via joystiq

CheapyD over at CheapAssGamer.com has put together a really nice little video review about the Play Stand DS Lite from Hori. We were dubious at first, but after watching this review, we've ordered one ourselves from Play-Asia, to the tune of fifteen bucks.

This little sucker will make playing games with one hand a snap, and it also looks swanky as well. Cradle your DS Lite in some goodness, and wait patiently for the SimCity DS game to come out. It has the ability to hold the DS Lite horizontally and vertically, so basically any of your games will look sweet in its plastic and foam goodness.

Nice work, CheapyD. Now we'll wait patiently for this to arrive so we can pimp out Animal Crossing: Wide World as it was meant to be seen.

Video Here ...

via kotaku

Conspiracy Entertainment (Yes, the guys behind Pocket Pool) just announced that they plan to bring a futuristic 3D mech shooter to the Wii.

Shoot Out "pits freedom fighters against alien robot machines in a fight for control of earth."

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via kotaku

Graphic-designer-by-day, blogger-by-night Martin Taylor has a neat series of pics up of a Japanese Super Mario Bros. towel he snagged in Brighton. Though, I'm not sure which I like better: The towel or the bathroom.

Screen Via Comments ...

via ign

Demand for a wireless sensor bar solution for the Wii has been strong since the day the console hit the streets. There are plenty of installation circumstances in which the standard hardwired Wii Sensor Bar doesn't make for a clean installation, like with wall mounted plasmas (like Casamassina) and front-projection systems (Me and Peer), or any arrangement that doesn't situate the Wii within 10 feet of the display. The official Wii Sensor Bar is also a little weak--the console's manual states that it is most effective when a user is no more than 8 feet away, and it begins to get really jittery beyond 20-feet.

Because the Wii Sensor Bar is nothing more than a pair of infrared diodes, developing a wireless version isn't terribly tricky. The first solution available was a decidedly homebrew product distributed by wirelesssensorbar.com (review). Though functional, the crude design didn't really blend in next to nice TVs. The big accessory manufacturers were, of course, on the wireless Sensor Bar case as well, and today we've got our hands on the first major release, the Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar.

Nyko's new product is decidedly more polished than the homebrew alternatives. It's packaged rather nicely in a cool plastic tube, and aesthetically its shiny black face and silver housing mimic the official Sensor Bar's styling closely. Surprisingly, the Nyko model is not that much bigger than the Nintendo version, despite the necessity of batteries, so it shouldn't look out of place near a nice TV. It also rests securely upon the Sensor Bar mounting bracket that comes with the Wii. The power button is situated on the top surface, and a blue LED shines on the front when powered on.

The unit is powered by 4 AA batteries (included) which Nyko states will allow up to 30 hours of use. Because the Wireless Sensor Bar doesn't know when the Wii is on or off, the potential for forgetting to shut it down after some Wii action is a concern. Nyko did their best to ameliorate the issue via a switch on the back of the Sensor Bar that allows users to set a specific time of operation of 1 or 2-hours before an audible warning (sounds like a microwave beeping) reminds that it is still on. Other than engineering some sort of wireless detection system that would let the Sensor Bar know when the Wii is on or off, which would certainly raise costs, we can't really think of better power-saving strategy than what Nyko has come up with, moderately clumsy though it may be.

The Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar claims a 25-foot range, and in our testing we concluded that it is indeed somewhat more powerful than the official Sensor Bar. Between 12 and 25-feet away from the Sensor Bar, we experienced comparatively less jittering with the Nyko model as opposed to the Nintendo issue. The difference wasn't extreme and twisting the Wiimote still produced quite a bit of jitter, yet we were able to conclude that the Nyko Wireless Sensor Bar gave us slightly better tracking ability at the 25-foot range.

Nyko's MSRP for the Wireless Sensor Bar is a pretty reasonable $19.99 and should appear at retail in March. Though there's unavoidable hassle associated with the necessity of turning it on and off independently from the Wii, gamers with entertainment setups that simply won't accommodate the official Nintendo Sensor Bar would do well to consider Nyko's solution.

Nyko's other premier Wii product are its HD-Link Component Cables. At launch the demand for component cables for the Wii far outstripped Nintendo's supply and many HDTV owners were left unable to take advantage of the Wii's 480p output capability. Availability is somewhat improved, but reports of sizable markups over MSRP have been reported at retail. Nyko's HD-Link may help improve the situation. The cable is relatively similar to the Nintendo release. Both cables are roughly 9-feet long, but Nyko's component cable is covered in a somewhat more attractive white coating, as opposed to Nintendo's grey. The connections are also somewhat higher quality looking. In our testing we noticed no image degradation associated with the Nyko cable as opposed to the Nintendo offering. MSRP for the Nyko HD-Link Component Cables will be $19.99, and the product should arrive at retail at the same time frame as the Wireless Sensor Bar, March.

Screens via Link above ...

via nma

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) is in talks with Sky to allow PSP owners to download Sky content such as Lost and 24 onto their handheld devices. An agency pitch has been launched for the creation of the service, understood to be a joint venture between Sony and Sky scheduled for a release later this year. The deal could help reignite interest in SCEE's beleaguered handheld console, which has been outsold by the more popular NintendoDS. ...

via pspfanboy


Another excellent demo for the PSP ...

IGN seems to think Phil Harrison accidentally announced LocoRoco 2. Their proof? Let me quote their article, "When asked what he has been playing on other platforms, Harrison said he has enough to play on the PS3 and PSP. But he said he was playing 'LocoRoco's next version on the way' to the Q&A. Harrison didn't provide details, but the fact that he was playing the game on the go would mean it will arrive on the PSP."

I suppose that's one way to interpret it, but I personally think he was talking about the LocoRoco Mobile, that has already been announced. After all, the question that brought on the LocoRoco answer was about other platforms, ie not PSP or PS3. It also seems unlikely he'd mention a high profile sequel in passing. We're sure LocoRoco 2 is in the works since they want to continue the franchise, but we're still waiting for the official announcement of another PSP go around. Let's hope that it comes soon!

via pspfanboy ...

Speaking in this morning's Q&A session at D.I.C.E. in Las Vegas today, SCE Worldwide Studios chief Phil Harrison gave hope to PlayStation Portable fans that change is on its way for the system's disjointed online arrangement.

In a question about the PlayStation 3 online network and its thus far lacking feature set, Harrison addressed the concern by stating that the platform's online feature set would be refined and expanded over its current offering. In addition, he mentioned that the PSP would factor into the PlayStation Network online plans.

"This year we'll be adding some functionality to the PSP that will unify our approach", Harrison said. (For more of the Q&A, catch a blog of his answers on gaming industry site Gamasutra.)

Exactly what that unification would mean, however, was not explained. Ideally, the feature set would mimic that of the PS3 (at least, as far as the technical abilities of the system will allow), and would bring to PSP both the PlayStation Store and the PlayStation Network online system brought out with the launch of PS3. The PSP is currently without a unified network plan, and has suffered online play offerings because of this -- few developers support the PSP's online mode, and gamers have a hard time trying to find friends online without a shared cross-title Friends List. PSP gamers have also been enraged by the fact that the long-awaited PS one download feature made its debut only in tandem with the PlayStation 3 console -- gamers cannot directly download PS one games to PSP at the moment because the PlayStation Store has not yet been made available for PSP.

Bringing either feature to PSP would be a welcome addition to the system and would help make use of the PSP's untapped potential. Phil Harrison today also commented on the missed opportunities with PSP, saying that developers have been able to provide PS2-quality gaming on a portable for the first time, yet have not gone beyond that. Its social aspects and media offerings, according to Harrison, make the format unique and offer game designers the opportunity to create unique content. Ideally, future PSP developments (including those assisted by the new networking features spoken of earlier) will help the handheld realize that opportunity.

via ign ...

It seems like every big Square Enix Nintendo release is accompanied by a special limited edition version of whatever console it's on. Sure enough, Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings will be released along side a special, limited edition DS.

Known formally as the Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings Sky Pirates Edition, this limited edition package includes a copy of Revenant Wings and a special edition DS Lite. The DS Lite, which can be seen at Impress Watch, is based off the Crystal White version of the system, but has the FFXII logo and character artwork laser printed on the cover.

Those who already have a DS Lite and don't care for the frills will be able to pick up the Japanese version of Revenant Wings on its own on the same day at the software-only price of 4800 yen. Both packages hit Japan on 4/26.

via ign ...