It’s time to put on your thinking cap and prepare to immerse yourself in fun and addictive puzzles as Picross DS launches across Europe only on Nintendo DS. Players will have to have speedy fingers and even faster minds to conquer the many puzzles available. Picross DS will offer the ultimate in light puzzle entertainment, only for the Nintendo DS when it launches on 11th May.

As the latest in Nintendo’s Touch! Generations Series, Picross DS offers quick and accessible entertainment for everyone, irrespective of age or experience. This title joins hugely popular games such as Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? Nintendogs and 42 All Time Classics, all of which enjoyed massive success with gamers and non-gamers alike.

In the game’s main Picross Mode players must reveal a hidden image that lies beneath the puzzle by filling in a grid with squares and crosses to complete patterns. Variety is the spice of life and Picross DS does not disappoint with a staggering 300 puzzles available to play at your leisure. These games range from the elementary five by five grids, to highly complicated twenty by twenty grids which will keep even the most hardened gamer happy. Finishing all these challenges will keep you busy for weeks. There is no need to worry if you get stuck by one of the more devious challenges as you can opt to receive clues to help finish puzzles as well as give yourself a head start with a roulette style hint function that reveals one line of the puzzle.

Once the main game is mastered the puzzling action is by no means over. My Picross mode allows players to create their very own puzzles to challenge or share with friends. Using the Nintendo DS stylus and easy-to-use touch-screen, players can design Picross DS puzzles of all sizes. What’s more they can even design the image beneath the puzzle which is released upon its completion. Once created these puzzles can be shared with friends using the Nintendo DS wireless connectivity or the Wi-Fi Connection service.

For Players looking for a quick distraction on a regular basis Picross DS features a calendar based Daily Picross mode where players are challenged to take on several quick puzzles every day. The fun and addictive puzzles in this mode all feature the smallest five by five grids and are designed to see how quickly players can analyse and complete five small puzzles. Each days results are then plotted on a chart that shows the player’s progress over time. Playing Daily Picross DS mode for periods of consecutive days will unlock all new modes including No X’s, Error Search, and Memory.

The fun doesn’t stop there with a selection of touch-screen minigames available to be unlocked and played in the main Picross Mode. These games all utilise the Nintendo DS’s unique features with skill and reaction based challenges to complete against the clock.

Picross DS also allows users to fully customise their game environments to suit their tastes with a variety of different skins available to unlock, with themes ranging from nature to sporting or video game heroes. There is also a highly addictive multiplayer mode so you can show up your friends and settle old scores. In multiplayer mode up to five players can compete against each other and the clock to finish puzzles first in Multi-Picross Mode. And, thanks to Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection Service, players can take part in Online Battle mode with another player from anywhere in the world!

Nintendo’s unique Wi-Fi Connection Service also provides access to a nearly endless supply of new puzzles to download. Users can upload puzzles they create in My Picross mode for other players to browse and download online and can also download official puzzles from Nintendo.

So get ready for quick and quirky puzzle solving fun as Picross launches across Europe on the Nintendo DS on the 11th of May at the estimated retail price of around £30 ...

IDG World Expo today announced that Nintendo of America has signed on as an anchor exhibitor for IDG World Expo's newest event: Entertainment for AllTM Expo (E for AllTM), scheduled for October 18-21, 2007, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Nintendo leads an A-list of game companies signing on for a show that is rapidly shaping up to be the premiere event in interactive entertainment.

Entertainment for All Expo (E for All) is a new event created for people who are passionate about video games and everything related. The Expo was launched in response to strong demand within the consumer audience for an opportunity to see and try new products before they reach store shelves. Event organizers anticipate its mid-October dates will launch an early and successful holiday shopping season for the industry.

"The E for All Expo supports Nintendo's mission to reach as many types of consumers as possible to expand the world of video games to new audiences," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Our Wii and Nintendo DS systems are all about gaming for the masses, and the E for All Expo will give consumers a chance to try out the hottest new Nintendo video games."

"Nintendo's early involvement in E for All demonstrates the importance of a broad consumer-focused event for this industry," says Mary Dolaher, executive vice president of IDG World Expo. "E for All has been shaped from the ground up with all gamers in mind, and Nintendo has proven its commitment to embracing the spectrum of gamers, as we've seen with their launch of the Wii. In addition to being our flagship exhibitor, Nintendo of America Executive Vice President of Operations Don James has agreed to serve on our Exhibitor Advisory Board. I couldn't ask for a more universally respected colleague in this new venture."

E for All Expo will offer consumers the opportunity to test-drive the latest in games and gadgetry, as well as purchase products they enjoyed over the course of the 4-day event at on-site retail facilities. Additional attractions are in the works, including high-profile videogame tournaments; job fair/networking opportunities; and the acclaimed Video Games Live concert. In addition to the Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event will take advantage of soon-to-be-expanded LA Live/NOKIA Theatre area directly adjacent.

E for All Expo has been endorsed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sold in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of U.S.-made entertainment software.

For more information about E for All Expo or to register for updates about the event, please visit www.EforAllExpo.com. ...

1+1=2 and 5-3+6=8 – sound like homework for kids? No way! Genius DS – Equal Cards challenges the minds of both old and young with a stack of colorful numbered cards that must be sorted until you arrive at the correct sum. A variety of difficulty levels and the addictive gameplay make Genius DS – Equal Cards a terrific game for the whole family. Use the time you spend sitting at the airport or in your doctor’s waiting room to train your brain! Enjoy this unique brain enhancer on Nintendo DS®!

Genius DS – Equal Cards is a great teaching tool for the young generation of Nintendo DS® players. Children will use skills they have been taught at school while having fun and competing against their friends to solve math puzzles!

“With Genius DS – Equal Cards, G-Stars is presenting a real treat among the popular brain trainers available for Nintendo DS®, offering the perfect introduction into this genre,” comments Gerald Kossaer, Vice President G-Stars.

Genius DS – Equal Cards will be available in summer 2007!

Features:

4 different game modes, from formulas to towers built out of numbers
Innovative and exciting gameplay
Learn to solve complex puzzles to improve your brain performance!
Easy controls and game menu
Use the innovative Nintedo DS® user interface to master the challenges
Multiplayer VS Mode

Screens Via Comments ...

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) today announced it is the first cruise line to offer guests a chance to experience Nintendo's red-hot Wii™ video game system on board its ships. Since its launch in November 2006, the Wii system from Nintendo has become one of the most popular game systems. With an easy-to-use motion-sensitive controller, Wii draws new players into the world of video games in a very 'real' way.

Wii systems are currently on NCL's newest ship - Norwegian Pearl - and all NCL America ships. Wii will be rolled out on the rest of the NCL fleet by next month. The systems are equipped with Wii Sports™, offering five distinct sports experiences: tennis, golf, baseball, boxing and bowling. Other games available on the ships include Wii Play™, WarioWare™: Smooth Moves and Excite Truck™.

"With its active, engaging and inviting game experiences appealing to every age from kids to parents to grandparents, the Wii from Nintendo is a natural fit for Freestyle Cruising," said Colin Veitch, NCL's president and CEO. "With the addition of Wii to our on-board activities, we can now offer bowling, boxing, golf, tennis and baseball across the entire fleet. Cheering, yelling and high-fives will be highly encouraged."

"Millions of people around the world continue to discover the fun of playing Wii with their friends and families," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Norwegian Cruise Line is a great partner, as they offer us direct access to non-traditional gamers. Our partnership reinforces how Wii's social phenomenon continues to grow, from the centerpiece of gaming parties, to a workout supplement, to a fun facet of vacation cruises."

On each ship, Wii systems/setups will be located in the atrium and other public rooms allowing guests to gather and play against each other while viewing the game on large video screens. Each ship's Kid's Crew facility will also feature two Wii kiosks providing kids-only fun. The ships will also host tournaments and other activities around the games.

"This partnership with Nintendo is an industry first and another innovation for NCL," Veitch said. "This continues our mission to dismantle the traditional cruise experience and deliver the most exciting and most customizable experience at sea."

Screen Via Comments ...

Heres the latest round up of gaming releases from Play Asia

Xbox360™:
Absolute: Blazing Infinity JPN US$ 64.90
Armored Core 4 US US$ 59.90
Call of Duty 3 JPN US$ 64.90
Earth Defense Force 2017 US US$ 39.90
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ASIA US$ 44.90
Tetris Evolution US US$ 34.90
Virtua Tennis 3 US US$ 49.90

PlayStation3™;
Armored Core 4 US US$ 64.90
Cool Fan 3 US$ 19.90
Def Jam Icon ASIA US$ 49.90
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion US US$ 64.90
Formula One Championship Edition ASIA US$ 59.90
Mist of Chaos ASIA US$ 59.90
Silicon Grip Cover 3 (black) US$ 9.90
Silicon Grip Cover 3 (clear) US$ 9.90
The Godfather: The Don's Edition US US$ 59.90
Virtua Tennis 3 US US$ 59.90
Winning Post 7 Maximum 2007 JPN US$ 69.90

Nintendo Wii™:
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII US US$ 59.90
Cooking Mama: Cook Off US US$ 59.90
Kororinpa: Marble Mania US US$ 49.90
Mezase!! Tsuri Master JPN US$ 49.90
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition US US$ 49.90
Wii Remote Controller Sheet (blue) JPN US$ 4.99
Wii Remote Controller Sheet (gray) JPN US$ 4.99
Wii Remote Controller Silcon Cover (blue) JPN US$ 8.90
Wii Remote Controller Silcon Cover (white) JPN US$ 8.90
Wing Island US US$ 49.90

PlayStation2™:
Burnout Dominator ASIA US$ 39.90
Gakuen Utopia - Manabi Straight! KiraKira Happy Festa! JPN US$ 64.90
Gakuen Utopia - Manabi Straight! KiraKira Happy Festa! [Limited Edition] JPN US$ 89.90
Hokuto No Ken / Fist of the North Star JPN US$ 64.90
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ JPN US$ 69.90
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ (Limited Package Version) JPN US$ 79.90
Shin Bokujou Monogatari: Pure Innocent Life JPN US$ 64.90
Shining Force EXA US US$ 59.90
Simple 2000 Series Vol. 115: The Roomshare to Iu Seikatsu JPN US$ 25.90
Taito Memories II Gekan JPN US$ 49.90
VitaminX JPN US$ 59.90
VitaminX [Limited Edition] JPN N/A
Winning Post 7 Maximum 2007 JPN US$ 64.90
Zoids Infinity Fuzors (Tomy Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Zoids Struggle (Tomy Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90
Zoids Tactics (Tomy Best Collection) JPN US$ 34.90

Nintendo DS™:
Atama de Do! Kotenko Kotenko JPN US$ 39.90
Battleship / Connect Four / Sorry! / Trouble US US$ 24.90
D.Gray-Man: Kami no Shitotachi JPN US$ 48.90
Digimon Story Moonlight JPN US$ 48.90
Digimon Story Sunburst JPN US$ 48.90
Disney's Herbie Rescue Rally US US$ 34.90
Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Motto Eigo Duke JPN US$ 29.90
Gamics Series Vol. 1: Yokoyama Mitsuteru - San Goku Shi - Vol. 3 - Sanko no Rei JPN US$ 39.90
Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! DS - Shinuki Max! Bongore Carnival!! JPN US$ 48.90
Kokoro ga Uruou Birei Aquarium DS: Kujira - Iruka - Penguin JPN US$ 39.90
Kokoro ga Uruou Birei Aquarium DS: Tetra - Guppy - Angelfish JPN US$ 39.90
Lost in Blue 2 US US$ 39.90
My Melody Angel Book: Denshi Techou & Enjoy Game JPN US$ 48.90
Odenkun 2 JPN US$ 29.90
Power Pro Kun Professional Baseball KOR US$ 39.90
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of WarLords US US$ 34.90
Puzzle Series Vol. 13: Kanji Puzzle JPN US$ 29.90
Shakugan no Shana DS JPN US$ 48.90
Silicon Cover (White Version) US$ 12.90
Simple DS Series Vol. 13: Ijoukishou wo Tsuppashire - The Arashi no Drift Rally JPN US$ 28.90
Spectrobes US US$ 34.90
Steel Horizon US US$ 34.90
TOEIC Test Training JPN US$ 39.90
Tamagotchi no Appare! Niji-Venture JPN US$ 48.90
Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2007 US US$ 34.90

Sony PSP™:
After Burner: Black Falcon US US$ 39.90
Asphalt: Urban GT 2 ASIA US$ 39.90
Burnout Dominator ASIA US$ 42.90
Full Auto 2: Battlelines US US$ 39.90
Lumines II KOR US$ 49.90
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of WarLords US US$ 34.90
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ASIA US$ 37.90
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles US US$ 39.90
UEFA Championships League 2006-2007 US N/A

Gamecube™:
Backyard Baseball 2007 US US$ 24.90

PS one™:
Rockman (Capcom Game Books) JPN US$ 27.90
Rockman 2 (Capcom Game Books) JPN US$ 27.90
Super Pang Collection (Capcom Game Books) JPN US$ 29.90

PC Games:
Destination: Treasure Island ASIA US$ 32.90
PDC World Championship Darts ASIA US$ 26.90
ProStroke Golf: World Tour 2007 (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 26.90
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 38.90
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl Collector's Radiation Edition (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 49.90
Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 38.90
Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific Collector Edition (DVD-ROM) ASIA US$ 49.90
Video Game book releases:
Okami Film DVD Book JPN US$ 29.90
Shining Force EXA Official Game Guide US US$ 18.90

Toys & Misc:
Dragon Quest Character Figure Collection 2 JPN US$ 3.99
He is My Master 1/8 Scale Pre-painted PVC Figure: Sawatari Izumi JPN US$ 35.90
Ikkitousen: 1/7 Scale Painted Figure - Untyou Kanu (Alice ...

Just a quick note to say Happy 35th Birthday to one of our best and friendliest coders in the Homebrew Scene, GPF is a coder who has released many great games and emulators (and bags of unreleased projects) for the Dreamcast, Mobile Phones and Nintendo DS and soon the PSP hopefully .

Anyway have a good one from all your buddies here at DCEmu ...

Codemasters' upcoming installment in the long-running and exceedingly popular Colin McRae series isn't just the best-looking rally game we've seen; it's one of the best-looking next generation titles, period. This week we've been lucky enough to go hands-on with Colin McRae: DIRT and were immediately blown away by the impressive visuals, superb handling and high-speed rally racing. Clearly Codemasters has had its best development team locked up in a garage for several years with only programming tools for company, if the impressive results we've seen so far are anything to go by.

For those that haven't been following the progress of DIRT - more fool you - it's the latest rally game featuring Scotland's favourite off-road racer. After successful appearances on previous generation consoles, Codemasters has invested plenty of time and effort into this latest iteration, even building its own game engine (called Neon) especially for DIRT. It's also the first Colin McRae to feature Hill Climb events and Rally Raid competitions. So far, so good... but we were interested to see if DIRT could live up to our high expectations

Full Article

...

via ign

Months ago, From Software and Ubisoft delivered the Xbox 360's first traditional turn-based RPG. With random battles, plot driven exploration and loads of cinema driven special battles, the arrival of Enchanted Arms was a good addition for the genre on Microsoft's system, which only had Final Fantasy and the epic Oblivion for fans to experience. Now, months later, Enchanted Arms is making its way to the PS3, marking the first turn-based RPG on Sony's Cell-driven system. However, much more than a basic port of the game, the PS3 version has received a number of subtle gameplay enhancements to take advantage of the Sixaxis controller.

The story of Enchanted Arms is set after the events of the Golem War, a devastating conflict that shattered civilization and pitted humanity against their doll-like creations known as golems. Initially, the golems were designed to help humans accomplish their goals and tasks, but after the arrival of super-powerful automatons known as Devil Golems, the creatures turned against their masters and almost devastated the world. Humans were only able to defeat the dolls with the help of powerful magic, imprisoning the Devil Golems and slowly restoring control over the remaining beasts. Unfortunately, most of the magical powers humans possessed became lost to time, leaving the survivors to rebuild their lives and their towns. The lone art remaining to humans is the ability to become enchanters, using specialized abilities which they go to established academies to learn.

Meet Atsuma, the dimwitted hero of Enchanted Arms.Players take on the role of Atsuma, a less than stellar pupil at the Yokohama City Enchanters academy. Actually, he's more of a campus wide joke, known more for sleeping in class than using his brain for anything. But the reason why he hasn't been kicked out of the academy is because of his right arm, which somehow has the power to nullify the effects of any enchantment. One day, when he and his friends are skipping class to attend a festival in the city, a massive earthquake levels sections of the city. However, even worse, the golems scattered around the city snapped and started attacking any human in sight. After fighting their way through various golems to the ruins of the academy, they discover the resurrected form of a Devil Golem, which promptly kicks off all kinds of problems.

Like most RPGs, battle plays a significant role within the game. Enchanted Arms uses a turn-based system that sets the player's party and their opponents up on 4x3 grids that defines their movement and attacking range. During every turn, a character can move and choose to either standby and regain their strength or select an item or skill. Many of these abilities have specialized attributes, which can imbue various elemental effects on the target, which helps build up a combo and EX meter. The combo meter lets multiple party members increase their damage on a single target, while the EX meter allows a character to attack every single enemy on screen. Unleashing your strongest attacks takes a large amount of power from your characters, but helps defeat your opponents faster. There are two separate incentives to using these abilities. The first is because your party members regenerate their energy in each battle, so you can go all out and not worry about being unprepared for the next fight. The other reason is because the faster you defeat enemies the more you maintain your Vitality points, which helps govern the health of everyone in the field at the start of a battle.

Welcome to the grid...You'll be fighting quite a bit on this field.While a majority of the game features appears to be rather similar to that of the 360, it's unclear if the online features, such as allowing you to post your high scores in casino games or participating in golem battles against other players on the PlayStation Network, will be included in the game. However, a number of gameplay features have been augmented to take advantage of the motion sensitivity of the Sixaxis controller. For instance, whenever players trigger the EX meter during battle, players have the ability to add additional power by shaking the controller before time runs out, adding a faster, frenetic pacing to the battle sequence. Similarly, you can recover expended EX meter energy by performing the Enchant Dance, shaking the controller back and forth as Atsuma dances in a spatial vacuum. Other uses that we've noticed were shaking the controller to extend Atsuma's Enchant Wire, allowing him to cover vast distances, as well as certain mini-games, like a pizza eating contest. ...

via mcv

Healthy opening weekend software sales boost record breaking launch.
Just as it revealed that Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm had swept into the top two spots in the all formats listings this week, ChartTrack also confirmed that overall, PS3 games were sold at a software-to-hardware ratio of 1.65.

Considering the price of the console, this represents a significant success for platform holder Sony, although its predecessor PS2 boasted an opening weekend attach rate ratio of 1.67.

The high volume of software sales meant that the new Sony format put in an impressive showing in its debut week at European retail. Six new PS3 games entered the top ten, with 13 in total across the all formats top 40. Five of the 13 were also PS3 exclusives. ...