It looks as though the Wii will be in the hands of European gamers no later than Friday November 3rd, as an oversight in Electronic Arts' release schedule planning pegs a Wii game with the above street-date.

The game is Need for Speed: Carbon and although no other details were offered, this news should come as a welcome insight to those eagerly awaiting the new Nintendo home console's release across the EU.

However, EA is not alone in letting its plans slip. THQ also showed its cards a little early, pegging SpongeBob: Kreature from the Krusty Krab for the Wii in October. Of course, games often hit the streets before their host hardware comes available. Either way, the Wii now looks closer than ever.

We'll let you know as we get more. ...

By now, virtually any Marvel Comics fans worth their salt has seen the trailer for Spider-Man 3. But while the third installment in the Sam Raimi-directed blockbuster film series isn't due until May 2007, gamers will get a new Web-slinger adventure later this year--on portables, anyway.

Today, Activision announced an all-new title, Spider-Man: Battle for New York, for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. Developed by Australia-based Torus Games (Fantastic 4 for the GBA), the title has not yet been rated or priced, but is slated for release this fall.

Based on the Spider-Man comic books, Spider-Man: Battle for New York pits the red-and-blue suited super-arachnophile against his old foe, the Green Goblin. However, unlike other Spider-Man games, this title will let gamers play as either the titular superhero or his armored nemesis. Their respective goals will be to save and destroy New York City using gravity-defying acrobatics and missile and web attacks.

Heavy on action, Battle for New York will offer gamers an assortment of combination moves to use in combat. It will also incorporate role-playing elements, allowing players to customize their villain or hero with various powers. Gameplay on the DS will take advantage of the handheld's touch-sensitive screen, where players will engage in "Spider Sense" minigames, and its Wi-Fi connectivity, which will allow for head-to-head ad hoc multiplayer battles. ...

DFC Intelligence's game analyst David Cole has released a new report on the next-gen video game market, and he's especially harsh on PS3 plans: 'The high price of the PlayStation 3 is going to slow overall industry growth, especially for software,' and '...if Sony does not change its current strategy for the PS3 the system will probably end up in third place in installed base.' He also suggests that 'the PS3 would be more than 35% of the monthly household income' of average families in some world territories. When will the backlash end?"
The bottom line is that, even if they ramp up to 200,000 units a month starting this month, they're still not going to hit their 2 million unit goal in time for a November launch. Shortages and the high price tag will mean this is going to be a very weird Christmas console season. ...

Lots of tidbits about Microsoft's next-gen console floating around this week. On Monday, the company revealed that almost 60% of 360 owners are now using Xbox Live. GameDaily discusses what is making their setup so dang popular. Major Nelson's Sunday podcast included a lot of details on the 360's approach to HD-DVD. HD Beat has the rundown on what was said, including the inevitable Sony smack-talk. Finally, Gamasutra has a feature on the 360's position in Japan. A group of analysts debate whether or not the system even needs Japan in order to be a success. From this last article:
"I don't think that American gamers are enamored [with] Japanese product because it comes from Japan; rather, I think Americans like good games, regardless of the country of origin. Microsoft doesn't need Japanese development to succeed in the U.S.; it needs good games, period." ...

It might seem unlikely considering that Mario was born and developed in Japan by Japanese minds, but America forever changed how our favorite plumber played. Why? Because Nintendo thought the U.S. and European gamers couldn't play. As a consequence, they never released the real Mario 2 outside of Japan because it was too hard, and instead released Doki Doki Panic with the Mario name. Since then, the entire Mario franchise has picked up traits from Doki Doki Panic, like the card game at the end of each level in Mario 3. This article takes a look at what elements really belong to Mario and what belongs to Doki Doki Panic. It's interesting to see that, point for point, Nintendo changed almost nothing about Doki Doki Panic before releasing it in the states and Europe as Mario 2 ...

News from Lik Sang

Seems like every second day there is a new flavor of Nintendo DS Lite coming from Kyoto lately! After the initial three colors, the handheld has been recently made available in a Black iteration over in Europe and today was the release day for the Noble Pink edition over in Japan. We received a first batch yesterday night while the balance of our delivery is expected to reach our warehouse tomorrow. Unit retail price is set at US$ 199. We should be able to ship all preorders within the next 48 hours, new orders placed from this minute on are likely to be processed this coming Monday - provided that there is no shortage in the meantime, as our sources on the ground in Nippon report demand to be very high on the new unit. This has a reason: all other colors are sold out all the time, and out of 100 Japanese gamers searching to buy a Nintendo DS, only 55 to 60 in average can find one, and this for the last 2 months, according to some recent surveys. With Final Fantasy III coming up next month, the market is about to get even crazier on the island: DS fans will just snatch whichever color they can.

...

News from Lik Sang

It's been an unlikely wet fantasy of followers of games based on Anime/Manga ever since the first Naruto title hit a gaming platform. As soon as a cooperation between Q Entertainment, the fresh production studio formed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Lumines, Meteos, Ninety-Nine Nights), and Anime big guys 8ing was announced, anticipation soared. We are talking about a brilliant cross-over that brings together popular Shonen Jump franchises Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Naruto in the release of Battle Stadium D.O.N. for PlayStation 2 and GameCube! Imagine the possibilities, who wouldn't want to take part in a battle, where Son Goku faces Naruto Uzumaki? Or Luffy against Hatake, Freeza vs. Chopper, Vegeta fighting Rock Lee, etc.? Brace yourself for epic standoffs, where four players can have a go simultaneously.

Both the PS2 and GC versions of Battle Stadium D.O.N. are in stock as of today, pre-orders have been shipped out already, while new orders are very welcome for US$ 64.90 each (delivered!). Cool thing about the GameCube copy is that it plays perfectly on all GC systems world-wide if you use the Freeloader, which works as an easy Import Game Enabler.

Another addition is a new combo system called "Burst", which gives you a chance to change your character's form when entering that mode after building up your power. Fighting takes place on a 2D plane, where familiar stages like Tenkaichi Budokai Arena from Dragon Ball Z, Pirate ship "Going Merry" (One Piece) and various Hidden Leaf Village spots (Naruto) let you fight it out in colorful, lovingly crafted locations. Furthermore, look forward to legendary environments Planet Namek, Room of Spirit and Time, West City, Giant Jack, Valley of the End or Forest of Death for example. There's lots of interactivity and power ups to use on top. Killer action throwing fast-cut visuals at you, in an never-ending onslaught of battle screams, while colorful flashes of martial arts moves thunder across the screen. Don't forget to breathe once in a while!

Some might think of Battle Stadium D.O.N. as a console Jump Superstars, which graced the Nintendo DS a while back and has been fully embraced by the gaming community the globe over. Now a similarly genius playstyle can be enjoyed on the "big" platforms with this release. Battle Stadium D.O.N., after all is said about the related Japanesque Anime and Manga craze, is simply a fun, hysterically engaging Beat'em Up; it will pump you up so much that upon announcing your "last go", it might still keep you playing through another long, rewarding gaming night. ...

News from Lik Sang

It's been an unlikely wet fantasy of followers of games based on Anime/Manga ever since the first Naruto title hit a gaming platform. As soon as a cooperation between Q Entertainment, the fresh production studio formed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Lumines, Meteos, Ninety-Nine Nights), and Anime big guys 8ing was announced, anticipation soared. We are talking about a brilliant cross-over that brings together popular Shonen Jump franchises Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Naruto in the release of Battle Stadium D.O.N. for PlayStation 2 and GameCube! Imagine the possibilities, who wouldn't want to take part in a battle, where Son Goku faces Naruto Uzumaki? Or Luffy against Hatake, Freeza vs. Chopper, Vegeta fighting Rock Lee, etc.? Brace yourself for epic standoffs, where four players can have a go simultaneously.

Both the PS2 and GC versions of Battle Stadium D.O.N. are in stock as of today, pre-orders have been shipped out already, while new orders are very welcome for US$ 64.90 each (delivered!). Cool thing about the GameCube copy is that it plays perfectly on all GC systems world-wide if you use the Freeloader, which works as an easy Import Game Enabler.

Another addition is a new combo system called "Burst", which gives you a chance to change your character's form when entering that mode after building up your power. Fighting takes place on a 2D plane, where familiar stages like Tenkaichi Budokai Arena from Dragon Ball Z, Pirate ship "Going Merry" (One Piece) and various Hidden Leaf Village spots (Naruto) let you fight it out in colorful, lovingly crafted locations. Furthermore, look forward to legendary environments Planet Namek, Room of Spirit and Time, West City, Giant Jack, Valley of the End or Forest of Death for example. There's lots of interactivity and power ups to use on top. Killer action throwing fast-cut visuals at you, in an never-ending onslaught of battle screams, while colorful flashes of martial arts moves thunder across the screen. Don't forget to breathe once in a while!

Some might think of Battle Stadium D.O.N. as a console Jump Superstars, which graced the Nintendo DS a while back and has been fully embraced by the gaming community the globe over. Now a similarly genius playstyle can be enjoyed on the "big" platforms with this release. Battle Stadium D.O.N., after all is said about the related Japanesque Anime and Manga craze, is simply a fun, hysterically engaging Beat'em Up; it will pump you up so much that upon announcing your "last go", it might still keep you playing through another long, rewarding gaming night. ...

News from Lik Sang

The first trilogy for Sony's portable wonder, Anime Beat'em Up Bleach Heat the Soul started off with a rather small character cast. The second incarnation already sported an extended pool of fighters to choose from. Now, with Bleach Heat the Soul 3 upon us, we look at an extremely crowded character selection screen of 33 (seriously!), featuring all your favorite sword adepts from the show, including eleven returning from Heat the Soul 2. Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Yasutora, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Shigekuni, Soifon, Gin, Kira, Hinamori, Byakuya, Renji, Sajin, Shunsui to name but a few plus Bankai versions including for example Ichigo, Renji, Toushiro, Byakuya and other Shinigami and "Final Form" appearances: They are all here! The goodness continues with a new pack of combos, relentless Beat'em Up action plus explosive graphics to boot. To show that the sky ain't the limit anymore, the developers have even moved the spirit meter down to the bottom of the screen. While the eleven homecomers offer the same movesets as seen in past versions, in Heat the Soul 3 all characters can now dash across the screen.

Now that pre-orders have been taken care of, we have enough stock for any new orders at just US$ 49.90. Eligible for our famous Free Shipping Worldwide promotion, get it right to your doorstep without having to shell out anything for delivery! As with all releases for PSP, Bleach Heat the Soul 3 works on any PSP worldwide due to the system's region-free capabilities. Straight out of the box, just insert the UMD and play, completely hassle-free!

Story-wise, Bleach Heat the Soul 3 sees Kurosaki Ichigo aiding a mysterious girl, who has lost her powers while saving him in the past. It's for this very Kuchiki Rukia, that Ichigo undergoes a tough training regimen, headed by Urahara Kisuke. In the course of this, Ichigo finally reaches full Shinigami status, allowing him to unleash the true powers of his Zangetsu, our main hero's cherished cold steel. Since it is considered close to blasphemy to infuse normal people with Shinigami forces, the hapless Rukia gets imprisoned inside the Senzaikyu, the palace of atonement. It's then, that Ichigo and his sword brothers make their way into the Soul Society...

A tremendous Beat'em Up effort, Bleach Heat the Soul 3 won't disappoint. A huge roster of characters with unique fighting styles each storm through diverse stages that allow you to bring the explosive Anime action with you wherever you go. Bleach gaming at its best: if merely watching the show doesn't kick your mule anymore, here's your twitching fingers' relief right there. ...