What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe (UK) this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the most popular now.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Play (Nintendo), 3. We Ski (Namco Bandai), 4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (Activision), 5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo).

Japan: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Totsugeki!! Famicom Wars VS (Nintendo), 4. Link no Bowgun Training + Wii Zapper (Nintendo), 5. Dairantou Smash Brothers X (Nintendo).

Europe: 1. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 2. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 3. Wii Play (Nintendo), 4. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (LucasArts), 5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 2. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 3. Rock Band Special Edition (EA Games), 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 5. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft).

Japan: 1. The Darkness (Spike), 2. The Idolm@ster: Live for You! (Namco), 3. The Idolm@ster — Xbox 360 Platinum Collection (Namco), 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 5. Turok (Touchstone).

Europe: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 2. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 3. The Orange Box (EA Games), 4. Viking: Battle for Asgard (Sega), 5. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 2. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (SCEA), 3. Rock Band Special Edition (EA Games), 4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (Activision), 5. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft).

Japan: 1. Senjou no Valkyria (Sega), 2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 3. Makai Senki Disgaea 3 — First Print Limited Edition (Nippon Ichi), 4. Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (Sega), 5. Armored Core: For Answer (From Software).

Europe: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 2. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (SCEE), 3. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft), 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), 5. Burnout Paradise (EA Games).

PlayStation 2 Read more…

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Wii Music is a compilation of music titles from Nintendo that use the motion control aspects of the Wii controller to simulate instruments. Since in December 2007 Nintendo of Japan’s schedule (page 9) confirmed that the music-rhythm game had been delayed to 2008, we thought it would be fun to do a recap of all known features. Let’s start off with two examples of included games that were demonstrated at E3 2006: …

1. Bang on a drum set like air-drums (with both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk), for one or two players:

2. Conduct an orchestra with a wave of the wand as The Legend Of Zelda Overworld Theme plays:

… As well as acting out other music — like the Super Mario Bros. Theme or The Overture from the Opera Carmen — with your Wii.

It is unknown how many Wii Music games may be included in final package. But an October 10th Nintendo Fall Press Conference 2007 Presentation in Japan revealed that: “Players will be able to select from around 40 instruments, including folk guitar, bass guitar, trumpet, maracas and marimba. Six characters take part in a performance, although the game only supports up to four human players. You’re free to go at the game by yourself, with the CPU taking care of the remaining parts.

Gameplay is timing based. You have to time your button presses with notes. The controls vary depending on the instrument. With the trumpet, you use A and B on the Wiimote. For the drums, you shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. Some instruments have extra playing options, though. With the trumpet, you can aim the Wiimote up and down to simulate an increase in blowing strength. With the guitar, you can hold down the C button to get single notes instead of chords,” translated IGN.

You can see part of this press event here:

Lastly back in April 2007 a Nintendo distributor mentioned that Wii Music will allow players to create and save their own compositions and send them to other Wii users via the online WiiConnect24 to get exchanges going.

That’s to say on top of the Nintendo and orchestral classic pieces that will be included. It should be interesting to find out what other songs will make it in the game or if there will be entirely new compositions thanks to Nintendo composer Koji Kondo (of Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros. series fame) being one of the people overseeing the project along with Shigeru Miyamoto.

When released, this should be great fun and do well for itself if the Video Games Live concerts’ success is any indication. After Wii Sports and Wii Fit, this could be the next big hit. Nintendo is expected to show off Wii Music at the E3 Summit 2008 on July 15-17th.

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Iron Man, one of Marvel’s most indestructible Super Heroes, blast onto videogame platforms with this adaptation of the big screen movie. This third-person action game immerses players in the world of Tony Stark — the brilliant industrialist and inventor who both created and became the world’s toughest hero - Iron Man. By customizing the advanced technology in Iron Man’s suits, gamers can take advantage of a wide array of high-impact weapons to strategically blow-up and destroy any enemy force and fight to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction.

Drawing from both the movie and comic book storylines, Iron Man features the voice talent of the stars from the major motion picture — Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, and Shawn Toub. Utilizing the power of next-gen gaming consoles, Iron Man offers photo-realistic graphics, non-linear gameplay and huge open worlds in which gamers can travel as far as the eye can see.

Is the billionaire hero’s game shiny and polished or covered in a thick layer of tarnish? Find out in this Iron Man game video review:

Read more…

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Konami announced Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia exclusively for Nintendo DS due Fall 2008. Introducing the all-new Glyph attack system, players will be able to use special attack combinations as they attempt to defeat Dracula and his horde. Also introduced to the series are new outdoor locales ranging from forests to the ocean, giving players the chance to explore outside of Dracula’s Castle. Developed by legendary Castlevania producer Koji “Iga” Igarashi, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is poised to set a new standard for side scrolling action on DS.

In Order of Ecclesia players take the role of a member of the Ecclesia, an organization that has sworn to defeat the evil forces of Dracula. By using the new Glyph attack system, players can unleash more than 100 different combinations to battle Dracula’s minions throughout 20 explorable areas. Utilizing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can choose to compete head-to-head, or trade items and equipment they have found while exploring the environments. Multiple endings that can be unlocked depending on how they player completes the game adds even more replay value to the game with plenty of addictive exploration, combat and items to discover.

“We have always felt that the Castlevania franchise has been an excellent fit on Nintendo DS, and based on the popularity of the DS classics, Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin, our fans agree,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “We fully expect Order of Ecclesia to ignite the fan base once again as it combines the classic Castlevania gameplay with an all-new combat system and outdoor environments.”

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The Game Factory announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Seven Towns Limited to publish Rubik’s Puzzle World, a 3D puzzle game experience for the Nintendo Wii and DS systems, both inspired by the Rubik’s Cube.

For those who have always wondered what the inside of a Rubik’s Cube looks like, developer Two Tribes will have Rubik’s Puzzle World out due Autumn 2008. Designed for players aged eight and older, this otherworldly game will look and play like no other game on the market. A collection of extremely addictive, easy-to-play puzzle games will increase in difficulty as the player delves deeper into this 3D world.

Each version of Rubik’s Puzzle World will host its own unique and original series of games. Players will test their brainpower by constructing 3D shapes and objects, navigating through mazes and even creating their own soundtracks. The DS version will allow players to connect to a community of Rubik’s Puzzle World enthusiasts through the platform’s wireless connection. The Wii version accommodates up to four players and will feature an online message board.

Key features include: Read more…

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THQ has WWE Legends of WrestleMania in development for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Joining the distinguished WWE SmackDown/SmackDown vs. Raw franchise, which has shipped more than 37 million units worldwide since 2000, WWE Legends of WrestleMania is scheduled for release in March 2009 to coincide with the annual pinnacle of sports entertainment, WrestleMania 25, in Houston, Texas.

“We have generated significant year-over-year growth in key global territories with WWE-licensed videogames, including tremendous success with the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw franchise,” said Peter Matiss, vice president, global brand management, THQ. “The development capabilities afforded by next generation hardware, combined with our established history and deep understanding of fighting videogames, allow us to leverage the strength of the WWE brand to further extend our leadership in the fighting videogame genre and bring this new property to market.”

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Today Nintendo of Europe (and Australia) added new classic games to the popular Wii Shop Channel. The games went live at midnight CET. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at stores like Amazon UK (Card).

The third week of the Hanabi Festival 2 brings more Japanese exclusives (this week no American imports) to the Wii Shop Channel.

We’ve included videos of the games so you can see if it’s for you. This week’s new games are:

Star Parodier (priced 900 Wii Points = €9 / £6.75 / AU$13.50): A Hudson Soft top-down shooter from 1992 on the Japanese PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM) for 1 player.

Gley Lancer (priced 900 Wii Points = €9 / £6.75 / AU$13.50): A Sega side-scrolling shooter from 1992 on the Japanese Mega Drive (Genesis) for 1 player.

Digital Champ: Battle Boxing (priced 700 Wii Points = €7 / £5.25 / AU$10.50): A Naxat Soft sports game from 1989 on the Japanese PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 HuCard, CD-ROM) for 1 player.

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This is the forty-fifth in a series of bad video game reviews by the Angry Video Game Nerd. Watch as the Angry Nerd reviews a ton of NES Accessories! From the NES Zapper and SNES Scope everyone knows to the hilarious voice-operated Laserscope and obscure U-force. Whatever the gadget, Duck Hunt causes some hilarious moments.

Why do you need all this stuff to play these games when all you really need is “a”, “b” and a “d-pad”? Find out in this video and as always, coarse language ahead.

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Did you enjoy last month’s Wii Virtual Console classic NES release River City Ransom? No doubt nostalgia led you to punch some gang thugs and save Cyndi once again. If that’s you, you’ll love Mega64’s real-life take on the scenarios taking place in that game.

“You’ve defeated me before… “

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After seeing Super Real Mario, Marcus thought a realistic Sonic should be the next famous videogame character drawn. To quote: “This time I tried to imagine how Sonic would look like if he would be a real hedgehog. The biggest challenge about this one was, that the original Sonic looks everything but realistic. He is so stylized, that it’s hard to tell if he is a hedgehog at all. This made it hard to find a middle course between the initial design and the look of a real hedgehog.”

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