Wii's Price Range

It has been confirmed that the Wii will be priced below $250. This is great. Finally a console that is worth buying and at such a reasonable cost. I'm definitely getting one. Well that's all for now as there is pretty much no more news on this subject. Zam, out.

Game Boy, Discontinued?

Is Nintendo discontinuing the world famous "handheld market owner" the Game Boy? It is not sure, but it is sure hinted. In a Reuters interview with Nintendo's Big Plumber Satoru Iwata this past Monday, Iwata had this to say:

I would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance, considering the strong support DS is now enjoying.

People are thinking they are completely turning the emphasis to the DS and keeping the Game Boy in the background. Especially due to the fact the Game Boy was a no show at the Nintendo booth at E3. Although the discontinuation doubtful because so many games are still being released for it, it is still possible. Zam reporting.

Hands-On with Test Drive Unlimited (PC, 360, PS2, XBOX, PSP.. I think)

When I heard the idea, it sounded awesome. Make a racing game that was Massively Multiplayer. They called it Test Drive Unlimited, and I finally got to play the 360 version. Sadly, I'm a little disappointed. First thing you notice is that the graphics aren't very next gen. The cars look great, but the environments don't. Sure, it's a MMO, but I think they could have made it look a little better. The good thing is there's still a little while to go for it to be done. Once you get past that, you notice a bunch of small things. The fact that you can open the doors on your car, roll down the windows, and own a house is pretty cool. You then pick a car, and you head out. The setting is Hawaii, and frankly, it gets a little bit boring. Everything looks remotely the same. I wish they'd have spread it out a little bit. Maybe one area in Alaska, one in Hawaii, one in France or someplace like that, and one in New York. Anyway. Even though the graphics aren't great, the damage is. It's really fun plowing into other cars and seeing them tear apart. Hmm.. what else? Well, the cars could control a bit better, but they're not horrible. Another thing that pisses me off is the police. Any time you hit a car, even if you graze them by accident, the police radio comes on. And BOY is it annoying as hell. They say the same things about 1,000 times an hour. When they finally decide to come get you, if you hit them and stop to get around a tree, you get caught. Even if their car is off the side of a cliff, a video plays of you getting captured and having to pay a fine. Sadly, there weren't many races available in the version I played. However, there were a few other players on, and I drove along with them, but it wouldn't let me challenge them. So, right now, it's not looking good. However, I have enough hope that the MOOR idea might be awesome, so I'll still give it another chance. I'd love to have a car club with motorcycles and all sorts of cars that cruise around together. So, keep your eyes out if you really like racers, but otherwise, I think you can pass TDU.
Ton, out.

The Wii-mote's breaking out its big guns

IGN predicted it in slightly different form, and it's finally here. THE WII PISTOL! You have no idea how excited I am about this. I mean, c'mon, making a gun attachment for a controller like the Wii's with how many shooters there are now, isn't it a duh kind of thing? Anyway, it's this thing you just slide your Wii controller into that looks like a pistol. It has an analog stick on the back for movement and all the buttons on the Wii controller on top. It's codenamed the Zapper by the way. I was hoping and praying that they'd be smart and make something like this, and well, Nintendo ain't stupid.

-Ton

Wii Games, Sounds Like Fun

Now with every E3 comes new games and game announcements. The Wii finally revealed some great new games that incorporate its great new sensor controller. In this post, I will tell you about them and some other aspects of the Wii that has to do with the games. Enjoy Wii Mania!

Wii Sports
Ever wanted to play golf or baseball with a small white remote that has a word on it that sounds fun yet wrong at the same time. Well now there is Wii Sports. Wii Sports is a new series of sports games that you do by swinging your Wii remote. The games announced so far are golf, baseball, and tennis. With the Wii remote, this is going to feel awesome and real at the same time. You play the games same as you would if you were really playing, by swinging the remote to represent the racket, or club, or bat. Now the graphics of these games are a bit cartoony and remind me of those Backyard sports games that features those kids playing. But still, this is gonna put a whole new twist on sports games.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Mini-games, the things that make the gaming world go round. If you ask any gamer what the best game for mini-games is, they would have to say any of the WarioWare games, and guess what, they're getting better. WarioWare: Smooth Moves for the Wii is a new edition of the popular mini-game series. This game is going to be based on remote movement. That is how you play the game, of course. From the current screen shots, they look like some classic games mixed with new ones. Over 300 fast-paced games and all you need is a remote. Nintendo is saying it is as fun to watch someone play it than playing it yourself. This is definitely one to check out when the Wii is coming out. Wiiiiiiiiii!

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Hey, wanna save a beautiful princess using a sword that is controlled by a remote? Well here's your chance. I know Ton has been waiting for months and months to find the outcome of this new edition to the series, and today it has been reported. It will be released on the Wii's release date along with a Gamecube edition. The story is the same, if you want to hear about it, check our archives.

Super Mario Brothers Galaxy
Mario has been everywhere and done everything. From playing sports, to battling koopas, to kicking Bowsers a**. Now he's in a new area, outer space!! Yes, Mario is in space and he wants you to control him with your remote. Now I don't want to tell you much about this now because Ton will have a whole post in its own about this title, but it's probably going to be good. We will see.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
This is the latest in the Metroid Prime series. This game is pretty much the same as the other ones, but it is a whole new take on 1st person shooting. We might have a post on this in the future, but for now, it seems to be Metroid Prime: Hunters with a remote. Probably good though.

Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
In the future, robots are destorying the United States. Only one thing can save them, a cyborg, carrying a giant hammer! Project H.A.M.M.E.R. is a game that has you playing a cyborg with a giant hammer. You, of course, control this hammer with your remote and smash all of the enemies you can. Sounds great and takes complete advantage of the remote.

Disaster: Day of Crisis
Natural disasters, such horrible things, but what about when a ton of them all attack the United States at once, and you need to survive. You get Disaster: Day of Crisis for the Wii. You have to swim, drive, run, and other things to get away from these, all using the remote. Can you survive?

Excite Truck
Liked ExciteBike? Then you're gonna love ExciteTruck. It's pretty much the same thing but with a truck. You control the truck with your remote and drive on jumps on mud paths. Sounds like fun and with this remote control system, it ought to be.



And the disk will look somewhat like this:

Well, that's all from Wii Game News, stay tuned for more Wii Mania.

-Zam

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!! A SNES Style Wii Controller!

Wiiiiiii, Nintendo has decided to give a tribute to (one of my favorite consoles) their old console the Super Nintendo (also called the SNES, Super NES, and Super Mario Playing Machine 2.) This controller is sweet. It's sleek and white and takes you back to the old-school gamer days. Yes, those days when games were just starting to look awesome and there were mostly 2D games. Back when people had to stock up thinking Earth was going to explode in 2000. Well people, the Earth didn't explode, but Nintendo's popularity has. This controller will mostly be used for the games downloaded from The Wii's "download 20 years of Nintendo games" internet thing (yeah I know, I almost forgot too.) But it is also for gamers that don't want to move their hands everywhere to move a camera, they just want the old analog stick style. They're calling it the Wii Classic Controller. No sensors, but it has pretty buttons. So it is a bit classic. And it is a bit overcrowded, but awesome. And it says Wii!! So that's all from the Wii now, stay tuned for more Wii News.

-Zam

PS3 Online, IT'S FREE!

After the PS3 price announcement that made you sell your car and your sofa [*sniffle* I loved that sofa], they're trying to get forgiveness. It could possibly work too, because they're giving you their XBOX Live clone for free! Sure, if you don't use online, this is lima beans to you, but if you do, this could make up for the price of the PS3. Think about it. They're saying 5 years for the 360 and PS3, so instead of buying 5 years of XBOX Live, you pay $600 and get free internet. I guess that'll make up for the high price. Though, not everyone uses online.... Ah well, good move Sony.

Note: Yeah, the pic sucks. Couldn't find a better one with the new controller though. Sorry.

-Ton

E3 Mania: Halo 3 Announced!!! And A Teaser Trailer!!

That's right, the long rumored game has been announced and a trailer has been released. This game was rumored so many times saying it wasn't going to be made, but we knew it was. The graphics have been revamped and look incredible. The short teaser trailer hints that this is the end of the world (oh, like we haven't heard that before.) But seriously, if anyone can make the topic of the world exploding, its the Halo series. At the end the little hologram girl says, "This is how the world ends." So, its gonna happen. The game is gonna be the best seller of 2007, definitely. Halo 2 blew everyone's mind away, now imagine Halo 3. This is going to be awesome. This game just deserved its own post.

Watch Trailer : Download Trailer

News will be coming in and we will post all day, so stay tuned to GM2.

-Zam

Nintendo's DS press conference

Nintendo had their DS press release today, but nothing much came out of it except the games though. So I’ll hit on the big games right now:

First we got Diddy Kong Racing DS. Didn’t get much out on this one yet, but it’ll probably hit the floor tomorrow. Judging by how good Mario Kart DS was, and the fact that this will probably be somewhat like it, I bet we got something good headed our way.

Then there’s DK: King of Swing DS, which is a sequel to the GBA game that had the motion sensors. Could be cool, I don’t know.

Now, DS Air looks interesting, but not in a good way. It’s a flight sim for the DS, which knowing flight sims, would be even more complicated then the DS racing games, which have all sucked. I’d just like to see how they’re planning on doing the controls.

Then there’s a new Kirby game that doesn’t have a name yet. It’s going to give Kirby a ton of new copy abilities. And there will be a bunch of minigames. Not much else known, but something to keep our eyes on.

And of course we have Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Apart from what was already known, they announced that almost all of it will be stylus driven, which pwns. They also said it will have a 2-player race kind of game.

Next up is Mario Hoops 3-on-3 coming on September 11^th. Pretty obvious what it is, the question is, how will it control?

Just a few more left. Mario vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is action-puzzle hitting September 25th. Not much on it, except that you’ll be able to make your own maps and use them on Nintendo Wi-Fi, which is a nice addition.

I see something about a Yoshi’s Island 2, but no details, which sucks. Stay tuned to see if anything comes out on that one.

Last game we got is Starfox DS. Pretty much the 3D shooter that Metroid Hunters is, but with Starfox and the ability to fly Arwings. Just like most of the other games announced, it’s got the Wi-fi connection. Sadly, if it’s got the same controls as Metroid, I won’t be getting it.

-Ton

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

Brothers in Arms is a great WW2 series, and they’re headed next-gen. Now, if you’ve ever played one of the BiA games, you know they’re all tactical, and Hell’s Highway isn’t changing that. It sure as hell is changing a lot though. And let me tell you. It's all good. The setting is Market Garden, which if you don’t know, is in the middle of the Normandy invasion.

The setting isn’t what’s so cool though. The graphics and gameplay are. You can check the screens for the graphics. Amazing, eh? I know. Not only are they focusing on the actual people and gun graphics, but they’re working on shadows and other small things, that when brought together, make an amazing sense of realism.

They’re also adding something called “Bro-mo moments”. I guess it’s like slow-mo….. but bro… what exactly is “bro” speed anyway? Ohhhh!!!! “Bro-mo” is when you see little videos while you’re in the game, like in the trailer when you catch the soldier who gets shot. They’re redesigning the online as well, doing things like making more people be able to play in a single game. Not much else is known yet. Now I’ll explain the trailer if you don’t’ feel like dl-ing it.

It opens with a little WW2 footage about Market Garden, then goes smoothly into gameplay. The coolest part is when you advance into a street and these Germans attack from in a shop. One of your team-mates gets shot, and you catch him (Bro-mo). You then tell your team to lay fire down on the store, yell “SON OF A BITCH”, throw a grenade in, and watch the building explode. Yeah, the building almost comes apart. Brick, wood, and dust all fly out, which looks great. The same thing happens later when you’re going through a field. You shoot some clothes on a clothes-line and the bullets go through, killing a german. It also shows someone shooting up a shed, with all of the boards falling off, one… by one. It’s 1000 kinds of beautiful. Just like when the tank rolls over a jeep, making a screeching noise and slowly crunching it in.

You should really just dl the trailer actually. The cool thing is, the studio says that’s at least what the game will look like, maybe even better. I bet you want to after what I just told you about it. It’s coming in Q4, so keep watching.

Trailer - "BiA: Hell's Highway Official Trailer 1" is the one I watched

-Ton

Guess what? Sony didn't tell us what's really going on with the different PS3s

After getting some people happy that they're releasing a $500 PS3 with only 40GB less storage, they've just pissed those people off too. I mean, 40GB of storage doesn't cost $100. So, Engadget happened to stumble upon the real specs. Guess what? You miss a hell of a lot for $100 less. First, you don't get Wifi internet. Second, no memory card reader. And probably the most rage-inducing thing, no HDMI cables. That means that you're paying for the Blu-Ray player but you won't be able to get HD out of it. If that isn't a rip off, I don't know what is. Considering they didn't announce this in the press conference, I bet this will spawn some lawsuits. More trouble for Sony. And you know what? For not telling everyone this, they deserve it.
I mean, come on, if you're not going to make the Blu-Ray HD usable, then why bother? Make a version for $350-400 without Blu-Ray and one for $600 with it.
Also, another disappointment, the new PS3 controller won't have vibration because it "messes up the motion sensor". If that's what it does, how does the Wii have it?
If I don't buy a PS3 now, it'll probably be because Sony lied about this. And this basically means you have to get the $600 one to really use the PS3 for what it's supposed to be. Microsoft did it right, they released a lesser version, then they released a better one with some add-ons. Unlike the 360's Hard drive, Sony is making a lesser one without something that can't be added later, an HDMI port.
And Microsoft didn't lie.
So many questions, and I don't think Sony will be answering them.
I just have to say, Goodbye Sony.

-Ton

Sonic the Hedgehog (PS3, 360)

Why is Sonic the first game we preview from E3? Because he's blue, furry, and as of today, very, very shiny. This year is Sonic's 15th anniversary and Sega's celebrating with a next-gen Sonic game. Slated for release around the PS3's launch, it'll hit you on PS3 and 360. I don't have to tell you that it's going to look good, because you can tell from the screenshot. See? Sonic's shiny! It looks like he had a growth spurt too. He is turning 15 though, so it makes sense.

First of all, you need to watch this video if you like Sonic. Me telling you or showing you screens doesn't do it justice. Either dl it on your 360 from Live or get it off the net. But if you're too ignorant do that..... In the video released, they also show a princess and a white hedgehog. No, they're not Princess Peach and Frosty the Snowman. The princess's name is Elise, and she's the protector of the seaside town of Soleanna, where the game is based. Eggman then starts this big really stupid and evil plan and kidnaps Elise, and of course Sonic goes after her. That's as far as Sega's going to tell us for now, except that the albino hedgehog is out to kill Sonic.

To the gameplay part, Sonic's got his pimpin' moves from the other games, along with some new ones like being able to ride eagles, and a skid attack. Also, like the old 2D Sonic games, there will be a couple of paths through each level, which is definitely good to hear. They also added the ability to do sort of chores for people around the town, and travel to different towns. Somehow this reminds me of Sonic Adventure.... and it didn't work too well in that game. They pointed out that it will be much better then Sonic Adventure. Damn! I thought I had something I could laugh at them about. Ah well.

More good news is that you'll be able to play as the albino hedgehog, which sure as hell sounds fun. And before I close, Sega had one last trick up their sleeve. Online play! If they come through on it, I can't imagine how awesome that would be. Now it's time to wait until later in E3 to see more on it. My only thing is that like the last 3D Sonic games, there's a big chance that this one will suck. Let's hope not.

Gameplay trailers on Gamespot

-Ton

November 17th, the PS3 hits home. It's going to be a do-or-die thing, and it's looking die right now.

I would have thought Sony would've waited till later to reveal the PS3 price, but I guess they wanted to ruin the whole week for themselves. Guess what? It's expensive. Damn expensive. Wow Sony, you're dead. Should I just shut up and give you the news? Okay.

PS3 with 20GB Hard Drive - $500
PS3 with 60GB Hard Drive - $600 freaking dollars

I know that since it costs around $1000 to make, $500-600 seems cheap, but ask yourself if you're willing to pay $600 for a console. I didn't think so. Gee, Sony, why'd you have to kill yourselves with Blu-Ray. Not only did you kill the PS3, but you killed your high-def DVD format too.
At least there's some good news in it for the PS3. The controller's been updated:
It now has "6 degrees of motion sensing movement". Yes, they stole from Nintendo. It's going to be like a dimmed down Wii controller. Could help them a bit. It's still the boomerang though. And I just can't get around that. Literally.
Also, they showed off a bunch of PS3 games with some great graphics, but they could have been prerendered. Can't get them off of the net just yet sadly. They introduced Gran Turismo for PS3, Need For Speed Carbon, and quite a few others that I'm very excited about. More on the games in a short while though.
Not that it matters as the PS3 is dead in the water with that heavy price tag.

-Ton

E3 '06 Mania

Here on GM2 News Network, we will post all of the posts we originally posted on Gamer Mania 2 on here (whoa, a tongue twister.) So look out for them.

Nintendo DS Lite, Relase Date & Price Announced!!

Nintendo has finally announced the release date and price!! The release date is June 11th and the it will go for about $129.99. Now, with every good news, there is bad. The DS has been reported to only come in white on its first relesed and other colors will soon follow. Now everything is the same, no new aspects of the DS Lite not already mentioned.Not much more I can say, so there you go. We will update. So we just have to wait til June 11th to get our hands on that DS Lite.

Introducing... Wii.

As in "we."

While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that seperates videogame players from everybody else. Wii will put people more in touch with their games... and each other. But you're probably asking: What does the name mean?

Wii sounds like "we," which emphasizes the console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

Wii has a distinctive "ii" spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people playing it. And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of videogames that sets it apart from the crowd.

So that's Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because it's really not about you or me. It's about Wii. And together, Wii will change everything.


Wow. That was sure a sidewinder. Wii? Sounds like some kind of weird sushi. I really wished they just left it at Revolution. Sounds a lot cooler. Anyway, along with the "We" thing, they also brought up the fact that the iPod probably sounded weird at first, as did Google and many others, but now they're mainstream. They think the same thing will happen with the Wii. I actually think it's a good idea, and even though it's weird, I like it. Even though everyone thinks it's weird now, I bet they'll get used to it if the console goes over well, because the name doesn't really matter if the console kicks ass. I don't like the idea of saying "Okay I'm going to go play with my Wii" though. It just sounds stupid.

Official Wii Site

Check out the cool trailer there.