via Eurogamer


This week's Virtual Console line-up is all lined up and ready to be downloaded once you've forked over the requisite readies. Everything costs 800 Wii Points today, which is easy to remember, and of course starting today you can turn your old Nintendo website Stars into Wii Points. Cor.

Topping the bill is Light Crusader for the Megadrive, which is another of Treasure's old 16-bit games and therefore well worth a look. Interestingly this one is actually an isometric RPG of sorts, complete with wandering around talking to people. Hand-holding is not the order of the day, but on the Megadrive page it will be holding hands with the adjacent Rolling Thunder 2, which is a side-scroller with guns and jumping. They certainly look fruity.

Finally there's a few side-scrolling blasts from the past (1992 in fact) in the form of Konami's Cybernator, which was the PAL version of Assault Suits Valken. Celebrated in its time (well, I liked it anyway), it also has some excellent character names like Jake Brain and Claire Coral. What you call hell, they call home. And they aren't in the jungle - they are the jungle. Etc. Look for a critical stacking-up of the above tomorrow morning in our weekly Virtual Console Roundup. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Nintendo has relaunched its official UK website and as well as a flashy new look, the Stars Catalogue is, at long last, actually worth your time.

Gone are the shite wallpapers and pointless ringtones. The now-named Club Nintendo section lets you swap your hard earned Star points for good gifts like Nintendo keyrings, a sweet gold Zelda statue and other Nintendo memorabilia.

Best of all, if you don't want any Nintendo tat, you can simply swap your Star points for Wii points in the Wii Points shop, to then spend on Virtual Console games. Sweet.

Nintendo says:


Other improvements include "an improved search engine will help visitors find games of their interest more easily, while special interest sites such as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Touch! Generations can be directly accessed." And Nintendo has overhauled the support section, too.

You can find the new site over on Nintendo.co.uk.

Good luck with getting on their right now though - it appears to be experience a few teething problems. We're sure it'll be fully up and running soon. ...

via Eurogamer


Activision has promised Wii owners of Guitar Hero III that it will replace their fault discs early next year for free.

Problems first arose when fans noticed surround sound failing to play, an issue later clarified by this crafty version being restricted to mono playback only. This prompted page after page of angry customers on the official forums, many emailing the publisher and being told the same thing.


Activision was unable to comment on specific European plans at the time of writing, but we expect its policy to be the same for every territory the game is on sale in. Or else. Or else what? Exactly.

Other versions of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock do not have this problem, which prompted us to heap high praise upon it for its most excellent thrills. ...

via Eurogamer


Nintendo has sent out a note this morning explaining that Nintendo software release dates issued yesterday for Q2 2008 and beyond "have not been finalised or confirmed", although it did describe Mario Kart's as "fixed".

The information came after some (us included) got excited about Mario Kart Wii's presence in a Q2 slot, while others said, hang about, where's Super Smash Bros. Brawl?

...

The state of play on hardware sales in Japan are as follows below:


Ninteno DS Lite: 124,591
Nintendo Wii: 74,764
Playstation Portable: 74,626
Playstation 3: 37,092
Playstation 2:13,703
Xbox 360: 6,632
Nintendo DS original: 36
Gamecube: 32
Game Boy Micro: 20
Game Boy Advance: SP 9
Game Boy Advance: 4


The usual placement with the DS lite and Wii on top, followed by the PSP, PS3 and PS2. Last ones up are in order is the Xbox 360, NDS original, GC, GBA Micro, GBA SP and GBA original. ...

via Games Industry


Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii has entered the Australian game charts at number one, according to data released by GfK Australia.

The only other new entry this week, Need for Speed: ProStreet for the Xbox 360, came in at number six.

The PlayStation 2 remains popular, with three titles for Sony's seven year-old system reaching the Top 5. Assassin's Creed was the top-selling Xbox 360 game at number five on the chart.


The complete list is as follows:

1. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
2. Need for Speed: ProStreet (PS2)
3. WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW 2008 (PS2)
4. The Simpsons Game (PS2)
5. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
6. Need for Speed: ProStreet (Xbox 360)
7. Mario & Sonic at the Olympics (Wii)
8. More Brain Training (DS)
9. Guitar Hero III bundle (PS2)
10. Big Brain Academy Value (Wii) ...

Via Video Gamer

US and UK office denies shock re-entry into the console market is in the works.

SEGA has denied the Dreamcast 2 is in the works, saying "We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth."

We brought you the news yesterday that SEGA Corporation had filed a new application to protect the trademark Dreamcast - sparking rumours that the Japanese publisher was planning on making a shock return to the console manufacturing market with the Dreamcast 2.

www.Trademork.com, which discovered the filing, suggested that the proof was in the detail of the application - which talks about a floor mat and flash memory cards - accessories the original Dreamcast supposedly didn't have.

However, Sega of America PR Director Charlie Scibetta told US website www.GameDaily.com that SEGA "has no plans to get back into the console business," adding, "We're very happy being a platform agnostic company and have moved up the ranks the past three years from #11, to #9, and now stand at #6 in terms of our market share by units among third-party publishers. We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth."

And when contacted by VideoGamer.com this morning, SEGA UK reiterated the position, issuing a flat "denial" that a follow up to the much-loved SEGA console was in the works.

Sad news for sure, but did we really believe it was going to happen? Really? ...

DIGG THIS


Source: IGN ...

When Guitar Hero III was released for the Nintendo Wii on Oct. 28, would-be rockers got a bit of a shock when they plugged in. It turned out the game - advertised as being in stereo and supporting the Dolby Pro Logic II surround-sound standard - was outputting in mono.

Gamers began posting on IGN and other sites the day the game launched, citing examples of the problem and asking for clarification from publisher Activision/Red Octane. For the past few weeks, Activision has remained mostly silent on the issue. But today, in response to our questions about the issue, the company told IGN it is working on the problem and it plans to have a fix available early next year.

"We recently became aware that some consumers have not been able to enjoy the full audio output in the Nintendo Wii version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. We are currently working with Nintendo and are planning to issue an improved audio experience in future versions of the game," said Activision spokeswoman Rhy-Ming Poon. "We expect to have re-mastered discs available by early 2008 and we will be offering consumers replacement discs at no cost once they become available. We thank all of our customers for their support and patience."

Since the issue first came to light there have been 970 posts about the problem on the company's official Guitar Hero III message boards. In the posts, users say they e-mailed Activision technical support about the issue as early as Oct. 29 and reportedly received this response:

"We are looking in to it right now. The time frame is still unknown at the moment we are still looking in to the problem."

We recently tested our copy and confirmed that there is an issue with the game's audio output. IGN's retail copy of the Wii bundle of Guitar Hero III lists the game as being compatible with Dolby Pro Logic II on the box, on the game and in the game manual. The manual also tells players they can turn stereo sound on or off in the game's audio settings menu.

However, the version of the game we tested did not list it as an available option. Making sure stereo was turned on in the Wii's main menu, we rocked out to Foghat's "Slow Ride," using headphones to listen to the audio output. Both the left and right audio channels produced the same output – a mono signal.

Guitar Hero III was developed by Neversoft, ported to the Wii by Vicarious Visions and published by Red Octane – all of which fall under the Activision corporate umbrella.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/840/8400...0&RSSid=840066

via: Codemayhem ...