Sektor has updated the port of Hexen to the Nintendo DS. Heres all the info:


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via ign

Publisher Codemasters recently brought by a nearly finalized version of Heatseeker for Wii. The title, which is developed by both Codemasters and IR Gurus, is an action-oriented take on the traditional flight simulator. In place of overly complex controls and a heavy focus on realism, Heatseeker serves up an easily accessible flying experience overrun with intense dogfights. The game is set to release on Wii, PlayStation 2 and PSP this March and to celebrate the impending debut, we got to see -- not play -- the game in motion. For whatever reason, Codemasters didn't want anybody to go hands-on with the title just yet, but we gathered much from the on-site demonstration.

We've previously detailed the game's selection of jet fighters and levels so we're merely going to offer a refresher on the subject. You can choose from some 30 playable fighters, including everything from an F-15 Eagle and F-35 Lightning II to the MiG-29 and Su-47, and dogfight in the skies or under the radar in a variety of locations around the globe. The planes have individual attributes and distinguishable sets of weight and physics, they can be skinned differently, and a host of unlockable weapons can be added to them as you advance. Finally, Heatseeker brings air combat to life with a cinematic impact cam that dynamically shoots the action from different angles.

According to a Codemasters representative, as the company has learned more and more about Nintendo's console, the Wii version of the title has become the primary focus. We can't say we blame the studio, either, because the Wii remote and nunchuk seem to be a perfect fit for a flying game of this type. Codemasters and IR Gurus have capitalized on the setup and come up with a control scheme that, while seemingly experimental, appears to work triumphantly. It makes use of the nunchuk attachment's motion-sensory functionality for fighter movement. To turn left you simply tilt in the direction with the nunchuk; to turn right you do the same. (Incidentally, EA is using these same mechanics to carve in SSX Blur and both games are giving us hope for the future of nunchuk-controlled titles.) Meanwhile, to make a plane dive down you simply motion forward with the nunchuk; and to pull up -- that's right -- you merely pull back on the nunchuk.


On top of everything else, you can hold forward on the nunchuk's analog stick to give your fighter a burst of speed, which is integral for catching faraway enemies during dogfights. After about three seconds, your jet's rockets will ignite and an impressive visual blurring will overtake the screen as the craft shoots forward with notable force. You can alternatively pull back on the analog stick to slow down.

We didn't get to try any of this for ourselves, but we've been on the Wii end of the industry long enough to spot shoddy controls from afar -- and Heatseeker is thankfully looking smooth. Even the simplest of nunchuk tilts would smoothly cause jets to turn left, right, take a dive toward the earth or ascend into the clouds, whose quasi-volumetric density is a cut above most console-based efforts. (That noted, the clouds do pop-up out of nowhere periodically, which shouldn't be happening.) We could easily see that controlling planes in Heatseeker is going to be an enjoyable undertaking.

Not to be confused with a PC-like sim, Codemasters and IR Gurus have together taken steps to ensure that Heatseeker appeals first and foremost to action fans. To that end, the game is fast and filled with different challenges, from typical air combat -- lock onto enemies, send missiles flying and the impact cam goes to work -- to flying missions low to the ground to avoid radar detection. You'll never have to worry about weapon management because there isn't any. In Heatseeker, you can unload as many missiles as you want and you'll never run out of machine gun ammo -- you've got it all infinitely because action, not realism, is the focus.

Based on what we've seen thus far, the title is showing good promise. It is not exactly pushing Wii's technical boundaries -- a truth we contribute to the fact that Heatseeker undoubtedly began its life as a PlayStation 2 endeavor, but was eventually moved to Nintendo's console, too. Textures could be crisper and some of the geometry -- landscapes, mostly -- lacks detail. But the title does run smoothly and to its credit, it is humming along in both 480p and 16:9 widescreen modes.

All of that noted, if you're looking for an intense dogfighting game, Heatseeker seems to have you covered, and we'd be shocked if it didn't play best -- and by a long shot -- on Wii. The nunchuk-based motion controls seem to work too well for the other versions to hold up. The only glaring omission is the lack of a multiplayer mode, which has for some reason been sacrificed on Wii and PlayStation 2, but exists on the PSP version. ...

via dsfanboy

Man, Japan gets all the best stuff! The above are two different board games (Crystal Attack and The Tower variety) based on the smash hit New Super Mario Bros. and, while they do not look entirely like the traditional board game, they certainly bring the kid in us out. With moving parts and warp pipes, we would love to import ourselves both of these, but in all honesty the price is a bit too steep.

The games are set for a March release in Japan and will cost importers $45 USD for the Crystal Attack version and $35 USD for The Tower version. The site makes no mention of shipping and handling costs, but we're sure it has to be at least $10 USD a piece.

More Info ...

via dsfanboy

Thanks to the folks at GameSpot, we can now get a good look at Diddy Kong Racing. We're talking up close and personal, because they've put out a truly epic flood of screens from the upcoming enhanced port ... so many, in fact, that it's almost as good as playing it ourselves.

You'll notice we said almost. Nothing really compares to the fun of crushing our enemies and seeing them driven before us, but we do like a pretty picture now and again.

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JimmyL has released a new version of his RTS game for the Nintendo DS, heres the release info:


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A new release of WiiCR has happenned today, heres the info and whats new:

WiiCR is a media player solution for the Nintendo Wii. It acts as a streaming media server and is capable of transcoding nearly any video file to a suitable flv for an embedded flash player. It allows browsing of the remote filesystem to view: videos (avi/xvid/divx/mpeg/wmv/etc), text files, jpg's and play mp3s.

0.3.2-RC2 released
adding dir to playlist no longer clears old contents of playlist
sys shell added to kill_encode command (for linux)
unique entries only in mp3.txt again
mp3.txt is sorted again
FIXED - mp3 filename wasnt showing when loading.
added linfoxes update to flvprovider
added dirs feature
all OS vars shifted to config.dat to remove need to config config.pl and also make updating easier.
added fullscreen video plugin tpl to icons1
config.new included (users of linux and non default win32 installs should edit config.new before putting in the wiicr dir).

Download Here --> http://wmc.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/WiiCR ...

As a follower of Modchips over the years i have to say that while its encouraging to see Modchips out for the Wii already the plain fact is i wouldnt waste my money yet.

Both modchips cant be upgraded, so Nintendo releases an upgrade to the Wii and well your most likely knackered.

Also one of the main reasons for a modchip for the Wii (no im not interested in piracy) is to play games from other regions on my US nintendo Wii, neither mod can do this, so yet again another thumbs down.

Now yes Gamecube Homebrew is playable on the Wii this way but that can already be done without modding your console.

Now because the Modchips arent upgradeable the likelyhood of an exploit for Wii Homebrew working on these modchips is next to nil.

So for now take our advice and dont touch with a bargepole until much better modchips come along.

agree or disagree with me via comments

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News from the Goat Store

Are you a fan of the 3DO, TurboGrafx or Odyssey 2 and have been looking for an outlet with a great selection? The GOAT Store, LLC has heard your cry for help, and is working on drastically increasing their inventory for these great consoles!

So far, over 150 new items have already been added to the selection on the GOAT Store site for these great systems, and there are over 250 more items that will be put into inventory over the next few weeks. This will effectively bring up the selection on these items to more than four times what they were at the beginning of the year!

The GOAT Store will also be adding many new items to other consoles in the coming months, so keep stopping back to see what has been added! Some of the other consoles that will soon be getting additional items are the Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis and 2600. When everything is said and done, the GOAT Store, LLC will stock over 5000 unique items, and over 15,000 total items in stock to serve your gaming needs! ...

via siliconera

If you type “ball” in DS Rakubiki Jiten two words show up and if you click on the grey word it opens up the classic Game & Watch game Ball. The game is played entirely on the touch screen where you hit left and right to keep the two balls balanced in the air. Another neat easter egg hidden in DS Rakubiki Jiten is the coin sound when you hit the grey word “Nintendo”.

Cool stuff ...