Kororinpa 2 uses balance board, boasts bad GC demo
GC 2008: EA looking to start up tennis franchise on Wii
So, how many of you are looking forward to seeing this one? A tennis game that takes advantage of MotionPlus? We're excited!
[Via Joystiq]
Sega has a surprise for Leipzig
At first glance, the company's Wii line-up for Leipzig (listed past the break) consists of titles we've all seen before, but Sega is also planning a "world premiere" for a hitherto unannounced game, one that will be announced in time for the start of the trade fair on August 20th. This being Sega, our imaginations have instantly fired up. Given the recent trademarking shenanigans and Sega's current fondness for reviving Dreamcast titles, our money is on a Jet Set Radio game of some description. You never know, however -- it could just be another Sonic game noone really cares about. We'd never rule that option out.
Activate idle speculation!
Nintendo drops out of Leipzig GC
The Leipzig Game Convention? Nintendo is so over it. In an announcement to the press earlier today, the company ruled itself out of the forthcoming event, stating that it will be focusing instead on "smaller, local events and national promotional tours" -- a bit like this one, we suppose.
Ninty was keen to emphasize that this was nothing to do with the event itself (the kind of "it's not you, it's me" excuse we've heard a thousand times before!), but we're still surprised; didn't Leipzig have 185,000 visitors last year? Our guess is that Nintendo is trying to reach out to its new audience, which we understand consists primarily of people who don't attend game conventions.
[Thanks, Andreas!]
Rumor: More days before NiGHTS?
However, given that this fansite apparently has someone at Leipzig who's been capturing teensy, blurry cellphone videos of the game in action (watch the one above at your own risk), we're inclined to believe their news. We'd be pleased to let Sega take some extra time with the game, and possibly sell it at a less content-heavy time of the year. Maybe in early 2008 it'll be able to get the attention of the horrible people who would ignore NiGHTS for Mario in November.
[Via NeoGAF]
Check out Nintendo's booth at Leipzig
Leipzig is crazy for Mario & Sonic at the Olympics
In somewhat less mind-boggling news, the Wii Balance Board was named the "Best Hardware Accessory." The jury said "Having already converted the remote control into a controller, the manufacturer now turns scales into a games accessory."
Umbrella Chronicles looks horrifying - in a good way
We've updated the gallery with the latest screens, and the dates embedded with the images allows you to compare shots and see how things have come along since we got our first glimpses of the title. There's also a new trailer tucked away after the break for your viewing pleasure. We just love all the new trailers that surface for game conferences!
[Top image found here, along with others!]
Continue reading Umbrella Chronicles looks horrifying - in a good way
Rockstar to rock Table Tennis at Leipzig
It's been little under a month since the official announcement that Rockstar would be bringing its budget Xbox 360 title Table Tennis to the Wii. That, of course, has made us very sad bloggers, as if there is any game deserving a port to the Wii, it's this one. Seriously, we can't wait to ping pong it up (if only we had confirmation of Wi-Fi compatibility).Now, word comes that Rockstar will be at the Leipzig Games Convention to unveil the next installment in their Midnight Club franchise and, more importantly, show off the Wii version of Table Tennis. Until then, we'll just have to wait it out until some video manages to find its way onto the net or Rockstar dishes out a press release confirming the inclusion of Wi-Fi.
Nintendo to keep it intimate at Leipzig
Nintendo wants to get all kinds of intimate at this year's Leipzig conference, apparently, as they aren't going to treat this year's show a bit differently. Instead of the usual big theatrical deal, Nintendo will be offering smaller media tours, taking attendees through their line-up of games with someone from Nintendo Germany.Why the new approach? "It's important for people to play our games to fully understand them," a Nintendo spokesperson stated, further adding "We feel it's better to do this through more intimate briefings than through a big conference. Also, a lot of people who come to these conferences never actually play the game, so with these smaller presentations everyone will play them, and will get to ask the question they need to." Having been to a lot of these types of shows, we think the change is for the best.
What do you guys think?
Crack that Whip -- Castlevania coming to Wii?
The Belmont family has been with us for quite some time now and fans are ready to see the series continue on next-gen systems. Who wouldn't want to crack a whip Wii style?
In an interview at Leipzig, Koji Igarashi (aka IGA) mentioned the possibilities of a Castlevania game coming out on the Wii stating that he has a few ideas for it. This news came as a relief considering that he had snubbed the idea at E3 saying that a person can't "whip" for long periods of time. Maybe not but we are willing to kill our arm muscles to find out.
[Thanks Andrew!]
USA Today checks out next-gen systems
USA Today, a respected and widely-read newspaper, recently took an objective look at the next-gen lineup of systems. While they summarize each system into fairly short "blurbs," a majority of the piece centers around wondering who will end up on top after the dust is settled. The piece points out several key factors such as Sony's choice to go Blu-ray, as well as Microsoft's year-long head start in the market.The content is somewhat lacking in speculating on where Nintendo will be at through all of this, but we at The Fanboy don't see this as being such a bad thing. Even after Nintendo's failure to provide launch date and price info for the Wii at Leipzig, buzz surrounding the system is still strong.
Wii rumors: a compilation
The last time we hit you guys with a compilation of rumors, we figured it would be the last post of its kind. With Leipzig around the corner and everyone looking at it to reveal price and launch date for the Wii, the days of rumors and their detailed compilations being available over the mass of tubes we call the 'internet' looked to be over.Since we all were undoubtedly disappointed with Nintendo's unwillingness to compromise at Leipzig by giving us the juicy information we needed, now we have a fresh, new compilation to present. A compilation of Wii rumors stemming from the month of August. Funny how Nintendo managed to not give up the information we sought and instead presented us with that much more to speculate on and fine-comb through with magnifying glass firmly clutched in our shaking, sweaty hand.
She's a crafty one, that Nintendo...
[Thanks Matt!]
Wii impressions from LGC
One of Moz La Punk's readers was on-hand at Leipzig with one mission: get their hands on as much Wii as possible. That's right, the reader craved Wii and did their best to make sure that the majority of their time at the show was spent within close proximity to it, holding the Wiimote and engaging in some gaming. They got their hands on a plethora of games at the show, including the two main titles for Nintendo: Battalion Wars 2 and Mario Strikers Charged. The reader's take on the demo for Elebits reads:"No one may have knew it, but this wás a new demo. Unlike the E3 demo, this time you could hunt Elebits in the garden next to the house. It also contained a new orange Elebit with wing-like ears, used for the little creature to fly. The developers also integrated a weight-limit, so not everything could be thrown around. Instead, every time something was shot, the weight was shown. Objects up to about 2 kilogramms could be lifted.
The house also contained several electronical devices which could be opened by collecting enough Elebits to activate them. A dishwasher even contained differently coloured versions of the blue Elebit, as seen in the CG trailer with the Elebits dancing.
The controls were simple, as A activated the beam, the Wiimote was used to aim and look around and the analogue stick moved the player character."
Head on over here for the rest.[Via Go Nintendo]
Up close with BWii
The newly-announced Battalion Wars 2 is playable in Leipzig, and the initial opinions are positive. Graphically, the game sports little difference from the prior GameCube version, but word is that the controls for BWii are smooth and the gameplay is interesting enough that the game manages to feel new and fresh. It's not all roses, though -- IGN reports, after their time with the game, that a few of the maneuvers feel a little awkward, but from their short time with the game, these bumps didn't seem insurmountable. Apparently, BWii will offer several online multiplayer modes, but all that is confirmed at this time is a four-player Capture the Flag. In tanks. Or maybe even in boats. Oh yeah.




















