Conduit 2 Confirmed For Wii

The cover of the May issue of Nintendo Power reveals a sequel to the famed first-person shooter, The Conduit, is in development for the Wii.

While we are yet to receive a copy to confirm exact details, it appears SEGA will again be publishing the title. Conduit 2 is also said to feature a 4-player split screen competitive mode.

The first title sold modestly, shipping 150,000 units worldwide during its launch week. High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky told us in February the game has gone on to sell over 350,000 copies since then.

High Voltage Software is also working on another title, The Grinder, a multiplatform game due out late next year. The Grinder was originally a Wii exclusive title before it was revealed it would also be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Nintendo to launch 3D game console

Nintendo has unveiled plans to launch a handheld 3D video game console that does not require special glasses, seeking to harness surging interest in images that appear to jump out of the screen.

The Japanese electronics giant, which competes with Sony and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar video game industry, said the new machine, tentatively called the Nintendo 3DS, would be introduced some time by March next year.

The device will succeed Nintendo's DS series - the best-selling portable video game console ever with sales of more than 125 million units since its launch in 2004 - and will be compatible with DS games, the company said.

The announcement comes as handheld game consoles face growing competition from games available on mobile telephones such as Apple's iPhone.

Nintendo, the maker of the hit Wii games console, did not say how much the 3Ds would cost, promising more details in June at the annual E3 videogame convention in Los Angeles.

Consumer electronics makers are battling for a share of the market for 3D televisions and other gadgets, aiming to ride a new wave of interest in the technology thanks to recent movies such as sci-fi blockbuster Avatar.

Sony is also aiming to make its PlayStation 3 compatible with 3D games but, unlike Nintendo's planned device, users are expected to have to buy a new television and special glasses to enjoy 3D images.

Many experts think consumers are unlikely to rush to buy the premium-priced 3D TVs due to the need for special glasses and because many people have already upgraded to high-definition sets in recent years.

Nintendo is striving to reverse a decline in sales of the DS as well as the Wii home console, which has easily outsold the PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 since its launch in 2006 but has struggled recently due to a lack of new games.

Modern Urban Combat Coming to the Wii June 2010

O Games announces Marines: Modern Urban Combat the new squad based shooter, exclusively for the Wii, out June 2010.

Become a Marine in this compelling and realistic squad based military shooter, using the tactics and tools of the real US Marine Corps. Lead your squad through the deadly streets of Beirut and command them to their posts using the intuitive Wii Remote controls.

Play in co-operative multiplayer mode where a second player can join in as the rifleman and help player one in completing the missions.

Marines: Modern Urban Combat allows players to play as a Marine, using their real life tactics to lead a squad to win the war.

Marines: Modern Urban Combat is out for the Wii June 2010.

Will it be a rival for Call of duty reflex Wii?

Zelda Wii Vitality Sensor?

The Nintendo Wii isn't exactly short of peripheral hardware. While the Balance Board and MotionPlus are relatively self-explanatory and their uses pretty easy to comprehend, the Vitality Sensor has left a question mark over gamers' heads. Since its flagship game was announced last summer, things have gone quiet again.

That is until now, when Shigeru Miyamoto became the latest game developer to hint at the possibility of Vitality Sensor support for one of their upcoming games. Prior to receiving his Academy Fellowship award last Friday, Miyamoto spoke to games™, and offered the possibility that the new Legend of Zelda for the Wii could very well utilise the accessory.

"Whenever we are going to use any new device it is possible to expand the appeal to those who are new to the videogaming world. At the same time, however, it is also fun to think of ways in which we might apply that new technology to exisiting [sic] forms of gameplay – just like the way we are working on the new Legend Of Zelda together with Wii Motion Plus... So maybe you might like to ask me to incorporate the Vitality Sensor into Zelda so that as you become more scared, the enemies become even tougher."

With scepticism regarding the sensor device's ability to improve one's gaming experience, the Wii Vitality Sensor is going to have a lot to prove. It has to be a product that allows developers to come up with compelling uses for it in their games. Suda51 has already stated that he has ideas for using the device. What those ideas are he didn't reveal, but one thing's for sure; quirky applications are all well and good but if games don't offer compelling uses of the device, it will obviously fail. Although Miyamoto hasn't specifically confirmed that the new Zelda will use it, it's a step in the right direction for the sensor.

Metroid Other M Preview

Localisation manager for Team Ninja's take on the Metroid universe discussed the forthcoming Wii game at Nintendo's media summit.

Nate Bihildorf discusses some of the mechanics behind the new style, with Samus switching from classic side scrolling view to a more modern first person perspective to uncover more about her environment. He also goes into some basic plot and timeline details, certainly a treat for Metroid fans.

Ubisoft Release Red Steel 2 - Enemies Trailer

Red Steel 2 is out next week exclusively on the Nintendo Wii, and it looks to use Wii MotionPlus to really improve the experience and offering some definitive sword-fighting, gun-slingin' action.

To help promote this action, Ubisoft have released a new trailer which highlights some of the enemies that can be found in the game, and shows them in action against the game's brooding protagonist.

Definitely some mean looking guys, and you guys will get the chance to destroy them first hand next week. For now though, you'll just have to make do with watching the trailer below.

Zelda Wii confirmed for 2010?

Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway has suggested that the forthcoming Legend Of Zelda game will be released for Wii this year.

In an interview with Wired.com, Nintendo of America's executive vice president said that the website owed her a steak dinner for doubting that new Mario, Metroid and Zelda games would be released in one year.

Of course the release dates for Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M were confirmed (June) at Nintendo's media summits this week but Dunaway believes that Nintendo will enjoy a good second half of 2010 as well.

"One of the things that's true for Nintendo is that we're not driven by a calendar for our release dates. When the games are ready to go, when the quality is perfect, that's when we release.

"We all benefit if we can keep a pretty steady pace, so the development teams have worked hard to make sure that we've got a full lineup this year. If you compare the first half of 2010 with the first half of 2009, it's night and day. And from some of the things that Mr. Iwata has talked about, and that we will talk about at E3, like Zelda, you know that we're going to have a good back half of the year, as well."

With new Mario, Metroid and Zelda games pencilled in for 2010, could this be one of the best years ever for Nintendo fans?

Nintendo DS 2 Rumours

Website RPAD dig up information on Nintendo's handheld successors at the Game Developers Conference, they spoke with several third-party developers, and according to their findings the DS2 look a lot like current Nintendo handheld, only with better screens and better performance.

•The system has two screens, just like the DS, but they are bigger and higher resolution. I’m sure most of you could have guessed that, but the interesting part is that the gap between the two screens is negligible. Developers will be able to use them as one giant screen.

•The next Nintendo handheld has an accelerometer.

•The dev kit is similar in power to the GameCube. Developers that worked on GameCube or Wii games will find it easy to create with. I found this information unusual. The DS successor is rumored to use an Nvidia Tegra chip, while the GameCube and Wii have PowerPC CPUs and ATI GPUs. The people familiar with the dev kit made it sound like there wasn’t much of a learning curve on the new system.

•The developers I spoke with will be finished with their games before the end of the year. The Nintendo DS is still going strong and the company could delay the next handheld’s release if it wanted to, but it looks like an E3 2010 announcement and a late 2010 release.

Take this as a rumor, since the info is not coming from Nintendo, but as of right now these DS2 rumors sounds very interesting and on the same line of previous rumors. E3 is at the next corner, so stay tuned!

NBA Jam Wii Debut Trailer

EA Sports has popped up the debut trailer for its modern take on the classic arcade hit, the slightly wacky basketball sim, NBA Jam.

The new version takes many elements from the fan-loved original outings - exaggerated players, iconic commentator catchphrases and epic slam dunks. NBA Jam is currently a Wii exclusive, penned in for a fall 2010 release.

2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Nintendo Wii Trailer

2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Nintendo Wii Trailer

Preview: Red Steel 2 (Wii)

What's the game about?

Fusing the Wild West and Japanese Samurai culture, Red Steel 2introduces you to a new protagonist in the franchise. He's equipped with the obvious essentials for such an environment: a sword and gun. Our hero unfortunately wakes up without any knowledge of his name, whereabouts, or why he's facing hostility. His objective is to discover all of these unknowns by blasting and cutting up anyone that gets in his way.
The story begins with you witnessing a stranger tie up your ankles, and then suddenly dragging you across a desert. Why? Yeah, you don't know. No matter, you're thrown quickly into the fray without time to think. The first level's environment mixes a blend of cacti and dirt with varying structures covered in hiragana and katakana. It's up to the player's discretion when to chop his nemesis into pieces or blast him in the face.

What's new for E3?

It's the first time we've had a look at this game and how it implements the Wii MotionPlus. For example, when aiming the Wii-mote off-screen, the farther you stray, the faster the camera will rotate. Also, the game differentiates between light and strong sword attacks; the harder you swing, the deadlier your sword's gash is. The game will also include various mini-games throughout the story. Although we are only aware of one so far, it does take the utmost advantage of the controller's capabilities. When picking a lock, the controller is held near the ear while rotating it to listen for the right time to pick.

What's our take?

This game is much better than its predecessor. Fighting your way through clusters of menacing foes with an ulterior motive to kill you is kind-of enthralling. And don't think you can make your way through the game by just spamming moves with just the sword or gun; enemies will have certain vulnerabilities which require appropriate weapon use. In one particular moment, a samurai with full body armor needed his breast plate knocked off with a strong swing of the sword-bullets bounced off him and light sword attacks did nothing. And we're eager to see how many more unique mini-games will be available.

NHL 2K11 to release on Wii only

In a clarification of the absence of the series from their annual investor call Take-Two announced that NHL 2K11 would be a Wii exclusive.

For the PS3 and 360 versions, 2K is taking a year out to make sure that NHL 2K12 will be more than a match for the competition.

Take-Two told Joystiq: "We have decided to reevaluate our NHL strategy and will only be releasing NHL 2K11 for the Wii in fiscal year 2010. We want to become a stronger competitor in this category and taking a year off on PS3 and Xbox 360, while focusing on making the best possible game for Wii, should allow us to accomplish that goal."

Mega Man 10 Review

One of the most common themes in discussions and arguments among gaming aficionados is the idea of endless industry progression. Games are supposed to become more and more beautiful as time goes on. Accompanying soundtracks are supposed to become increasingly epic. Storytelling should become more seamless and enthralling. Ingenious methods of gameplay are expected to push us into the great unknown of the medium. And that's fine. For the most part, such notions are what keep our beloved industry trucking forward, dropping jaws and bloodying thumbs in the process. But when you play a game like Mega Man 10, delivered by Capcom to its old-school fans as yet another offering following the 2008 release of Mega Man 9, you realize that stagnation and regression can be good things, too.

Mega Man 10 is a game for the core Mega Man franchise's many fans, and its appeal inherently sits with its backwards-looking approach. There's nothing new about Mega Man 10's tech, delivery or gameplay. The title looks, sounds, feels and plays like the very first Mega Man game released twenty-three years ago on the NES. While Mega Man 7 (SNES) and 8 (PSX/SAT) deviated from the 8-bit path, and ended up disappointing many an ardent fan as a result, Mega Man 9 returned to the series' roots, and Mega Man 10 stays firmly on that same path. And that's a good thing, because the 8-bit world is where Mega Man truly belongs.

For those gamers unfamiliar with the premise of the core Mega Man series, it goes a bit like this. A group of powerful robots are created by Doctors Light and Wily to help humanity in various mundane tasks. Dr. Wily turns on Light and reprograms most of these robots to do his bidding, but one of these robots, Mega Man, quickly throws the kibosh on Dr. Wily's nefarious plans (as played-out in the original Mega Man game). In each of the next eight games, from Mega Man 2 through 9, Dr. Wily returns in one fashion or another, this time with robots he's engineered or corrupted, in endless attempts to take over the world, and to kill Mega Man in the process. He never succeeds, which is what makes Wily one of the more persistent and humorous foils in the realm of gaming. But he keeps on trying nonetheless.

Mega Man 10's story attempts to turn things on its head yet again, with Dr. Wily appearing to not be behind the robotic attacks at the center of the plot (and we won't spoil whether or not that's actually the case, but we're pretty sure you've got a good idea if you played, say, Mega Man 4, 5, 6 or 9). Instead, a robotic virus known as Roboenza has wreaked havoc, and some of these corrupted robots are attempting to take over. But no matter which direction the story dashes towards, Mega Man's gameplay and aesthetics remain the same as they've been for a long time. And for a title like Mega Man 10, gameplay is king.

Rating Description out of 10:

5.0 Presentation
Mega Man 10's many menus are admittedly low-key and entirely text-based, but the game's presentation isn't what's important. It's what's underneath the surface that matters.

8.0 Graphics
Mega Man's graphics should be scored based upon the specific look they were going for, and as you know, the Mega Man titles on the NES were some of the console's prettiest.

8.5 Sound
Mega Man MIDIs remain some of the most famous and well-loved musical tracks in gaming history. There are some real gems on Mega Man 10's soundtrack that continue that proud tradition.

9.0 Gameplay
Gameplay is king, and Mega Man 10 has it down to a tee. Everything about it feels like an NES Mega Man game, and that's exactly what Inti-Creates was going for.

8.0 Lasting Appeal
Assuming you can even beat it on normal difficulty, there's hard to worry about. And playing as Proto Man. And all of the Challenges and Time Attack stages. Whew!

8.5
Great OVERALL
(out of 10)

New Call of Duty Title Announced

Activision has announced Sledgehammer Games, a newly formed studio led by former Visceral Games executives Glen A. Schofield and Michael Condrey, will develop a new Call of Duty title that will "extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre."

The publisher also confirmed it will release another Call of Duty title in 2011, but it's unclear as of now if this is the same title Sledgehammer is currently developing. This leaves the door open for another studio, possibly Infinity Ward, to develop the 2011 title. We've asked Activision for clarification.

The company also confirmed Treyarch is handling development on the Call of Duty title to be released this fall. Meanwhile, Infinity Ward is still set to develop and release the first two downloadable map packs for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

"2010 will be another important year for the Call of Duty franchise," stated Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. "In addition to continued catalog sales, new downloadable content from Infinity Ward and a new Call of Duty release, we are excited about the opportunity to bring the franchise to new geographies, genres and players."

Activision also says it's looking to expand the franchise with the same focus seen in its Blizzard Entertainment business. This includes looking at "high-margin digital online content" and taking the series to "new geographies, new genres and with new digital business models."

The company has had "discussions with a select number of partners" to bring the franchise to Asia, one of the fastest growing online multiplayer regions.

And Mega Man 10's 3rd Playable Hero Is...

Mega Man 10 has just gone live in the American Wii Shop, and anxious fans are probably already busy blasting their way through the ranks of the eight latest Robot Masters. But with the arrival of the game itself comes the confirmation of another detail we've been waiting for since the sequel's announcement -- the identity of its third playable hero. Though the DLC option to be able to download him has not yet gone live and we still don't know when it will, we now know that when it does we'll be able to play as Bass.

Did you guess correctly?Calling up the game's Operations Guide in its WiiWare edition confirms that "Bass Mode" will be the first piece of DLC to be made available for Mega Man 10. It'll cost 200 Wii Points (or two dollars) to download him, and the Guide additionally confirms that he'll have the ability to shoot in seven directions -- meaning his moveset is likely based (get it) on what it was in Mega Man & Bass on the Game Boy Advance. That's pretty much what we expected, back when we were speculating the possibilities.

The game's Operations Guide also pulls back the curtain on the rest of Mega Man 10's upcoming DLC. We'll once again be able to access an Endless Attack mode for three bucks, as in Mega Man 9, and there will additionally be three Special Stages made available for purchase for one dollar apiece. Mega Man 9 had just one Special Stage, headlined by a new Robot Master character -- Fake Man. Mega Man 10, though, claims that each of its Special Stages will have a new boss. Will we get three more new Robot Masters this time? Or will we see the return of some of the series' older, classic bosses?

I guess there are still some things to speculate about, even with the game now out. We'll have more details as soon as they're available, and hands-on impressions of how Bass fits into the Mega Man 10 mix soon too. In the meanwhile, we'll let you get back to blasting through the new game yourself.