Electronic Arts gets credit for making the first football game on the Wii. However, Madden NFL 2007 never came out for the Wii in Japan, so Nintendo is getting the first shot at bringing the genre to Japan with Eyeshield 21. Here is a little bit on how the motion controls are going to work in the game.

full details at siliconera ...

For the Wii and DS via gonintendo

Wii:

Excite Truck - Feb 22nd
Sonic and the Secret Rings - March
Bionicle Heroes - March
Kororinpa - March 1st
DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 - March 2nd
SSX Blur - March 15th
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - March 15th
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions - March 15th
Rapala Tournament Fishing - March 22nd
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - March 22nd
Wing Island - March 29th
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II - March 29th
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords - March 29th
Medal of Honor: Vanguard - March 29th

DS:

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Feb 22nd
Kirby Squeak Squad - March 1st
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - March 8th ...

For the Wii and DS via gonintendo

Wii:

Excite Truck - Feb 22nd
Sonic and the Secret Rings - March
Bionicle Heroes - March
Kororinpa - March 1st
DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 - March 2nd
SSX Blur - March 15th
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - March 15th
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions - March 15th
Rapala Tournament Fishing - March 22nd
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - March 22nd
Wing Island - March 29th
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II - March 29th
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords - March 29th
Medal of Honor: Vanguard - March 29th

DS:

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 - Feb 22nd
Kirby Squeak Squad - March 1st
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - March 8th ...

Heres the top10 games in the UK for the week ending feb17th:

FIFA 07 (EA)
Need for Speed: Carbon (EA)
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Konami)
Supreme Commander (THQ)
Avatar: The Legend of Aang (THQ)
The Sims 2: Pets (EA)
Battlestations: Midway (Eidos)
Lost Planet (Capcom)
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts)

Mario bros still in the charts after all this time ? ...

via bbc

Games consoles such as Nintendo Wii require players to use body movements to control the action.

A study by Liverpool John Moores University found regular use could help shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.

The study was carried out to establish whether computer games can contribute to the daily activity recommendations for children.

Parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well-balanced live

The researchers compared activity levels during gaming using the Wii with those achieved using traditional seated joypad-controlled consoles.

They found more active forms of gaming increased energy expenditure to a level which could help lose weight.

Heart rate

Lead researcher Professor Tim Cable said: "Through our testing it is clear that the motion sensor-controlled console can make an impact on a child's heart rate, energy expenditure and the amount of calories burned.

"Research from GameVision's Consumer Intelligence Report shows that, on average, gamers in the UK currently spend around 12.2 hours a week playing computer games.

"Therefore, it is important to promote as much activity as possible during this time."

Professor Cable said active consoles such as the Wii could provide a means of motivating children who are less active.

But he added: "Parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well-balanced lives."

Children do play these computer games because they find them fascinating, and so it would be best if the games they play include an element of physical activity

The study measured the impact on five girls and seven boys, aged between 13 and 15, of playing both an active and inactive console.

During 15 minutes of play using a traditional joypad operated console, energy expenditure increased above resting values by an average 60%.

In comparison, when using the Wii console, the participants' energy expenditure increased 156% above resting.

Based on the average gaming week of 12.2 hours, this translates to a potential 1,830 calories burned per week when using Wii - 40% more than when using a traditional format console.

In both conditions the energy expenditure of boys was greater than that observed for girls.

Heart rates were also much greater when using the active console, reaching values of 130 beats per minute, compared with 85 beats per minute for the traditional console.

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said children should be encouraged to play outside, and that parents should limit the amount of time they played computer games.

However, he said: "Children do play these computer games because they find them fascinating, and so it would be best if the games they play include an element of physical activity." ...

via techeblog

What if Sony had developed the SNES CD add-on? There might not have been the PlayStation. Find that and more in this interesting list. Would you have bought any of these systems if they had been released?

Sega Neptune

The Sega Neptune was basically a two-in-one game system (Genesis/32X), planned for release in 1995. Unfortunately, by the time a working protoype was ready, the Sega Saturn took the spotlight.

Sega felt that consumers would not be interested in the Sega Neptune, so the project was scrapped. Of the two prototypes that were made, neither actually functioned, but were just empty cases. The proposed retail price for the unit was US$200

Atari Jaguar Duo

Like the Neptune, the Jagaur Duo was a dual system, combining the Jaguar and Jaguar CD into one console. Unfortunately, the Jaguar CD didn’t sell as many units as the company had hoped, so they scrapped the idea before a prototype was built.

NanoGear

Basically a portable PC, NanoGear is what the GP2X should’ve been. It allows users to create their own games with the included tools and sports built-in networking.

Pretty high tech handheld that looks like it never got off the drawing board

Sega VR

Sadly, Sega’s answer to Nintendo’s Virtual Boy never quite made it. Basically, it “was based around an IDEO virtual reality headset (HMD) with LCD screens in the visor and stereo headphones. Inertial sensors in the headset allowed the system to track and react to the movements of the user’s head.”

The company claimed the project was stopped because the VR was so real users would move while wearing the headset and injure themselves. The limited processing power of the system makes this claim unlikely, although there were reports of testers developing headaches and motion sickness

SNES CD

What some of you may not know is that Nintendo actually had contacted Sony to develop this accessory, but in the end, the talks fell through.

Ultimately, negotiations with both Sony and Philips fell through, and the two companies went on to develop their own consoles based on their initial dealings with Nintendo (the PlayStation and the CD-i respectively), Philips also gaining the right to release a series of CD-i titles based on popular Nintendo franchises

Screens Via Comments ...

via spong

New research commissioned by Liverpool John Moores University has shown that kids who regularly play Wii games burn up a significantly larger amount of calories than kids who play other consoles, or spend their time passively watching TV.

Not really surprising news for anybody who’s had a good workout on Wii Sports or WarioWare: Smooth Moves of late, but still good to hear nonetheless.

The study, headed-up by John Moore’s researcher Professor, Tim Cable, claims that regular use of Wii could help kids shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.

Prof. Cable said: "Through our testing it is clear that the motion sensor-controlled console can make an impact on a child's heart rate, energy expenditure and the amount of calories burned… Research from GameVision's Consumer Intelligence Report shows that, on average, gamers in the UK currently spend around 12.2 hours a week playing computer games. Therefore, it is important to promote as much activity as possible during this time."

Cable’s study was based on measuring the impact of playing Wii and of playing a traditional non-motion-controlled console on five girls and seven boys, aged between 13 and 15.

15 minutes of play using a traditional controller increased the subject’s energy expenditure above resting values by an average of 60%. With a Wii controller this was increased to a whopping 156%.

Heart rates also increased to 130 beats per minute while playing Wii, compared with 85 beats per minute with a traditional console.

In an average kid's gaming week, based on GameVision's estimate of 12.2 hours, this means there is a potential 1,830 calories burned per week when using Wii which works out as 40% more than when using a traditional controller. ...

Have a tabbed Wii Browser with Wiiminder

Heres the video ...

via techeblog

Not all Nintendo DS systems look boring. These five examples take creativity to a whole new level. Highlights include the NES Controller mod, MegaDrive, and more. Which one do you like best?

All Case Mods Via Comments ...