Archive for the ‘GameCube’ Category:
Toys R Us now accepting console trade-ins
Toys R Us has today released a press release letting us know that they will now begin accepting used console trade-ins much like competitor GameStop has been doing for some time now.
This program allows you to trade in everything from the Xbox 360 and Wii to the PS1 and Nintendo 64. Of course, you’re only going to be able to get yourself a gift card for the trade-in instead of cold hard cash but you win some you lose some, right?
Check out the press release after the break.
Nintendo reveals Metroid Trilogy for the Wii
Nintendo’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was easily the best FPS on the Wii, and now the publisher is adding those controls to the previous two games, Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, previously released on the GameCube.
Nintendo has announced that the two previous games, alongside Corruption, will be released as a Trilogy on one disc for $50. This is great news to Wii owners who have only played Corruption and want to know the story that precedes it. And who want to experience arguably two of the best games ever released on the GameCube. It will be available on August 24.
Wii Retro Controller Adapter Debuting At E3
Although the Wii Classic Controller or a Gamecube controller works well enough for most virtual console titles nothing would beat the sheer joy of playing old school Nintendo games with the original controller. Before now you’d have to possess MacGuyver level skills to wire an old-school NES controller to your Wii, but a new peripheral set to be revealed at E3 will substitute for the mullet-style tinkering.
The 3-in-1 Virtual Retro Adapter will plug into the Gamecube controller port and accept inputs from the original NES, Super Nintendo and N64 Controllers. It’s compatible with both 1st and 3rd party controllers and is set to launch June of this year, with an MSRP of $19.99. It’s manufactured and designed by Komodo and distributed by Innex
Factor 5 shutting down studio
Factor 5, developers of the Rogue Squadron series and Liar, has announced that the San Rafael based studio is shutting down. This is due to the bankruptcy and failure of Brash Entertainment, a leading investor in the San Rafael based studio
However, Factor 5’s German studio — and headquarters — located in Cologne, Germany, is unaffected by the closure and will continue normal operations.
Wii Least Played Console, PS2 On Downward Slide
Nielsen has released their newest round of data tracking the gaming habits of American gamers. Though the Wii still continues to outsell many other systems the console is getting the least play time. The only system that it’s beating in terms of how often it’s played and for how long is the Gamecube. The PS3 is getting the most play time. Though the PS2 has a higher average minutes per gaming session at seventy-one, the PS3’s sixty-four minutes is more substantial when you compare that the PS3 on average gets played almost daily (six point eight days per week) while its predecessor gets only 5.5 days of usage per week (435.2 minutes for the PS3, 390.5 for the PS2).
Star Wars The Force Unleashed–Great Fun For A Few Minutes
There are games that visibly, awesomely, catch your imagination and pull you into the experience with a force and grandeur all their own. I admit that this was the case with me playing the first stage of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Sadly, this wonderful beginning couldn’t last, and from there, the game throttled back its spectacular fun factor. The upshot is that the collapse was not complete. Let’s go ahead and take a look at this game that could so deeply hook me at first, but lose most of that hook after only minutes in.
You play as Darth Vader’s secret apprentice, somewhere between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope in the chronology, that vast chunk of time where Vader was just getting started. Longtime fans of the series will be interested to note your character is named Starkiller, or the original name of Luke Skywalker. But anyway—Starkiller is dispatched by Vader to complete the work he began, the destruction of the Jedi throughout the universe. As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to follow your master into the Dark Side, or separate into the Light Side, and thus have access to two different endings based on your choices.
Now, like I said earlier, the first few minutes were what had me so very hooked. This was because, for the first few minutes, you don’t play as Starkiller at all.
You play as Darth Vader.
Playing quite possibly the greatest Sith who ever lived—let’s remember that the guy’s going to hand it to Palpatine down the line—is like controlling a black-cloaked tornado. You’re dropped onto Kashyyyk, otherwise known as Wookiee Planet, and sent to take down a legion of walking furballs with blasters. This should make just about anyone’s blood run cold–Wookiees are badasses of the first order when sufficiently provoked—but not you. You are Darth-and-don’t-you-forget-it-Vader. You don’t run. You just stride in this coolly controlled fashion, striking down whatever walks in front of you with a flurry of lightsaber swings or various Force powers. It’s like controlling Jason Voorhees; a towering, hulking juggernaut that seemingly can’t be brought down no matter how many Wookiees take potshots at him. It’s a real jaw-dropper of a sequence.
It’s only too bad that the rest of the game can’t live up to this amazing opening, or to the hype it generated. Oh, sure, it’s FUN enough—Starkiller is a pretty entertaining sort and there are legions of enemies to strike down. But compared to that sweet taste I got in the beginning, the whole rest of the game just feels like a letdown.
The interesting part is, the PS3, Wii, PS2, Nintendo DS, N-Gage and PSP versions of the game are all different from the Xbox 360 version. Some have small differences, others have massive differences. For those who wonder, I’m handling the 360 version, so I’ll caution you all that your mileage may vary.
In summary, the plot is solid, and the first five minutes will grab your attention in a pure-on Force grip, but the rest of the game will not be so compelling. If you’re okay with a small disappointment in an otherwise fair-quality game, then your time spent playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will not be ill-spent.
Two Gamecube Classics Getting Retooled For Wii
Part of the reason Nintendo’s raking in money hand over fist with the Wii is their brilliant decision to re-release classic titles for low costs. Between the current library of games, backwards compatibility with Gamecube titles, the Virtual Console and Wiiware it’s hard not to find something you’d like to play. While NES and SNES games are best played with more simple control schemes, the success of Twilight Princess, Okami and Resident Evil 4 showed that with a little work the games can be updated for the Wii’s more intuitive interface.
Nintendo is launching an official line of games with just this in mind, called the ‘NEW PLAY CONTROL!’ series. The first two titles are going to be out very soon, one intended to appeal to the more serious gamer and the other for the casual type. February 6th will see the re-release of classic strategy title Pikmin. The game is more or less the same, with players taking the role of Olimar, an astronaut who crash lands on a planet and is forced to find pieces of his ship with the aid of the half plant, half animal, fully adorable Pikmin. The gameplay will utilize the WIi’s pointing capabilities, allowing players to easily select and order groups of Pikmin.
The other title is Mario Power Tennis, which will likely be quite similar to the tennis game on Wii Sports at the most basic level but with various kinds of shots including the Power Shots which vary by character. Some other fun features include ‘Gimmick Courts’ where you’ll have to avoid various impediments while you play including ghosts tossing banana peels under your feet. There are also a variety of mini-games that you can play, some of which are available from the start, others are unlocked by playing through the tournament mode including “Terror Tennis” where you hit balls at ghosts to keep them under control. Mario Power Tennis will be re-releasing on March 6th of this year.
Miyamoto Criticizes Violent Games
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has told UK’s Channel 4 that he is worried about developers creating excessively violent video games,
“I don’t want to curb freedom of expression, but I am concerned that many developers focus just on excessive violence in order to stimulate people’s mind. I believe that there are more ways of grabbing players’ attention than violence alone.”
Miyamoto is a pioneer in the industry of video games, responsible for titles like Mario, Donkey Kong, and the Legend of Zelda.
“We need to eat in order to live, that’s our first priority,” Miyamoto added. “But entertainment and the enrichment of our souls must come in second place. Nintendo’s mission is to improve and to take advantage of cheap technology to create reasonable and affordable entertainment.”
Read (PCWorld)
Wii Is Better Than PS3? So Says Eggebrecht
Oh how easily the tides have turned. From Factor 5’s humble beginnings on the PS3, turning Lair from what appeared to be a AAA effort into a critical flop. We now know the developer has switched tracks to develop an upcoming Wii title, we also know Factor 5 was one of the best developers on the Gamecube, pushing the hardware with its launch title that still remains fairly unchallenged. But just how much power does the Wii truly hold? Factor 5’s engine is nearly complete, and he feels that it holds a lot more than you’d expect.
“We’re pretty much at a state where we’re almost done with the engine. At the same time, we’ve also been working on content quite a bit because we had enough running very quickly on the platform that we were able to. But the biggest milestone or mark right now is that we’re almost done with the engine and it does everything that the PS3 did and then some, quite frankly. So we’re pretty happy with that.”
Obviously that is a slight exaggeration, as there is no way we’ll be seeing their next title outputting 1080p, but it does peak interest in what their upcoming title could truly hold. On that note, Julian understands that the focus on the Wii in not just about the graphics, but about the control, and figures he has it all figured out.
“But one of our main focuses is the innovation around the controls. Everybody is always talking about the motion control, but I think people are overplaying that a bit. I really, really love the pointing aspect of the remote. Although we’re going to use everything for what we have in development, I think the pointing stuff is probably the biggest innovation which we’re working on right now.”
I would have to agree with Julian on that point, so far we’ve actually come to realize that one of the biggest features the Wiimote has to offer, which so far has been somewhat underutilized in the IR functionality. Somewhat merging that bridge between the PC and consoles. Hopefully Julian can produce as good as the way he seems to be able to talk it up, and we don’t have another Lair on our hands.
Nintendo Wavebird Not Shipping Any Longer
Nintendo has stopped shipping of the wireless GameCube controller — known as Wavebird — to retailers. The Wavebird was one of the first true RF based wireless controllers, where now virtually all controllers are wireless on the current generation of consoles. Nintendo has said that the Wavebird will still be available on their online store, but didn’t mention for how long it’ll be available, or when, as it’s not listed online.
Wii Outsells Gamecube’s Lifetime Sales in ONE Year
Nintendo has seen staggering sales for the Wii, but just how staggering has it been? Well, the console has surpassed the Gamecube, Nintendo’s previous outing, in Japan – its lifetime sales within a year.
Exactly 4,179,963 units of the Gamecube were sold during the lifetime of the product. Astonishingly, the Japanese picked up 4,231,044 units of the Wii, having the new console outsell its brother in just over a year.
Only one word comes to mind: wow!
Master Chief’s Identity Finally Revealed
Drawn by Raven Perez, the comic strip above is quite funny, finally revealing who Master Chief really is. You can find more game related comic strips on the official site here.
Madden NFL 08 Review Roundup
Another year, another football season, another round of Madden NFL. This year’s version of Madden has hit the stores, available on 10 (ten!) different platforms, that’s gotta be some sort of record, even for EA.
GameSpot (85/100) “Madden 08 seems to represent a tipping point of sorts for the series. You feel like the game is right on the brink of getting back to where it was four or five years ago in terms of stature and innovation.”
IGN (87/100) “Madden NFL 08 is a great game. It’s certainly the best Madden since the 2005 edition and a worthy offering for the new generation of gaming. The new animation system is outstanding and the game itself plays wonderfully.”
1UP (90/100) “You’ll find a much smarter brand of football in 08: Quarterbacks now scramble when no one is open, wideouts continue to make blocks 30 yards downfield, and defensive backs rarely fall for the deep ball. Some might even say that pass defense is a tad too stingy this season.”
GameSpy (90/100) “While it has been difficult to wholeheartedly recommend a Madden football game for a few years, Madden NFL 08 is a significant improvement over the series’ past, and has refined the formula in such a way that it actually brings something new to the game.”
Note: The reviews were based on the Xbox 360 version, which runs at a constant 60 fps, while the PS3 version runs at 30 fps, as several PS3 version reviews also point out.
Digitalbattle Weekly Comments Contest is On Again.
Hi everyone well its that time of the week again, where we all get together and giveaway prizes for thoughs who like to comment on our stories. We’ll pick the best 3 comments each week and award each one with a game. All you have to do is to continue posting relevant and constructive comments on stories. Check out this week’s prizes after the break. More »
Comments Contest Winners Announced
1st SasukeX – Wii Remote Controller
2nd Tidles – S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
3rd The Wicker Man – Resident Evil 4
3rd Anuban – Resident Evil 4
Special DB Editor Commentor Prize goes to Zac – Resident Evil 4Please send your postal info gday1234@gmail.com
Many Regards Paul Nation