(palgn.com.au) -- Publisher Majesco has announced that another addition to the Wii and Nintendo DS cooking game franchise Cooking Mama is currently in the works. While many gamers may be skeptical about the title, Cooking Mama: World Kitchen will be bringing something new to the kitchen with the announcement that the game will ditch the 2D graphics of previous titles, with the series moving into a full 3D graphical title. Fans of the series should rest assured, that while the 2D graphics are being ditched, the game's charming cartoon style look will remain - as you can see for yourself in the media panel.
Along with the graphical upgrade, World Kitchen will serve up a few new dishes, with new mini-games and gameplay mechanics also making their way into the title. Exactly what this means for gamers is unknown at the moment and we'll just have to wait until Majesco feeds us some more information on the subject.
Cooking Mama: World Kitchen is currently scheduled for release towards the end of 2008.
01 July 2008
New Cooking Mama title announced for Wii
18 June 2008
Pirates Hitting Wii Accessories and Wii Motes
(mywii.com.au) -- Pirated WiiMotes and Nunchuks for the WiiMote have finally hit the market within Japan. The boxes that contain the false items are made to look identical in all form but to tell the real from the fake you would need a real one and fake one side by side and then you would realise which one is fake and real. The WiiMotes even come with a fake Club Nintendo pin number
Could these pirated WiiMotes soon hit Australian shores and be sold for a dollar or more at your local market?
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Trainers Using Wii Fit To Rehab Injured Athletes
(redorbit) -- Nintendo’s Wii Fit is finding its way into rehabilitation programs for injured athletes.
Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, said Wii Fit and other fitness-oriented video games have "great potential" for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises.
"We are looking to incorporate Wii Fit into the athletic training room as far as rehabilitation, for example, on post-operative knees and ankles," she said.
Rehab centers can benefit from fitness video games that focus on upper body movement patterns. For instance, tennis video games can be used to safely exercise the rotator cuff after injury or repair.
Stanley-Green said fitness-oriented video games are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation, providing a fun way to help elderly people expand their range of motion.
Getting patients to perform tedious, repetitive exercises can be one of the most difficult aspects of rehabilitation
. The entertainment value inherent in video games may help boost compliance with rehabilitation and perhaps improve outcomes.
"Fitness video games have some really good potential to improve fitness in everyone," Stanley-Green said.
"My daughter is 12 and she has a friend who is very inactive and overweight and has some body control issues and the Wii Fit has really been a good thing for her," she explained. "This is a child who would rather eat than anything and it's the first time I have ever seen her say, 'I'm not coming to dinner, I'm playing the Wii.'"
Stanley-Green believes anyone can play these games.
"I am illiterate as far as video games but these are games that anyone can have success with. My daughter absolutely hates the fact that I am better at this one balance game than she is," she said.
However, like any physical activity, too much repetition of one type of movement may not be healthy.
"There are some documented cases of 'video-game shoulder' and 'video-game elbow', so using the proper form and technique should be stressed," Stanley-Green noted.
"Of course, ideally use of the gaming consoles should be alternated with other physical activities."
10 June 2008
Call of Duty 5 sees World at War
(gamespot) -- It's had its Finest Hour, there's been a Big Red One, and most recently, the series has waged Modern Warfare. Now, the latest Call of Duty game will see the World at War, reports the UK's Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine.
Confirming rumors, the game formerly known as Call of Duty 5 will indeed return to World War II, setting of all pre-Call of Duty 4 games. Developed by Treyarch--not series creator Infinity Ward--the game will portray US Marines fighting the Imperial Japanese in the Pacific. There will also be a "major chapter" in the game focusing on the invasion of Germany by the Soviet Union's Red Army.
Treyarch president Mark Lamir told the magazine, "The direction for the team was to make the best game they could, and as they were doing this they created a grittiness that quite frankly made some people very uncomfortable...This is a scarier Call of Duty than we've ever seen."
When asked about the decision to include graphic violence in the game, creative lead Rich Farrelly said, "It's not just gore and violence for its own sake, but reflects what veterans have told us and the actual history."
One of the levels described in the magazine--called "Maken Raid"--features the torture of an Allied prisoner of war, who then has his throat slit by katana. The brutal scene is watched by the player's character, who is rescued by US Marines much like the real-life Raid at Cabanatuan in 1945.
Based on the Call of Duty 4 engine, Call of Duty: World at War will include more destructible environments than prior games in the series. It will also allow players to swim underwater, as well as use Japanese machine guns and flamethrowers with "propagating fire" burning jungle scenery--and enemies--in realistic fashion.
As for multiplayer, the 360 version will sport a four-player co-op mode which can be played with four consoles over Xbox Live, or two consoles each using split-screen. The co-op campaign will be very similar to the single-player campaign, with gamers constantly accumulating points which can be used to unlock perks. Its multiplayer mode will feature vehicles and squad-based elements.
As revealed by Activision last month, Call of Duty: World at War is in development for the PC, 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and PlayStation 2. The game will ship during Activision's current fiscal year, with almost all prior Call of Duty games being released in the holiday quarter. Treyarch is also currently developing the new James Bond game, Quantum of Solace, using the Call of Duty 4 engine.
Lego Indiana Jones whips GTA IV on UK charts
(gamesindustry) -- GTA IV has finally dropped from the top spot on the UK charts in its sixth week thanks to newcomer Lego Indiana Jones - which outsold Take-Two's game nearly 3 to 1 according to data released by Chart-Track.
Lego Indiana Jones was released on six platforms, as compared to GTA IV's two platforms, with the Wii version slightly more popular than the others. This is the first top spot for LucasArts since Lego Star Wars II was released in 2006.
Third-place Codemaster's Race Driver: GRID is closing the gap behind second-place GTA IV, with just 3,000 units separating the two.
Aside from Lego Indiana Jones, other titles new to the All Formats chart this week include Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360 at number six, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit at number eleven, and Sports Island by Konami for the Wii at number 14.
The Top Ten best-selling titles in the UK for the week ending June 7 were:
Australia goes Alone in the Dark July 3
(vooks.net) -- Atari has today confirmed the release date of Alone in the Dark. Well the release date on the Xbox 360, PC, Wii and Playstation 2 with the PS3 version hitting later. The Wii version of the game follows the story and setting of the other versions with the game being adapted to make best use of the controller in a variety of situations through the game. The games talked about DVD-style chapter select menu will also be in the Wii version. Atari says it “lets players of all abilities reach the game’s dramatic, riveting climax and get the full value out of the game”
06 June 2008
Unity — Mac Game Engine Now Authorized for Wii
(pcworld/macworld) -- Unity Technologies has announced that its eponymous game engine is now an authorized middleware option for Nintendo Wii console game development.
Unity is used to create 3D games that can be deployed on Mac OS X and Windows; it can also be used for Web publishing and Dashboard widgets. The software features an integrated editor, support for DirectX and OpenGL 3D graphics APIs, with support for shaders and physics, asset management, shadow and lighting effects, scriptability and networking.
The Nintendo authorization means that Unity developers can now use the software to develop games for the Wii, Nintendo's popular casual game console. Features include remote scripting support for the Wii's Remote, Nunchuck and Classic Controller input devices, a live preview mode, optimized character animation, and scriptable shaders optimized for the Wii's graphics system.
Users interested in developing for Wii are instructed to contact Unity Technologies for details on licensing.
04 June 2008
New side-scrolling shooter revealed for DS, Wii, PS3
(computerandvideogames) -- The game is the first project to come from the new collaboration, with "a number of new IP" planned throughout the two-year agreement for DS, Wii and PS3.
"Matchman' is a side scrolling shooter involving extraordinary graphics, manipulation and creative features. The graphic style is consisted by black and white line drawing, and the script is based on a combination of some classical fairytales such as Grimm's and Anderson's fairytales," says the official blurb.
On gameplay, it says: "One of the special features is the unconventional means to knock through some of scenario. In this case, you're not going to kill bosses directly. For instance, conventionally you kill monsters by using weapons; but to kill an evil bird named "Baba Yaga", you need to throw apples and feed it until its stomach bursts."
The game is due for a Q1 2009 release on DS, with Wii and PS3 versions to follow - probably as PSN and WiIWare games, we assume.
21 May 2008
‘Wii Fit’ Takes Over The Nintendo World Store
(MTV) -- While there may have been a big event in Central Park celebrating the release of “Wii Fit” yesterday, there was a whole other kind of “event” going on at the Nintendo World Store.
The game was released exclusively at the store yesterday and available for purchase for both those with pre-orders and those without. Multiplayer stopped in there after we checked out the event in Central Park and snapped some pics:
Photos courtesy of Jesse Angelo
20 May 2008
Nintendo shows us how Wii can get 'Fit'
Each time a user steps on the "balance board" a screen shows your weight and body mass index.(CNN) -- If Nintendo has their way your living room could be the new big thing in exercise.
With its new game "Wii Fit" hitting stores Monday, Nintendo is looking to bring exercise into the home, making people more aware of their bodies and starting to create a comfortable, fun environment to get healthy.
Personal trainer and fitness expert Robert Dothard said making exercise available and enjoyable in your home means reaching an audience of people who often feel embarrassed walking in to a traditional gym.
"I had a real difficult time training people in front of what I called 'God and everybody' -- with the whole gym looking," he said. "If someone is not in good shape you know and they are in the public gym and they're not performing well it's an uncomfortable feeling."
"Wii Fit" which retails for $90, comes with the game and a "balance board" which is used to calculate your Body Mass Index, weight and measure shifts in your balance at the beginning of each session. Users then choose different workouts from the categories of strength training, aerobics, yoga and balance. Each area features different short workouts ranging from a minute to upwards of 10 minutes including push-ups and side planks, skiing, jogging and seeing how many times you can spin Hula Hoops.
During each game an area is displayed on the screen to show where your core balance should be. A little dot moves around indicating where your actual balance is and the game instructs you to try and do the exercises with the correct balance. iReport.com: 9-year-old goes nuts for Wii fit
It's one of the functions that Dothard, who took the game for a test run, thinks is the most effective and important because it makes you aware of whether you reap the most benefits out of exercising.
While the exercises focus on many different areas and muscle groups, many of the games are short in length and there is no option to select a pre-set workout which strings together several of the games.
Read More......06 May 2008
Rock Band Track Pack 1 Brings DLC On Disc For Wii and PS2
(gamingbits) -- Wii and PS2 Rock Band players will get to expand their Rock Band library with a retail release of select songs. Since there is no save/download method for Rock Band tracks on the Wii and PS2, the tracks will be made available on disc. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1 will be available on July 15th, 2008 for $29.99. It's a compilation of different tracks which are currently available as downloadable content on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3.
Tracks included in Rock Band Track Pack 1 :
30 Seconds to Mars: The Kill
All American Rejects: Move Along
Blink – 182: All the Small Things
Boston: More Than a Feeling
David Bowie: Moonage Daydream
Faith No More: We Care A Lot
Grateful Dead: Truckin’
The Hives: Die, All Right!
KISS: Calling Dr. Love
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Gimme’ Three Steps
Nine Inch Nails: March of the Pigs
Oasis: Live Forever
Paramore: Crushcrushcrush
The Police: Synchronicity II
Queens of the Stone Age: Little Sister
Ramones: Teenage Lobotomy
Smashing Pumpkins: Siva
Stone Temple Pilots: Interstate Love Song
Weezer: Buddy Holly
Wolfmother: Joker & the Thief
Rock Band will be released for the Wii on June 22, 2008. See a listing of the currently available Rock Band tracks here.
29 April 2008
Wii Fit Selling at 90 Copies Per Minute
(spong.com) -- Woolworths claims that Wii Fit was selling at a rate of 90 copies per minute on Friday when it launched.
“Wii Fit has been flying off the shelves at a rate of over 90 a minute this morning”, says Woolworths games trading manager, Gerry Berkley. “This is a revolution in computer gaming. For a game not targeted at gamers to sell in numbers like this is unheard of and is genuinely changing the market.
Berkley went on to state that the game - which comes with the Balance Board peripheral - was selling... well, we'll let him tell you. “Wii Fit will definitely smash its targets and in terms of volume and speed of sale it is even bigger than the launch of the Wii itself." full story
28 April 2008
Retailers discount Wii Wheel to $9.99
(punchjump) -- Retailers this weekend began discounting Nintendo Co.'s Wii Wheel to $9.99 in conjunction with the release of the racing title Mario Kart Wii.
Retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy and Toys R Us are all offering the Wii Wheel for $9.99, down from an MSRP of $14.99.
Mario Kart Wii is the first title to support the new peripheral, which allows users to insert the Wii Remote for wireless racing action.
The title will include 16 new courses and 16 classic courses from previous titles, a choice of karts or motorbikes, and the option to place a Mii character in the driver's seat.
Nintendo this month announced that the game title Wii Fit will be sold for $89.99 in May. The product will include the Wii Balance Board to facilitate more than 40 yoga, aerobics, and strength training exercises.
NPD Group Inc. this month reported that the Wii sold 720,000 units in the month of Mar. to rank as the No. 1 video game hardware in the U.S. for the month.
26 April 2008
Nintendo: No plans for Wii, DS price cuts
(CNET) -- Nintendo does not anticipate cutting prices on its popular Wii or DS handheld game systems, President Satoru Iwata told an analyst meeting on Friday.
"Our earnings projection for the year is not based on hardware price cuts, and I don't think we are going to need them," Reuters quoted Iwata as saying.
Earlier this week, Nintendo reported that operating profit for the year ended in March more than doubled against the previous year, and predicted a 9 percent gain this year to 530 billion yen ($5.08 billion).
The forecast was below analysts' expectations, but Iwata's comments are an indication that company is not concerned about slowing sales.
20 April 2008
From Wii Fit to Wii Strip?
(abcnews) -- As the new Wii Fit made the rounds on morning talk shows this week, a U.K. company was working on a buzzy tidbit of its own: a stripping game for the popular console.
Peekaboo, a company that specializes in temporary at-home stripper polls, including one endorsed by Carmen Electra, announced this week that it's developing a strip aerobics game for the Wii.
"Peekaboo is pleased to confirm that it is in talks to develop a game for the Nintendo Wii that meets mainstream demand for the fun and fitness benefits of pole dancing," the company said in an e-mailed statement. "Peekaboo and its partners are focused on using Wii-friendly hardware to make aerobic pole dancing instantly accessible just as 'Guitar Hero' did for rock'n'roll." full story
17 April 2008
'Wii Fit' Yoga mat is announced
(digitalspy) -- As gamers struggle to pre-order Nintendo's forthcoming exercise-based Wii exclusive Wii Fit, a third-party company has announced the release of a yoga mat for the game.
Developed by Hori, the mat, which features an inner polyester mesh to prevent stretching and provide durability, will retail at £19.99. (around US$40)
According to the manufacturer, the 183cm mat "is designed to be placed between flooring and the Wii Balance Board to reduce impact and provide body support".
The Wii Fit yoga mat will be launched on May 30.
15 April 2008
Wii launching in Korea on April 26
(gamespot) -- The official Nintendo Korea site has revealed the news that the country has been waiting for – that the Wii console is finally set to launch in the territory.
The system will hit shelves on April 26th, and will be priced at 220,000 Won ($224).
There will be nine games available for launch: Wii Sports; Wii Play (which comes with an extra controller); Rayman Raving Rabbids 2; Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure; FIFA 08; Elebits; Namco Museum Remix; Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock; and Super Swing Golf Season 2. The games will retail at a variety of price points, with the lowest being Namco Museum Remix at 38,000 won ($39) and the highest being 88,000 won ($90) for Guitar Hero III with the guitar.
Ten games will be available for download through the Wii's Virtual Console at launch: Mario Kart 64, Contra III, Cybernator, Super Metroid, Super Mario World, Gradius III, Kirby's Adventure, Super Mario Bros., Antarctic Adventure, and Donkey Kong. These will cost between 400 and 800 Wii points each, as they do elsewhere.
Wii Consoles Having Trouble Reading Mario Kart
Boston (eCanadaNow) -- According to reports, many Nintendo Wii consoles are having trouble reading the recently released Mario Kart Wii. The problems are similar to those experienced with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is apparently a problem related to Mario Kart Wii shipping on a dual-layer disc. Reports state that a dirty lens in the Wii will not be able to read Mario Kart Wii. Nintendo will be fixing the consoles just as they have been doing for Super Smash Bros.
Wii ‘Fraud Factory’ Raided In UK
(nintendolife) -- Thousands of Wii chips seized in thrilling swoop on criminal HQ.
A Wii 'Fraud Factory’ has been raided in Leicestershire, with over 2,000 chips recovered by Police. full story
Wii Fit dated for South Africa
(el33tonline) -- Wii Fit, the latest innovative game for the Wii, looks set to revolutionise the gaming community. Core Group today confirmed with El33tonline that Wii Fit will be flexing its muscles across South Africa on the 5th of May. full story