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Wii Warm Up: MotionPlus or minus?

We've already discussed MotionPlus a bit, but now it's time to talk logistics. While we think MotionPlus will add a lot of depth to many games (even something as simple as Sword Play), we're not sure if third parties incorporating it into their games is a good thing. Will people still be able to play MotionPlus games without actually owning the peripheral, or must there be multiple control schemes? And, how should reviewers base their reviews of games, since it's likely that many people will be left MotionPlus-less?

At any rate, do you think third parties and Wii owners are ready for these games to take advantage of the add-on?

Toys R Us offers buy one, get $20 off deal

Wii owners should head over to Toys R Us next week (or, toysrus.com), as the retailer is having a good deal on Wii titles. From 8/3-8/9 (and even starting earlier in select stores, according to ads), if you buy a Wii game that costs $29.99 or more, you'll get $20 off a second Wii game.

Fortunately this deal includes games with peripherals, like Wii Play, Wii Fit, DDR, and Guitar Hero. That is, of course, if you can actually find said games (silly old Wii Fit) in stock.

Does anyone plan to use this deal to pick up a long desired title?

[Via CAG]

Nintendo makes boatloads of money during fiscal Q1 [update]

To the surprise of, well, no one, Nintendo had a pretty stellar first fiscal quarter of 2008, raking in a net profit of nearly 1 billion dollars (107.2 billion yen). Wii hardware was responsible for $5.17 million of that profit, which is an increase of almost $1.75 million from last year's fiscal Q1. Meanwhile, Wii software raked in $40.41 million (up $24.42 million).

Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit were part of the reason for this software success, since in the quarter Wii Fit sold 3.42 million copies and Mario Kart sold a whopping 6.42 million units. And, if you weren't yet convinced that Nintendo deserves the "printing money" meme, the company is projected to bring in a net profit of about $3 billion dollars for the year.

We don't know about you, but our own wallets and bank accounts are growling with envy.

Update: Fixed some typos. Thanks for the heads up, Sonic_13!

[Via NeoGAF]

Taking a closer look at Helix


While some of you remain skeptical about Helix, we're definitely interested in Ghostfire Games' upcoming WiiWare title. Essentially, everything you need to know about the game is revealed by Ed Roman in this producer walkthrough (embedded up top).

Ghostfire is really stressing the whole "exercise made fun" angle, and with the success of titles like DDR and Wii Fit, who can blame them? What we like most about Helix, though, is that the developers clearly put a lot of thought into every aspect of this dancing game. Take, for example, the calibration option, which helps the software map out your own specific movement quirks more easily. (MotionPlus, schmotionplus.) Also, according to Roman, you can still play the game if you only have one Wiimote, so if you lack two controllers that's not a game-killing issue.

If you're curious about how the developers fit twenty-six songs onto a WiiWare title, or why they decided to use two Wiimotes rather than a Wiimote/Nunchuk combination, or anything else about Helix, for that matter, just check out the video above.

We ain't afraid of no ghosts, just cancellation

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostbust ... er ... well, maybe not.

With the Blizzavision merger, a few Sierra titles (like Ghostbusters) may get the axe. When it comes to efficiency, Sierra has been deemed a "non-strategic business unit," which (we're sure we don't have to tell you) is not good. While the recently merged publisher reports that Sierra franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro will be safe, the fate of Ghostbusters is still up in the air.

Offering a bit of reassurance, Sierra claims, "[Ghostbusters] is not cancelled and will not be cancelled." Some words from the people with the money, though, would probably make us feel better.

Man-Bat is one ugly LEGO villain

Those of you who've seen The Dark Knight probably still have Batman in your systems, so hopefully news on the superhero in LEGO form is enough to sate your batty cravings. Warner Bros. is certainly trying to indulge in your wants by revealing more news about the upcoming LEGO Batman video game.

Today, the company brings word of a new villain, one that Batman fans will be familiar with -- Man-Bat. Man-Bat is actually a scientist named Kirk Langstrom, who injected himself with a bat-based serum in order to gain sonar powers and aid his worsening deafness. Obviously, bad results ensue, and he turns into a bat-looking monster that attacks Gotham City. Fun!

For some Man-Bat related screens, just click on our gallery below.

Gallery: LEGO Batman


[Via press release]

Resident Evil 4 vs. Resident Evil 5


There's a lot of speculation about Resident Evil 5 coming to the Wii, especially after a statement made by Simon Jeffery added some fuel to the fire. Perhaps because of such rumors, or perhaps for fun, one fan decided to make a comparison between Resident Evil 4 and what we've seen so far of Resident Evil 5.

After watching the video, we don't see why the game couldn't come to the Wii. Granted, the graphics won't be as pretty, but everything else should translate simply enough. With that said, we wouldn't be surprised if Capcom one day ported the game, especially after announcing Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop for the Wii.

Of course, RE5 still has a long way to go in development, so there maybe something else under the title's zombified sleeves that will end up surprising us.

[Thanks, Adam!]

Dragon Quest Swords gets a slimey sale

Most reviewers rank Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors as mediocre, but $17 sounds like a fair price for the game. If you happen to agree (and can buy games from Amazon.com), you should probably hit up Amazon's "Deal of the Day."

The battle system might take you to "Waggle City" and the story might fall a little flat, but cheap prices tend to make up for these things. Then again, the price of Dragon Quest Swords has been dropping steadily at Amazon for a while now, and might even go lower in the near future. Unfortunately, we're too busy to get into our time machines and check.

Space Invaders Get Videos, Website


Because the game Space Invaders has been a part of our lives for as long as we can remember, we've grown quite fond of the iconic alienoids. That's why we're completely ready to blow up the world with them in Space Invaders Get Even, which is headed to WiiWare this year (in Japan).

Now the game has its own official website, and it's definitely worth a visit. Aside from the teaser trailer posted above, there are also four videos of gameplay foootage to examine under your watchful eyes. So long, Eiffel Tower.

To see the other videos, just go to the site and click on "Get Even," then "Game System"

Gallery: Space Invaders Get Even!


[Thanks, supa_s!]

Wiimote triumphs over Weemote: A small business sob story

Sometimes, it really sucks to be the little guy (especially if the big guy you're up against is Nintendo). Take Forbis Technologies, for example, who came out with the Weemote (and trademarked the name in 2000) long before the Wii even launched.

Nintendo never officially refers to the Wii's controller as a Wiimote, and always calls it by the full name Wii Remote. Retailer and blog outlets such as ourselves are the cause of the problem, however, as we constantly use the unofficial nickname. Ever since the term "Wiimote" caught on, though, the Weemote's sales have "fallen considerably."

Continue reading Wiimote triumphs over Weemote: A small business sob story

Iwata: Keep dreaming of a white console Christmas

Whether or not you've been able to find Wiis in stores as of late, the holiday season is a completely different beast. Even now, in July, company president Satoru Iwata can't promise that there will be enough Wiis stocked to meet demand this Christmastime. If Wiis are scarce, this will be the third holiday season in a row that people in the U.S. and UK have had difficulty locating the console.

Iwata promises that the company is doing everything in its power to avoid this situation, and is on schedule to develop 2.4 million units for 2008 by the end of the year.

We can imagine only that some other Nintendo stock (we're looking at you, Wii Fit) will be a nightmare to find this holiday season, too.

[Thanks, Thomas!]

Porn for Wii: Dark Room Sex Game


No, you didn't misread the title of this post; it's not another edition of Born for Wii for today. Yet, the title is still a bit misleading, as we really should have said that the Dark Room Sex Game is "Porn for Wii Remote."

Created for the Nordic Game Jam at the IT University at Copenhagen (which had a theme of "taboo" this year), players can either use Wiimotes or a keyboard to play this PC title. Even though it's a "sex" game, there are no visuals in Dark Room (only audio). The objective is to find a "mutual rhythm" with your partner, and then gradually speed up until -- well, we probably don't need to spell out the rest. Four players can also take part simultaneously in Orgy Mode, during which you "swap partners randomly and compete to reach orgasm the fastest."

Part of the inspiration behind Dark Room, apparently, was the phallic shape (and rumble) of the Wiimote. The team behind it hoped to make players feel embarrassed but satisfied, and believes that the use of imagination in the game is more erotic than using raunchy graphics. We're not so sure, though, that some hormone-driven teenagers would agree.

Note: The audio (and audio only) in the video above is NSFW. Also, the reaction of the person watching Dark Room Sex Game is absolutely hilarious.

[Via MTV Multiplayer]

Iwata: Friend codes aren't perfect (Us: Duh)

You know you hate them. No matter how much you love Nintendo, there's no way you can justify those vile things known as friend codes.

Nintendo (the company) might not despise them as much as we do (or at all), but at least some of the higher-ups are willing to acknowledge that they're not the best EVAR. In fact, you really don't get much higher up than President Satoru Iwata, who recently admitted in an interview with GameDaily that the friend code system isn't perfect. He then spouted the usual company line when he said, "However, if it's an online world where you can get access to anybody without any restrictions, I as a father do not feel like allowing my daughter be engaged in that kind of world."

Iwata said that the purpose of friend codes is to create a harassment-free environment for people less familiar with online video gaming, but we can't help but feel like friend codes are a different kind of harassment that tirelessly bothers those who are experienced online gamers. The prez also said that the company is working on improving the system, though, while keeping it safe.

[Via CVG]

Brawl Stage of the Week: It's a Car

The stage we're featuring today is by Bombey, who happens to be the brother of a previous Stage of the Weeker. Whereas last week we chose a board that was perfectly catered for brawling, this week we leaned a little more toward stage design and concept. Even so, it still packs quite a punch and is a great stage to fight some friends on.

If you can't tell exactly what the concept is from the title of this post or the picture, well -- we really can't help you. But yes, as the title says, it's a car! Click on past the break to download the stage and/or read more about it.

Continue reading Brawl Stage of the Week: It's a Car

Guitar Hero III sale makes economic sense

Whether you don't yet own Guitar Hero III or just want to pick up another Les Paul guitar, you might find yourself shopping at Circuit City this week. The retailer is selling bundles of the game for the low price of $59.99, which is the same price (and even cheaper, depending on where you find it) as a standalone guitar.

If interested, you can either drive yourself over to a brick and mortar store or check out this deal online. It might be worth it to have an extra guitar for when Guitar Hero: World Tour rolls around, after all.

[Via CAG]

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This Month's New Games

Name Date
King of Fighters: Orochi Saga
Nov 25
Ultimate Band
Nov 25
Mushroom Men
Dec 2
Iron Chef America Dec 5
Rock Band 2
Dec 16
Ultimate Shooting Collection
Dec 16
Neopets Puzzle Adventure
Dec 30

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