Nintendo World Store – Super Mario Galaxy 2 Launch Party Media!
Long time on see eh? On May 23rd, Drzgamer and I went to the new galaxy in NYC to check out Mario's latest space adventure and meet the voice of Mario himself! Along the way, we've met tons of Mario fans and some old friends (like the Lyra/Gold cosplayers from the HG/SS event!), good times were indeed had!
Happy Birthday, DSiWare! A look at the best!
April 5th 2010 marked the 1st birthday of the DSiWare shop. With over 150+ games available on the service, Nintendo has proven that it's portable download game service works well with small developers and gamers alike. With the the release of the Nintendo DSi XL, I thought it would be best to look over some of the best games as well as notable upcoming games for newcomers and curious gamers. This is the best of the best, from what I played as well as from general consensus.
Long time on see eh? On May 23rd, Drzgamer and I went to the new galaxy in NYC to check out Mario’s latest space adventure and meet the voice of Mario himself! Along the way, we’ve met tons of Mario fans and some old friends (like the Lyra/Gold cosplayers from the HG/SS event!), good times were indeed had!
We got there at about 9am, but the line was already that huge! It got even longer as time went on, and it didn’t even reach the end when we left the store at 3pm. What were all these people lined up for? To meet Charles Martinet, the famous voice behind Mario, Luigi, Wario and more. While waiting on line, some Nintendo World reps walked down the line and handed out Dragon Quest IX cards, advertising the game’s July release.
It’s nice to see Nintendo already advertising this game, taking advantage of the huge crowd Super Mario Galaxy 2 has brought them. Time passed as we got closer to the store, and when we finally made it in..we joined another line!
Yeah..that’s how these events usually work. When we actually made to the end of the line, we both got our games signed and took pictures with the legend himself. The man just exerts an aura, and you can’t help but smile when you talk with him.
There wasn’t much else to do aside from meeting Charles Martinet. You could take pictures with a life sized Mario & Luigi or participate in the Chimp’s Stomp Challenge face-off. You and a rival face off in this score attack stage in one of the early levels of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The person who ends up with the highest score wins a beautiful ‘art cell’ of the game’s cover art without any text/logos.
The turnout for the event was great and it looked like everyone of every age enjoyed it. Mario makes everybody smile! (Except that one guy who hates everything of course..) While I could only take 1 video of the event, please check out my flickr set for more pictures! Now I’m off to the new galaxy for some good times.
April 5th 2010 marked the 1st birthday of the DSiWare shop. With over 150+ games available on the service, Nintendo has proven that it’s portable download game service works well with small developers and gamers alike. With the recent release of the Nintendo DSi XL, I thought it would be best to look over some of the service’s best games as well as notable upcoming games for newcomers and curious gamers. This is the best of the best, from what I played as well as from general consensus.
Look what Capcom left in my inbox today! Totally hype time! Consider it a Hyperfludd Media exclusive!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA— April 1, 2010 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed that Gotcha Force 2: Death Force Origins is in development for three different gaming plataforms: the Xbox 360 video game entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Nintendo Wii™. Gotcha Force, the cult hit on the Nintendo Gamecube™ returns in one of the most requested sequels ever!
Gotcha Force 2: Death Force Origins takes place a few months after the original game ended. With the Death Force’s leader, Galactic Emperor defeated, Kou and the rest of his friends enjoyed peace with their Gotcha Borgs partners. However, this peace won’t last for long as a beaten up Gotcha Borg named J-Ace crash landed on Earth, with pleas for help back on Mega Borg. Mega Borg, as well as many other planets are under attack by a all new and powered up Death Force, run by the daughter of the Galatic Emperor! It’s up to Kou and G-Red to travel between planets and fight against the Death Force take over!
With over 700 new Gotcha Borgs to collect, you have thousands of ways to customize your personal Gotcha Army! If you can’t find the Borg that you want, maybe someone else has it, and with the new online trade system dubbed the “BTS” (BORG.TRANSPORTATION.SYSTEM) you can freely trade with anybody worldwide! The war against the Death Force gets tougher and tougher as you go on, so why not invite other GF Commanders to help even the odds? Gotcha Force 2: Death Force Origins supports a multitude of online play modes including 3 Player Co-op Missions, 4 Player Versus modes, and the innovative 10 player Gotcha War mode, where your ultimate goal is to take over various maps in an all out war!
Gotcha Force 2: Death Force Origins is planned for release in Q1 of 2011. More details, as well as a playable demo of the game will be revealed at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 in the Los Angeles Convention Center. (June 15, 2010 to June 17, 2010)
ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry®. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.
Man I’m so excited! The PR also included some concept art for the game. Click the images for full size.
Some familiar faces some new…damn! I can’t wait til E3! Gotta thank Capcom for listening to the fans! As soon as more news/rumors pop up you can COUNT on Hyperfludd Media delivering that info for you loyal fans!
Nintendo let loose 3 main releases in the US today, for which they held a launch event at the Nintendo World Store for. These releases were WarioWare D.I.Y, America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking and the leader of the pack: the latest member of the DS family, the Nintendo DSi XL! Yep, it’s a pretty big day for the Big N! To check out all 3 items, me and my friend Drzgamer (the guy who makes sure this site doesn’t explode in your face) headed downtown to Nintendo World.
We got at the event around 11:40 am, 40 minutes after it started. To my surprise, there wasn’t that many people there for the triple threat launch. Of course I knew it wouldn’t be a Pokemon kind of crowd, but I still expected a little more turn up. However, this might have turned out to be advantageous for my friend Drzgamer! How do you ask? Well he managed to get interviewed by Gary and Allison of Nintendo Week! It’s possible that he may show up in next week’s episode of Nintendo Week talking about WarioWare D.I.Y, so look out for the kid in the Megaman 10 shirt!
Allison, Drz & Gary!
After signing some release forms, we chatted a little bit with Gary & Allison. The hosts of Nintendo Channel’s weekly show really do know their stuff! After the interview, me and Drz decided to check out the new games on the table. Drz went on to try out WarioWare D.I.Y, while I met up with a Nintendo World Store rep and demoed the DSi XL with 2 games.
Nintendo DSi XL Impressions
Huge Dr.Kawashima is Huge
Alright, let’s get this out of the way: the Nintendo DSi XL is HUGE. For someone like me, who plays with his DSlite & DSi constantly, the DSi XL feels so..different. But rest assured, aside from it’s size and 3 preinstalled DSi Shop items, the Nintendo DSi XL is exactly the same as a regular Nintendo DSi. Surprisingly, it isn’t as heavy as one would think it would be.
The bigger screens don’t make games looked stretched out, and in fact I think for some games like the creative WarioWare D.I.Y and text/menu heavy games (like the recently released Infinite Space) are a perfect fit for the enlarged screens of the DSi XL. As Nintendo mentioned before, the bigger screens make it more easier to have friends and family look over you as you play. I gave this a test with Brain Age, the Nintendo World Store rep started up a memory game while I looked over his shoulder and helped him out when he got stuck. The screen size made it no trouble for me to follow along and help the rep get the fastest time possible. The gloss finish is a nice touch as well.
If you ask me, I would say the DSi XL would be a perfect purchase if you are still rocking the original DS model or the DS Lite. But with the recently announced 3DS coming soon, it is ultimately up to you to decide. Now..or later?
America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s get Cooking! Impressions
Done with the Nintendo DSi XL, I decided to check up on Drz, who was definitely hooked on WarioWare D.I.Y! He even pulled out some headphones when he was making the music! I decided to leave him be, and moved on to check out the other DS game that launched today. This was a little weird to play, seeing as I was at a store for Nintendo games and not a kitchen.
However I still gave it a go and dug deep into the software. The first thing I noticed on the top screen was the game’s calendar, which highlighted that today was Wario’s Birthday. Now I don’t know if that’s actually true or if that’s just the DSi’s Username but it’s a neat little thing. What makes it even more neat, is that it offered suggestions for birthday recipes out of it’s catalog. (Over 300 recipes if I’m correct!)
I checked out other holidays, nearest one being Easter, and it did the same. After deciding on some kind of cheddar bread, I moved on to the step up screen where it listed everything I needed, along with pictures. Very helpful for those weirdly named ingredients that seems that one could never find. Continuing to the next screen, it asked me who and how many people will be cooking the dish.
The game saves profiles with little drawn chefs for each one, keeping track of what that person cooked and how much skill that person has in the kitchen. This is a very clever idea, as the game will separate duties according to skill to the right chef to make sure everyone has something they can do. Moving on to preparation, another great thing that the game does is that it reads the instructions to you and takes voice commands, so you don’t even have to touch the system while getting your chef on.
At the end, the mascot chef claps and throws confetti for your culinary masterpiece and similar to Brain Age, makes you place a stamp for cooking on that day and completing that recipe. This may not be a gamer’s game, but if you are interested in learning how to cook, or learn more recipes for foods you never tasted, America’s Test Kitchen is up your alley.
WarioWare D.I.Y Impressions
Just in case, D.I.Y means Do It Yourself.
Finishing up with America’s Test Kitchen, I checked up on Drz again who finished his game, “99 Coins…” Amazed at how fast he managed to do this and the music he created, I decided to pick up the DS next to him while he checked out some of the game’s 70 included microgames. I clicked on WarioWare Inc. and started the mountain of tutorials with Wario and Penny. These tutorials may be plently, but they are clear and easy to understand. From the art to the music and the AI, the game doesn’t skip a beat, leaving you with the knowledge that the game creators used to make these great microgames.
The interface they used for making games is colorful and very easy to understand. If you do manage to forget what something on the screen does ,(like the frog button) the very helpful ? button is always there to explain everything. My favorite tool of the game has to be the music maker, it’s really simple to use but you can make really fantastic stuff with it if you play around enough. Even AI, which might be the most difficult part of making a game out of all 3 things needed, is made so that it’s simple to see what you’re doing and get it set to however you like.
Aside from making games yourself, you can play the 70 microgames that are already on the game which follow the usual WarioWare inc. crew like Mona and Jimmy T. It seems the more you play the more goodies like music & comics you can unlock. If you feel like customizing a game but don’t want to do all the work, there’s a mode were you pick up games Wario gave up on and add the finishing touches. (Also unlocking various goodes) All in all, it seems there are a few things to do if you don’t want to get into the microgame making business. However, if that’s an issue for you, maybe this isn’t the game for you.
I didn’t get to go online in the store while playing, but I checked out the options that I could. The game connects with others in 3 ways: Nintendo WiFi Connection, local wireless and the Wii. Local wireless should be self-explanatory, while connecting online with the NWC will let you download weekly games from big name developers and friends. The Wii options works by connecting to a WiiWare version of the game (Which should be out by the 29th) where you can play your games on the big screen! The WiiWare game also provides extra storage and games to play, so it’s a essential piece to the DS game.
As I finished up with the game, I peeked over at Drz’s DS to see if he finished fine-tuning his game. He nodded and 99 Coins was finished! Check it out below.
With that, the event was over and the day ends. Meeting the Nintendo Week crew, getting my hands on the Nintendo DSi XL and leaving a microgame in the store for others to enjoy, this was a great day indeed. Please check out the rest of the pictures of the event below. I hoped my impressions helped you in any way! March was sure full of events and launches huh? I’m not certain of what’s going to happen at the center of all things Nintendo (In New York at least!) next month, but if something is going to take place..you can count on me to cover it!
Rain may have put a damper on the Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Launch event at Toys R Us, but Nintendo World decided to give it another shot today, and success came in spades! It didn’t look like it from outside, but once you go pass those heavy doors..man I couldn’t even walk!
Drowning in the sea of Pokefans
It was exciting to see everybody interact. Seeing Pokemon fans from young to old connecting via the game’s union room or the Pokewalker..it gives me a fuzzy feeling inside. Aside from the massive battle/trading/PokeWalker fest, the store was holding a tournament for those who stepped up for the challenge, and they were giving away Pikachu hats and Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver bookbags with every purchase. Not much in the way of swag, but it didn’t matter. If you were smart, connecting your PokeWalker with anybody you can nets you tons of virtual swag & watts (PokeWalker currency) for your game. I got tons of both thanks to all of the Pokefans I met. Speaking of which, I met some old Nsider (Nintendo’s now extinct official forum) buddies which was a great treat.
Pikachu, doing what a Pikachu does.
While seeing the massive amount of people having fun was great, meeting some of the more dedicated fans was awesome. Rayquaza & Ho-oh heads, the heroes from Pokemon SoulSilver & HeartGold, hell even Red was there to join in on the fun. They were prime examples of a true blue Pokefan, and they were fun to talk with too! Hours go by and the store remains steadily packed. Pokelove goin all around.
Best of show?
Overall, this was probably the most packed event that the Nintendo World Store held this year so far. One of the most fun too. Can Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Metroid Other M top this? Who knows. But you can bet that I’ll cover them both.
Today marks the day thousands of Pokemon fans kick it into overdrive for the release of the latest Pokemon games, HeartGold & SoulSilver. Nintendo held a event for the 2 games at Toys R Us Time Square Station, setting up a little road to show off and demonstrate the Pokewalker. Sadly, the rain decided to hate Pokemon today and it poured randomly from a drizzle to a heavy shower, limiting the amount of tours.
Rain will not stop the Pokewalk?
But the rain won’t stop this Pokefan! I recorded one tour just for those who couldn’t make it, braving the rain in my poorly equip poncho. Check out the first part of the tour below:
You can check out Part 2 here, as well as a littlefunny video when the guide tries to catch a Pokemon via the Pokewalker. As the tour finished, a representative from Nintendo asked the group to do it over again, for a official press video. After a few re-takes and joking around, the deed was done and I pretty much finished everything that was worth doing there. I guess the rain cut some of the extra activities planned for the day.
Did I meantion Pikachu was there too?
Before going into Toys R Us with my friends to buy the game, I spotted someone I didn’t expect to see: RawmeatCowboy of GoNintendo fame! It was great to meet him and the rest of the crew again, and was arguably the highlight of this event.
Left to Right: Me, Drzgamer, RMC & Johnathan
With that meeting over and done with, my crew entered the Toys R Us and picked up HeartGold for Johnathan. Next stop, Nintendo World to pick up SoulSilver for me & Drz! Thankfully the rain died down from there on out. A few blocks later, we entered the Nintendo World Store only to be greeting with a huge line! Even if you preordered you still had to wait. While in line the store blasted Pokemon tunes from all the games, even one of my favorites from Pokemon Platinum, the Battle Factory theme.
Not the longest line the store has had, but it was still pretty long!
Buying the game at both stores had swag-worthy benefits: Picking up the game at Toys R Us netted you a bonus DS accessories kit which included a Lugia & Ho-oh Styli, T-shirt, as well as a gold & silver DS card cases and a awesome microfiber screen cleaner. All of that, and it tops it off with a $5 dollar giftcard! Definately the best out of the 2 places to buy it at. When I picked up SoulSilver at Nintendo World, I got a HeartGold/Soulsilver bookbag and a Lugia & Ho-oh Pokewalker skins. I preordered as well so I get that impressive (but small) Lugia statue. Overall, Toy R Us wins in the extras department, but just getting the game with the bundled Pokewalker is great.
Great haul.
I played a bit of SoulSilver before putting this article up, and boy am I loving it so far. It really is a special treat to see Johto again, and the streamlined interface has polish up the wazoo. This is definately a game to get if you love Pokemon, especially if you played the original Silver & Gold on the gameboy.
Capcom held a mini-event at the Nintendo World Store in New York today, celebrating the release of Megaman 10 on WiiWare. Being the NWS junkie I am, I decided to check it out and see if I could score any sweet stuff!
A contender for "Most Awesome Poster of the Year" Award for sure.
The event wasn’t as packed as most NWS events ususally are, but the fans still showed off thier Megaman Pride. While I was playing a bit of the game at a kisok, a fan with an awesome homemade (I assume) plush of Sheep Man, and gave me little tips as I went along. After beating 2 Robot Masters, I left the demo and decided to pick up a 2000 point Nintendo Points Card. If you did this at the event, you would get this RAD poster and AWESOME T-shirt. A good time overall! If you want to see more pictures from the event, please check out the flickr set I put up here.
Next stop, Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver launch event! My sources tell me this time the event is at the Toys ‘R’ Us in Times Square instead of Nintendo World this time around. You can count on me being there! (Even thought my preorder is at NWS…thanks, guys. >: [ )
Flipper tells a very simple tale of a boy and his quest to save his titular goldfish, Flipper from the evil intentions of ghosts, pirates and robots. Simple as that sounds, don’t let it fool you: Flipper is definitely one of the most charming and unique games on the service.
On your quest to save Flipper, you take control over the Boy on a 3D map. Using your stylus, you’ll have to lead the boy to Flipper to complete a level. However, the environment is not your friend here, with broken bridges, landmasses and enemies keeping you away from you beloved pet. This is where the game comes in, giving you tokens which you can pick up to give yourself abilities such as blasting away land, reform broken land/bridges and even add little pieces of land. You use all of these to help you solve the puzzle of how to get to your goldfish, with the game awarding you more points the less tokens you use.
Only you can save Flipper by blowing land up!
The game is fully controlled via the touch screen, with some buttons optionally used as shortcuts. (D-Pad to move around the camera, holding L to activate powers, etc) These work well in the games favor, so any failures is on you and you alone. The game takes you around 4 worlds as you journey to save your goldfish, each world with a unique theme. The game’s charm really shows here, especially with each world’s music theme. The tunes in this game are really fantastic, as well as some of the spritework for the boy and the baddies. Each world contains 4 normal levels, a bonus level and a unlockable star level when you collect all the hidden stars in each world. (Adding an extra goal to look for while in stages) All this adds up to 24 fun levels in this 3D Puzzle Platformer.
Hidden Stars can mostly only be found by making good use of your powers.
Flipper’s premise may not be the most exciting thing ever, but it proves that not everything has to try to be epic in order to fun. It’s definitely a game I recommend to any DSi owner looking for something new, especially those into puzzles with multiple solutions — which this game is chock-full of.
+ Great charm & music.
+ Controls work great, and the shortcuts are appreciated.
+ Multiple solutions and hidden stars push creativity and add challenge.
- It’s a little on the short side
Flipper was purchased from the DSiWare Store and played to 100% completion, grabbing all of the hidden stars and replaying some levels to get higher scores.
