Nintendo's Mario Lends His Voice to Help Holiday Shoppers

If you want people to know what gifts you want for the holidays, you need to speak up. And who better to help you speak up about your love for Nintendo DS games than iconic Nintendo video game character Mario himself?

Starting today, people can visit http://mariowishlist.varitalk.com and check off the Nintendo DS items they hope to receive for the holidays. After users provide some other fun information, your friend, relative or special someone will receive a voice mail or e-mail with a personalized message from Mario about what Nintendo DS gifts you hope to receive.

To provide even more shopping support, Nintendo's holiday Web site is there to help both gift-givers and gift-getters streamline their shopping lists, by offering information about Nintendo DS systems and games. To check it out, go to http://giftcenter.nintendo.com. If you're the one doing the shopping, you can browse through the holiday Web site based on the type of gifts enjoyed by the person you're shopping for, such as the Mario fan, the music groupie or the puzzle fanatic.

But let's say you're the one doing the receiving. The holiday Web site will help you build a wish list and send it as a hint to your loved ones in an e-card with special holiday designs. This feature will be available through the end of December.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Malls Nationwide Feature Wii Music Street Performers

Live musical performances have always been a fun part of the holidays. This year, Nintendo will be making spirits bright at family destinations and retail locations across the country with bands of street performers demonstrating Wii Music.

Now through the end of the month, the family trio of music-makers will entertain shoppers by turning the Wii console into a musical instrument with Wii Music, the new music game from Nintendo. Wii Music contains more than 50 songs and lets players use more than 60 different instruments to make their music, from melodic steel drums to soaring trumpets. To play, players simply use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to make the same motions they would with a real instrument: Strum a guitar or pound the keys of a piano. The game challenges players to transform improvised notes into great music, while enabling the freedom to customize your song, instrument, genre, tempo and stage.

To find out where the street performers will be each weekend in November, please visit www.WiiMusic.com. This weekend's lineup is as follows:

Nov. 15-16

Atlanta: Perimeter Mall Toys "R" Us

Boston: Natick Collection

Chicago: Water Tower Place

Dallas: West Village

Los Angeles: The Commons (Calabasas, Calif.)

New York: South Street Seaport

San Francisco: Stonestown Galleria

Washington, D.C.: The Market Common Clarendon (Arlington, Va.)

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Maboshi's Arcade and Cue Sports

It's Monday, and that means one thing. WiiWare and Virtual Console updates for the US.

Maboshi's Arcade (WiiWare)Pool Revolution: Cue Sports (WiiWare)StarTropics 2: Zoda's Revenge (NES)

More WW/VC news on Friday with the European releases.

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Wii food order service

A new service has been revealed by Nintendo where Japanese gamers can order takeaway food through their Wii console. Big N has teamed up with Demae-Can, which offers a variety of meals including:

PizzaSushiCurry

Orders are said to arrive within around 30 minutes. For the indecisive, an on-screen roulette wheel can also be used to select meals at random. It launches in Spring 2009, but there are no indications this kind of thing will come to the US.

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Nintendo Creates a Place Where Everyone Feels at Home

The new Animal Crossing: City Folk game for the Wii console launches Nov. 16, allowing players to move into fun communities, customize their surroundings and interact with hundreds of animal characters. The world is filled with possibilities, and players never run out of things to do. They can collect more than 2,400 items like shells, fossils and bugs, or design new clothing patterns that they can share with their friends.

The new "city" area of the game provides access to the latest fashions and offers players the ability to give their character a Mii makeover at the hair salon, which transforms the character's features to look like the player's Mii. Players can also put items up for auction in the city and bid on items others want to sell.

"Animal Crossing: City Folk is all about building communities, customizing your world and staying in touch with friends and other characters," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "There's no ending, so people can keep playing for months and even years. It's an experience that everyone in the household can share together."

Up to four people can create characters and move into the same town. And using the Wii Speak accessory, players can voice chat with friends and family members around the world. The microphone sits atop the TV set and captures the voice of everyone in the room, providing for a more communal experience. People can now get together to chat with their distant loved ones, which is especially meaningful when they can't be together for the holidays. The microphone can also be used with the upcoming Wii Speak Channel, which launches in December.

The Animal Crossing: City Folk calendar passes in real time, so climates along with bugs and fish change with the seasons. Players can catch fireflies in the summer or celebrate Harvest Festival in the fall. If players use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to meet up with friends in other countries, they will experience the holidays native to the friends' cultures.

Animal Crossing: City Folk is a great value for the holidays because it can be enjoyed by everyone. The game never ends, which gives players months - or even years - of exploring and interacting with their virtual community.

Animal Crossing: City Folk retails at an MSRP of $49.99 and the Wii Speak accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99. Bundles of the game and accessory are also available at an MSRP of $69.99.

Animal Crossing remains one of Nintendo's most popular franchises. The original Animal Crossing for Nintendo GameCube sold more than 1.55 million copies in the United States alone, while the Nintendo DS version, Animal Crossing: Wild World, sold more than 1.75 million in the United States.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com. For more information about Animal Crossing: City Folk, visit Animal-Crossing.com.

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Nintendo's holiday 2008: Wii Speak Channel, Club Nintendo, more surprises

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 2, 2008 – Nintendo today disclosed a number of surprises, including new games, the ability to use the Wii console to chat with friends near and far, and the expansion of the popular Club Nintendo rewards program to North America.

Continuing its commitment to supply new game experiences for every level of player, Nintendo revealed a wide range of games for the 2008 holiday season and beyond. A number of games are slated for 2009, including a new Punch-Out!! and Sin & Punishment 2 for Wii, and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Mario & Luigi RPG 3 for Nintendo DS. Consumers also can expect a new "Personal Trainer” series of titles designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways.

Nintendo also announced that North American supplies of the Wii video game console between October and December will see a significant increase from 2007's levels, and that Nintendo DS will also be available in greater abundance than ever before.

"We have new games and new experiences for every kind of player this holiday season, and that will certainly fuel increased interest in Wii and Nintendo DS," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "While there's no way to gauge total demand for our hardware systems, we're trying to satisfy as many of those players as possible."

The new Wii Speak Channel arrives on Nov. 16 and uses the Wii Speak, a microphone that sits on top of your television. This accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99. People who buy the microphone are given a code that allows them to download the Wii Speak Channel from the Wii Shop Channel at no charge. The Wii Speak lets people in up to four locations who have traded Friend Codes chat with one another at no extra cost. When you use Wii Speak in real time, your Mii appears on your TV screen and mimics your chat. You also can leave audio messages for your friends and family members or use Wii Speak to narrate captions for your photos.

Gamers have longed for the expansion of Club Nintendo to North America for years, and now Nintendo is making it a reality for everyone. Club Nintendo rewards Nintendo loyalists who complete surveys and register Nintendo products with loyalty coins that can be redeemed for exclusive items available only to Club Nintendo members. Club Nintendo is set to debut in North America this holiday season.

Key software available for Wii this holiday season includes:
• Wii Music: It's a new Wii experience that launches on Oct. 20 and gives you the ability to play a wide variety of musical instruments by using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to mimic the motions used to play real instruments. Everyone in the family will enjoy jamming together, while music fans will enjoy creating their own fresh, stylized takes on a variety of songs. Songs range from classical favorites like Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," to pop hits like "Material Girl" or "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" to Nintendo standards like the Super Mario Bros. theme.

• Animal Crossing: City Folk: This game lets you live your life in a virtual community that's all your own. You can interact with the fun characters in your town, customize everything from your house to your clothing and even chat with other friends in the game using the Wii Speak. Animal Crossing: City Folk launches on Nov. 16.

• WiiWare delivers great new games directly to Wii consoles that are connected to the Internet. Nintendo's downloadable game service will see games like:

Tetris Party: This game will feature 18 game modes, including 10 never-before-seen single-player and multiplayer variations of Tetris. Some modes will use the unique capabilities of the Wii Remote and the Wii Balance Board. Strong Bad Episode 3: This third episode in the series features humorous story-driven game play, music-themed collectibles and achievements and an old-school side scrolling shoot 'em up mini-game, as well as a special celebrity guest appearance by rock gods Limozeen! World of Goo: This title is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game. Grab living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues. Cave Story: This title is an action-adventure game with new, exclusive content and features created only for the WiiWare version. Boingz: Developed by the award-winning studio NinjaBee and published by RealNetworks, Inc., Boingz introduces players to bendy, stretchy little critters who've found themselves scattered about an alien world. Using the Wii Remote, players can grab, stretch and fling the rubber-band bodies of the Boingz to bounce them around the environments and help them find their way home.

Key games planned for Wii in 2009 include:
• Punch-Out!!: Nintendo is reviving one of its most storied and popular franchises with the first new Punch-Out!! boxing game in 15 years. Players will once again follow the exploits of the up-and-coming challenger, Little Mac, and take on a series of opponents, including favorites from the past like Glass Joe and King Hippo.

• Sin & Punishment 2: The announcement of a sequel to one of the most popular Japanese import titles ever is a dream come true for avid Nintendo fans. This new sequel blends intuitive Wii Remote pointing controls with the shooting and sword-swinging game play that made the original an instant classic and fan favorite.

Some Nintendo products available this fall for Nintendo DS include:
• Personal Trainer: Cooking: This title launches on Nov. 24 as the first in Nintendo's new Personal Trainer series. Personal Trainer: Cooking includes more than 200 recipes from around the world and transforms the Nintendo DS into an electronic, interactive cookbook, complete with a glossary of terms and even instructional videos. In 2009, the Personal Trainer series will expand with Personal Trainer: Math, a collection of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division drills based on the Kageyama method. Meanwhile, Personal Trainer: Walking will introduce a wireless pedometer, letting consumers not only track every step they take, but also turn walking into interactive entertainment.

• Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia: On Nov. 10, this new installment in the Pokmon Ranger series allows you to use the power of Pokmon to protect nature and help people in need as you strive to become a Top Ranger. Use the DS stylus to encircle and capture Pokmon with the "Capture Styler" as you explore the vast new Almia region.

Key games planned for Nintendo DS in 2009 include:
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon: A reinvention of the original NES titles with revamped graphics and intuitive touch control, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon will finally introduce longtime fans to the stories that gave birth to the series nearly 20 years ago in Japan, while introducing the Fire Emblem franchise to a broader audience of strategy and chess fans. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon also reveals the back story of Marth, the original lead character in the Fire Emblem series introduced and made popular in North America by the Super Smash Bros. series of fighting games.

• Mario & Luigi RPG 3: The acclaimed Mario & Luigi series returns with another hilarious action role-playing game. Join the Mario Bros. as their travels take them far and wide.

• Rhythm Heaven: If you can snap your fingers in time to music, you're ready to play this simple but infectious rhythm game. Just tap your stylus on the touch screen to the beat of the music.

Nintendo has a strong lineup of legacy games and accessories that have continued selling well, even a year after they launched. These include Super Mario Galaxy, the Wii Zapper accessory, Wii Fit, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario KartWii. These five products are expected to remain in high demand as shoppers look for ways to make their holiday dollars go further.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about these and other Nintendo products, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Smash Bros to hit Virtual Console

A new report says that the N64 original Super Smash Bros will be coming to the Virtual Console in Japan in January. Over there it'll be priced at 1,200 points - but that could change when it arrives in other regions.

Upcoming VC gamesNintendo All Star! Dairantou Smash Bros. (Nintendo)Spriggan mark 2 (Naxat)Champion Wrestler (Taito)Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu 2 (Nihon Falcom)Fantasy Zone II Opa Opa no Namida (Sega)Zoids Mokushiroku (Takara Tomy)Getsu Fuma Den (Konami)


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New Nintendo DS Bundles Put a Colorful Spin on 'Black Friday'

The day after Thanksgiving might be known to holiday shoppers as "Black Friday," but this year Nintendo is rewarding eager consumers with two brilliant splashes of color. On Nov. 28, Nintendo will release a duo of limited-edition Nintendo DS bundles, each pairing a Nintendo DS game title with a hand-held system in a bold new color. The Mario Red Nintendo DS bundle includes a red system emblazoned with a familiar M for Mario, and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. The Ice Blue Nintendo DS comes with a custom carrying case and the popular Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. Each bundle sells at an MSRP of $149.99.

Expected to rank high on holiday wish lists among first-time gamers and veteran players alike, the Mario Red and Ice Blue systems are the latest additions to Nintendo's rich palette of distinctive Nintendo DS colors. As people across the nation make their way to malls and retailers for pre-holiday sales and events, shoppers are encouraged to act fast if they want to get their hands on these limited-edition bundles.

"Nintendo DS is both the most affordable and the most popular video game system in this generation," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "These limited-edition bundles make great gifts for first-time Nintendo DS players and collectors alike."

The Mario Red and Ice Blue DS bundles won't be the only stocking stuffers this season. Nintendo also aims to brighten the season for core and new gamers with its growing selection of Nintendo DS games. Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia and Kirby Super Star Ultra are already in demand among casual gamers and younger players. The new Personal Trainer: Cooking helps people become masterful chefs. And Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir keeps friends and families enthralled with a series of unique seek-and-solve puzzles.

For more information about Nintendo DS, visit www.NintendoDS.com.

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Two WiiWare Games and Two Virtual Console Games Added to Wii Shop Channel

Armchair physicists rejoice! The hotly anticipated award-winning World of Goo makes its WiiWare debut this week, inviting players to build infinitely fascinating structures out of Goo and uncover the mystery behind the World of Goo Corporation. Other cool additions to the Wii Shop Channel this week include Art Style: CUBELLO, the second installment in Nintendo's Art Style series, and a pair of classics for the Virtual Console: SECRET OF MANA and STREET FIGHTER II': SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION. Fun offerings like these are sure to heat up your October, no matter how low the autumn temperatures may go.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare
World of Goo (2D Boy, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone—Comic Mischief, 1,500 Wii Points): World of Goo is an award-winning, physics-based puzzle/construction game made entirely by two guys. Grab living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins and giant tongues. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore—but they don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious. World of Goo Corporation is contractually obligated to state that everyone is a winner, and is enthusiastic to celebrate everyone's Goo building opportunities equally.

Art Style: CUBELLO (Nintendo, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 600 Wii Points): Art Style: CUBELLO mixes the strategy and feel of a traditional puzzle game with the precision and reflexes required in a shooter. As each stage begins, various colored cubes form into one large object called a Cubello, which floats and rotates as you play. Launch additional cubes from your magazine and try to connect four or more of the same color, removing them from the Cubello and eventually leaving only its core. Take on the challenge of either Stage or Endless mode and watch what happens when Bonus Time is activated. The straightforward controls and goal ensure that anyone can play, while offering enough depth that even advanced players will find themselves quickly addicted to the unique world of Art Style: CUBELLO.

Virtual Console
SECRET OF MANA (Super NES, 1-3 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older—Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 800 Wii Points): Good and evil battle for a young warrior's heart. There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting this balance, spreading evil throughout the land. Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mana tree, which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored. In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Potions give power, black magic takes it away. Dragons fly, weapons change. It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana.

STREET FIGHTER II': SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen—Violence, 800 Wii Points): STREET FIGHTER II': SPECIAL CHAMPION EDITION was the first STREET FIGHTER game released for the Sega Genesis console. The STREET FIGHTER series can be considered one of the first fighting games to popularize competitive video game fighting. This version of the game contains both the CHAMPION and HYPER rule sets, from the two editions released in the arcades. It also introduced an exclusive Group Battle mode that is now a general feature in most fighting games. Play as one of 12 different characters, each with their own distinctive fighting style. Try single-player mode or challenge a friend in this legendary, classic fighting game.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.
For the latest WiiWare games, click here.
Click here for a list of games available on Virtual Console.

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Nintendo Launches Personal Trainer: Cooking For Nintendo DS

A new software title for Nintendo DS turns the world's best-selling portable video game system into an interactive cooking coach, complete with tasty recipes and video demos. Personal Trainer: Cooking for Nintendo DS contains more than 240 dishes from dozens of countries around the world. The DS Chef, a friendly electronic cooking instructor, walks users through each step to make sure every dish comes out perfect and delicious.

Personal Trainer: Cooking even includes videos of various cooking techniques, such as how to properly julienne vegetables. The touch screen interface helps budding chefs check ingredients on an electronic shopping list they can take to the grocery store. It also lets them search recipes based on ingredients, number of calories or cooking time. When a user's hands are too covered in the business of cooking to use the touch screen, the voice-recognition feature comes in handy: Just tell the DS Chef to move on to the next step or repeat the last one.

"Personal Trainer: Cooking is the first in a new line of Personal Trainer titles from Nintendo designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Whether you're cooking for yourself, your family or your friends, everyone in the household benefits from these tasty recipes for months and years to come."

Personal Trainer: Cooking also builds on the social aspect of food as well. Roommates can try out recipes together, or parents can involve their children in preparing dishes for the family. With a tap, users can even scale the quantity of their recipes based on the number of guests they expect.

Users can customize their favorite recipes. For instance, if a user thinks a recipe tastes better with a pinch of oregano, he or she can jot that note directly onto the recipe using the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen, and it'll be saved for the next time the dish is prepared.

In 2009, Nintendo will build on its Personal Trainer series with Personal Trainer: Math and Personal Trainer: Walking. For more information about Personal Trainer: Cooking, visit www.PersonalTrainerCooking.com.

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Experience Nintendo at a Mall Near You

Nintendo's nationwide mall invasion continues in full force. Already thousands of people across the country have seen and experienced the wide variety of Wii™ games available for the holidays. And later this month, Nintendo will give weary mall shoppers a break with massages, a relaxing atmosphere and fun Nintendo DS™ games.

Since Oct. 31, malls nationwide have included a nine-screen Wii presence featuring game demos and interactive game play. The Wii area helps people get the scoop on all the cool Wii games for the holidays and beyond, including Wii Music™, Wii Sports™, Mario Kart™ Wii, Mario™ Super Sluggers, Wario Land™: Shake It! and Super Smash Bros.™ Brawl. The Wii experience will be available through Dec. 29 at the following malls:

Brea Mall in Brea, Calif. Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Ill. Oxford Valley Mall in Langhorne, Pa. Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, Calif. Northshore Mall in Peabody, Mass. Mall of Georgia in Buford, Ga. The Galleria in Houston Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale, Ariz. Tacoma Mall in Tacoma, Wash. Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. Dadeland Mall in Miami FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield, Colo. Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh Washington Square in Tigard, Ore. Concord Mills in Concord, N.C. Castleton Square in Indianapolis The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, N.C. Opry Mills in Nashville, Tenn. Independence Center in Independence, Mo. Kenwood Towne Centre in Cincinnati Mayfair in Wauwatosa, Wis. Fashion Place in Murray, Utah North Star Mall in San Antonio Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, N.M. Barton Creek Square in Austin, Texas

And for people who have run themselves ragged while shopping, it's Nintendo DS to the rescue. Between Nov. 24 and Dec. 8, shoppers at six locations can look for the Nintendo DS spa area, which will provide an oasis of relaxation amid the chaos of holiday shopping. Visitors will be treated to cushy chairs, brief massages and the chance to de-stress by playing some Nintendo DS games. The menu of available games includes Brain Age™ 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, Mario Kart™ DS, Mystery Case Files™: MillionHeir™, Nintendogs™, New Super Mario Bros.™ and Crosswords DS. Participating malls include:

Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater, N.J. Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park, Calif. Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas Westfield Valley Fair in San Jose, Calif. Natick Collection in Natick, Mass. Lenox Square in Atlanta

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Nintendo Preps for Room-to-Room Voice Chatting

The new in-game voice chat function for Animal Crossing™: City Folk will be ready to go as soon as the game launches on Nov. 16, using the Wii Speak™ accessory. A separate Wii Speak™ Channel that people can use to chat independent of Animal Crossing: City Folk will be available in December.

The new voice chat function makes use of the new Wii Speak accessory, a microphone that sits on top of the television and allows entire rooms of people to communicate with one another. Only users who have traded Friend Codes can connect with one another using Wii Speak. The accessory is sold separately at an MSRP of $29.99 and will also be available as a bundle with Animal Crossing: City Folk at select retailers at an MSRP of $69.99. The Wii Speak accessory comes with a code that lets users download the Wii Speak Channel from the Wii Shop Channel at no charge.

The Wii Speak Channel will allow friends and family members to chat with one another, whether they live across town or across the globe. When users are chatting with the Wii Speak Channel, they can see each other's Mii™ characters representing them on the television screen.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com. For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Pokйmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Launches for Nintendo DS

The new Pokmon™ Ranger: Shadows of Almia action-adventure game for Nintendo DS™ launches today and lets players capture Pokmon in a fun, new way: by circling them on the touch screen with a "Capture Styler." Capturing a Pokmon allows players to use its abilities to overcome various obstacles and challenges they face along the way. As the game progresses the stylus-controlled Capture Styler is upgraded with new abilities.

"The first Pokmon games launched in the United States more than 10 years ago, and new fans are created every day," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "To date, the Pokmon franchise has sold more than 60 million games in the United States. Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia gives fans new challenges and new adventures."

In Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, players take on the role of a Pokmon Ranger, who works to help people, Pokmon and nature. Along the way, players meet and capture all kinds of different Pokmon who can help them overcome various challenges, such as fighting wildfires, rescuing people or delivering important packages. Different Pokmon have different powers that can help players as they progress through the game.

Players get to travel through a larger land, go on more Missions and experience more adventures than in the original Pokmon Ranger game. The game is set in Almia, a new region that has locations such as oceans, forests and deserts not found in the original game. Players can start the game as a boy or girl Ranger, and add up to 17 Partner Pokmon (special Pokmon that remain with the Ranger even after their powers are used) to their team as the game progresses. Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia features Pokmon from the Pokmon Diamond version and Pokmon Pearl version games (each sold separately).

For more information about Pokmon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, visit www.PokemonRanger.com.

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Nintendo's Wii Music Lets Players Unleash Their Inner Maestros

The sound of trumpets, the clash of cymbals and the thunder of drums herald today's launch of Wii Music. Just as Wii Sports attracted millions of new players to the world of video games and Wii Fit showed people that fitness could be fun, Wii Music creates a whole new genre in video games, one that lets players have fun experimenting with music as they strive to produce fun, masterful arrangements.

"Music is a universal language that inspires and moves people," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Wii Music provides a fun way for people to play together and be entertained while building a fundamental understanding of musical themes and rhythms. Wii Music can motivate people to learn real instruments or enhance their appreciation of musical performances."

Wii Music brings more than 60 instruments to your living room, where you're free to experiment with them in a variety of different ways. Unlike other music video games, Wii Music lets you put your own spin on songs. It's all about improvisation, creativity and fun. The goal is to explore your inner musician to find creative and interesting new blends of instruments, tempos and styles.

To play each instrument, you use the motion-sensing abilities of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers to mimic the real-life motions of instruments: bow a violin, strike a vibraphone or pluck a sitar. The controllers know if you're playing fast or slow, hitting the notes gently or really jamming. Musical novices can understand how to play and start carrying a tune instantly, while people who are really into music will have fun creating mixes, rearranging tunes and sharing them with friends.

Songs in the Wii Music catalog can be rearranged with different instruments for a virtually endless variety of sounds. Imagine putting a reggae spin on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" or turning pop favorites like "Every Breath You Take" or "Please Mr. Postman" into heavy metal tunes. The song list contains everything from American classics like "The Entertainer" to international favorites like "La Cucaracha." Video game fans will find several Nintendo favorites, like the themes from Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and even Wii Sports.

Wii Music builds on the social gaming trend that Nintendo has pioneered. Not only can up to four musicians jam together on the same song, but once you've created your masterpiece, you can send it electronically to friends and family members who have Wii Music so that they can bask in your musical mastery. After they've had a listen, they can take your arrangement and add their own flavor to it with new instruments or a different tempo and send it back to you. This allows you to jam together even if you are miles apart.

Finally, Wii Music includes a variety of mini-games that let players create music videos, conduct an orchestra, play in a handbell choir, test their musical ears or even rock out on a virtual drum set. Drum Mode lets you use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers as drumsticks to play like you have a real-life drum set. Drummers who purchase Wii Fit separately also can use the Wii Balance Board accessory as virtual pedals for the bass drum and the hi-hat cymbal. But the basic Wii Music experience does not require any extra accessories. All 60+ instruments and 50+ songs are included at an MSRP of just $49.99.

Remember that the Wii console features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

For more information about Wii Music, visit www.wiimusic.com.

Wii and Nintendo DS Top October U.S. Sales
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Wii and Nintendo DS Top October U.S. Sales

Wii and Nintendo DS topped the U.S. sales charts and combined to sell more than 1.29 million units in October. Nintendo sold 803,210 Wii consoles and 491,176 Nintendo DS systems in October, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. These figures bring the lifetime U.S. sales for Wii to more than 13.35 million and Nintendo DS to more than 23.02 million, extending their leads as the best-selling hardware of this generation.

Nintendo's total hardware unit sales represent a 25.7 percent increase over October 2007. They also account for 59.3 percent of the industry's total hardware unit sales.

Wii Fit, the game that combines fun and fitness, sold nearly half a million copies in the United States in October, six months after it launched. The lifetime U.S. sales for Wii Fit now total more than 2.83 million.

"Nintendo provides consumers with the best value not only among video games, but also among most entertainment options," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Nintendo also provides an incomparable range of experiences that everyone can enjoy, whether you've been playing for years or are just getting into video games."

Three games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top five best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit at No. 2 with 487,234 copies sold, Mario Kart Wii at No. 4 with 289,869 copies sold and Wii Play at No. 5 with 281,844 copies sold.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Monster Hunter G Wii port

Capcom has revealed that Monster Hunter G is being ported over to the Nintendo Wii, in addition to the brand new Monster Hunter 3.

Monster Hunter G was limited to a Japanese release on the PS2, although an updated port was brought to the PSP and released here under the name "Monster Hunter Freedom".

The Wii port is said to be 77% complete already, and will feature these things:

Widescreen support.Six varieties of weapon.Online content.


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Animal Crossing Costume Contest Gives Fans a Chance to Win Prizes, Exclusive Info

Fans of Nintendo's Animal Crossing franchise are some of the most loyal in the world. To reward them for their devotion to these community-building games and to get players fired up for the Nov. 16 release of Animal Crossing: City Folk for Nintendo's Wii console, Nintendo is hosting an outrageous animal costume contest.

Critter lovers can show their creativity by submitting the most original images of animals dressed in costumes or even as characters from the hit video game franchise Animal Crossing. The entrants of the top 50 photos in the "Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin' Costume Contest" will win membership to the exclusive Welcome Waggin' Committee. All committee members will receive a Wii video game system, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak microphone, access to exclusive information about the game and more.

Expanding on the popularity of the Animal Crossing series, Animal Crossing: City Folk lets every member of the household partake in the fun of a unique animal-filled town. Players use the simple controls of the wireless Wii Remote controller to customize their own characters and surroundings. And for the first time, players can take their adventure to the city, complete with shopping and theater excursions. It's also the first game to make use of the Wii Speak microphone, a new accessory that enables players to use voice chat over a broadband Internet connection. The Wii Speak microphone is sold separately.

Daily photo picks and details about the "Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin' Costume Contest" will be posted at www.WelcomeWagginContest.com. Entries will be accepted Oct. 27 - Nov. 16. For more information about Animal Crossing: City Folk, please visit www.Animal-Crossing.com.

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Two WiiWare Games and One Virtual Console Game Added to Wii Shop Channel

Sometimes you feel like a pinball, bouncing from one thing to the other. Do you spend time blasting things in outer space or just spend a quiet afternoon at home, redecorating? Fortunately this week’s Wii-kly Update doesn’t force you to make those tough choices.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare
ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS is the ultimate incarnation of the popular TurboGrafx pinball classic, Alien Crush. Boasting innovative game and control features, this is one Wii experience that you don’t want to miss. With all the ball-blazing simplicity and flipper action thrills of standard pinball, ALIEN CRUSH RETURNS has all the visual and digital elements that you’ve come to expect in a video game, including grotesque, eye-stunning playfields as well as unique Action Ball gimmicks that redefine the fun and excitement of pinball. You can even nudge the machine with your Wii Remote controller. What’s more, you can connect via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to enjoy a variety of features such as four-player head-to-head action, high score competitions and Extra Stage downloads.

Home Sweet Home (Big Blue Bubble Inc., 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Picture this scene... You move into your new home, and every room is perfect. Every room, except one. Here is the blank canvas for your vision, but you lack the know-how. Who do you call? The Home Sweet Home team! Home Sweet Home will give you the chance to unleash your hidden talents as an interior designer. You choose the furniture, patterns and colors to create a masterpiece that will blow your client away. With simple controls, a fun graphical style and an easy-to-use interface, Home Sweet Home allows you to nurture your creative side. Remember, a house is not a home until it is a Home Sweet Home.

Virtual Console
Space Harrier (Sega Master System, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): Space Harrier was originally released in the arcade in the 1980s, developed by AM2, which also developed OutRun and Afterburner. Space Harrier is widely recognizable by many arcade fans due to its distinctive, colorful art design and its fast-paced action. The SEGA Master System version is considered a solid port of the arcade game, containing 18 levels of intense fun. As the “Space Harrier,” you must fight your way through “The Land of Dragons” and defeat the bosses at the end of each level to restore peace to the land. Are you prepared? Get ready!

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.
For the latest WiiWare games, click here.
Click here for a list of games available on Virtual Console.

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Tiki Towers and Fun Fun Minigolf

Here are the latest WiiWare games and Virtual Console updates for North American Wii owners.

Fun Fun Minigolf (WiiWare)Tiki Towers (WiiWare)Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium (Genesis)

The Euro/Aussie updates will be on Boxing Day.

ONM's top 25 games of 2008

The Official Nintendo Magazine in Europe has put together a chart of their top 25 Nintendo games for this year. This is how it looks:

Mario Kart WiiZack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' TreasureSuper Smash Bros. BrawlProfessor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)OkamiAdvance Wars: Dark Conflict (DS)Soul Bubbles (DS)Guitar Hero: World TourDe BlobNo More HeroesMega Man 9 (WiiWare)The World Ends With You (DS)Animal Crossing: City FolkSonic Chronicles (DS)FIFA 09: All-PlayDr Mario Online Rx (WiiWare)Boom BloxSpace Invaders Extreme (DS)Trackmania DS (DS)We Love GolfViva Pinata: Pocket Paradise (DS)Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS)Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (WiiWare)Call of Duty: World at WarWii Fit

What do you think of it? Don't be too surprised that World of Goo didn't make it in, since it was only released 3 days ago in the PAL region.

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Wii-itis rife in the UK

British doctors are reporting record numbers of patients stricken down with the debilitating Wii-itis. This phenomenon has occurred to at least 10 people. Common complaints include sore shoulders or knees after sessions with Wii Fit or Wii Sports.

Broomfield Hospital's Dev Mukerjee commented:

"There has been a 100% increase in patients complaining of Wii-itis. I've seen many patients aged between 8 and 13, I've also seen adults. It is possible that Wii-itis may lead to rheumatism and arthritis in later life, patients often have inflammation of the shoulder or wrist. People who are double-jointed are most likely to suffer from Wii-knee, and in extreme cases the kneecap can be dislocated or can even pop out".

If your kneecap has popped out, you might want to try a different technique in my medical opinion. Physicians are recommending that people stretch before getting their exercise on.

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Pokйmon Platinum Tops Nintendo's Diverse Game Lineup for Early 2009

Continuing its commitment to create fun and engaging experiences for everyone, Nintendo of America Inc. today unleashes a broad list of exciting new games for the first quarter of 2009. Topping the list is Pokmon Platinum version for Nintendo DS, a remarkable new entry in the beloved Pokmon series, slated for a March 22 launch across North America. Nintendo's roster of more than 100 new games includes an impressive array of challenges and experiences for new players and loyalists, as well as everyone in between. Notable titles include the enhanced New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control! Pikmin for Wii, and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Personal Trainer: Math and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for Nintendo DS.

"Our fans expect a diverse selection of entertainment options, and we're eager to deliver exactly that," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We're building on the momentum of a strong holiday season by offering new and experienced players an even greater library of game titles in 2009."

Pokmon fans in particular will have plenty to cheer about as Pokmon Platinum is readied for its U.S. debut. Following the vast popularity of Pokmon Diamond and Pokmon Pearl, Pokmon Platinum is the newest in the core series of Pokmon games. Pokmon Platinum features a new story full of adventure, never-before-seen forms of powerful Pokmon – including the legendary Giratina's Origin Forme – and the Distortion World, a mysterious new world that suddenly appears in the Sinnoh region. In addition, with Pokmon Platinum up to 20 players can interact with other Pokmon fans from around the world in the new Wi-Fi Plaza, featuring mini-games and activities. Players can also enjoy the new features in the Global Terminal, such as posting battle videos using the new "Vs. Recorder." In addition, Pokmon Platinum features a new Battle Frontier, where the toughest Trainers can test their skills in new ways. Pokmon Platinum already has broken previous Nintendo DS sales records in Japan, selling more than 1 million copies in its first two days of release.

For the portable Nintendo DS, Personal Trainer: Math builds on the new Personal Trainer series, which launched with Personal Trainer: Cooking, now extends its reach beyond the stomach to the brain. Personal Trainer: Math introduces 40 fast-paced exercises to give players a fun way to improve their arithmetic skills. The Personal Trainer series is designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways. Also for Nintendo DS, fans of the Fire Emblem franchise will enjoy the arrival of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a revamped and re-imagined version of the NES classic, featuring touch-screen controls. Players with a broadband Internet connection can enjoy worldwide battles over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's online gaming service.

Meanwhile, for the Wii console, Nintendo is offering up two classic Nintendo GameCube games: New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control! Pikmin enhanced for play using the Wii Remote controller. The enhanced New Play Control! Pikmin game lets players point the Wii Remote controller at the screen and use it as a cursor, making it easy to select either a single Pikmin or an entire army. When a player tosses Pikmin, they fly wherever the cursor is pointing. New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis lets players enjoy an afternoon on the court as their favorite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, complete with motion-controlled serves and swings. With Wii controls, players can swing the Wii Remote controller to hit forehands and backhands and to apply spin. Experienced gamers can also attach a Nunchuk controller for additional precision. Both games are scheduled to launch next March.

Third-party publishers continue to bring diverse, creative games like FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time from Square-Enix for Wii and Nintendo DS. These games offer unique features that allow users to play multiplayer across Nintendo platforms. MADWORLD from Sega will be available exclusively for Wii, and the highly acclaimed franchise Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Games will be available for Nintendo DS.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Wii and Nintendo DS. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii
Activision
Monsters vs. Aliens - March 24

Crave Entertainment
Monster Pals - March
Solitaire & Mahjong - February
Puzzle Challenges and More! - February
Crayola Colorful World - March

D3Publisher
Onechanbara Bikini Zombie Slayers - February
Coraline - January

Destineer
WordJong Party - January
Battle Rage - February
Cradle of Rome - February
Cate West: The Vanishing Files - March
Burger Island - March

Disney Interactive Studios
Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Winter

DreamCatcher
Play the World - March

Electronic Arts
NASCAR Kart Racing - Feb. 10
SimAnimals - Jan. 27
TRIVIAL PURSUIT - Early spring

Hudson Entertainment
FISHING MASTER WORLD TOUR - Jan. 6
Marble Saga Kororinpa - Spring

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
DanceDanceRevolution Disney Grooves - March

Majesco Entertainment
Escape the Museum - January
Major Minor's Majestic March - March

Marvelous Entertainment USA
Little King's Story - Feb. 17
Rune Factory: Frontier - March

Mastiff
Deer Drive - Jan. 20

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
We Ski and Snowboard - March

Nintendo
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis - March
New Play Control! Pikmin - March

Sega
The House of The Dead: Overkill - February
SONIC and the Black Knight - March
MADWORLD - March

Southpeak Interactive
Roogoo Twisted Towers - Feb. 17
Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball - March 17
Brave: A Warrior's Tale - Feb. 17

THQ
Paws & Claws Pet Resort - Jan. 5
Neighborhood Games - Jan. 5

Ubisoft
Tenchu: Shadow Assassins - February
Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars (Director's Cut) - March

XS Games
Super PickUps - Q1

Nintendo DS
Activision
Monsters vs. Aliens - March 24
Pimp My Ride 2™ - March 24
Animal Planet - March 10

Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
My World, My Way - Feb. 3
Legacy of Ys: Books I & II - Feb. 10
Trackmania DS - March 17

Crave Entertainment
Monster Pals - March

D3Publisher of America
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix - Q1
Coraline - January

Destineer
USA TODAY Puzzle Craze - January
DinoPets - March

Disney Interactive Studios
Phineas and Ferb - Winter

DreamCatcher
Inkheart - January
Learn Math - January
Drivers' Ed Portable - January
Monster Band - January
Zoo Quest - February
My Personal Diary - February
Music Star: Pop Star - February
Paint by DS - March
Matchstick - March
Dreamer: Top Model - March
Sarah - Keeper of the Unicorn - March
Learn Chess - March
Dragon Master - April

Electronic Arts
Zubo - March
Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure - Q1
SimAnimals - Jan. 27

Empire Interactive
Jagged Alliance - Feb. 17

Gameloft
American Popstar - Road to Celebrity - March 9

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero - Q1
Suikoden Tierkreis - Q1
Little Magician's Magic Adventure - Q1

Majesco Entertainment
WonderWorld Amusement Park - January
Powerbike - January
Our House - Q1
Hot 'n' Cold - March

Marvelous Entertainment USA
Avalon Code - February
Flower, Sun, and Rain - March

Mastiff
Moon - Jan. 13

MumboJumbo
Chicken Hunter Star Karts - March 10

Nintendo
Personal Trainer: Math - Jan. 12
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon - Feb. 16
Pokmon Platinum version - March 22

ROCKSTAR GAMES
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - Winter

Southpeak Interactive
Big Bang Mini - Jan. 6
Roogoo Attack - Feb. 17
Brave: Shaman's Challenge - Feb. 17

Square Enix, Inc.
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Echoes of Time - Spring

THE GAME FACTORY
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES - Jan. 19

THQ
Paws & Claws Pampered Pets - Jan. 5

TOMY Corporation
My DoItAll - February

Ubisoft
Jake Power Fireman - January
Jake Power Policeman - January
Imagine Cheerleader - February
JoJo's Fashion Show - February
Petz Horseshoe Ranch - February
Imagine Family Doctor - February
Imagine Ice Champions - March
Jake Power Handyman - March
My Fashion Studio Paris Collection - Feb. 17
American Popstar - Road to Celebrity - March 24
Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars (Director's Cut) - March

XSEED Games
Retro Game Challenge - Jan. 6

For more information about Nintendo games, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Free Radical goes down the pan

In some unfortunate news, it seems that UK development outfit Free Radical Design has been closed as of today. Employees arrived this morning to find themselves locked out of the offices, a meeting occurred later on with the announcement of the company's imminent closure.

Things don't look particularly good as FRD enters an administration period, but they could still potentially be saved. Cameron Gunn of Resolve Partners spoke:

"We will be spending the next three or four days assessing the financial position of the company but it's business as usual, although we have asked that almost all of the employees apart from a skeleton crew remain at home".

"All employees have been paid up until the end of December and we hope to make another announcement before Christmas or very soon thereafter".

Free Radical's best games were the popular TimeSplitters series. It's thought this closure is due to the failing of Haze, a PS3 exclusive. There was hope that TimeSplitters 4 may be heading to Wii, now it may not be heading anywhere at all.

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Club Nintendo Offers Special Membership for Fans

Starting today, Nintendo welcomes its North American fans to Club Nintendo™, a special club that rewards members for registering Nintendo products and completing surveys. Nintendo fans can sign up by visiting Club.Nintendo.com. After joining, fans can register select Nintendo hardware and Nintendo-published games in exchange for Nintendo Coins, which can then be redeemed for limited-edition Nintendo rewards available only to Club Nintendo members.

"Club Nintendo gives fans what they want - access to exclusive rewards for their loyalty to our brand and our products," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America Inc.’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We’re offering some unique items as a way to say thanks for their support of Nintendo."

Once they become Club Nintendo members, Nintendo fans and former My Nintendo members can create a profile and register select Nintendo products on the site by inputting a product serial ID (a list of compatible products is posted on the site). The user is then asked to complete a survey about the product. Coins are awarded once surveys are complete. That’s when the fun begins. Some of the exclusive rewards include the Game & Watch Collection for the Nintendo DS and a set of traditional Hanafuda cards printed with Nintendo characters.

Customers who purchase a new Wii or Nintendo DS system can register the product with Club Nintendo and complete a survey to extend the product warranty. Club Nintendo members can reach Gold and Platinum status by collecting a certain amount of Coins each year. Gold and Platinum members will be eligible to receive exclusive rewards. As members, fans can also sign up for personalized newsletters to learn about upcoming products that best match their interests.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Dedicated Nintendo Department Opens At Toys

Holiday shoppers visiting Toys"R"Us Times Square will find a new surprise waiting for them—a new Nintendo department offering an interactive way to have fun, while experiencing the wide range of Nintendo products available this holiday season and beyond.

The Nintendo department, located on Level One of the Toys"R"Us international flagship store, is nearly 1,000 square feet and is easily visible from the store's windows overlooking Broadway. Visitors to The World's Greatest Toy Store will find an interactive Wii wall within the department, offering shoppers the chance to play select Wii games. Additionally, shoppers interested in sampling a portable experience can play one of eight Nintendo DS systems with a variety of games. The department also features a Nintendo gallery, showcasing images from Nintendo's history of classic and current games.

The Nintendo department also features specially trained Nintendo experts who can walk shoppers through the department's experience and provide information about Nintendo products. Shoppers can easily identify these experts by their special Nintendo-branded uniforms.

"What we've been seeing all year long is the expansion of video game fun to people of both genders, and all ages and tastes—there's literally something for everyone," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "But in recent weeks, Nintendo products appear to be appealing to even more people, as every form of fun is being measured against a price tag. And that's what makes this experience in Toys"R"Us so compelling—all the fun and information is available right at your fingertips."

"Toys"R"Us Times Square is the premier New York City destination for families, and Nintendo offers the ultimate family gaming experience, making a partnership between our two brands the perfect match," said Bill Lee, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Toys"R"Us, U.S. "The new, dedicated Nintendo department at Toys"R"Us Times Square allows us to offer customers an exceptional interactive experience for testing out the latest Nintendo products."

In addition to the new, experiential Nintendo department, shoppers can also find the full range of Nintendo products in the "R" Zone department on the store's Lower Level.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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Goo on PAL WiiWare

It's a good day for PAL gamers, as four new games have been released on the WiiWare service.

World of Goo (WiiWare)Art Style: ORBIENT (WiiWare)Sudoku Challenge (WiiWare)Niki: Rock 'n' Ball (WiiWare)

World of Goo seems the obvious choice among those, even at 1,500 Points. Tune in on Monday for the US releases. Have a weekend.

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Swords & Soldiers trailer

Dutch developers Ronimo Games have released a trailer for their latest WiiWare title Swords & Soldiers.

It appears to have more polish than the usual WiiWare fare, but only time will tell. Swords & Soldiers is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2009.

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DSiWare launch titles

Over in Japan the DSi will be launching with the following downloadable titles:

200 Nintendo PointsThe bird and the beanPaper aeroplaneChotto Magic Taizen: 3x Shuffle gameChotto Magic Taizen: Funny FaceChotto Magic Taizen: Scary Numbers500 Nintendo PointsArt Style AQUARIOArt Style DECODEChotto Dr. MarioUtsusu Made in WarioChotto Asobi Taizen1000 Nintendo PointsChotto Brain Training: Arts versionChotto Brain Training: Science version


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Club Nintendo US now open

Club Nintendo for US residents is now officially open. You can register at this address:

Some users have reported trouble using the site, this is likely due to high traffic due to the launch. The initial batch of rewards available are shown below:

Ways to earn coinsRegistering Wii or DS games and completing a brief survey:Wii game - 50 coinsDS game - 30 coinsWiiWare/Virtual Console game - 10 coinsIndicating your intent to buy a game, and doing so (10 extra coins)Registering a game and completing the survey within 4 weeks of its launch (10 extra coins)Completing a post-play survey available within 4-6 after the release of a game (10 extra coins)

Partial lists of games you can register for coins are available below. Note these lists aren't complete and will be added to as time goes on.

Registrable Wii gamesAnimal Crossing: City FolkBig Brain AcademyEndless OceanFire Emblem: Radiant DawnThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessLink's Crossbow TrainingMario Kart WiiMario Party 8Mario Strikers ChargedMario Super SluggersMetroid Prime 3: CorruptionPokemon Battle RevolutionSuper Mario GalaxySuper Paper MarioSuper Smash Bros. BrawlWario Land: Shake itWarioWare: Smooth MovesWii FitWii MusicWii PlayRegistrable WiiWare gamesAlien Crush ReturnsArt Style: CUBELLOArt Style: ROTOHEXBrain ChallengeHome Sweet HomeStrong Bad Episode 3: Baddest of the BandsStrong Bad Episode 4: Dangeresque 3Target Toss Pro: BagsTetris PartyThe Incredible MazeWorld of GooYummy Yummy Cooking JamRegistrable Virtual Console gamesDigital Champ Battle BoxingEarthworm JimForgotten WorldsGradius 2Mega Man 3Secret of ManaSpace HarrierSpace Invaders: The Original GameStreet Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition


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Next Tales Of game Wii exclusive

The next game in the Tales Of ____ series by Namco Bandai is to be a Wii exclusive, and some footage has been made availabubble:

Its actual title is yet to be revealed, but this looks pretty sweet, particularly if you're an RPG fan.

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Puzzle Kingdoms

From the makers of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords... this is the US cover art for Puzzle Kingdoms.

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Fun Fun Minigolf trailer

Developers Shin'en have posted up a trailer showing off some gameplay in their WiiWare game Fun Fun Minigolf.

It seems pretty impressive for a WiiWare title, and is bound to be better than Data Design Interactive's effort.

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MadWorld xmas poem

In some kind of PR stunt, Sega has sent out this Christmassy poem in the style of MadWorld.

Twas a night before DeathWatch, when all through downtown
Not a person was stirring, since being stomped to the ground.
The bodies were hung on the rosebushes with care,
In hopes that more enemies would soon appear.

Jack was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of beating hearts danced in his head;
Jack with a sign post, the Bull in a tire wrap,
Impaled and put down for a long winters nap.

When out at the train station there arose such a splatter,
Everyone ran to see what was the matter.
Towards the commotion, they flew like a flash,
A game show was announced, winners paid cash.

The moon in the breast of the newly-fallen blood-stained snow,
Gave the luster of mid-day to environmental weapons below.
When, what to my wondering dark eyes should sit
But a chainsaw, a spiked bat and daggers! OH S#!%

How do you rate Sega as wordsmiths?

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Wii and Nintendo DS Set Historic New U.S. Sales Records

With more than 3.6 million combined systems sold in November, Wii and Nintendo DS set new hardware sales records, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. The Wii console sold more than 2 million in November, a new all-time record for a non-December month. The Nintendo DS system sold more than 1.56 million in November, which is now the second-highest total for a non-December month in history. The Wii console has sold 15.4 million in the United States since it launched in November 2006, and Nintendo DS has sold nearly 24.6 million in the United States since it launched in November 2004.

"Nintendo's record-breaking sales demonstrate that consumers are looking for the best value not only among video games, but also among all entertainment options," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Shoppers are looking for gifts that can be enjoyed by the whole family, and Nintendo provides an incomparable range of experiences that gets the whole family involved."

Four games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10 U.S. best-sellers for November, representing the diversity of people who play Nintendo games. These included Wii Play (for casual and lapsed players) at No. 3 with more than 796,000 sold, Wii Fit (for new gamers) at No. 4 with more than 697,000 sold, Mario Kart Wii (for both core and casual payers) at No. 5 with nearly 637,000 sold and Wii Music (for everyone) placed at No. 9 with more than 297,000 sold, following its long-tail trend.

Looking at the industry as a whole, Nintendo products continue to fuel the engine of the video game industry. In November alone, Nintendo represented 198 percent of industry growth over 2007. Nintendo systems represented 66 percent of all hardware sales in November, including 59 percent of all console sales and 79 percent of all portable hardware sales.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

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