New Play Control! DK Jungle Gameplay Footage

Here is a great video showing off some of the changes in the New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. The game is looking great, acting like more of a platformer than a bongo driven mini-game. You still shake here and there, but you control Donkey Kong with the nunchuk, a welcome change! The game debuts this May!

Watch below:

Excitebots: Trick Racing burns rubber April 20th

According to an official Nintendo press email, Excitebots: Trick Racing will release on 4-20. Hopefully, stoners spending their time "celebrating" can also take some time to pick up their Wii wheels.

"Race alone or with friends as your favorite bot - Ladybug, Grasshopper, Frog and more! Crash through bowling pins, shoot soccer goals and throw pies as you race through the wacky track of your choice," reads the press email.

For more info on this awesome looking title, check out the official website, HERE!

TUESDAY TUNEAGE: SMG Buoy Base

This week's gaming tuneage comes straight to you from the greatest Wii game to date, Super Mario Galaxy. For tonight's selection, I chose the orchestrated score from the Buoy Base Galaxy. I'd say this is one of the best works from the game's incredible soundtrack. Enjoy:

New Diablo III Screens

If the wait for StarCraft II is driving you insane, then the mere thought of Diablo III has to be poison in your veins. Just to make your suffering that much worse here are some Diablo III screenshots hot off the presses!

Source: ShackNews

Dead Rising 2 Capable of 6,000 On-Screen Zombies?

You "heard" right. The skinny on developer Blue Castle's Dead Rising 2 is that the in-game engine will be capable of boasting 6,000 characters (zombies) at once without sacrificing any horse power. That's a lot of zombies.

The earlier emphasis on "heard" goes with the fact that this is all hearsay and has yet to be confirmed. However, the boastful claims are coming from folks near and dear to the development of Dead Rising 2.

At GDC, the game’s character art lead, Izmeth Siddeek, seemed confident that DR2 will push the limits of zombie masses. “Dead Rising 2 deals with the rendering of the greatest number of characters ever seen in a video game,” he said. “Everything else needed to be subordinated to this requirement.”


Such insane numbers of living dead are reportedly possible thanks to Dead Rising's new Mental Mill software, a focal point of Siddeek's presenation. Mental Mill will supposedly allow developers to efficiently render characters without watering down the gameplay or using cheap tricks like decreasing costume numbers.

They hype machine doesn't stop there though. Following Siddeek's presentation, Mental Mill production manager, Laura Scholl, noted that Siddeek said that the Dead Rising 2 development team is preparing to have as many as 6,000 characters on the screen.

Siddeek has yet to confirm or deny this statement. But fans of zombie mayhem should be rejoicing nonetheless. If Dead Rising 2 even approaches half these numbers, the game will still be a visual feast.

We've seen a ton o' zombies. But 6,000?

Source: MTV Multiplayer Blog

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronciles Crystal Bearers Site is GO!

In what seems like an attempt at some Guiness World Record, Square-Enix has launched yet another site dedicated to yet another Final Fantasy title. But it's Square-Enix AND Final Fantasy we're talking about here, so go ahead and finish the article.

A title doomed to be an acronym for the ages, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Crystal Bearers for the Wii appears to be an exploration/real time battle focused RPG outing. Like most pre-realease Squeenix titles, details for Crystal Bearers are sparse. But if you're in the mood for trailers and wallpaper, click here and head on over to the official site.

Fresh Gears of War 2 Maps

If you heart the Gears of War 2 and have 800 MS Points to burn then Bill Gates has a deal for you! Today marks the worldwide release of Gears' newest map pack "Snowblind." As the name implies, you can now fight the horde forces... in the snow!

The Snowblind Map Pack offers 4 new maps and 9 achievements boasting a total of 250 gamer points. The following is Microsoft's official breakdown of said maps and achievements:

Maps

• Grindyard is a massive industrial complex located in a junk-processing plant from the days of Sera’s industrial excess. The office, now gutted, serves as a perfect place to fortify, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up trapped inside the office with no hope of escape.

• Under Hill takes players through snowbound tunnels that were once billed as a feat of Seran engineering. Head for high ground on the bridge and you’ll be rewarded with massive firepower, but be prepared to defend your position and try to escape being cornered.

• Courtyard is a wide-open battle royale containing explosive weapons that once formed the heart of Ephyra’s fashionable Civic Center. Lines of sight are far and clear here, and battles tend to focus around the elevated sniper nest. Watch your back and keep a fresh clip.

• Fuel Depot, back by popular demand, Fuel Depot is a “Gears of War 2” remake of the fan-favorite “Gears of War” map, but winter has set in and the depot is now covered in a blanket of snow. Open and unforgiving, it takes a well-coordinated team to cover all the angles here.

Achievements

• “Rookie Gear” (10 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 5 (Public only).

• “Seasoned Gear” (20 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 15 (Public only).

• “Battle-Tested Gear” (30 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 25 (Public only).

• “Battle-Hardened Gear” (50 points): Reach level 50 and play a match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only).

• “Veteran Gear” (75 points): Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only).

• “Never Eat Red Snow” (20 points): Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Snowblind Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty).

• “Icy Dead People” (25 points): Complete waves 1 through 50 on any Snowblind Map Pack map in Horde (any difficulty).• “Frigid Body Dynamics” (5 points): Play a multiplayer match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode).

• “The Weather Outside Is Lethal” (15 points): Win a multiplayer match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode).

Gardening Mama Screens

Check out some new screens for the upcoming DS game Gardening Mama. Is there anything Mama can't do!? Just a side note, a demo for the game has been released to the Nintendo Channel on your Wii. So don't just look at these screens, go try it out!

PS3 News Coming Tomorrow

Sony is planning a big announcement on Tuesday, regarding their PS3 console. It's unclear what the announcement could be, but in typical console announcement fashion, we can expect some sort of price cut.

As previously mentioned, the PS2 is set for an unofficial price cut next week, so Sony could be announcing that all of its consoles will get a price cut. Maybe even the PSP will join the fun!

Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
1UP

Ratchet & Clank Want Your Guns

Are you filled with creative ideas for destroying enemies? If so, this news is for you! Insomniac Games is once again looking to its fans for logic defying (and awesome) weapons for their latest game, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time.

Ratchet & Clank are known for their insanely upgradeable and whimsical weapons ranging from the Mootator (which turns enemies into exploding cows) to the disco inducing Groovitron. With that in mind, head on over to the Ratchet and Clank Future contest site and throw down your ideas.

Who knows, that CBC (Claymore Beaver Cannon) may be a reality yet.

Video Game Voter Victory

Gamers are infamous for threatening to protest game related issues and never making it past an acronym filled blog post. To remedy this laziness, the Video Game Voters Network was born.

The VGVN's purpose is to make gaming related issues known to the public and to arm gaming voters with the resources they need to combat said issues. The coolest part of all though, is that it seems to be working.

VGVN members in Utah helped shoot down HB 353, which would undermine the ESRB rating system in favor of a much more stringent government regulation. Despite the ludicrous idea of government regulated video games, the bill passed smoothly through the Senate and House and rested solely on Utah Governor Jon Hunstman.

Gamers sent in over 700 letters to the good governor and let's just say that HB 353 is nothing but another notch in the bedpost of the VGVN. If you want to speak up for your video game rights (or send Governor Hunstman a thank you letter) head on over the the VGVN site and sign up today!

Today's Wii Shop Releases 3.30.09

Nintendo just announced today that their official "Wii-kly Update" is saying goodbye forever. But have no fear, as Nintendo is just changing its press release name to "Nintendo Download." With the DSi's launch next week (wow that came quick!) digital downloads are not just Wii exclusive anymore. Anywho, here are this weeks Wii downloads!
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WiiWare

Bonsai Barber (Nintendo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief, 1,000 Wii Points): The village residents are hungry for the latest in foliage fashion, and it's up to you, the new barber, to fix them up. Use the tools of your trade: scissors, clippers, spray can, and more in this humorous, first-of-its-kind "first-person-groomer" game. Bonsai Barber features a colorful cast of 12 intriguing customers, including a temperamental shallot starlet (don't call her an onion), an oddball strawberry boffin, a cactus cowboy, a daredevil carrot, and a suave banana with top-secret clearance. Each day, five customers arrive to test your stylistic skill. If the customer requests a specific style, you'll plow that furrow, or you can rely on your expertise to pick from more than 30 popular fashions. Or, why not turn over a new leaf? Be creative and see how they react. They're a demanding bunch, so if you miss an appointment, you'll hear about it-on your Wii Message Board. If you do a good job, you may receive a gift or even a postcard from an exotic destination as your happy customers travel to distant lands and show off their exquisite coifs.

Virtual Console

Super Punch-Out!! (Super NES™, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): Featuring the tight game play and humor the series is known for, this sequel to the NES™ classic sees Little Mac return to the ring with the World Video Boxing Association belt once again at stake. Slug your way through the grueling, sweat-pounding matches of the Minor, Major and World Circuits as you face off against some of Little Mac's greatest rivals, such as Bear Hugger, Bald Bull and Super Macho Man. With a cast of new challengers waiting, do you have what it takes to identify their unique patterns and exploit their weaknesses? Go to your corner and come out fighting, but remember what Doc Louis would say: "It's not about brawling-it's about finesse!"

PS2 Dips To 99 Bones

According to a tipster who sent Kotaku a camera-phone picture of K-Mart's database, the PlayStation 2 is set to get a price reduction next week to $99.

This adds confirmation to the news that K-Mart would be advertising the price cut in their upcoming circular, sent out April 5th.

While I always enjoy a price cut, doesn't everyone already have a PS2. And if you don't, isn't it a bit late? That's like saying, "oh wow, one of those Nintendo Gamecubes! I have to get one of those." It just sounds weird.

G.I. Joe New Trailer

Enjoy this new trailer from the movie tie-in game G.I. Joe. I wonder if this film could be as remotely popular as Transformers, the other 80's franchise in hibernation for the past 20 years.

EA Games

Cheap Trick Scores The Conduit

SEGA has announced that the band Cheap Trick will be providing the music for the upcoming Wii FPS The Conduit. SEGA has nothing but nice things to say about the band, and the lead singer Rick Nielsen.

"Rick Nielsen is a rock legend who just happens to be a really likeable guy," said Sean Ratcliffe, VP of Marketing of Sega America. The band is famous for songs such as "I Want You to Want Me" and "Surrender."

"Even though he's known for driving rock guitar, [Nielsen] was able to provide great ambiance and textural qualities that perfectly fits the mood of the game and helps it become a truly unique experience, " Eric Nofsinger, Chief Creative Officer of High Voltage Software.

I'm a firm believe that music can make or break a game. If you can't come up with a great original soundtrack, using licensed tracks is an excellent idea!

SEGA

Wii Music for just $29.99

Are you one of those gamers that put off buying Wii Music because despite screenshots and video walkthroughs, you still don't know what the hell it is? Well maybe now's the time to pick it up.

Newegg has the game for just $29.99! The website also has Animal Crossing: City Folk for the same low price.

Looks like another example of the recession being awesome to gamers (and bad for everyone else, muah-ha-ha-ha).

DSiWare screens

Here are some new screenshots of the DSiWare service, courtesy of Nintendo!

Wii Games in 480p is so 2006

Although Nintendo opted not to leap into the HD realm when they released the Wii, gamers simply decided not to wait until WiiHD to get their high-res Mario on.

When running the Wii/PC emulator Dolphin, you can witness the beauty of say Super Smash Bros. Brawl, all in crisp high definition. YouTube user renebarahona has uploaded a few videos showing what some classic Wii titles look like when running on 720p. While YouTube quality isnt the best for viewing the wonderment of HD, you can definitely notice the enhanced look and polish of the titles. Here are a few below:

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess


Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Kotaku

Les Paul GH Controller On Sale

For gaming on the cheap, check out this great deal from Best Buy. They are offering the Guitar Hero Wireless Les Paul controller for only $19.99. Better yet, its for PS3, Xbox360 and Wii!

If you plan on picking up Guitar Hero: Metallica, they are offering it for only $9.99. Check it out here!

Prototype, Top 10 Reasons You Want This Game

If you happen to be looking for a great game that sits on the horizon, waiting to be played by the masses, Prototype might be just that. Shaping up to look like an incredible gaming experience, the game features a lead character that can do pretty much anything he wants. All while leaving the surrounding city in shambles.

Take a look at this new trailer, courtesy of Joystiq, showing off the top 10 things to look forward to while playing the game. Spoiler alert, number one is the game's main focus, character shape shifting!!! Enjoy:

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, New Trailer

This new trailer features new gameplay footage mixed with commentary by some of the game's creators. It also shows off some of the cool Wii controls, like the flying a plane, punching a guy in the face, and of course, using your whip. Enjoy:

Batman Arkham Asylum: Video Walkthrough

This new video walkthrough shows off some of the control aspects of Batman Arkham Asylum. It definitely looks like a true super hero video game, not just thrown together for a cross promotional movie tie in. Enjoy!


Joystiq

Punch Out!! Wii G4TV Video Walkthrough

Are You The Next Duke Nukem?

In case you haven't heard, the Duke is back. No, John Wayne has risen from the grave like Sean Connery at the end of LXG (shudders).

We're talking about the 90's "Face of Testosterone" Duke Nukem.

While the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever is still in limbo somewhere, Deep Silver, Inc. and Apogee software are gearing up for the release of a Duke trilogy on DS and PSP. To promote this trio of titles, Deep Silver is searching for a real life Duke to be their official mascot.

Want to know if you have what it takes to be Duke Nukem? Here's a list of Duke's characteristics as listed on the search for Duke website:

Super confident and overly aggressive by nature, aliens fear him, and women fawn on him. Duke Nukem is the ultimate bad ass! When the Earth Defense Force faces its toughest challenges, they only call on one man to get the job done right the first time! When all else fails, Duke doesn't!

Think you have what it takes? Then head on over to the Duke is Back site and audition!

Kill Nazi's on Your Mobile, and More!

Wolfenstein 3D Classic is now available for $4.99 for all to enjoy courtesy of the Apple iTunes App Store. However, if a recent ESRB rating post proves to be true, this 90's Valkyrie will make its way onto your home consoles. A rating for an Xbox 360 and PS3 release has popped up, presumably for a downloadable version on XBLA and PSN.

Considering this is pretty much the extent of my PC gaming experience, I'd say it's worth a revisit!
Joystiq

Guitar Hero Moves Home

As PlayStation Home has slowly worked to become a solid mix of social networking and content provider, the service is expanding again. PS Home will welcome "Backstage with Guitar Hero," a new space dedicated to Activision's music franchise.

The section will be more of a place for fans to come together than anything else, providing a minigame titled "Rock God," where you have to duplicate a musical pattern. The new Home section launches tomorrow, Thursday in North America.

Kotaku

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Debut Trailer

TheHylia

GDC 09- BIG Nintendo News!

Well GDC '09 did not disappoint in the way of news. Iwata spoke to the crowd, and spilled the beans of some great upcoming (aka RIGHT NOW) Wii and DS features.

Most importantly to some of you, is the Wii System Menu update 4, which now fixes that storage solution completely. The update allows players to save content to their SD cards, and play games right off them. The update also increases the Wii SD capacity size to 32GB. WOO HOO!!! (This update is available right now!!!!)

Also, Iwata announced a sequel to the DS mega hit Phantom Hourglass, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. This time, Link continues his journey to the train tracks.

And last but not least, the announcement of Virtual Console Arcade. This new section will be updated with arcade titles from childhood merryment. So far, this is the release schedule:

• Gaplus (Namco Bandai): 600 Wii Points -- available now
• Mappy (Namco Bandai): 500 Wii Points -- available now
• The Tower Of Druaga (Namco Bandai): 500 Wii Points -- available now
• Starforce (Tecmo): 500 Wii Points -- available now
• Space Harrier (Sega) -- coming soon
  
• Solvalou (Namco Bandai) -- coming soon

So far GDC has surely delivered!
GoNintendo

Journey Epic Hits Rock Band 2

If you're a fan of karaoke, air guitar, and leopard print shirts, there's a good chance you've been waiting for Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" to hit Rock Band 2. Well wait no more as the wheel in the sky has turned in your favor.

If you're an Xbox 360 user you can have this Journey epic any way you want it on March 31st. The PS3 crowd will have to wait until April 2nd. Who's crying now?

Source: 1up.com

Streaming Games to Kill Consoles?

The creator of WebTV has teamed with a former Eidos executive to create OnLive, a streaming video game service that plans to cut out the expensive hardware requirements that have always stood between you and top-tier gaming. Via patented video compression technology, playing games through OnLive won't require any graphics hardware on your end. You play via your broadband connection, which sends your controller inputs to an off-site machine and then beams the video back to you. By downloading the tiny client, literally any PC with Windows and broadband will allow you to play high-res, current-gen games. And for those who want to do without a PC entirely, the company plans to sell an inexpensive box you can hook directly to your TV and play that way.

Whether or not this particular service works out, cloud computing seems to be the way of the future. Why pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a gaming rig when you can just as easily use some corporation's massive computing resources? It makes sense on the company's end, too, since they can cut out nearly all manufacturing costs and sell directly to the consumer. To use the PlayStation 3 as an example, Sony wouldn't have to sell systems at a loss and hope to make that money back on software.

Of course, if or when this trend starts to catch on, we can probably look forward to more and more system exclusives. If the hardware-less Xbox 970 and the hardware-less PS5 don't have to worry about competing features and performance, the only thing keeping you loyal to their brands will be the games only they can offer you.

Still, I think the tradeoff is worth it. Instead of waiting in line for seven hours in front of GameStop, I'd love to just download my Wii2 and keep it running in the taskbar.

Source: PC World

The Pitt is Here! And Now It's Gone!

Well, this is just bad P.R. Fallout 3 was one of last year's very best games, and its downloadable content has been high on most of our wishlists for this increasingly depressing 2009. First came Operation Anchorage, which was a fun if ultimately disappointingly straightforward run and gun affair. Also, it was short. So much so that the purchase price may not have been worth it.

But, The Pitt looked like it might fix all that. By sending your character to the ruins of Pittsburgh and the middle of a war between slavers and slaves, The Pitt promised to give us all a little more of the exploration, character interaction, and choice making that made the core Fallout 3 experience so special.

Hence the joy at The Pitt's arrival this morning. And then, almost immediately, the crushing anger. Within minutes of The Pitt going live, complaints started pouring in about glitches, freezes, and broken graphics. Some even claimed certain textures were completely missing, leaving only a floating red exclamation point.

Turns out there were some major file size discrepancies between many people's downloads. Some showed The Pitt at 300 megs, some at 600. Just a mess. And rather than let us all continue to suffer through this quality control disaster, developer Bethesda has simply pulled The Pitt from release while the figure out what the heck is going on.

So, to any of you who might have a full working copy, how is it? Can I come over?

Source: 1up

Assassins for Cheap

If you missed out on Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, would prefer to play it on PC, and have meager amounts of Gil, then you fit into a very small demographic. That being said, your cheapskate "PC>Consoles" self should rejoice!

All this week, Steam will be slashing prices on an Ubisoft title per day with today's specialty being Assassin's Creed. The PC version currently retails for $19.99, but you can do it one better and snatch it today for $9.99. So what are you waiting for? Assassin's protagonist is so cool that his costume is unlockable in Metal Gear Solid 4 and Prince of Persia. That has to say something right? Hello....?

Wii Fit Outsells Halo 3

The title of this post says it all, but I'll flesh it out for kicks. Call it a sign of the times or blame it on Obama but the figures do not lie.

February's NPD numbers are in and Nintendo's excercise phenom is not only the number one selling piece of software, but it has also reached the 6 million mark.

With 6 million copies of Wii Fit sold, the title has officially outsold the mighty Halo 3. What's significant about this undertaking you ask? First off, collector's editions aside, your Halo 3 started off as a $60 purchase. Wii Fit hit streets and still maintains its $90 price tag. Also, Halo 3 in all of its sales glory was released 8 months before Wii Fit.

You may not know this, but Nintendo has a setting on Wii Fit that when activated allows them to track your usage of the product. I doubt we'll ever see those numbers though. While Wii Fit is selling like crazy, it's unlikely all of the balance boards on the market are actually accumulating sweat. According to other numbers, the only thing outselling Wii Fit is childhood obesity.

Source: 1UP.com

Punch Out!! The Trailer

Good news! Not only is Punch Out!! hitting the Wii soon, it actually looks awesome. Check out the trailer, courtesy of Joystiq.

DJ Hero,... it's coming!

Activision has, on more than one occasion, let the musical cat out of the bag in terms of upcoming games in the Hero music franchise. With the Guitar Hero's Aerosmith centric title, the introduction of a portable version for DS, and the latest GH: Metallica game just to name a few. DJ Hero is no exception, yet little has been known about the title.

Well finally, turning rumblings into officiality, Activision has launched the teaser site for DJ Hero. Right now, all it has is two turntables and a spot to sign up to be the first to know more information. Although not much in the way of "news" its still nice to hear a confirmation.

Check the official site here!

Kotaku

Max Payne 3 Official

Rockstar Games has officially announced the return of Max Payne, in Max Payne 3. The game will release on the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 this winter. The award winning series returns, centering around the "story of a retired police detective embroiled in a world of corruption, turmoil and intense violence," according to Bluesnews.

"This is Max as we've never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We experience the downward spiral of his life after the events of Max Payne 2 and witness his last chance for salvation."

My Dear Watson, Sherlock Takes on the Ripper

With two new Sherlock Holmes feature films coming soon, there's surely been a resurgence of Sherlock Holmes love. Frogwares Studio and Focus Home Interactive have just announced a brand new Sherlock Holmes game, Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. The adventure/detective title is set to debut for the PC and Xbox360.

The game has Holmes using his wits to search for the serial killer Jack the Ripper. The game can switch between first and third person views, and the ability to test your theories during your detective journey. Look for the game to release this May.

FRAG FX v2, the New PS3 Controller

The newest third party PS3 controller has just released courtesy of SplitFish Gameware. The FragFX V2 can best be described as a Wii Nunchuk connected to a PC mouse. The controller truly delivers the best first-person shooter experience, according to the press release. Enhancing precision, unique mapable motion port feature, improved speed and control, the FragFX V2 brings a PC gaming experience to the PS3.

SplitFish claims that the new controller is perfect for titles such as Call of Duty: World at War, Killzone 2 and Resistance 2, as well as new upcoming FPS releases. The FragFX V2 will be available at all major retailers this week, for $79.99.

Munchables for Wii

NAMCO BANDAI has announced a new title for the Wii. Munchables is an "entertaining romp into a colorful and delicious action adventure for Wii."

The game will debut this June in all regions. Enjoy some of the new screenshots below:

Need For Speed: SHIFT, The Next, Next Gen Racer

EA has just announced that the newest Need for Speed installment is set to debut this fall for the PS3, Xbox360, PSP and PC. Need for Speed: SHIFT will feature the largest roster of high-performance cars in the franchises history. Some whips to cruise in (do I sound hip?) are the Pagani Zonda, Porsche 911 GT2 and the Lotus Elise.

"With Need for Speed: SHIFT, we set out to create a racing game that pushes the genre and delivers something never before seen in a Need for Speed title," said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President at EA Games Europe.

The game is set to debut September 18th in Europe.

NFS