GamerCrave.com » Nintendo Wii

Weekday Roundup: Wii Price Cut Coming May 15th, Dead Rising 2 Gets a Reboot, 10 Confirmed Fighters for Street Fighter X Tekken

Rothtana Ouch — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:27:52 +0000

It’s midweek and that means you might’ve missed some recent news. Let’s get you up to speed by starting with a Wii price cut coming soon to a retail store near you. We’ll move on for a remake of Dead Rising 2 featuring the camera-touting Frank West then we’ll end with a list of the first confirmed ten fighters for Street Fighter X Tekken.

Frank West Does Dead Rising 2

What if Frank West starred in Dead Rising 2 and not the dude who sort of looks like Aaron Eckhart, you know, Chuck Greene? Well you’re about to find out because Capcom is releasing Dead Rising 2: Off the Record to retail which is a full blown remake of Dead Rising 2 starring Frank West. The game promises new areas, new combos and a new save system. Yes, the camera does return. Kotaku has the details.

Street Fighter X Tekken First Confirmed Fighters

Street Fighter X Tekken might be the biggest fighting game of all time, at least until Tekken X Street Fighter. For the uninitiated, Street Fighter and Tekken will cross paths for the first time, Street Fighter X Tekken will be developed solely by Capcom without any involvement by Namco.

While, Tekken X Street Fight will be produced solely by Namco. It’s an interesting arrangement that promises to produce consistent results within each game. But who is going to be in it? We now know first official characters appearing in Street Fighter X Tekken: Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Kazuya Mishima, Nina Williams, Abel, Bob, King, Marduk and Ken Masters.[IGN]

Wii Gets New Price

Remember our story about Wii getting a potential price quite? Well, Engadget reports that a “trusted” source is pegging May 15th as the day that the Wii drops to $150. Head over to Engadget for the full story.

Are you getting down with another version of Dead Rising 2? Who would you like to see in Street Fighter X Tekken?

Leaked: Black Friday Gaming Deals for Best Buy and Target

Jared Newman — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:57:29 +0000

With two weeks to go until Black Friday, it’s time to start planning your video game strategy. Thanks to BlackFriday.info, we’ve got some early intel on gaming deals at Target and Best Buy for Black Friday 2010. After the jump, we’ll break it down by console.

Nintendo Wii

Best Buy will sell the Wii with one Wii Remote Plus, one Nunchuk and two games — Wii Sports and Wii Sports resort — for $170, in white or black. That’s $30 off the current price. For games, you’ll want to hit up Target, which will sell Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $35, NBA Jam for $27 and the Wii Fit Plus bundle with Balance Board for $67.

Playstation 3

Best Buy’s PS3 bundle costs the same $300 as a standalone 160 GB console, but includes two games and one Blu-ray movie (unspecified). Target lists a “PS3 160 GB Holiday Bundle” whose contents are unclear. From Best Buy, consider grabbing Medal Gear Solid 4 for $10, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Limited Edition for $35 and Madden 11 for $35.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 bundle at Best Buy is all about LEGO. It’s a 4 GB console with LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman & LEGO Indiana Jones, for the same $200 as the console alone. If building blocks aren’t your thing, consider Target’s 4 GB Xbox 360 bundle for $200, which comes with a $50 gift card. Also from Best Buy, there’s Halo: Reach for $40, Tekken 6 for $10 and Splinter Cell: Conviction for $17. Target will have Fable 3 for $35.

Nintendo DS

Best Buy is bundling the $150 Nintendo DSi with a free copy of Mario Party. No word on bundles from Target, but you can get Dragon Quest IX for $17 and Lego Batman for $7.

Sony PSP

No PSP deals whatsoever at Best Buy. Bummer. Fortunately, Target’s got you covered with a $127 doorbuster, which includes a PSP-3000, Little Big Planet, the Karate Kid movie remake and a 1 GB Memory Stick. I don’t see any deals on games.

I haven’t listed every game on sale, just the deals that seem the best, so head to BlackFriday.info’s pages on Best Buy and Target for more November 26 strategery. [Image]

Metroid: Other M Bug Must Be Fixed By Mail

Jared Newman — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:12:50 +0000

Remember that game-breaking Metroid: Other M glitch, which we thought would be nearly impossible to fix because of Nintendo’s reluctance to provide title updates for individual games? Never say “never,” because Nintendo has found a way: Snail mail.

No, seriously. According to 1UP, players in Japan who get the Metroid: Other M glitch are instructed to copy save data to an SD card and mail it to Nintendo’s service service center in Kyoto, where save games will be repaired. The process may be similar for players in the U.S. An official Nintendo web page addressing this problem instructs players to call 1-800-255-3700 to ”set up a repair by sending us your save file on an SD card, or for other options.”

Nintendo’s description of the bug is more specific than what we had reported. It occurs in Sector 3, after obtaining the Ice Beam, passing into the next room and defeating the enemies with spiked, purple legs. At this point, players who backtrack into the room where they got the Ice Beam, instead of moving forward, will be blocked from proceeding any further. To avoid the problem, just head forward through the door that unlocks, after defeating the enemies, before attempting to backtrack.

Otherwise, prepare to get reacquainted with your local post office.

Beware the Game-Breaking Metroid: Other M Glitch

Jared Newman — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:58:42 +0000

Metroid: Other M has a glitch that seems so easy to execute, and whose consequences are so dire, that it’s worth relaying. Apparently, after beating the area boss Rhedogian in Sector 3 for the third time, retreating to the save point locks the only door that lets you continue through the game. In other words, don’t save after beating Rhedogian. Instead, proceed forward, and hold off on saving until you’ve beat the boss again after getting Super Missiles. Otherwise, you’ll have to load a back-up save file, or if you don’t have one, start the game all over again.

As Kombo points out, the odds of seeing a patch for this glitch in Metroid: Other M seems unlikely. Nintendo rarely issues title updates for individual games, instead opting to release fixes alongside system updates. There’s no word on when the next system update will become available.

Two weeks ago, Nintendo issued a system update intended to defeat hacked consoles and homebrew gaming. I don’t know whether this system update caused the bug, but it seems odd that no Metroid: Other M reviews picked up on what seems like a very obvious and devastating glitch. [IGN via Kombo]

Walkthrough Wednesday: Metroid: Other M Hints and Tips

Jared Newman — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:33:04 +0000

Finding walkthroughs, hints and tips for Metroid: Other M was pretty easy this week, with lots of websites making sure to finish their game guides in time for the third-person overhaul of Nintendo’s most mature franchise. IGN, unsurprisingly, leads the charge with a complete written Metroid: Other M walkthrough. The site also has a handy guide to Metroid: Other M’s item locations, including energy tanks, missiles, energy parts, accel charges and e-recovery tanks. For a video walkthrough, check out KrazyBrawl’s complete Metroid: Other M playthrough on YouTube, or view the whole thing as one big page of embedded clips on Video Games Blogger.

There’s not much in the way of cheats for Metroid: Other M, but Cheat Code Central notes a few important things: Once you beat the game, your map on the Bottle Ship will be upgraded to reveal all item locations. Then, you can beat the game again with 100 percent completion to unlock Hard difficulty. My understanding is you only get bragging rights for beating the game on the hardest setting.

For the Metroid purists, I tried to find some evidence of sequence breaking or speed runs in Metroid: Other M, but came up empty. As this GameFAQs forum discussion points out, in Metroid: Other M, new abilities are sometimes given to Samus by her commander at certain points in the game, making it difficult bypass the usual sequence and collect items out of order. The sequence-breaking potential in Metroid: Other M is slim to none. Discuss.

The Wiibrator. Why? [NSFW]

Jared Newman — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:48:58 +0000

Mojowijo’s Wiibrator is a Wii sex toy that tries to be as terrifying as possible. When attached to a Wii remote, the extensions sync with Bluetooth-enabled PC software, which connects the two controllers without the need for a Wii console. Says Mojowijo’s decidedly not-sexy website, “the device is able to transform the varying motions of the control into appropriate vibration signals and send them to another selected device – in the same room or over the internet.” In other words, waving one wand sends stimulation to the other, which can be in the same room or on the other side of the world.

This isn’t the first attempt at making the Wii remote sexy. A couple years ago, a group called Team Dwiildo created homebrew Wii software that could trigger the remote’s vibration function, and it was also called Wiibrator. Apparently, the software is no longer available.

Mojowijo says the product is in beta, and you can sign up to be one of the testers. But I’ve got a few questions: Why? Would it really be that difficult to create a device like this without defiling Nintendo’s family-friendly game controller? Is there really anyone out there who’s holding off on a dedicated high-tech sex toy in favor of the do-it-all Wii remote? Does anyone actually trust their vibration to someone else’s waggle? Most importantly, what’s up with that claw? [SF Weekly via Nerd Bastards]

7 Things I Learned From Playing Metroid: Other M

Michael Pearl — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:00:10 +0000

The Metroid series is one of the most beloved franchises in Nintendo’s stable – and that’s saying something. To analogize it’s significance in a slightly blasphemous manner, it’s the “holy spirit” in a trinity that includes Mario and The Legend of Zelda. The well of dedication runs so deep that some…devoted fans have been in a fervor as a result of some big changes to the next installment, Metroid: Other M.

During my hands-on time with the game last week, I was able to get a brief glimpse of some of these changes. Keep reading for my thoughts on the introductory segments, the new control scheme, and if Other M is worthy of the Metroid name.

1. Other M is a Metroid game

Maybe that’s an odd way to start a list compiling my impressions of the first 30 minutes of the game, but it needed to be said. Many gaming forum posters have been at best skeptical and at worst angry about some of the changes being made to this entry. It’s true – CG cutscenes, a fully-voiced Samus, the presence of a squad of space marines, and auto-aim is all new ground for the series. Despite these radical alterations, Other M still looked and felt like a Metroid game.

After running (and gunning) through corridors full of skrees and zoomers, I scanned the austere environment of the Bottle Ship facility in first-person mode (a la the Metroid Prime titles) and noticed a glowing object hidden on a railing. Turning into a morph ball, I rolled Samus into a vent and proceeded upward where I grabbed an energy tank. In another area, I noticed a door sealed with material that could only be destroyed with a Power Bomb. Unfortunately I wasn’t authorized to use that weapon (Power Bombs aren’t exactly conducive to the health of humans – shocking!), so the treat would go uncollected for the time being. And in yet another location was a ceiling vent that I just couldn’t reach with Samus’ current jumping ability. Where did she leave those high jump boots?

2) Control issues

The first thing I noticed about our heroine is that she is fast – maybe the fastest she’s ever been. Dropped into a training room right after the opening events (which are also the closing events of Super Metroid), I ran Samus around, jumping and shooting – like giving a sports car a test drive. Her movement speed is impressive, and thankfully the controls are up to the task.

Holding the Wii remote sideways may seem like an odd set-up considering the inherent limitations brought on by discarding the Nunchuck attachment, but within minutes I had a handle on moving Samus and taking out enemies. It was simple and easy. But it always is at first. My near-instant understanding of the controls slowed when I encountered the first-person section of the tutorial.

3) First-person fumbling

The trouble I had wasn’t a technical issue so much as a personal one. First-person mode worked, and it worked admirably. When I aimed at the screen the view quickly shifted to Samus’ eyes. This perspective change was accompanied by the HUD instantly curving to match her visor’s angle, and both enemies and environmental points of interest becoming outlined to draw attention. Holding B allowed me to look around freely with the aiming reticle, and the A button fired both regular shots and missiles via lock-on. I couldn’t move while looking through her visor (one of the control limitations I mentioned earlier), but reverting to normal gameplay was as simple as just not pointing the Wii remote at the screen. So, what was wrong?

The problem was the cumbersome action of physically maneuvering the Wii remote in my hand to point it at the screen, and then repositioning it for normal play. The whining of an inexperienced gamer, or someone with smallish hands clumsily grappling with a controller? The latter, for sure. I’ll concede it’s something I could possibly get used to doing, but as the only thing I really had to think about doing during my demo it’s worth mentioning as a gripe.

4) 2D, or not 2D?

Though the camera would sometimes swoop to frame the action in 2D, Samus never lost the ability to move in all directions. Granted, this didn’t affect my playing; I still breezed through hallways and bridges in a beeline. It filled my brain with fond memories of past single-plane Metroid adventures, but in reality it was a trompe l’oeil – a trick of the eye. I knew Samus was in a 3D environment, but the lack of analog movement and the position of the camera often made me believe it had switched to true 2D. And speaking of the camera…

5) Moving Pictures

The automatic camera handled the speedy action with fluid ease. It never lagged or became stuck on objects in the environment; it moved effortlessly and painted the picture I needed to see. I didn’t miss the lack of camera control once. If anything, it alleviated common aggravations I’ve experienced in other action games. I didn’t have to fiddle with an analog stick to move a finicky camera into a beneficial location in the midst of a heated battle, nor did I find myself wishing I could. Every moment – from an arena-based boss battle against a giant purple bug monster (pictured above) to rolling through ducts and tubes in morph ball form – was portrayed with precision.

6) Speed-runner’s delight

Maybe it’s just Samus’ swiftness and smooth moves, but Other M could be a speed-runner’s dream come true. I’m far from a practitioner of the alacritous arts, but zipping around levels felt so automatic and seamless that I might have a change of heart.

7) The Metroid pedigree

Though a direct sequel to Super Metroid, Other M reminded me more of the GameBoy Advance title, Metroid: Fusion.

Other M is set on a space station, and while that stung a little due to how I was now accustomed to traversing entire planets (thanks a lot, Metroid Prime trilogy!), a Nintendo rep mentioned how Fusion also took place in an outer space facility yet contained a wide variety of environments to explore. It was a not-so-subtle hint that even if players never took Samus planet-side (something he couldn’t confirm or deny), they still wouldn’t be left aching for diverse locales. A recently released trailer cements this news, showcasing an icy canyon and a veldt. A central elevator chamber containing three lifts to different sectors raised my eyebrows as well.

Right-handed Link Rides Again in Skyward Sword

Jared Newman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:56:39 +0000

Call it a sign of the (motion-controlled) times. Link, the iconic protagonist in The Legend of Zelda series, is historically a lefty, but not so in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Over at Kotaku, Stephen Totilo noticed that Link’s become quite proficient wielding a sword with his right hand. This isn’t the first Zelda game where Link goes righty — the same was true in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

There’s a perfectly good explanation here: Because these Wii games use motion control, with the player holding the Wii remote like a sword, it makes sense for Link to hold his weapon in the same hand as the majority of players. That Nintendo went back to left-handed Link in 2009′s Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for Nintendo DS proves that the company hasn’t lost sight of the character’s roots. It’s just a bummer for lefties. Finally, here’s a character they can really identify with, motion control and all, but they’re forced to become ambidextrous so as not to piss off the righties. It’s a sad story that I’d probably care more about if I wasn’t in the majority. [via Kotaku]

The Many Choices of an Epic Mickey

Jared Newman — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:07:32 +0000

Moral dilemmas in video games are typically the stuff for mature audiences, but Epic Mickey isn’t shying away despite its lovable protagonist and cartoon aesthetic. The game, as demonstrated at E3, regularly confronts the player with a choice between naughty or nice, always with consequences. It’s not what you would expect from a game that could easily sell a million copies on name recognition alone, but it’s earning Epic Mickey respect, and accolades as one of the best games at the show.

Here’s a list of choices the player must make in Epic Mickey’s E3 demo:

Choice 1: In the game’s first segment, the player must retrieve three items, each held by a different character. The first character is Tiki Sam, who runs a small shop in the village. In exchange for the item, Sam wants three Tiki masks that are scattered around the area. The obvious and honest choice is to retrieve all three masks, but a more mischievous mouse could go about it this way: Grab one mask and give it to Sam, then use paint thinner — one of Mickey’s weapons, which can erode parts of the environment — to create a back door into Sam’s store. Retrieve the mask and give it to Sam again. He’ll be none the wiser, and you’ve got a third less work to do.

Choice 2: You can perform the mask swap a third time, but Tiki Sam will figure out the scheme. You’ll still get the item you need, but he’ll charge a premium for everything else in the store.

Choice 3: A pirated named Damien Salt has a crush on Henrietta the cow — that’s better left unexplained — and wants to give her a birthday gift. He suspects she likes ice cream, but if you chat up Henrietta a couple of times, she’ll reveal a love for flowers, and a little-known fact that she’s lactose intolerant — also better left unexplained. You can now purchase flowers or ice cream for Damien, and there’s nothing stopping you from getting the wrong gift. But if you do, it’ll cost a hefty amount of currency to buy the item you need. Get the flowers, and Damien will become infatuated and remain by Henrietta’s side, leaving the item unguarded for you to take.

Choice 4: Travelling from one world to the next entails a bit of 2D platforming. There’s usually a direct and easy path, but more adventurous players will seek out alternate routes that yield more e-tickets (the game’s currency). It’s not exactly a moral choice, but a good option for people who paid dearly for their interactions with everyone in town.

Choice 5: With items in hand, you’re now able to free Smee’s boat from the bottom of a lagoon in another area by eliminating three massive anchors. However, an evil captain is busy turning pirates into robots in this area. The choice to rectify this situation is yours; you just have to find three pumps that operate the captain’s conversion machine.

Choice 6: The machines can be filled with paint or paint thinner. The former option will reverse the machines, turning robots back into pirates. The latter breaks the machine, but dooms the converted to their mechanical fate. The consequences of either decision weren’t clear in the E3 demo.

My concern is that all the consequences of Epic Mickey’s choices in the demo relate to in-game currency. I’d like to see a wider range of results based on how the player behaves, though I’m optimistic given that Disney representatives promised major changes to Epic Mickey’s outcome based on how you play. Can little kids who play the game handle that kind of pressure? Not my concern.

Walkthrough Wednesday: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Hints, Tips, Stars

Benjamin Opal — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:54:06 +0000

Just like old times, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has you traipsing around the, uh, galaxy to collect stars and save the princess. If you’re a completionist, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has 120 stars to collect (plus another 122 after you’ve got them all), and we’ll help you find them all with a guide to the best Super Mario Galaxy 2 walkthroughs, hints and cheats on the Web.

A good place to start is GameFAQs, which has several Super Mario Galaxy 2 walkthroughs in progress. This one is the most thorough, clearly explaining where to find power stars and hidden stars. I also like this in-progress walkthrough, which has a guide to the kinds of stars you’ll find in each galaxy. That’s good if you’d rather find everything yourself but don’t feel like guessing whether a level has hidden stars. Hopefully both text walkthroughs will be filled out quickly. If you don’t have the patience, check out IGN’s super thorough guide — not as easy to scan through as a text file, but packed with information and videos. Also, GamesRadar has videos showing how to collect all Prankster Comet medals.

Then, there are the Super Mario Galaxy 2 cheats and secrets. Need infinite lives? Check out this video at WiiNintendo demonstrating a fast and easy method in the Supermassive Galaxy. IGN also notes several 1UPs that become available on Spaceship Mario as you collect stars:

Grab Yoshi off of the “nose” and use the star pegs to swing up to a hidden island with 10 fruit. Eat them all for a 1-Up.
Grab a Cloud Flower and make platforms to reach a 1-Up on a cloud high above.
Spin into the random item block for a chance at a 1-Up.
Near Mario’s left ear (your right) is a warp pipe that takes you to a 1-Up minigame. Feed the Luma to spin a number of random item blocks for a chance to win 1-Ups.

You’re probably interested in playing as Luigi as well. He becomes available in certain levels after you collect 30 stars. Once you beat the game, any level can be played as Luigi by entering the door on Spaceship Mario’s forehead.

Finally, GameSpot reveals an infinite flutter glitch for Yoshi: Jump and hold A, and before you finish fluttering, press Z, then quickly release A and press it again. Keep doing this to flutter forever.

Start Your Day With Some Super Mario Galaxy 2 Music

Benjamin Opal — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:01:30 +0000

Happy Monday. Maybe you partied too hard this weekend, or stayed up too late last night looking for answers to the Lost finale. Whatever the case for your grogginess, this track from Super Mario Galaxy 2 should put a little glide in your stride, some dip in your hip, as P-Funk would say. Sound familiar? Yes, it’s a punched-up version of the first level theme from Super Mario 64, probably my favorite tune in the game. Not sure whether those are real horns, but I dig the chicken scratching on the guitar. Press The Buttons’ Matt Green, who loved Super Mario Galaxy 2, says the game is packed with throwbacks, musical and otherwise. Because that’s what you do when there are no more new ideas. [via Press The Buttons]

No More Heroes 2 Lingerie: It Exists?

Jared Newman — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:14:17 +0000

The Daily Sport seems like a pretty raunchy newspaper — and I use that term liberally here– but I give it credit for bringing word of lingerie inspired by the Wii hack-and-slash art game No More Heroes 2. The article seems genuine, as it was discovered by Simon Byron of One Life Left, but who knows how accurate the reporting is. This is the same paper that crops nude bodies onto celebrity photos and justifies it by running stories about celebrity outrage over fake nude photos. I also have a feeling the “Knicktendo” joke plays better in England.

It’s tough to make out who’s designing the lingerie, and to me models look like they’re wearing typical adult wear. All I can see is the line about “Wii wenches” and a really bad double entendre about wiggling your joystick. Apparently these outfits can be won in a contest, as if you could find anyone to wear them. Full, not safe for work pic here. [Twitter via GameSetWatch]

GamerCrave.com » Nintendo Wii

Weekday Roundup: Wii Price Cut Coming May 15th, Dead Rising 2 Gets a Reboot, 10 Confirmed Fighters for Street Fighter X Tekken

Frank West Does Dead Rising 2

Street Fighter X Tekken First Confirmed Fighters

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7 Things I Learned From Playing Metroid: Other M

1. Other M is a Metroid game

2) Control issues

3) First-person fumbling

4) 2D, or not 2D?

5) Moving Pictures

6) Speed-runner’s delight

7) The Metroid pedigree

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