Archive for the ‘Wii’ Category
Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be very challenging. May use Super Guide
Super Mario Galaxy 2 may use the Super Guide system that made its debut in New Super Mario Bros. Wii due to the game’s high difficulty level. This according to Shigeru Miyamoto himself in an interview with Official Nintendo Magazine.
The Super Guide is probably the main innovative feature in the just-released New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The guide allows the computer to play the game for you. You can then take control of the CPU’s Luigi character at any point and resume playing from where the guide left off. This allows Nintendo to make the levels as difficult as they want without alienating new or novice players who may quit because of the high challenge, since they can literally just skip it with no penalty (though there is a reward for those who don’t use the feature). It’s an ingenious idea, and one that Nintendo has stated in the past that they’d like to bring to future titles.
Speaking about just that in regards to Super Mario Galaxy 2, Miyamoto said, “Well, as far as the challenge of Super Mario Galaxy 2 is concerned, I think it’s going to be a really challenging game, but whether or not we are going to incorporate the Super Guide, I just cannot tell. In general, wherever and whenever appropriate, I think we will want to incorporate that kind of thing, but I cannot commit to anything specific right now.”
And yes Galaxy 2 will be tougher than the first Super Mario Galaxy game (and the first one wasn’t exactly a cakewalk), as Miyamoto previously stated that Galaxy 2 was being designed “with consideration that we believe that people who played through the first Mario Galaxy have become better players.”
Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be released sometime in 2010 as a direct-sequel to the original game (with many levels that were cut out of the original).
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New video game releases week 46, 2009
Here’s the list of this week’s game releases. Hold on to your wallets, because you’re thrown in one of the best gaming weeks of the year! The most popular games are: Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360, PS3), New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii), Left 4 Dead 2 (PC, Xbox 360), The Sims 3: World Adventures Expansion (PC, Mac), LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC, DS), Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii), God of War Collection (PS3), Little Big Planet (PSP), Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery (DS, iPhone) and Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP). On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures, Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition, Art Style: Digidrive, Arcade Bowling, Robot Rescue. Followed by Diner Dash and Gyromancer on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday). Then there’s Peggle and Peggle Nights on PlayStation Network (updates Thursday). No word yet on any GameTap Gold games (updates Thursday).
Monday:
Arcade Bowling - $2 (DSi Shop)
Art Style: Digidrive - $5 (DSi Shop)
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures - $8 (Wii Shop)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
Pokemon Rumble - $15 (Wii Shop)
Robot Rescue - $2 (DSi Shop)
Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition - $7 (Wii Shop)
The Sims 3: World Adventures Expansion (PC, Mac)
Tuesday:
Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360, PS3)
Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery (DS, iPhone)
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP)
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral (DS, Wii)
Chaotic: Shadow Warriors (Xbox 360, DS, PS3)
God of War Collection (PS3)
Hands On! Tangrams (DS)
Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 (DS, Wii)
Imagine: Artist (DS)
Jambo! Safari Animal Rescue (Wii)
JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island (Wii)
Just Dance (Wii)
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight (Wii)
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC, DS)
Left 4 Dead 2 (PC/Steam, Xbox 360)
Little Big Planet (PSP)
My Hero: Doctor (DS)
My Hero: Firefighter (DS)
NCAA Basketball 10 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Petz Dogz Talent Show (DS)
Planet 51 (PS3, Xbox 360, DS)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! (Xbox 360, Wii)
Stoked: Big Air Edition (Xbox 360)
The Princes and the Frog (Wii, PC, DS)
Tony Hawk: Ride (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3)
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tagforce 4 (PSP)
Wednesday:
Diner Dash - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Gyromancer - $15 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Thursday:
Peggle - $10 (PlayStation Network)
Peggle Nights - $5 (PlayStation Network)
On Wii Shop and DSiWare today: Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures, Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition, Art Style: Digidrive, Arcade Bowling, Robot Rescue
Nintendo downloads this week: On WiiWare you’ll find a brand new Pokémon adventure in Pokemon Rumble, visitors to the Wii Shop Channel this week will also find a pair of classic Virtual Console games – one offering irresistible action with the iconic Indiana Jones series, the other featuring the timeless thrills of Capcom’s Street Fighter series. Meanwhile, Nintendo DSiWare users can visit the Nintendo DSi Shop to discover an eye-popping new Art Style game, a fun, arcade-style bowling title and a robot-themed logic game, all available for easy download and playable anytime, anywhere on the hand-held Nintendo DSi system. New this week are WiiWare game demos, which you’ll find in the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel by searching for “Demo”.
Nintendo has now added these new/classic games to the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Users with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations or Amazon (see Card on the right).
Where available, we’ve included videos of each of today’s games. Either for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if any new game is to your taste.
This week’s new WiiWare game is:
Pokémon Rumble
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,500 Wii Points
Description: Available exclusively for the WiiWare service, Pokémon Rumble is an action game in which you control Toy Pokémon (referred to as “Pokémon”) and take on wave after wave of other Pokémon in a variety of stages. You can befriend some of the defeated Pokémon along the way, which lets you add them to your collection and grants you the ability to use them in battle. Switch between collected Pokémon at any time, taking advantage of the fact that the amount of damage you deal depends on the type of move used and the type of Pokémon hit. Be the last one standing to gain the right to compete in the Battle Royale and test your skills against many Pokémon at once. You can also team up with three people for some multiplayer action (additional Wii Remote controllers required), working together to take down tough Bosses and earning points that can be used toward recruiting or training Pokémon. You can even save your favorite Pokémon to your Wii Remote controller for exchanges with friends. Combining beautiful cel-shaded graphics and exciting game-play features, this is one rumble you won’t want to miss. Note that a demo version of Pokémon Rumble is also available for zero Wii Points.
Anyone who joins Club Nintendo – or is already a member – will have the opportunity to unlock an exclusive Toy Pokémon character that can be used in the game. Simply connect your Wii Shop Channel account to your new or existing Club Nintendo account, use Wii Points to download Pokémon Rumble and watch for an e-mail containing a special password that lets you access the character in the game. More information about this offer can be found at the Pokemon Rumble registration info page. The offer is available only through April 30, 2010.
This week’s new Virtual Console games are:
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: LucasArts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Grab your trusty whip and slash your way through all three Indy classics in this no-thrills-barred adventure. If it happened in the movies, it happens here: the giant boulder from Raiders of the Lost Ark, the mine-cart chase from Temple of Doom, the three trials from Last Crusade, Rene Belloq and Colonel Vogel – it’s three times the action, all in one fully loaded game.
Street Fighter II’: Champion Edition
Original platform: TurboGrafx16
Publisher: Capcom
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Blood, Violence
Price: 700 Wii Points
Description: This is the classic PCEngine (TurboGrafx16) version of the two-player fighting game that started it all. At the time, a large capacity HuCARD was used to allow faithful recreation of the dynamic arcade game and its features, including bonus stages and sound effects. In the game, players select one of 12 characters and face opponents in a no-holds-barred battle to decide the top fighter. Master a character’s special moves and combos to defeat your rivals around the world. In “V.S. BATTLE” mode, there’s a convenient handicap feature. Using this feature to adjust a character’s performance, a novice player can be evenly matched against a seasoned player to enjoy an intense, head-to-head combat experience.
This week’s new DSiWare games are:
Art Style: DIGIDRIVE
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It’s traffic control with a twist as you try to direct identical cars down the same road in Art Style: DIGIDRIVE. This constantly moving puzzle game combines an easily understood playing field (an intersection) and a simple goal (create fuel), challenging you to properly guide a never-ending stream of cars. Stack similar cars five deep to create some fuel, then use that fuel to continue your progress in the game. Play in ENDLESS mode to see how long you can last, or compete against the computer or a human opponent in VS mode. Use combos to your advantage and see if your reflexes can handle the intensity of Overdrive mode. When all is said and done, you may never look at gridlock quite the same way again.
Arcade Bowling
Publisher: Skyworks Interactive
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: From Skyworks comes another addictively classic game, Arcade Bowling. It was designed by video game legend David Crane, one of the original founders of Activision and one of the most critically acclaimed game designers of all time. In the tradition of everyone’s favorite Boardwalk bowling game, use your stylus and steady aim to flick “laser” balls down the alley and up the ramp into the scoring holes. The farther away the scoring hole is, the more points you’ll get. Arcade Bowling features three futuristic sound tracks, state-of-the-art 3-D graphics and two addictive game modes, Classic and Progressive. In Classic Mode, roll up to nine balls to score as many points as you can. In Progressive Mode, enjoy multiple levels of game play with increasing score plateaus and bonus targets. Here’s a review of the same game on iPhone:
Robot Rescue
Publisher: Teyon
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Robot Rescue is a fun logic game based on a simple but entertaining concept. Your mission is to free robots trapped in 45 evil computer labyrinths while avoiding deadly traps. Sound easy? Not so fast. Each robot shares linked controls, so when you move one, you move them all. It will take clever planning and nerves of steel to pull off this electronic escape. You’ll need to avoid many traps, such as mines or electrical circuits, and take advantage of special elements like glue stains. Choose one of three difficulty levels and get ready for a challenge.
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Games Weather Report of Week 45, 2009
What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the hottest right now. Think of it as a games weather report.
What follows is a listing of the Top 50 bestsellers per region, for all systems combined.
North America’s Top 50:
1. New Super Mario Bros. (Wii)
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
4. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Wii)
5. Wii Sports Resort with Wii MotionPlus Accessory (Wii)
6. Mario Kart with Wii Wheel (Wii)
7. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
8. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
9. Dragon Age: Origins (PC)
10. Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story (DS)
11. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
12. Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)
13. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
14. Wii Play with Wii Remote (Wii)
15. Scribblenauts (DS)
16. Rock Band 2 Special Edition (Wii)
17. Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 with Gun Bundle (Wii)
18. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC)
19. Toy Story Mania! (Wii)
20. Mario Kart DS (DS)
21. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
22. Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit for Wii Deluxe Kit (Wii)
23. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii)
24. Dragon Age: Origins (PS3)
25. The Beatles: Rock Band Special Value Edition (Wii)
26. Need for Speed: Shift (PS3)
27. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
28. The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii)
29. Borderlands (Xbox 360)
30. Lego Rock Band (Wii)
31. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time (PS3)
32. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360)
33. The Biggest Loser (Wii)
34. Style Savvy (DS)
35. Disney Sing It: Pop Hits Bundle (Wii)
36. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition (Xbox 360)
37. Limited-Edition Wii Sports Resort Bundle with Two Wii MotionPlus (Wii)
38. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - Greatest Hits (PS3)
39. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360)
40. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (DS)
41. EA Sports Active (Wii)
42. FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3)
43. The Sims 3 (PC, Mac)
44. Madden NFL 10 (PS3)
45. MySims Agents (DS)
46. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii)
47. Madden NFL 10 (Wii)
48. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Wii)
49. Guitar Hero World Tour Band Bundle (Xbox 360)
50. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (Xbox 360)
Japan’s Top 50:
1. J. League Football Club Tsukurou! 6 Pride of J Zico (PSP)
2. Tomodachi [Friend/Mii] Collection (DS)
3. Steins; Gate - Limited Edition (Xbox 360)
4. Pokemon SoulSilver Version (DS)
5. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
6. Persona 3 Portable (PSP)
7. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3)
8. Wii Fit Plus - Set with Wii Balance Board (Wii)
9. Pokemon HeartGold Version (DS)
10. Love Plus (DS)
11. The 4 Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
12. Wii Sports Resort including white Wii MotionPlus (Wii)
13. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
14. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
15. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
16. Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Starry Sky (DS)
17. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
18. More Prince of Prince of Tennis School Festival - More Sweet Edition (DS)
19. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - The Best of PSP Collection (PSP)
20. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)
21. Infamous (PS3)
22. Elminage II: Earth Goddess of Fate and Twin (PSP)
23. Bayonetta (Xbox 360)
24. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - The Best of PlayStation 3 (PS3)
25. Inazuma Eleven 2: The Threat of Aggression - Fire Edition (DS)
26. Bayonetta (PS3)
27. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3)
28. Rune Factory 3 (DS)
29. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
30. Demon’s Souls (PS3)
31. Hexyz Force (PSP)
32. Tamagotchi Channel: Nari endless notebooks with endless books and the Purofu (DS)
33. Inazuma Eleven 2: The Threat of Aggression - Blizzard Edition (DS)
34. Macross Ultimate Frontier: Time Girl - Limited Edition Pack with UMD video (PSP)
35. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (PC)
36. SimCity 4 Deluxe (PC)
37. Ragnarok Online RWC2009: Memorial Package (PC)
38. Final Fantasy XI Vana’diel Collection 2 (PC)
39. Aikido Nobunaga’s Ambition (PC)
40. Monster Hunter Frontier Online Season 6.0 Premium Package (PC)
41. The Sims 3 (PC)
The rest of the Top 50 was rounded out by popular pre-orders:
42. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
43. Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie (DS)
44. Professor Layton and the Devil’s Flute (DS)
45. Phantasy Star Portable 2 - Amazon.co.jp exclusive edition with two special CD singles (PSP)
46. EXCEED Infinite Frontier Super Robot Taisen OG Saga - Limited Edition (DS)
47. Tales of Graces - Special Edition including Tales dress costume download code and Tales DVD (Wii)
48. Mobile Suit Gundam Gundam VS. NEXT PLUS Gundam (PSP)
49. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
50. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
Europe’s Top 50:
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
3. Wii Fit Plus - Game Only (Wii)
4. Wii Sports Resort with Wii MotionPlus Accessory (Wii)
5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
6. Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (DS)
7. Mario Kart with Wii Wheel (Wii)
8. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Wii)
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC)
10. FIFA 10 (Xbox 360)
11. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360)
12. Football Manager 2010 (PC, Mac)
13. Singstar: Take That (PS2)
14. FIFA 10 (PS3)
15. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
16. Professor Layton and The Curious Village (DS)
17. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (DS)
18. Wii Fit (Wii)
19. Singstar: Take That (PS3)
20. Wii Play with Wii Remote Controller (Wii)
21. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
22. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii)
23. Dragon Age: Origins (PC)
24. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
25. The Sims 3 (PC, Mac)
26. Junior Brain Trainer DS (DS)
27. Toy Story Mania (Wii)
28. Rabbids Go Home (Wii)
29. FIFA 10 (Wii)
30. FIFA 10 (PSP)
31. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (Xbox 360)
32. EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer (Wii)
33. Nintendo Presents: Style Boutique (DS)
34. MySims Agents (DS)
35. Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)
36. Mario Kart DS (DS)
37. Guitar Hero 5 - Guitar Bundle (Wii)
38. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (DS)
39. Need For Speed: Shift (PS3)
40. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Reflex (Wii)
41. Guitar Hero 5 (Wii)
42. EyePet - with Camera and Magic Card (PS3)
43. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time (PS3)
44. Hasbro Family Game Night (Wii)
45. FIFA 10 (DS)
46. Need For Speed: Shift (Xbox 360)
47. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3)
48. SingStar Queen (PS2)
49. More Brain Training (DS)
50. Horrid Henry (DS)
To recap the top games per system: New Super Mario Bros. Wii debuts today on first place on the Wii and overall chart. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 debuts on top of the Xbox 360 & PS3 charts. Dragon Age: Origins remains top dog on the PC chart. Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story stay on top of the DS chart. Madden NFL 10 remains on the PS2 chart. And lastly, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron arrives on the PSP chart.
Sales data collected from Amazon’s US, JPN (PC) & UK / DE / FR websites.
PS: Since everyone keeps asking, her name is Mayte Carranco.
System and game sales for October 2009 in the USA
September’s American video game sales data from the NPD is in, and like almost any month the past year, it shows an unchanged result: A Nintendo system on top, this time the DS and DSi handhelds outsold everybody else.
NPD analyst, Anita Frazier, had this to say: “Across all categories, the Xbox 360 platform contributed the greatest portion of total industry sales, representing 27% of total industry sales for the month. The PS3 was a close second at 26%, an 8 point improvement over last October.
Hardware sales were down 17% in units for the month, with the Wii and the Xbox 360 decreasing the most compared to October 2008. Compared to last month, which was a five-week month as compared to four weeks this month, Wii, PSP and NDS sales increased on an average sales per week basis, while the PS3 and Xbox 360 declined.
On a year-to-date basis, only the Xbox 360 and the NDS have realized unit sales increases over the same time frame last year. While overall portable hardware unit sales are down, dollar sales are up thanks to an increase in the average selling price of portable hardware generated by the higher price points of the new portable systems and bundles.
Year-to-date, the hardware category has experienced the sharpest decline in the industry, with unit sales down 10% compared to the same time period last year. Recent price cuts helped spur a one to two-month increase in unit sales, and this month’s Wii sales reflect that boost, but the other platforms have not sustained the sales momentum post price reduction. It will be difficult to discern the impact of the price cut into November and December just because those are always the two best months for the industry anyway, and we’d expect to see a sizeable lift in hardware unit sales as a result of seasonality.”
Video game hardware overview:
1. Nintendo Wii — 506,900
2. Nintendo DS — 457,600
3. PlayStation 3 — 320,600
4. Xbox 360 — 249,700
5. PlayStation Portable — 174,600
6. PlayStation 2 — 117,800
The NPD mentions that “The PS3 exclusive game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, captured the top spot for software sales this month, selling 537K units.
Software sales decreased 18% for the month, but only 11% on a units basis. The average retail price of software decreased 8%, which led to the greater dollar sales decline.
Wii Fit Plus came in second for the month. Roughly half the sales were generated by the bundled SKU, which points to a lot of newcomers to the franchise.
The top game for the month across all platforms was NBA 2K10, at 575K units. It was a great launch for the game, outselling last year’s NBA 2K9 by 60% in its launch month. Sales on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms improved substantially over last year.
The music/dance genre saw big declines this month compared to last year. The genre generated $53 million in sales as compared to $137 million last year. Both Rock Band: Beatles, and Guitar Hero 5 have the potential to be good gifting items for the holidays, so we should expect to see an uptick in sales over the next two months.
With the excitement already being generated by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the incredible buzz around upcoming titles, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Assassin’s Creed 2, November is poised to be a strong month for the industry.”
Video game software overview top 20:
1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) — 537,000
2. Wii Fit Plus* (Wii) — 441,000
3. Borderlands (Xbox 360) — 418,000
4. Wii Sports Resort with Wii Motion Plus* (Wii) — 314,000
5. NBA 2K10* (Xbox 360) — 311,000
6. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360) — 271,000
7. NBA 2K10* (PS3) — 213,000
8. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360) — 175,000
9. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS) — 169,000
10. FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360) — 156,000
(*includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)
Ms. Frazier ended with “The video games industry suffered another decline this month as compared to last October. This is the third best October on record, behind October 2007 and October 2008.
Based on typical industry seasonality, the industry is on track to generate full-year revenues in the range of $20-$21 Billion in the U.S., which would put it just a bit below last year’s sales of $21.3 Billion.
The continued economic turmoil, and in particular the troubling unemployment rate, is undoubtedly impacting industry sales. Our latest Economy Tracker indicated that although consumers’ general opinion about the economy is improving, their outlook on their own personal situation is worsening. If consumers’ personal outlook continues to erode, they could very well be much more conservative with their holiday shopping this year.”
Data courtesy of Neogaf
Ghostbusters The Video Game wallpaper
Welcome to our Ghostbusters: The Video Game wallpapers page!
The Ghostbusters return in what is considered by many to be like a third movie. Here we will post images that you can use as desktop wallpapers, both official and otherwise. We will add to this list as we find cool new wallpapers for the game.
To download to your PC computer: Right click on the Image. Select “Set as Background Image.”
To download to your Mac computer: Click Image to Download to Desktop. Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences. Click Desktop & Screen Saver. Click “Choose Folder…”.
Below you can find the rest of the Ghostbusters: The Video Game wallpapers.
Click on each thumbnail for the wallpaper size image to pop up.
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker game coming soon to Wii Virtual Console
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker may be coming to Wii Virtual Console soon, as the game has appeared on the list from the European ratings board (PEGI).
Although this is no confirmation, often times games are prematurely revealed by these rating boards. It is unclear which version of the game it would be. But it most likely would be the Genesis version of Moonwalker, which was the most popular (It was also released for Arcade and Master System).
If the game is released, it would mark the first licensed game for the Virtual Console (not including the Super Star Wars trilogy, which LucasArts owns thus it isn’t exactly “licensed”).
In Moonwalker, Michael must rescue kids from the evil “Mr. Big” and his goon squad, while “attacking” them with various dance moves set to the music of Beat It, Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal and Bad.
I never got to play this game so I hope it does come to VC. I’ll definitely pick it up if it does.
New video game releases week 45, 2009
Here’s the list of this weeks game releases. Only Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Xbox 360, PS3) and Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection (PC, Xbox 360) dare to be released during the launch week of the most-anticipated game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC). On the downloadable games front we’ve got today’s Wii Shop and DSiWare titles Excitebike: World Rally, Frogger Returns, Dragon Master Spell Caster, Bomberman Blitz, Electroplankton, Wonder Boy 3, Cybernoid. Followed by 0D Beat Drop on Xbox Live Arcade (updates Wednesday). Then there’s Frogger Returns on PlayStation Network (updates Thursday) and this week’s Steam releases include Star Trek: D.A.C., Sacred 2 Ice & Blood and Tropico 3 (updates Friday). No word yet on any GameTap Gold games (updates Thursday).
Monday:
Arcade Shooting Gallery (Wii)
Bomberman Blitz - $5 (DSi Shop)
Cybernoid - $5 (Wii Shop)
Dora The Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom (PS2)
Dragon Master Spell Caster - $5 (Wii Shop)
Electroplankton Trapy - $2 (DSi Shop)
Electroplankton Hanenbow - $2 (DSi Shop)
Electroplankton Rec-Rec - $2 (DSi Shop)
Electroplankton Nanocarp - $2 (DSi Shop)
Electroplankton Beatnes - $2 (DSi Shop)
Excitebike: World Rally - $10 (Wii Shop)
Frogger Returns - $5 (Wii Shop)
NBA 2k10 (Wii)
Wedding Dash (DS)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap - $5 (Wii Shop)
Tuesday:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Mobilized (DS)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex (Wii)
DJ Star (DS)
Disney Jonas (DS)
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans (DS)
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Xbox 360, PS3)
Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection (PC, Xbox 360)
Harvest Moon: Animal Parade (Wii)
Hasbro Family Game Night (Xbox 360)
Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble (PSP)
Petz Nursery (DS)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS2, Wii, PSP)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus (DS, Wii)
Style Lab: Jewelry Design (DS)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Arcade Attack (DS)
Wednesday:
0D Beat Drop - $10 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Thursday:
Frogger Returns - $5 (PlayStation Network)
Star Trek: D.A.C. - $10 (Steam)
Sacred 2 Ice & Blood - $?? (Steam)
Tropico 3 - $40 (Steam)
On Wii Shop and DSiWare today: Excitebike: World Rally, Frogger Returns, Dragon Master Spell Caster, Bomberman Blitz, Electroplankton, Wonder Boy 3, Cybernoid
Nintendo downloads this week: Starting with the launch of pulse-pounding revamps for the WiiWare service, are Excitebike: World Rally and Frogger Returns. For the Nintendo DSiWare service, you’ll find five new titles in the mesmerizing Electroplankton series – available at just 200 Nintendo DSi Points apiece – plus the irresistible multiplayer mayhem of Bomberman Blitz. With two new classic Virtual Console offerings Wonder Boy 2 and Cybernoid closing off this week.
Nintendo has now added these new/classic games to the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop. The games go live at 9AM Pacific time. Users with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card can be purchased at retail locations or Amazon (see Card on the right).
Where available, we’ve included videos of each of today’s games. Either for nostalgia’s sake or so you can see if any new game is to your taste.
This week’s new WiiWare games are:
Excitebike: World Rally
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 1,000 Wii Points = $10
Description: Prepare to face daredevil jumps, crazy obstacles and other racers in the newest installment in the venerable Excitebike franchise, available exclusively on the WiiWare service. Choose from multiple camera angles as you tilt your way to smooth landings using motion-sensitive controls. Compete in races around the world in four championship circuits. Use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to invite friends to a race. Or if you’re feeling brave, take on anyone else looking for a match. Feel like tackling a challenge of your own design? Use the intuitive Track Editor to choose from the available obstacles and put together your dream course, then share courses with friends to see whose creation skills reign supreme. I don’t know about you, but at least the folks in the announcement trailer are SUPER EXCITED about the game!
Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups. A local multiplayer mode lets you race a friend.
Dragon Master Spell Caster
Publisher: Stickmen Studios
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: The Dragon Lords have returned to the magical world of Nakiha, bringing ultimate power to whoever controls them. Choose your champion, then master amazing magic and fierce dragon attacks to defeat the rival Champions and their Dragon Lords. Choose from four different paths and decide the fate of the world in the fantastic story mode. Battle your friends in two-player split-screen arcade mode and tailor your tactics with different dragon and rider combinations, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Marvel at the effects of mind-blowing spell collisions. Mix spells and unleash their ultimate power. Control your Dragon Lord and crush, bite and burn your way to victory.
This week’s new DSiWare games are:
Bomberman Blitz
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Bomberman makes his downloadable debut on Nintendo DSiWare with Bomberman Blitz. Dive into a classic multiplayer Bomberman experience with eight-player local or online multiplayer using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Hone your skills and learn the maps, then take the battle online. Change map and item preferences for enhanced customization. Delivering unparalleled multiplayer excitement, Bomberman Blitz lets Nintendo DSi users enjoy the addictive fun of Bomberman anytime, anywhere.
Electroplankton Trapy
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: Trapy plankton make sounds as they swim over graceful lines made up of linked triangles. The creatures follow the lines you trace along the water. There are six types of Trapy in all, each with a unique color and sound. All Trapy plankton produce different tones depending on the direction they swim. They produce the lowest-pitched sounds when they swim to the right and produce higher-pitched sounds as their path veers to the left.
Electroplankton Hanenbow
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: Normally aquatic creatures, Hanenbow sometimes use floating leaves to launch themselves out of the water, creating strange sounds and melodies as they bounce off the leaves. Entire schools of Hanenbow have been known to launch out of the water, one after another. As a leaf is repeatedly hit by flying Hanenbow, it gradually changes color. This also alters the sound made by bouncing Hanenbow. When all the leaves turn red, a flower will bloom. It remains unclear why the Hanenbow display this curious behavior.
Electroplankton Rec-Rec
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: Rec-Rec are fishlike plankton that feed on sound waves. They absorb sound waves transmitted through water and use them as a form of nutrition. The sound waves that the Rec-Rec eat are then stored inside their bodies until they have been digested. Once the digestion process is complete, they play back the sounds in perfect four-second intervals. While these sounds are playfully emitted, wave patterns can be seen pulsating on their bodies. Rec-Rec always swim side by side in schools of four. When they swim at different speeds, the frequency with which they emit sounds also changes.
Electroplankton Nanocarp
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: Nanocarp have very sensitive hearing. Using their two ears to sense vibrations coming through the water, these plankton can distinguish sound quality and frequency. They display very interesting reactions to the sound of humans clapping or breathing. Nanocarp are also excellent swimmers. They have a tendency to swim in formations of 16 and react together when they detect sounds. These plankton emit sounds on their own when they sense waves on the water’s surface. When this happens, the pitch of sounds they produce changes depending on where the Nanocarp is located.
Electroplankton Beatnes
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points = $2
Description: Beatnes are curious plankton with geometrically shaped heads that form vertical strands like seaweed. Their bodies are made up of eight sections, each featuring a distinctive diamond-shaped tail. The sound of a Beatnes can vary wildly depending on which segment of the body is tapped. However, all of the sounds closely resemble the short-wave and triangular-wave sound effects from a Nintendo Entertainment System sound chip. When Beatnes are tapped in time with a rhythm, they continue to repeat the sounds in perfect time for a short period.
This week’s new Virtual Console games are:
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap
Original platform: Master System
Publisher: Sega
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence, Tobacco Reference
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap is widely considered to be one of the best games produced for the SEGA MASTER SYSTEM. The direct sequel to Wonder Boy in Monster Land, it starts in the final lair of the previous game. This game is the first in the series to allow Wonder Boy to roam freely by using various animal forms, but as with previous games in the series, Wonder Boy can also buy various weapons, armor and items to help him in his quest.
Cybernoid
Original platform: Commodore 64
Publisher: Commodore Gaming
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points = $5
Description: Federation storage depots have been raided by pirates, who’ve taken valuable minerals, jewels, ammunition and the latest battle weaponry. You have been commissioned by the Federation to retrieve the cargo and return it to storage within a specified time limit. The pirate craft have activated all planetary defense systems, which you must negotiate along with the pirates themselves. If you fail to reach the depot within the time limit, or if the value of your retrieved cargo is insufficient, you must forfeit one of your Cybernoid ships.
Games Weather Report of Week 44, 2009
What are the best-selling games in America, Japan, and Europe this week? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the games that are the hottest right now. Think of it as a games weather report.
What follows is a listing of the Top 50 bestsellers per region, for all systems combined.
North America’s Top 50:
1. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Wii)
2. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
3. Limited-Edition Wii Sports Resort Bundle with Two Wii MotionPlus (Wii)
4. Mario Kart with Wii Wheel (Wii)
5. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
6. Dragon Age: Origins (PC)
7. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time (PS3)
8. Wii Sports Resort with Wii MotionPlus Accessory (Wii)
9. Borderlands (Xbox 360)
10. Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)
11. The Beatles: Rock Band Special Value Edition (Wii)
12. Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story (DS)
13. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
14. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
15. Dragon Age: Origins (PS3)
16. Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition (PC)
17. Rock Band 2 Special Edition (Wii)
18. Wii Play with Wii Remote (Wii)
19. FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3)
20. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year (Xbox 360)
21. The Biggest Loser (Wii)
22. Scribblenauts (DS)
23. Mario Kart DS (DS)
24. Pro-Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3)
25. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360)
26. Toy Story Mania! (Wii)
27. The Beatles: Rock Band (Wii)
28. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii)
29. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
30. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - Greatest Hits (PS3)
31. Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit for Wii Deluxe Kit (Wii)
32. Grand Theft Auto: Episode from Liberty City (Xbox 360)
33. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
34. Demon’s Souls (PS3)
35. Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey (Wii)
36. Lego Rock Band (Wii)
37. Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 with Gun Bundle (Wii)
38. Band Hero featuring Taylor Swift (Wii)
39. Tekken 6 (PS3)
40. FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360)
41. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (DS)
42. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
43. Band Hero featuring Taylor Swift - Super Bundle (Wii)
44. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (DS)
45. Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition (Xbox 360)
46. EA Sports Active (Wii)
47. The Sims 3 (PC, Mac)
48. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360)
49. The Beatles: Rock Band Special Value Edition (PS3)
50. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)
Japan’s Top 50:
1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3)
2. Persona 3 Portable (PSP)
3. Steins; Gate - Limited Edition (Xbox 360)
4. Tomodachi [Friend/Mii] Collection (DS)
5. Pokemon SoulSilver Version (DS)
6. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
7. Pokemon HeartGold Version (DS)
8. Love Plus (DS)
9. Bayonetta (Xbox 360)
10. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
11. Wii Fit Plus - Set with Wii Balance Board (Wii)
12. 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
13. Infamous (PS3)
14. Bayonetta (PS3)
15. The 4 Warriors of Light: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
16. Summon Set X: Tears Crown (DS)
17. Bayonetta - Special Edition with Rodin’s Selection Soundtrack (PS3)
18. Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Starry Sky (DS)
19. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
20. Wii Sports Resort including white Wii MotionPlus (Wii)
21. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune - The Best of PlayStation 3 (PS3)
22. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G - The Best of PSP Collection (PSP)
23. Fallout 3 - Platinum Collection (Xbox 360)
24. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP)
25. Tekken 6 - Special Edition (PS3)
26. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS)
27. More Prince of Prince of Tennis School Festival - More Sweet Edition (DS)
28. Rune Factory 3 (DS)
29. Gran Turismo (PSP)
30. Inazuma Eleven 2: The Threat of Aggression - Fire Edition (DS)
31. Tales of Vesperia (PS3)
32. Demon’s Souls (PS3)
33. Ragnarok Online RJC2009: Memorial Package (PC)
34. Monster Hunter Frontier Online Season 6.0 Premium Package (PC)
35. SimCity 4 Deluxe (PC)
36. Aikido Nobunaga’s Ambition (PC)
37. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (PC)
38. Monster Hunter Frontier Online - Premium Package 2nd Year Anniversary (PC)
39. The Sims 3 (PC)
40. Resident Evil 5 (PC)
The rest of the Top 50 was rounded out by popular pre-orders:
41. Natural White Nintendo DSi XL handheld
42. Deep Brown Nintendo DSi XL handheld
43. Wine Red Nintendo DSi XL handheld
44. Phantasy Star Portable 2 - Amazon.co.jp exclusive edition with two special CD singles
45. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)
46. Professor Layton and the Devil’s Flute (DS)
47. J. League Football Club Tsukurou! 6 Pride of J Zico - Only with Special Edition players get awards product code card
48. Tales of Graces - Special Edition including Tales dress costume download code and Tales DVD
49. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
50. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
Europe’s Top 50:
1. Wii Sports Resort with Wii MotionPlus Accessory (Wii)
2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
3. FIFA 10 (Xbox 360)
4. Mario Kart with Wii Wheel (Wii)
5. Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360)
6. Wii Play with Wii Remote Controller (Wii)
7. Dragon Age: Origins (PC)
8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
9. Football Manager 2010 (PC, Mac)
10. Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board (Wii)
11. Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (DS)
12. FIFA 10 (PS3)
13. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
14. Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360)
15. Wii Fit (Wii)
16. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (Xbox 360)
17. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
18. Professor Layton and The Curious Village (DS)
19. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (DS)
20. Borderlands (Xbox 360)
21. Need For Speed: Shift (Xbox 360)
22. FIFA 10 (Wii)
23. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes (Wii)
24. Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time (PS3)
25. Singstar: Take That (PS3)
26. Toy Story Mania (Wii)
27. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii)
28. EyePet - with Camera and Magic Card (PS3)
29. Singstar: Take That (PS2)
30. UP (DS)
31. Tekken 6 (PS3)
32. Need For Speed: Shift (PS3)
33. Junior Brain Trainer DS (DS)
34. Killzone 2 - Platinum Edition (PS3)
35. Nintendo Presents: Style Boutique (DS)
36. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (DS)
37. The Sims 3 (PC, Mac)
38. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS3)
39. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 (Xbox 360)
40. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PS2)
41. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
42. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (DS)
43. Peppa Pig: The Game (DS)
44. Mario Kart DS (DS)
45. EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer (Wii)
46. FIFA 10 (PSP)
47. FIFA 10 (PS2)
48. Ashes Cricket 09 (Wii)
49. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
50. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
To recap the top games per system: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves rushes in at #1 on the PS3 chart. Borderlands remains on top of the Xbox 360 chart. Wii Sports Resort is back in first place on the Wii chart. Dragon Age: Origins debuts up high on the PC chart. Mario & Luigi Bowser’s Inside Story returns on top of the DS chart. Madden NFL 10 remains on the PS2 chart. And lastly, Dissidia Final Fantasy finishes first on the PSP chart.
Sales data collected from Amazon’s US, JPN (PC) & UK / DE / FR websites.
PS: Since everyone keeps asking, her name is Mayte Carranco.
