via Computer and Video Games


Phones aren't designed for games, and that's why most mobile phone games are rubbish (apart from the Doom RPG). But the age of truly terrible phone game controls could come to an end soon, as a Nunchuk-like controller for mobile phones has been given the go-ahead.

Peripheral company Zeetoo has created a dedicated gaming controller for mobiles, named the Zeemote, which hopes to make playing on your phone far better.

Using Bluetooth to connect to your phone, the device has an analogue stick, buttons on the reverse, all in a body that's shaped uncannily like the Wii Nunchuk controller.

Zeetoo even has a motion sensing version of the controller in the prototype phases, and another with a tracker ball. Motion-controlled tennis on a packed central London train should be interesting.

Zeetwo's analogue device already has the support of phone manufacturers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG, and game developers Sega Mobile, Fishlabs and Reaxion (and others), and has secured $6.9 million funding (around £3.5m) to put the Zeemote into production, according to Pocket Gamer.

It sounds cool, but surely people who care enough about videogames to want a dedicated analogue controller will buy a DS (or five).


Photographs here ...

via Games Industry


The latest sales charts for Spain and Germany show strong support for the Nintendo platforms, with DS titles Dr Kawashima's Brain Training and More Brain Training coming in the top two in both countries.

The charts, compiled by Media-Control GfK International for the sales week ending December 23, also show Nintendo featuring in all top five positions in Germany, and eight of the top ten in Spain.

Wii Play, Super Mario Galaxy and Mario & Sonic at the Olympics rounded out the German top five, with Need for Speed Pro Street, FIFA 08 and High School Musical taking the next three places for the PlayStation 2.

The only other format represented was Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360 - meaning that neither Sony's nor Microsoft's next-gen platforms were represented at all.

That was also true in Spain, although WWE Smackdown! vs Raw 2008 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 were third and fourth on the PS2.

The rest of the top ten was all Nintendo, however, with four more DS titles and two Wii games.

The full charts are as follows:

Germany

1. More Brain Training with Dr Kawashima (DS)
2. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
3. Wii Play (Wii)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
5. Mario & Sonic at the Olympics (Wii)
6. Need for Speed Pro Street (PS2)
7. FIFA 08 (PS2)
8. High School Musical: Sing It (PS2)
9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)
10. New Super Mario Bros (DS)

Spain

1. More Brain Training with Dr Kawashima (DS)
2. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
3. WWE Smackdown! vs Raw 2008 (PS2)
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (PS2)
5. Eye Training (DS)
6. Wii Play (Wii)
7. Mario Party DS (DS)
8. Triiviial (Wii)
9. Imagine Babyz (DS)
10. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) ...

Quirky has posted news of his port of the classic Elite to the Nintendo DS:

...

via Eurogamer


Microsoft has said a demo for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom will be out in Europe in mid-January.

However, those of you in exotic reaches like Asia, Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the US can get your mitts on the 1.2GB package already, as in now, today, right now, immediately.

Included in the sampler is a chance to battle your way through a pair of early stages from the beginning of the game as Kendal or Leinhart, using some beefed up abilities against a swathe of unique nasties.

The full action role-playing game will be out this winter, according to Microsoft Live bigwig Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, although we heard back in October that it would be in Europe on 1st February.

Unlike previous Kingdom Under Fire instalments, the idea this time is less on strategical troop choices but more on action and combinations; levelling up your heroes to do silly damage to all who oppose before doing it all again with friends on randomly generated multiplayer maps.

Better than Intimately Beckham and Intimately Beckham Night, perhaps. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The first details have been spotted on the official Gears of War prequel, which is unfortunately (for Gears fans, who are surely not big readers) in book form.

Gears of War: The Pendulum Wars - The Battle of Aspho Fields (we were hoping for a longer title) is being penned by former games journo Steven Kent of Next-Gen.biz and USA Today fame.

According to the official blurb, The Battle Aspho Fields "builds upon the characters backstories and gives eager fans their first in-depth look at some of the past events that shaped the games world." We'll finally know what the hell Aspho Fields was all about, then.

The book's not out until August this year, so before everyone goes mental and starts demanding more game Gears, take solitude in the fact that Gears of War 2 might already be announced by the time this book reaches the shelves. Maybe. ...

via Computer and Video Games



US Nintendo DS owners will soon be able to download DS games through their Wii, Nintendo US boss Reggie Fils-Amie has told the New York Times.

The service will offer both complete games and demos, which will be directly downloaded to Wii via broadband, then wirelessly transmitted to DS.

Additional content for newer titles will also be a possibility, with new puzzles already confirmed for the upcoming Professor Layton.

Nintendo looks to be widening the range of services it provides as its user base also grows. At a baseball game last year in Seattle, fans could watch the game, order food and view statistics, all using their handheld console.

Whether this is just whimsical experimenting on the part of Nintendo's research team is a matter for debate, but it sounds interesting to us.

Currently there is no confirmation that the service will arrive in the UK, but given there's little reason for it not to, we speculatively expect to hear more later this year. ...

via Computer and Video Games



US Nintendo DS owners will soon be able to download DS games through their Wii, Nintendo US boss Reggie Fils-Amie has told the New York Times.

The service will offer both complete games and demos, which will be directly downloaded to Wii via broadband, then wirelessly transmitted to DS.

Additional content for newer titles will also be a possibility, with new puzzles already confirmed for the upcoming Professor Layton.

Nintendo looks to be widening the range of services it provides as its user base also grows. At a baseball game last year in Seattle, fans could watch the game, order food and view statistics, all using their handheld console.

Whether this is just whimsical experimenting on the part of Nintendo's research team is a matter for debate, but it sounds interesting to us.

Currently there is no confirmation that the service will arrive in the UK, but given there's little reason for it not to, we speculatively expect to hear more later this year. ...

via ars technica

A Nintendo customer service representative revealed to GoNintendo that the company currently has no plans of replenishing stocks of wireless Wavebird controllers in retail shops. Though the CSR notes that the original GameCube controller is still being shipped to retailers and is also available via the online store, the entirety of Nintendo's official support for the product is represented by a lonely wireless receiver—and no Wavebird to complement it.



Demand for original GameCube controllers is still going strong, thanks to the Wii's backwards compatibility, Virtual Console functionality, and a slew of new Wii titles that take advantage of the original hardware. With many gamers (including yours truly) preferring the long-lasting, hand-fitting familiarity of a GCN controller over the Wii's classic controller peripheral and Super Smash Bros. Brawl just over a month away, wouldn't now be the perfect time to capitalize on a Wii-branded relaunch of the industry's first great wireless controller? ...

via Eurogamer


Welcome yourself back to work today by downloading Metal Slug 3 from Xbox Live Arcade - as said in a Somerfield-advert-like way.

It will set you back 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30) and lets you enjoy the old run and gun title in fancy new high definition resolutions and with a friend in co-operative online multiplayer.

Other than that and the usual spattering of 12 Achievements, the blend of platform action remains the same; filled with vehicles called Slugs to parade around in as quartet of heroes Marco, Tarma, Eri and Fio battle to stop evil General Morden from doing dastardly things.

Those of you in the US and Canada will also be able to enjoy SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam! today, you lucky devils, and we will let you know as soon as we do when us Europeans can experience it. ...