is a "defender." The stars, we believe, indicate a difficulty level. There are lots of other screens available at GAME Watch, ranging from mahjong happening to mahjong about to happen (Wi-Fi setup, lessons from Ide Yousuke) to mahjong just happened (multiplayer results).
Family Game Night is fun for the family
Called Family Game Night (not to be confused with Wii Fanboy's Game Night), this title includes the following classics:
- Connect Four
- Yahtzee (not the one that curses a lot)
- Battleship
- Boggle
- Sorry!
- Sorry! Sliders (who wants to tell EA and Hasbro that this doesn't count as a "sixth" game?)
If you think differently, though, keep an eye out for Family Game Night, which will hit European Wiis this fall.
[Via press release]
Surprise mahjongg game hits Japanese WiiWare next week [update]
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]
EA brings Monopoly to the Wii
People who love a nice, long bout of Monopoly but don't trust the dirty, sneaky banker not to cheat might be interested in EA's decision to bring the beloved board game to the Wii. The title will include multiple game boards to "pass Go" on, including the classic board and the new one from Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition (see the semi-related Stephen Colbert skit posted after the break, just for fun).There's also a new mode you can play called the "Riches Mode," which is a faster and more party-friendly way to get your Monopoly on. It starts out with a minigame (which, in the Wii version, will utilize motion controls -- think sawing yourself out of jail, for example). Whoever wins gets to choose how many pieces they'd like randomly dropped onto the board. If your piece lands on an unoccupied space, you come to own it. If you land on someone else's space, though, you have to pay them. There's no money involved, so you just end up giving them a property or something of the sort. Meanwhile, if your piece lands on a space like Chance, you have to do whatever the card tells you.
One downfall, however, is that the Wii version (like the PS2 game) will not have online play. You'll have to turn to the Xbox 360 version for online multiplayer.
Don't forget to check out why Monopoly is a threat (via Stephen Colbert) after the break.
Take a trip to Dokapon Kingdom
So, what particular combination does Dokapon consist of, you ask? Simply enough, this title is a board-game meets RPG. From what we can tell, the Wii version is actually a port of the PS2 game that was released last November, but it's probably safe for us to assume that most of you never played it the first time around.
Should you be interested, the game releases in Japan this June. If you don't have a Wii capable of playing Japanese games and are worried that Datel's Freeloader might not work, though, you can look into the non-port DS version of Dokapon instead.
In any case, we've made a gallery of Dokapon Kingdom for your viewing pleasure (aren't we just the greatest?), and also posted some Famitsu screens that can be seen beyond the break.
Gallery: Dokapon Kingdom
Wii Chess looks comfortingly like the real thing
We find it inherently amusing that Wii Chess is -- minus a few frills -- the same game as countless other titles on the market, many of which can be bought with a small handful of spare change. Despite this, we still suspect Wii Chess' no-nonsense approach to the world's favorite strategy game could be a commercial hit for Nintendo; certainly, the budget price tag won't harm its chances.
There's a couple of things to note about the above video, however. One: that elevator music is freakin' hideous (and on that note, we'd really like MP3 support in this please, Nintendo). And two: where are the optional Nintendo-themed pieces?! To have Mario and Peach playing the king and queen would have been an excellent little touch. Other Nintendo games get outstanding fan service, so why not this? Two words: Missed. Opportunity.
[Thanks, Troy!]
New details on Wii Chess remind us that the game exists
Considering it's a Nintendo game, there's been astoundingly little fanfare for Wii Chess. The game's Wikipedia page is absolutely barren, while a release date has only just appeared (January 18th), and then only for Europe. Despite the lack of information, Nintendo obviously reckons this could have broad appeal, as it's slapped the "Touch! Generations" logo on the corner of the box, which roughly translates as: "Your Gran and her friends will like this."Anyway, further details finally emerged on the title today, with CVG reporting that Wii Chess is to retail for a budget price of £20 / €30 (we'd presume the game's budget status will be preserved if and when it reaches other markets -- our educated guess would be $30 for the U.S.), and that it will support both local multiplayer and games played over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. We're also promised a number of graphical styles, which hopefully means Nintendo-themed boards and pieces, including Goomba pawns and knights that look like Yoshi.
And yes, that is the German boxart. We travelled the seven seas of the internet searching for an English version, but returned empty-handed. Still, at least you now know the German word for "chess." Never know when that might come in handy.
Virtually Overlooked: Wily & Right no Rockboard: That's Paradise
We were driven into a melancholy by the news that Australia (and probably Europe) was getting a Virtual Console version of Mega Man 2 while we have yet to see a download of the first game. Many of you correctly noted that it was stupid to wait for a VC version with the Mega Man Anniversary Collection disc available so cheaply and plentifully. But we actually have the disc and the cartridge. It's a simple matter of wanting every game we like to be available through as many conduits as possible, to get into the most hands as possible. A Virtual Console release, as well, allows a game to come back to the attention of the gaming community, sparking discussion once again. We want that for Mega Man 2 forever. Our memories of Mega Man 2 are 110 million, after all.
The existence of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection still makes any included game too easy to play on the Wii to be Virtually Overlooked material, even if, by doing so, it limits discussion. There's no real reason to wish for a game that you can just go buy for less money. That renders Mega Man 1-8 off limits (good luck playing 8 on a Nintendo system any other way!) as well as The Power Battle and The Power Fighters. But we still want to talk Mega Man, so we went scrambling for an appropriate game. Mega Man X? No, it is also available on a compilation. Rockman Battle & Chase? No, it's on the same compilation! Rockboard will have to do, then. It's got the benefit of being the weirdest Mega Man game yet, and we can keep Mega Man Soccer saved up for a bit.
Continue reading Virtually Overlooked: Wily & Right no Rockboard: That's Paradise
