Nintendo conference reveals 3DS, Wii and DS secrets

Nintendo yesterday announced that the new 3DS portable console would go on sale in Japan on 26th February, with a Western release date sometime in March. The Japanese price tag is ¥25,000 (£189) - although there's likely to be some mark up in price from there to here.

With all the information coming through Nintendo's Japanese headquarters it's been difficult to keep up with (and translate) everything, but you should find this video of all the top titles speaks for itself.

There's also a second video on Nintendo's Japanese website that illustrates some of the built-in features (except of course the 3D effect, which is impossible to replicate without an actual 3DS in front of you).

One feature not mentioned in the video is the ability to transfer your downloaded games from a DSi or DSi XL to the 3DS (the 3DS is backwards compatible with all DS cartridges as well). This option was notable by its absence in previous Nintendo portables, which meant your downloads were tied to the console you bought - not a moveable online account.

The bad news is Nintendo are warning that not all downloads will be moveable and there will be a limit on the number of times you can transfer them.

But while Nintendo still doesn't seem to entirely grasp the whole online thing they do appear keen on the concept of augmented reality games (things like Start The Party! and Invizimals where computer-generated graphics are superimposed on a camera view of the world around you). In fact they're releasing something called AR Games for the 3DS, although they haven't yet provided any real details.

The 3DS can also use QR codes (the square next gen barcodes that Japan has been obsessed with for years) and Nintendo has already been illustrating this with collectible cards that feature a code that when scanned unlocks new items or features.

In terms of actual new games though, the biggest news remains Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D and Mega Man Legends 3 Project from Capcom.

As for non-3DS news Nintendo did have a few announcements to make. The Wii will be getting its first taste of the surreal music game Rhythm Paradise, as well as a new entry in the Project Zero (aka Fatal Frame) survival horror series.

There's some confusion over what exactly the latter is, especially as Nintendo refused to release Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse in the West. The early screenshots suggest the new game may simply be a remake of Project Zero II on the PlayStation 2/Xbox.

Finally, Wii exclusive role-playing game The Last Story, from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, will be released on 27th January in Japan - although that probably says little about any potential European release date.

The only announcements for the Nintendo DS were a new Kirby game, where you get to control up to 10 of the little pink blobs at once, and a typing game called Battle & Get: Pokémon Typing DS - which comes bundled with its own wireless keyboard.

You Can Stop Waiting for Worms: Battle Islands on WiiWare Now

It's been a long old time since we heard anything about Worms: Battle Islands but we were expecting it to launch on WiiWare this month. Sadly, the downloadable service just got a little duller, as THQ has announced the game is on its way to Wii as a retail release.

The game is now scheduled to release in November.

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - Delivering an arsenal full of laughs, explosions and over-the-top turn-based strategy gameplay this November, THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that Worms: Battle Islands is currently in development for Wii. The franchise that has sold more than 25 million units at retail over its lifetime and provided countless hours of strategy fun returns with classic Worms gameplay, all-new extensive online multiplayer support, customizable weapons and environments to blow to bits. Worms: Battle Islands is being published through the THQ Partners program.

About Worms: Battle Islands
Rally your worm troops, plot to defeat your enemies and battle your way through 30 single-player campaign mode missions, 30 brain teasing single-player Puzzle challenges and five different multiplayer game modes on or offline as you fight to take control of a secret island Worms™ base. Packed with more than 40 different in-game weapons and utilities, a deep customization tool set that allows users to personalize their Worms appearance and create their own weapons of mass destruction in the weapon factory, Worms: Battle Islands will quench all gamers thirst for ammo and destruction.

TrackMania - Trailer - Wii

Itagaki Makes Curious Remark about Nintendo's Next Console

Wii is approaching its fourth birthday across the world, with no announced successor currently on the horizon. We know it's in development but there's been no clue as to its form or any such thing. So when an industry figure such as Tomonobu Itagaki, former head of Team Ninja, makes cryptic comments about the company's next home console it makes interesting reading.

Itagaki, whose new game Devil's Third was shown off at this year's Tokyo Game Show, spoke about how the game's technology was scalable so it could be brought across to other platforms. When quizzed if this meant 3DS, Itagaki responded cryptically:

More than that, although I can't say this easily because I don't have any information, it's possible that Nintendo could release a higher end console. Something like that.

Whilst admittedly there's precious little information there – it's a little more than possible that Nintendo will release a higher-end console – for a developer such as Itagaki to be developing his latest game with one eye on the future console is perhaps a hint it's on the way sooner than some might believe. Or he genuinely has no information and is just speculating, or possibly a combination of both. We'll have to wait and see.

GoldenEye Online to Keep You Addicted with Killstreaks, Perks and More

Ah, Activision: we should have known you'd come up with this. Whilst its Call of Duty series continues to devour gaming hours like nobody's business, the publisher has taken some of the series' winning elements and slotted them neatly into upcoming Bond 'em up GoldenEye.

Not only will the game feature an online experience system opening up new perks and killstreaks as you level up, there's also online-only game types including GoldenEye Control, an objective-based scenario that tasks you with nabbing several stations in order to fire the titular laser into your opponents' base. If that doesn't sound like your idea of a good time, perhaps this isn't the game for you.

Anyone wanting to play offline will still be able to have a good old knees-up, with Melee Only channelling the classic slap-happy game type, plus Golden Gun offering one-hit kills to anyone sharp enough to nab the eponymous firearm. Developer Eurocom is promising 17 different modifiers, including Invisibility, Tag Mode and Paintball as well as 50 characters to choose from, hopefully paving the way for plenty of split-screen gaming goodness.

GoldenEye 007: Blowing Up Helicopters and Jungle Fever

Sometimes, James Bond sneaks into a hostile situation without being detected, noiselessly disposing foes wherever he goes. And other times, the secret agent feels like tearing down an entire city in his wake.

Graham Hagmaier, a producer at Activision, explained that giving the player options in the way Bond tackles a level was one of the main goals for the project.

“One of the big keys [for developer Eurocom] in regard to game design is player choice,” said Hagmaier. “[The game] has multiple routes through areas, so you can take the stealthier route and kind of use close-quarter combat — such as takedowns. Or you can go in guns-a-blazing — American style, as I like to call it — and just firefight and take out enemies.”

Nintendojo reported a new level starts with Bond, in a tank, chasing an automobile. You can hear Daniel Craig as Bond in a voice over, detailing the events happening. Craig’s performance sounds top-notch, equivalent to something straight from a movie. But before you hear too much from 007, a helicopter blows a bridge sky high, leaving you without a tank and a lot of ground to catch up.

The pursuit that follows displays the impressive visuals for the game. The tank smashes everything in sight, like cars and enemy trucks. Even better, the armored vehicle blasts through cement pillars underneath buildings throughout the level. But that’s not all. Huge skyscrapers and buildings tumble down, blanketing the ground with dust and rubble. The effects are pretty stunning, and the frame rate seems to hold steady.

The cause of this destruction rests with an army of trucks and helicopters attempting to stop Bond in his tracks. The whirlybirds flutter above in the sky, launching missiles at the secret agent. The missiles display realistic smoke trails, and then boom, spectacular fire explosions. Once again, the graphics are definitely something to talk about.

As for destroying these enemies, you have the tank at your disposal. You primarily keep your foot on the gas moving forward with the control stick, with the right analog stick navigating your reticule (with missiles and a submachine gun). Obviously, the game was demoed, once again, with the Classic Controller Pro.

GoldenEye 007’s single player campaign looks to be a pretty spectacular experience. The level showcased some memorable and stunning scenes, as well as capture the Bond feel and look. The developer Eurocom seems to be on the right track with James Bond’s adventure for Wii.

Wii Party Preview

Mario had a good run. After nearly a dozen games in the Mario Party series across the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and Wii, Nintendo's giving the plumber a break and putting its Mii avatars to work for the latest collection of four player mini-games. The Japanese version's been available for a few weeks now, but Wii Party is yet to release in North America & will hit shelves on October 4th.

Wii Party features 13 game modes that utilize approximately 80 different minigames that pit as many as four players against each other in both videogame challenges as well as physical competitions that use the Wii remotes in unique fashion.

Just like Mario Party, Wii Party's core experience is in a board game presentation. Roll the dice, walk the path, land on a space, and compete in a randomly selected mini-game. Unlike Mario Party, however, there's really only one board game map on this island – it resembles WuHu Island from Wii Sports Resort but officially the place has nothing to do with that location. For a little board game variety, there's another mode called Glob Trot where you'll wander around the entire world competing against other opponents instead of just a single volcano-and-dinosaur infested island in the middle of nowhere.

Nintendo's Next Console Will Leave You With Your Mouth Open

Is your mouth open? If it's closed, watch out, because Nintendo's next console will make you all slack jawed. But relax, we're a few years off. Go ahead, shut your yapper.

Whether it's been portables, controllers or even 3D, Nintendo has been a trailblazer. And according to Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto, that doesn't look like it will stop any time soon.

"At Nintendo we always have the obligation to surprise users with a new game console," Sakamoto told website 3D Juegos in a recent interview. "We have never done what others have. We prefer to create something new that catches attention, and I think this will continue this time as well. Surely the new Nintendo machine will leave you all with your mouth open."

Last year, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stressed the importance of surprising people with the new Nintendo console — more importantly, Iwata mentioned how it was important for Nintendo to include "meaningful" surprises for consumers. "As for timing," Iwata said at the time, "it may be three years from now, five years from now or eight years from now."

The Conduit 2 Delayed till 2011, Classic Controller Compatible

SEGA have confirmed that the upcoming sequel to High Voltage's alien shooter will be touching down in Q1 2011.

The second attempt at cracking the fairly sparse Wii FPS market was originally set to invade in November this year, but has been pushed into the early months of 2011 for unknown reasons.

It's highly likely though with Goldeneye 007 pumping bullets before Christmas, and around the same time as the original Conduit 2 launch, that SEGA felt it would be more appropriate to release the new game once the nostalgia dust has settled slightly.

According to Nintendojo, there's also been confirmation of Classic Controller (Pro) support for multiplayer, in addition to the regular Wii Remote and nunchuck.

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