via Eurogamer


Own a Wii? Satisfied, are you? Or do you sometimes go round your PS2 friend's house and stare at his plastic quiz show controllers and wish you weren't saddled with stupid motion sensors and bobble heads of your dad and little blue glowing lights that never seem to shut up even when you do check your messages?

Then good news! Because the game Ellie regarded as something "cheap and simple to entertain the family, but it'll be gathering dust by New Year" is finally coming to Wii! Yes, Cheggers' Party Quiz has been dated, and will be released on 7th December! As published Oxygen Games put it, "Wii-Hey!"

Alternatively, are you a fan of dour Scotsmen with a thistly regard for porous Premier League defences and an inability to answer nice ladies' questions sensibly? Then good news for you too! Because Alan Hansen's Sports Challenge is coming to Wii on the same day.

Terrific. Christmas is saved. ...

via Eurogamer


Sony has updated PlayStation Portable's firmware to version 3.73.

The new firmware supposedly fixes a flaw with the UMD drive. Apparently in some cases data would fail to load properly, and Sony appears to have solved that problem.

Not the most exciting news in the world, then, but undoubtedly important news to anybody who's been suffering from the above-mentioned UMD-knack.

You can download the new firmware from Sony's website (if you can bloody find it) or by using the Network Update option on the XMB. ...

via IGN


Koei has brought Shin Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warriors) and Sengoku Muosu (Samurai Warriors) to the PSP through multiple installments. Now, it's tapping into its PS2 library for a more recent spinoff, Musou Orochi (Warriors Orochi in America).

Titled simply Musou Orochi, the PSP incarnation features all the gameplay from the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions of the game along with 79 generals, including two original Koei creations, to choose from.

The portable Musou engine has apparently improved some since Dynasty Warriors Vol.2. Orochi will feature expansive stages with no transitions between areas, allowing for the console experience on the go. Additionally, the game's two player mode will be set in the same stages as the story mode. Previous multiplayer modes were set in special stages.

Musou Orochi hits the Japanese PSP in February. ...

via IGN


Wondering what Grasshopper Manufacturer was doing before Killer 7? DS owners in Japan will get to find out real soon as Marvelous Interactive brings producer Suda 51's Flower, Sun, and Rain: Unending Paradise to the DS.

Titled, in Japan, Hana to Taiyou to Ame to: Owaranai Rakuen, this mystery adventure game was originally released for the PlayStation 2 on 2001. HAND is "handling" the conversion to the portable format, with supervision by Grasshopper Manufacturer, of course.

You play as Mondo Sumio, who comes to the resort island of Lospas at the request of the owner of the Flower, Sun, and Rain, a hotel on the island. The owner tells you that the island, which is apparently stuck in a time loop, is being targeted by terrorists. With aid of Catharine, a computer you carry with you in your briefcase, your job is to stop the explosive device that threatens to destroy the island.

Flower, Sun, and Rain, is a full adventure game with 3D exploration indoors and out. Using the hotel as your base of operations, you head out onto the island to question the residents. On top of the adventure gameplay from the PS2 original, the DS version adds 50 new puzzles, as well as stylus controls for when you jack into Catherine.

The Japanese release of No More Heroes is just a couple of weeks away, so for gamers in Japan, that will be their next exposure to the workings of Suda 51. Following that, importers should look for Flower, Sun, and Rain in Spring 2008. ...

via IGN


We thought the big news in Japanese Virtual Console land came earlier today when Nintendo announced that Pokemon Snap would be updated for its VC release with e-mail functionality.

But then we saw the full list of December titles for the Japanese service. Included in the list are a certain Super Mario Bros. 3, along with the first RPG from Square Enix.

No, it's not Final Fantasy, and it's not Dragon Quest. Instead, everyone's favorite RPG maker has chosen the late SNES title Treasure Hunter G as the first entry in its genre of choice.

Here's the full list of December titles for the Japanese service.

[SET FOR DECEMBER RELEASE]

• Downtown Nekketsu Koushinkyoku (Arc System Works, Famicom, 500 points)
• Pokemon Snap (Nintendo, N64, 1,000)
• Rolling Thunder 2 (Bandai Namco Games, Megadrive, 600)
• Gate of Thunder (Hudson, PC Engine, 600)

[SET FOR DECEMBER RELEASE]

• Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, Famicom, 500)
• Metal Slader Glory (Hal Research, Famicom, 600)
• LunarBall (Pony Canyon, Famicom, 500)
• Super Street Fighter II (Capcom, Super Famicom, 800)
• Treasure Hunter G (Square Enix, Super Famicom, 800)
• Columns III Taiketsu! Columns World (Sega, Megadrive, 600)
• Party Quiz Mega Q (Sega, Megadrive, 600)
• Langrisser II (Nippon Computer System, 700)
• Ai Chou Aniki (Hudson, PC Engine, 800)
• Image Fight II (Irem Soft, PC Engine, 800)
• Dragon Slayer: Story of Heroes (Nihon Falcom, 800)

Remember, you'll need a Japanese Wii to download these titles. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Xbox 360s have been used in the US to lure over a hundred crooks out of hiding and subsequently into the slammer.

Working jointly with the El Paso police, US Marshals led criminals to a crackdown location in Texas with the belief that they had won an Xbox 360.

Anyone stupid enough to come and claim their winnings was instead stuck in handcuffs and sent to prison, where the only Achievements they'll be unlocking are "performed sexual favours for cigarettes," and "fathered a pet mouse called Mr. Jingles."

According to police chief Richard Wiles, the sting resulted in 115 arrests and cleared 129 warrants. Most of the criminals were wanted on drug or violent crime charges.

Considering they were able to fall for the stunt, most them are probably wondering where their Xbox 360s are right now. ...

via Games Industry


During the week after the Thanksgiving holiday, Microsoft sold 310,000 Xbox 360 consoles in the US.

That's nearly the same number of units it sold during the entire month of October, when 366,000 Xbox 360 consoles were purchased.

According to a CNBC article, Microsoft's system outsold the PlayStation 3 during the week after "Black Friday" by a margin of 2 to 1.

Nintendo still came out on top, however, with 350,000 Wii consoles sold.

Even so, Microsoft reports that its software is on track to outsell the PS3 and Wii software combined. According to NPD data, Xbox 360 software represented 54 per cent of total software sales for October, with 30 per cent for the Wii and 16 per cent for the PS3.

UPDATE: An SCEA spokesperson disputed Microsoft's assertion that the Xbox 360 had outsold the PS3 2 to 1, but stated that it was company policy not to disclose specific sales until NPD data is officially released ...

via Games Industry


As nine new entries hit the Japanese software chart, the game-buying public snapped up 1.44 million new titles that made up just the top ten last week.

According to data from Media Create for the sales week ending November 25 Dragon Quest IV saw one of the biggest releases of the year, selling 597,000 copies in its first week and going straight in at number one.

The latest Winning Eleven title from Konami took second and third places for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 respectively - the former outsold the latter by two to one, although the install base of the PS3 is of course still much smaller at this point.

Other notable new entries to make the top ten included Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess for the PlayStation 2 - only making fifth place with 68,000 units - and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games in sixth.

Mario Party DS was the only survivor from last week's top ten - it held steady in fourth position.

The Xbox 360 editions of Winning Eleven and Final Fantasy XI both made the top 30, in 18th and 26th positions respectively.


The full top ten is as follows:

1. Dragon Quest IV (DS)
2. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS2)
3. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS3)
4. Mario Party DS (DS)
5. Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess (PS2)
6. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
7. Dinosaur King: The Seven Fragments (DS)
8. Mega Man Star Force 2: Berserk × Shinobi (DS)
9. Mega Man Star Force 2: Berserk × Dinosaur (DS)
10. Pachinko Assassin III: Iron Pachi-Chonmage 13 (PS2) ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo has told Eurogamer that Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village will be out in the US on 18th February.

However, plans are yet to be made for Europe, but you could always import a copy what with it being a region-free DS title.

Developed by Level 5, of Dragon Quest VIII fame, Mysterious Village is the first in a trilogy of adventure titles based around brain-teasing puzzles by some University boffin and linked together with an overarching storyline.

You may never have heard of it, but Professor Layton has been been so wildly popular in Japan it has shipped around half a million copies since February and prompted two follow-on games.

Regional magazine Famitsu unearthed the third instalment recently as Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel, due to be released some unspecified time in the future. Meanwhile second game Professor Layton and the Devil's Box goes on sale this week in Japan.

Pop over to the Japanese website for an idea of what to expect. ...