Discovery Communications and global videogame publisher, 505 Games announced today a new line of Discovery Kids-branded pet simulation games for the Nintendo DS including, Dolphin Discovery, Puppy Playtime, Pony Paradise and Kitten Corner. Available at retailers nationwide this spring, the fun-filled titles help kids realize the dream of owning, raising and caring for a pet.

"We are excited to be working with 505 Games to help enrich children's lives through the discovery of pet care and ownership," said Kelly Day, Chief Operating Officer, Discovery Commerce. "Similar to the Discovery Kids channel, these new videogames are designed to inspire children to have fun while learning."

"It is 505 Games' goal to bring high quality videogames to market that represent the passions and lifestyles of today's families," said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. "Owning a pet is every kid's dream and we are pleased to give them a taste of that joy through this innovative new line of pet simulation games, under the parent-trusted Discovery Kids brand."

Dolphin Discovery invites kids to plunge into training and caring for one of the most awe-inspiring animals in the ocean. Players need to earn the trust of their pet dolphin in order to teach them amazing tricks by using the DS Stylus. Mastering a wide selection of tricks will fully prepare their dolphin for performing in front of huge crowds of appreciative spectators. The game features realistic scenery that changes with the time of day, offering clear blue skies, spectacular sunsets and dreamy night views.

The life of a rescue dog is much more than fun and games! In Puppy Playtime, players raise and train their very own rescue dogs to eventually take on more than 30 missions alongside the Police Force, Fire Department and Lifeguards. Three of the most popular rescue dog breeds are featured in the game, including the Dalmatian, German Shepherd and beloved Labrador Retriever. Players train their puppies from two months to one year old through a series of 20 mini-games, helping them become the best rescue dogs they can be!

Pony Paradise gives kids the unique chance to care for and train a pony from birth to adulthood. Players can choose from four realistic horse breads to groom, feed and take on rides in five different 3D environments, including the meadow, forest, circus, pony school and stables. More than 60 special items can be collected and used to customize the ponies, making them the most stylish in the stables.

Who doesn't love a cuddly kitten? In Kitten Corner, kids can own and raise their very own kitten. Players can select from a variety of favorite feline breeds and through 35 unlockable features, customize their adorable new friend with distinctive coloring and markings. Playtime begins as soon as the game begins, with 20 different mini-games, and 15 unique and challenging levels. Players care for their kitten with trips to the veterinarian center, making sure it is in good health for entering contests and competitions. Awards are presented to the best purrr..forming kittens! ...

News from evil dragon:

Hi!
While we're still discussing about the final keyboard layout and font (it's not as easy as you would think), devs are continuing working on the OS.
At the moment, we think that a generic english keyboard layout would be the best, but regional ones can additionally bought for a few bucks. This is not final yet, but it tends to that direction.

Well, back to the OS.
DJWillis got 3G (UMTS) USB-sticks working in his latest image! He's still tweaking a bit, but there should be a video there, soon. Yep, it means you can go outside and surf anywhere with your Pandora if you got a mobile phone surfing flatrate and a compatible stick.
He also included locales support, so upon release you should have a localized version of the OS on your Pandora.
Meanwhile, cpasjuste started coding a nice menu to run apps in minimal mode (as it would've been too complicated to finish gmenu until the release). The menu already supports PXML Format (which has changed a bit, but we'll release the new specs of it soon).
I'll take a video of it once it is running fine, which should be about next week.
I'll also start coding an app which helps every dev creating PXML files by simply filling in all the required and optional field and click on "Create it!".

And last, but not least, cpasjuste released a small Pandora Toolchain installer which automagically downloads needed files and libraries and installs a toolchain on Linux system, which can be used to compile for the Pandora.
This is not the final and official one yet, however, if somebody wants to see if some of his projects compile or want me to test their programs on a real Pandora, here's his (or her) chance

http://www.openpandora.org/blog.php ...

News from evil dragon:

Hi!
While we're still discussing about the final keyboard layout and font (it's not as easy as you would think), devs are continuing working on the OS.
At the moment, we think that a generic english keyboard layout would be the best, but regional ones can additionally bought for a few bucks. This is not final yet, but it tends to that direction.

Well, back to the OS.
DJWillis got 3G (UMTS) USB-sticks working in his latest image! He's still tweaking a bit, but there should be a video there, soon. Yep, it means you can go outside and surf anywhere with your Pandora if you got a mobile phone surfing flatrate and a compatible stick.
He also included locales support, so upon release you should have a localized version of the OS on your Pandora.
Meanwhile, cpasjuste started coding a nice menu to run apps in minimal mode (as it would've been too complicated to finish gmenu until the release). The menu already supports PXML Format (which has changed a bit, but we'll release the new specs of it soon).
I'll take a video of it once it is running fine, which should be about next week.
I'll also start coding an app which helps every dev creating PXML files by simply filling in all the required and optional field and click on "Create it!".

And last, but not least, cpasjuste released a small Pandora Toolchain installer which automagically downloads needed files and libraries and installs a toolchain on Linux system, which can be used to compile for the Pandora.
This is not the final and official one yet, however, if somebody wants to see if some of his projects compile or want me to test their programs on a real Pandora, here's his (or her) chance

http://www.openpandora.org/blog.php ...

Gets videos from YouTube and transcodes them to GP2X compatible video files. Supports a total of 14 sites. Includes a GUI module (youtubed-2x_gui).

Usage: youtubed-2x [options] URL(s)
Example: youtubed-2x http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjI4e3QEoPQ

http://archive.gp2x.de/cgi-bin/cfile...,0,0,0,17,2284 ...

Activision UK today announces six titles in the UK as part of its new ‘FUN4ALL’ range designed exclusively for Wii™. With a choice of astounding adventures, mischievous gameplay and thrilling sports challenges, the child-friendly collection offers something the whole family can enjoy! The six Wii™ exclusive titles will be arriving in UK stores on 13th February.

Kate Ward, Head of PR UK and Ireland, said “With the Rise of casual gamers in the UK, we wanted to release a range of games that families could Play and enjoy together. Parents can feel reassured that buying a game From The FUN4ALL range will be safe, enjoyable and provide entertainment for children of any age.”

The FUN4ALL range launches with the following titles:

Pirates: Hunt for Blackbeard’s Booty - Set the sails towards family fun! There’s adventure ahoy in Pirates: Hunt for Blackbeard’s Booty as you swashbuckle your way towards Blackbeard’s treasure in a series of timber-shivering challenges. Bolster your trusty crew with friends and family, or clash cutlasses with them and go head-to-head!

Monkey Mischief - When the zoo keeper’s away - the monkeys will play! Get mixed up in some serious ape antics with Monkey Mischief, packed with enough crazy chimp mini-games to get the whole family going bananas!

Block Party - Take to the streets in Block Party to show the neighbours who’s boss – taking on friends and family in 20 exciting challenges including Garage Juggle, Slobber Slammer and Picnic Pests. Settle once and for all who’s best on the block!

Pitfall: The Big Adventure - Leap and swing your way through the exciting World of Pitfall: The Big Adventure as you step into the shoes of Pitfall Harry – treasure hunter extraordinaire. Explore exciting new worlds and battle evil with Harry’s astounding athletic abilities. This title also includes bonus content, bundling both Pitfall 1 and Pitfall 2 with The Big Adventure.

Little League World Series Baseball - Go for a home run in the comfort of your home with Little League World Series Baseball. Learn to bat your way to first base with the Skills Challenge mode before smashing your way to the top of your field in World Series mode!

World Championship Sports - Take on the world from your living room with World Championship Sports, pitting your skills against friends and family in sports such as tennis, basketball, football, hockey, Lacrosse and Ice Hockey – see who can perform under pressure and go for gold.
For more information on any of these games, please visit www.activision.co.uk ...

One of the more curious of Nintendo's Wii announcements late last year was Kensax. While little was revealed on the title at its announcement, today, thanks to the latest Famitsu, we have first details.

The name Kensax actually originates from "Kensaku," the Japanese term for searching (the "s" part of the title may be a pluralization). Kensax is a mini-game collection with games that you play using the number of results that appear when you enter search terms into a search engine. This number is referred to as a "hit count."

A total of 11 mini-games are included, ranging from puzzle games to shooting games. Famitsu details three:

Battle! Search Panel 9
This four player mini-game takes place on a 3x3 board of panels. Using words from your word stock in combination with the words that come pre-written on the panels, you conduct searches. Get the highest hit count from your searches, and you steal a panel from its previous holder. The winner is determined by a combination of panel count and hit count.

Connect! Search Puzzle
This single player mini game has you connect words together to conduct searches. Reach a certain hit count with a fixed set of panels, and you can move on to the next stage.

Fastest! Search Shooter
In this four player game, players are presented with a keyword at the top of the screen and a bunch of floating panels below. The goal is to select the one term from the floating panels that will get the highest hit count when paired with the keyword. The shooting comes from the fact that you're shooting at the panels, making this into a contest of accuracy, speed, and brains.

The game gets its hit counts in two ways. By default, the disc includes the hit counts for 3,000 terms. However, players can also connect to the internet to search up more words and expand play possibilities.

This is definitely one of those games that need to be tried out before being fully understood. Sadly, Famitsu doesn't provide a specific release date beyond the previously announced 2009 timeframe. The fact that information is at last starting to be revealed is a good sign, though, that we (well, Japan at least) will get to try this latest quirky title from Nintendo and Shift in the not-so-distant future.

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/952/952941p1.html ...

Newly released today:



features
All the favorites are here including Sonic The Hedgehog, titles from the Phantasy Star™ series, as well as three titles from the Streets of Rage™ series, to name a few
Unlock arcade games and interviews with the original game developers as you earn Trophies on the PLAYSTATION®3
The classic 2D style never looked so good! Each of the titles has been converted to hi-def (720p) and will be a blast to play using the intuitive controls of the PLAYSTATION®3 systems
Play these classics together with a friend from the same console at home

description
Take a trip back in time with over 40 titles from the SEGA Genesis™ era, including your Sonic The Hedgehog favorites! In classic single-player and multiplayer battles, you’ll take down a huge variety of enemies, including Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Eggman (AKA Dr. Robotnik), shuriken-flinging ninjas, hordes of altered beasts and the world’s greatest fighting champions.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-373j.html ...

Newly released today:



features
All the favorites are here including Sonic The Hedgehog, titles from the Phantasy Star™ series, as well as three titles from the Streets of Rage™ series, to name a few
Unlock arcade games and interviews with the original game developers as you earn Achievements on the Xbox 360®
The classic 2D style never looked so good! Each of the titles has been converted to hi-def (720p) and will be a blast to play using the intuitive controls of the Xbox 360®
Play these classics together with a friend from the same console at home

description
Take a trip back in time with over 40 titles from the SEGA Genesis™ era, including your Sonic The Hedgehog favorites! In classic single-player and multiplayer battles, you’ll take down a huge variety of enemies, including Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Eggman (AKA Dr. Robotnik), shuriken-flinging ninjas, hordes of altered beasts and the world’s greatest fighting champions.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-373i.html ...

Newly released today:



features
All the favorites are here including Sonic The Hedgehog, titles from the Phantasy Star™ series, as well as three titles from the Streets of Rage™ series, to name a few
Unlock arcade games and interviews with the original game developers as you earn Achievements on the Xbox 360®
The classic 2D style never looked so good! Each of the titles has been converted to hi-def (720p) and will be a blast to play using the intuitive controls of the Xbox 360®
Play these classics together with a friend from the same console at home

description
Take a trip back in time with over 40 titles from the SEGA Genesis™ era, including your Sonic The Hedgehog favorites! In classic single-player and multiplayer battles, you’ll take down a huge variety of enemies, including Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Eggman (AKA Dr. Robotnik), shuriken-flinging ninjas, hordes of altered beasts and the world’s greatest fighting champions.

http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-373i.html ...