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Pokemon Arceus Toys R Us Event Starts today!

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Justin) — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:37:10 GMT

Just a reminder that the Arceus Event at Toys R Us starts today and runs through November 15th! Again, here is all the info from Pokemon.com:

Arceus can be yours this November! You can get this extraordinary Pokemon via a special character distribution happening only at Toys"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico from November 7th through November 15th. You'll need to have your copy of Pokemon Diamond version, Pokemon Pearl version, or Pokemon Platinum version to receive Arceus, as well as your own Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system.

Arceus Information
Pokeball: Cherish Ball
Held Item: Rowap Berry
Moves: Judgment, Roar of Time, Special Rend, Shadow Force

What's more, Arceus holds a secret that will be revealed in the upcoming Pokemon HeartGold version, and Pokemon SoulSilver version games! When you trade Arceus into one of those games, you'll be able to catch Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina (You'll have to choose just one!), and the Pokemon you catch will be at Level 1! so don't miss this opportunity to catch the powerful Alpha Pokemon!

New Reggie Interview: Talks Wii HD, Zelda Spirit Tracks, and Mario Bros Wii

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Justin) — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:23:58 GMT

Gametrailers.com recently spoke with Nintendo Reggie Fils-Aime to ask him about all the games coming out this Winter season, such as Super Mario Bros Wii and The Legend of Zelda, Spirit Tracks. He also debunks (again) the possibility of Wii HD coming out next year. Good interview with lots of new info!

Pokepark Wii Trailer

address-withheld@my.opera.com.invalid (Justin) — Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:19:17 GMT

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 18:17:00 GMT

New trailer... so THAT'S why they are 'spirit' tracks!

It's the Final Countdown...I Mean, Trailer

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 01:29:32 GMT

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles Final Trailer...enjoy!

WiiWare Demos Coming To Japan

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:06:02 GMT

According to reports by IGN UK, Satoru Iwata, Nintendo's CEO, has admitted to investors that the current WiiWare and DSiWare market is small. But he offers a solution: WiiWare demos.

He states that as a part of a test program, a few WiiWare titles are going to be offered with a demo, with which he hopes to increase the market by luring more users into the service this way. This is because they are aware of the fact that most users only browse the WiiShop channel (or the DSi one) when they already know which title they are going to buy, which limits the market possibility a good deal. He does go on, however, to admit this is not THE solution to this particular problem. So, let's see how well this one plays out.

So far, there are not reports as to whether or not the service is going to make it outside of Japan.

Motion Plus in Next Zelda a Possibility

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Thu, 5 Nov 2009 03:23:48 GMT

Remember the 'gag clause' they put into Miyamoto's contract? Well, Nintendo should review that. Shiggy has done it again and went on to 'spill the beans' on an interview granted to GameLife, stating that the next Legend of Zelda game for the Wii will in fact make use of Motion Plus for a more realistic experience.

n this (installment of the series), we're using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you're actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand. In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we'll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience.

Now, I get how Motion Plus could help swordplay, and call me paranoid if you like, but how would you improve AIMING by removing pointing at the screen and using the add-on instead?

Nintendo, however, has yet to make an official announcement on this, so things are a little unclear as to whether the game will only use Motion Plus as a complement or if it will be mandatory to be able to play it, so stay tuned...maybe the announcement will come at next year's E3 (boom, baby! :P).

N+ Design: November 2009

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Thu, 5 Nov 2009 03:19:40 GMT

Good news and bad news. The good news is that our header looks fantastic and should be getting everyone excited about New Super Mario Bros. Wii coming out! Yeah!

The bad news? Well, it's the first and hopefully only time that we didn't do the artwork ourselves. It's the official background image for the NSMB Wii website. Sorry guys, this last month all of the artists got a ton of work piled up on us, but you are OK with that, right? I mean, just look at how great our page looks now!

Platinum Gift Get!

Spook@nplusnews.com (.ed) — Wed, 4 Nov 2009 03:48:44 GMT

Mario’s Hat Get! Found a box from Nintendo today. Inside was Mario’s hat, a gift for platinum Club Nintendo members. It’s really nice and fits most noggins. Gonna have to make room between the Blood Berry beam katana and the Dead Space helmet.

Did anyone else get a hat or the Gold gift of the Animal Crossing Calendar?

Wii Sport a Lot of Money

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:24:04 GMT

No surprise here: Wii Sports Resort has sold a lot of copies. In great contrast with past declarations of bad Wii sales and lowering earnings forecast for the company, Nintendo has informed investors it's top selling software, confirming that Wii Sports Resort has sold nearly 7 million copies to date, and the original Wii Sports nearing the 51-million-copies mark.

Following those games, Wii Fit stands at 22.5 million copies sold, Mario Kart Wii at 18.4 million, Wii Play 24.4 million, and Wii Fit Plus 2.13 million.

On the DS front, New Super Mario Bros. (with a long-awaited Wii 'sequel' coming up this month) is nearing 20 million copies sold. Mario Kart DS sales have hit 16.1 million, Tomodachi Collection 1.45 million and Professor Layton and Pandora's Box is at 1.26 million.

Via GamesIndustry.

WiiSpray: We All Want It

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:15:01 GMT

Gosh darn it! Why is it that the tech-nerd-awesome-dudes can make the most kicky-sweet stuff on earth, and it's never sold in stores!? I want WiiSpray right now! Put this dang thing in a bundle like Wii Wheel + Mario Kart and BOOM - billion dollar seller. I mean just watch this dang video, and then check the official web page. Would you believe that this all runs on Flash and Wii-remote!? The "can" even knows how far away from the wall you are! Can you imagine Jet Set Radio with this thing!? AGH!

Wii Has Stalled - Iwata

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:01:05 GMT

It's a harsh world out there, right now... Especially if you're a videogame company such as Nintendo. Although sales did go up with the recent price cut, the measure didn't boost sales enough to reach past levels (which is a bad thing as a specific, but in general Nintendo did manage to rake in billions in profit). But don't take it from me, take it from THE MAN himself.

Wii has stalled. We were unable to continually release strong software, and let the nice mood cool. We were unable to show a new game to become 'the next thing.' In the game market, once you’ve lost the momentum, it takes time to recover. - Satoru Iwata

So, Nintendo's president blames the lack of good software (and would you rebate that?) and has stated that while sales went up with the price cut, it wasn't enough to recover from the low ones from the first half of the year. But he has hope: he expects to sell 20 million consoles by March 2010 (maybe with Wii 2? :P).
Via GamesIndustry.

Canada Rule: Behave or Lose Your Wii

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:12:29 GMT

All right, so it's NOT a general rule...but wouldn't that be something? Canadians have been famous for their bacon for ages, and now they 'make history' by making a 12-year-old surrender his Nintendo Wii in exchange for his freedom. We're not kidding.

The Winnipeg Sun reports that Judge Marvin Garfinkle (it's obvious why the guy's bitter with a name like that) has arranged for a 12-year-old boy, who has been in a lot of trouble with the law lately, surrender his Nintendo Wii as a sort of bail. The terms, the article states, are that the boy keeps peace, appearing for court dates, live with his grandma, and participating in a bail management program. Should the boy fail to honor the agreement, the court gets to keep the console.

He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii, and if he doesn't comply, he loses it. - Judge Garfinkle

The boy's lawyer, although the brat has spent some time in court already for breaking his school's door windows with a rock-filled sock and chasing and beating another boy, among other mishaps, claims that the boy is not violent but instead just someone who often finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I know it doesn't look good. I've never seen him enraged, I've never seen him upset. He's a 12-year-old who is generally quite scared. - Serena Puranen, Lawyer.

Rumor: Wii2 Specs Leaked

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:27:55 GMT

First of all: Our Source.
Second: realize this is a RUMOR - meaning, "It is not official news". Now with all that out of the way, here is the specs of the in-question Wii2

Feature a Blu-Ray drive with a secondary aim of stopping piracy
Supports 1080p for Blu-ray movies and games
Trade Wii in, get discount on Wii2
Will be announced one month before the simultaneous scheduled Q3, 2010 world release

To the right you can see my concept art for the Wii2. You can also see my theories on how to improve upon the Wii

Moustache and Beard
Shoots laser beams out of the power button
Chainsaw (for fighting hoards of zombies)
Bobba Fett flamethrower arm

How would YOU improve the Wii?

DSi LL: Official And Huge

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:35:33 GMT

That's right, it's official, DSi LL is like the Escalade of the DS world. Blingtastic "Red Wine" paint job (or Dark Brown or Natural White in Japan), executive style stylus, and 4.2 inch displays. Mm, it's a shame my Zombie Survival DSi is still so ferociously awesome. Still though, having extra huge monster screens like that is something to drool over right? Looks like the Japanese release date is set for November 21st... this year. Europe and the US get it Q1 of 2010 with the name "DSi XL" and it will be more expensive than the current DSi.

I guess Sony is gonna have to make a PSP Go SE or something to follow-up right? DSi LL is targeted primarily to the gamers out there who are a little hard of seeing... like Brain Age players who have a physical age approaching the triple digits.

So, what are you thinking? Want one? Infuriated that this will be the tenth DS system you buy? Are you gonna be savvy and wait for DSi LL in black so you can ensure it's zombie survival skills? Or is it something that is just not floating your boat; I mean it IS more bulky and harder to carry around, though it is pretty much the same depth. And that pen really doesn't hide inside the thing anywhere does it? To be fair though it does have a second "regular" type stylus that does fit inside it.

Japanese Package includes: Easy Meikyo Kokugo Dictionary, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, and Brain Age Express: Math.

Read more for more photos of sweetness... ...

Costume CoN+est 09: Wii-Point Prize

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:11:43 GMT

That's right we got the prize all set up for the 1st place winner: 2000 Wii Point Download! Click Here for official rules.

Grand Master Champion

2,000 Wii Point Gift Download
"Opera Software" hoodie - XS,S,M,L, or XL
"Moods of Norway & Opera" T-Shirt - M or L
Opera can cozy - 2
Opera button/badge - 3

Runner-Up Rascal

"Moods of Norway & Opera" T-Shirt - M or L
Opera can cozy
Opera button/badge

Square Enix Titile to Hit DSiWare This Week (Japan)

Spook@nplusnews.com (Spook) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:25:20 GMT

Square Enix will be releasing this week it's mobile title, Kuni Yaburete Sanga Ari (Hills and Rivers remain) onto DSiWare. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, such title is only slated for a Japanese release, with no word on whether or not this title will ever make it outside Japan (let's hope it does, as long as it is a good one).

The game features 4-player wireless gameplay, updated stylus control, and according to reports, some exclusive maps when in multiplayer mode. The game will be sold at 800 DSi Points (around US$8) and will be available from October 28th.

Via Andriasang.

Catch Arceus

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:47:16 GMT

Great news, the US (and Puerto Rico) Arceus event is about to go live for Pokemon: Platinum, Diamond, and Pearl trainers! This special event Arceus also unlocks a new area in Heart Gold and Soul Silver, the Shinto Ruins, where you can choose to receive a level one Dialga, Palkia or Giratina! Pretty sweet right? Oh yeah haha, I forgot to give you the vital information straight from Pokemon.com...

Arceus can be yours this November! You can get this extraordinary Pokemon via a special character distribution happening only at Toys"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico from November 7th through November 15th. You'll need to have your copy of Pokemon Diamond version, Pokemon Pearl version, or Pokemon Platinum version to receive Arceus, as well as your own Nintendo DS or Nintendo DSi system.

Arceus Information
Pokeball: Cherish Ball
Held Item: Rowap Berry
Moves: Judgment, Roar of Time, Special Rend, Shadow Force

What's more, Arceus holds a secret that will be revealed in the upcoming Pokemon HeartGold version, and Pokemon SoulSilver version games! When you trade Arceus into one of those games, you'll be able to catch Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina (You'll have to choose just one!), and the Pokemon you catch will be at Level 1! so don't miss this opportunity to catch the powerful Alpha Pokemon!

Club Nintendo: Ships Elite Status Prizes

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:19:58 GMT

Here, look, the NOA Club Nintendo prizes are officially shipping...

Hello ANTON,

We wanted to let you know that your Elite Status reward order has been shipped.

Your Elite Status reward order was shipped via US Mail and will take 4-10 business days for delivery.

We hope you enjoy your Club Nintendo Elite Status reward!

Sincerely,
Nintendo of America Inc.
Consumer Service Department

No More Heroes: Still More Heroes

Spook@nplusnews.com (Anton) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:10:20 GMT

OK, so it looks like Henry isn't the only playable returning character from No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle also features a certain one handed samurai otaku...

Read more for a fun 8-bit style mini game to be featured in the game... ...