News from Eurogamer

Just a few weeks ago, we brought you news of a rumour that a DS version of classic platformer New Zealand Story is in development.

Rising Star Games declined to confirm or deny back then - but now they've officially announced that the game is on the way, and will be released in late 2006.

Just like the 1988 original, the new version of NZS will see you playing as little yellow birdie Tiki the Kiwi. All of Tiki's friends have been kidnapped by a dastardly sea lion, and it's your job to run around rescuing them.

According to Rising Star, "The setting for each of the game's levels will remain untouched," pleasingly, "Although the layouts will be remixed and re-jigged to provide fresh challenges."

Naturally, you can expect a graphical overhaul - but one that will "update New Zealand Story's visuals whilst retaining the clean lines of its arcade ancestor." Marvellous.

"With New Zealand Story Revolution, we're not going to be taking away anything that made the original such a charming classic," promised Rising Star exec Martin Defries.

"Its delicate balance will be carefully recreated and with the new features we've included, New Zealand Story Revolution will be an even more manic platform adventure than the original."

We'll be bringing you a proper preview of the game awfully soon. ...

As journalists we love Peter Molyneux, because when most people say they can't talk about their secret game projects, like the stone-hearted spoilsports they are, they generally mean it. But when Molyneux warns us he's taken a vow of omerta, what he actually means is he's going rattle away for ages and say as much as he possibly can without quite hoisting himself by any specific petard.

Indeed, as he admitted to Eurogamer TV in an exclusive interview at last week's Develop Conference in Brighton: "I have realised I've got the PR equivalent of Tourette's. I can't help myself. It's the inability to downplay stuff - I have to get excited!"

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On this occasion, the Lionhead boss was getting hot and bothered about 360 sequel Fable 2, and "the other one", the secret title in development at his now Microsoft-owned studio, dubbed 'Project Dmitri'.

On Fable 2: "I don't believe in going out and saying: 'we're going to create quite a good game.' I believe that what we're doing, with Fable 2, is thinking, right we've got to address all those things we did slightly wrong on Fable 1; we've got to make a bigger, better story, it's got to be an amazing world," Molyneux explained. "One of the main things is we've got to make this game jaw-droppingly beautiful. Sometimes darkly beautiful; beauty doesn't only mean green fields, but just stunningly beautiful. I came away from E3 just sick of seeing gunmetal shiny things and sewers."

Molyneux revealed that the Fable 2 design document is "almost up to 1,000 pages now," and while we actually know precious little about the RPG sequel, other than it's set 500 years after the events of Fable, we're promised there's a startling revelation to come.

"There has to be one big, big thing about Fable 2 that is going to shock and surprise people and that's what we've got, that's the exciting thing," he teased. "And we're not ready to show it yet. I think it's going to be next year if I'm honest with you. It's a very, very big thing and if I told you about it, it's one word, and if I told you about it then you'd say: 'what are you talking about? It's another one of those Peter Molyneux moments.'"

Just tell us, dammit! "I need to show it to you and to prove it to you," he added. "But I think it's exactly what Lionhead stands for - it's uniqueness, it's originality and it's taking something and doing something with it that no-one's done before. And that's really what the core of what the whole of Fable is. Fable 2 should be everything you expect, then 10 times more that you don't expect - and that doesn't just apply to this one feature... I almost said it then! - that applies to the whole game."

If that wasn't already teasing us to the point of torture, Molyneux had a few choice words on Lionhead's other major unannounced project. "The other project is... I kinda like playing around with other genres. And I like finding a way of not being pigeon-holed in one genre and this other game is exactly that," he continued.

"It's the thing I love most... I can't tell you the line, but it's a line... It's 'Project whatever it's called'... I so want to tell you what the line is! But I'd hope you just hearing the line you'd think, ah that would be interesting.

"I would be killed to death if I said anything at all, but I think it's certainly something that if I said the line then we could have a long discussion about it without you actually seeing the game. Which for me always makes the best root of ideas, having that clear, concise idea around something."

We love him, but he also frustrates the hell out of us. So, Fable 2 is all about "a word"; and Project Thingy is all about "a line". Answers on a postcard. ...

News from Eurogamer

A new trailer for the forthcoming Animal Crossing movie has popped up on the Internet.

As previously announced, the movie is being helmed by Japanese director Jouji Shimura and should hit cinemas over there in December. The trailer's not very long, unfortunately, but it'll at least give you a taste of what to expect.

A new website for the movie has also been launched - though you'll need a working knowledge of Japanese to make any sense of it, sadly.

There's still no word as to whether the Animal Crossing movie will make it to Europe, but we reckon there's a reasonable chance what with the game having sold stupidly well over here. ...

Nintendo Wii will use the same "Friends Code" system that DS users are used to, according to a brief glimpse of since-pulled Nintendo website pages.

Speaking at E3, Nintendo's Takahashi Tezuka said as much anyway - when asked whether Wii's version of Wi-Fi Connection (Nintendo's online service) would also use a Friends Code system, he said "Yes".

But those of you hanging onto the belief that he was simply guessing, and Nintendo planned to go back to the drawing board (or, better yet, simply steal Microsoft's drawing board and re-badge it) are going to be disappointed.

As you'll know if you read this on the since-departed Wii site page that bore this: "Nintendo has your online safety in mind. Thanks to our unique Friend Code system, you can control whom you play with online. Playing online is a great way to connect and reconnect people you want to play games with!"

Friends Codes, 12-digit identifiers specific to your DS or, in this case, Wii, allow players to create lists of preferred opposing players. Except, obviously, it's a bit of a faff to type in a randomly generated 12-digit number for every one of your pals.

Elsewhere, Nintendo's online Wii service is a bit more contemporary, with a Virtual Console system for downloading old SNES, MegaDrive and TurboGrafx games, along with new, budget-priced games.

Thanks to a system called WiiConnect24, you'll also be able to leave your Wii on standby and have it download things and allow people to do things like visit your Animal Crossing village while you're somewhere else.

And while Nintendo hasn't ruled out the prospect of premium downloadable content add-ons for games, it has committed to a free online gaming service - just as it did on the DS. ...

This thing has been around for quite a while in prototype form, but Sony has finally gotten around to joining the pack and unveiling a PC drive for their own format. The BWU-100A Blu-ray burner doesn't have a whole lot of surprises -- other than that purple faceplate which will most likely totally clash with your PC case -- but the $750 pricetag is a nice move. It also manages all three lasers types, allowing it to read and write single layer 4.7GB DVD+R/+RW/RAM discs, 8.5GB DVD+R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs. With 2x burning speeds for BD-R or BD-RE media, you can fill a 25GB Blu-ray disc in 50 minutes, and we're guessing 50GB discs should fill at a similar rate. Sony also touts the ability to move 1080i HDV camcorder footage natively to the BD-AV format for home playback, with a whole four hours fitting on one 50GB disc. The drive should be out in August, and is available for pre-order now.

More info ...

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News from Divineo USA

We are pleased to announce that we will stock the newly announced SuperCard DS Lite, a 'no sticking out' solution for DS Lite consoles which also allows the use of MicroSD cards. We are offering a special pre-order price of $49.99 right now, which is subject to change upon release to $54.99.

Reserve yours today - due to the high demand, we are only allowed to order in limited quantities! ...

News from Divineo USA

In approximately one week, we'll receive our first batch of Xeno 360 Connectivity Kit. Reserve yours today.

Heres more info about them:

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* Optical Disc Drive Adapter (ODD)
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It's Wednesday again, which means two things - Crimewatch is on telly tonight and there's a new game up for download on Xbox Live Arcade.

But blocking the depressing crook-hunter out of our minds for a moment, today's new Arcade release is Cloning Clyde, a bizarre 3D side-scroller from developer NinjaBee. Cloning Clyde unsurprisingly has you playing with Clyde and his many clones, including Chicken-Clyde, Sheep-Clyde and Frog-Clyde. The game also features co-op and multiplayer modes, including support for up to 8 players over Xbox Live.

Cloning Clyde is the second Arcade game to come as part of the Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays promotion, which sees a new Arcade game arrive every (wait for it...) Wednesday. Including the two that have been released, only five games in the promotion have been revealed thus far. Today's release is followed up next week by Namco's Galaga, and the much-awaited Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting arrives on August 2 with Pac-Man following on the 9th.

Cloning Clyde is available on Xbox Live Arcade now for 800 lovely Microsoft points ...