Friday, September 30, 2005

Metroid Prime Pinball pics

I guess if there were a Nintendo character to change into a pinball, Samus would be the one. I didn't really understand the whole concept of Mario Pinball Land, but it was fun nonetheless. Check out a few new screens for Metroid Prime Pinball below.


Mario Party 7 doubles the fun

Mario Party 7 has a couple new interesting features that might spur some excitement for the game. This time around 8 people can join the fun instead of 4. Apparently with an 8 person game, players will share a controller. Other then that, there were no specifics on how this would function, but it should be interesting to see how it plays out. Also doubling the fun, this time there will be 2 new playable characters in the game, Birdo and Dry Bones. I may have to pick up this game just for Birdo, simply because Birdo ROCKS!

Animal Crossing DS Details


Some new details on the latest Animal Crossing have turned up, on both the single player and wifi front. All your favorite activities and characters from Animal Crossing on the Cube have returned, with some new ones thrown in. Apparently the game will have more then 1500 items for you to find, buy, and trade. Wireless play will enable you to have 3 other friends to come visit your town, while Wifi play will make be a little different. To play with anyone over the internet, you will have to add them to your friends list. To get friends on your friend list from all over the world, you will have to receive their friend code. To get a friend code you have to register on Nintendo.com, and then trade friend codes via email, messageboards, phone, texting, or any other way of communicating. It gives an interesting twist to the game, and makes it so that you actually have to at least become aquaintences in real life before you can visit a town. How do you guys feel about the way Wifi play will work out? Leave some comments, or chat it up on the boards.

Final Fantasy IV Scan

hApparently the FFIV port is coming along very nicely, check out the first scan of the game below.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Grandma's Boy trailer

Adam Sandler's production company is hard at work on a new movie, this time it's related to video games. The movie follows a 36 year old video game developer, and his hilarious mishaps. This movie looks like its going to be the blockbuster comedy of next year. Sarcasm?? No....not me... Click the link below to check out the trailer.

Real or fake ad, you be the judge

This may be real, may not be...and that is all I am saying. You make your own decisions. Make sure to leave a comment.


Japanese text reads Who Are You?

Nintendo loves their teaser sites

Coming in November, and an animated Wifi logo. The teaser site is so simple, I don't know why I like it so much! If you want to check it out and have it hypnotize you, click the link below.

Slow news day...

News on the Nintendo front is coming at a snail's pace today, so I figured I would show you this little gem. Ever wanted to dress up like Mario, but couldn't find a good costume? Why don't you check out this site, they may be able to help you out. Damn, that Princess is pretty hot!

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Will Castlevania find a home on Revolution?

I think its time to put up an open letter to Konami, and specifically Koji Igarashi, series producer. Konami, you know that the Castlevania series really got its start on the NES way back in the day. Then on the SNES another Castlevania title popped up, and it is still one of the many shining gems in the series. By the time of the N64, you gave us two more Castlevania titles. While these games aren't the best in the series, it was still nice to see you on board. You guys also gave us some great portable versions of the series, and things have only been getting better on that front. My question is, where is my console Castlevania?! The GameCube has come, and will be gone soon, without any Castlevania entries in its library. With one Castlevania game out on the PS2, and another coming to PS2 and Xbox, I shed a tear for the console company that you got your start from. After hearing the latest words from Mr. Igarashi, I can take a little solice in the hopes that Castlevania will make a return on the Revolution. Mr. Igarashi says...

A next generation Castlevania game is already in the works for an undisclosed console.

The best part about the news is that this quote came from an interview in Nintendo Dream magazine. While I am sure the bulk of the interview had to do with Dawn of Sorrow, I would like to think that Mr. Igarashi would have kept the next gen Castlevania comment to himself if there were no Revolution plans, as to not upset the Nintendo fans. Castlevania, come back to us!

Children of Mana scan

Thanks to a Famitsu scan, we now have our first look at Children of Mana for the DS. Click the picture below for a larger view.

Ys series headed to DS

How come I wasn't informed of it being national DS RPG day?! Konami announced that they are hard at work on bringing a new chapter in the famed Ys series of RPGs to the DS. The title for the game as of now is Ys Strategy, which I am sure will change before release. Anymore new information concerning this game will be posted as soon as it becomes available.

New York Post Article

Here you go guys, the article in all its glory. One paper down, a million to go!


Mana series heads to DS

It is now official, Square-Enix has announced Children of Mana for the DS. There is next to nothing known about the title except that it will be an action RPG set in the Mana universe. Hey, another RPG for the DS? Sounds good to me! This game will be hitting shelves this winter in Japan, with no US release date yet announced.

G4's full Satoru Iwata interview

You guys asked for it, now you get it. Satoru Iwata spoke to gaming TV network G4 during the Tokyo Game Show. He apparently had a lot to say about Nintendo's upcoming system codenamed Revolution. I have just found the link now, and haven't even had time to watch the video yet...but here it is for you guys to enjoy. Click the link below and then on the new page click Web Exclusive Full Length TGS Interview: Nintendo President Iwata. Enjoy!

No new Earthbound after all

Sorry Ness lovers, you will not be seeing him on your DS...yet anyways. Seems that the development team behind Earthbound is working on a new game called contact. The only information on the game is a couple of Famitsu scans, so have at them below. If you know Japanese, maybe you can find out some interesting tidbits! Click the images to view the full version.


Tuesday, September 27, 2005

One promise for the new site

I am going to keep this short and sweet. I know my work has it's fair share of spelling errors, among other things. I will do my best to triple check everything that is posted on the new site, just to give it a more professional spin. As for the rest of the life of Nintendo Now Blogspot, I will keep posting news as fast as I can, without proofreading. Hooray fro bad speligns!

Revolution Color poll

Red...White...Black...its time for you to choose. IGN has a poll running for you to vote on which Revolution system color you like best. Just as IGN states, Nintendo keeps an eye on all big video game sites, and in the end this poll may make a difference in the final product. Click the link below to visit the IGN page and cast your vote.

I think its time for a switch...

After being in New York this past weekend, my mind has been full of thoughts concerning the site. While waiting in line for Miyamoto, I saw other sites that provide game news, just like ours, get treated to special privileges. Any game site that was credited got to head upstairs, take photographs, and get interviews for their site. They are doing work just like we are here at the blog...but they have gotten themselves credited. I think its time for us to make that jump. While I have my technical limits, I am sure that with the help of you guys, and the internet as a whole, I will be able to get past this road blocks. I have been setting things up, both in my mind and physically, to make the jump to becoming a real site. I want to be able to bring you guys great exclusives...such as interviews and pictures...stuff like that. You guys have made a great community on this site, and you deserve to get the best features possible. I know making the jump to a real site is going to cause me MANY a headache...but they will all be worth it when the final product comes about. I can only build the site and provide the news, I need you guys to make it great. First thing's first, we need a real domain. I am making a thread on the messageboards called Domain Name Ideas, and I need you guys to go over there and start posting. Just make sure that any domain name you come up with isn't already taken. Once the staff here has sifted through the domains you guys have come up with, we will announce the winner, and then take things from there. This is the first step down a very long road...but a road that is well worth taking a trip down. We can only hope that you stay with us every step of the way. Big things will be happening in the next few months...all because of you guys.

True Crime: NYC Soundtrack

It appears that this year's True Crime game will be opting for Redman instead of Snoop Dog. True Crime NYC will feature Redman as a playable character this time around, but thats not all he is doing. Redman will also contribute three songs to the soundtrack, one from his upcoming album, and two original songs just for True Crime. Also included on the soundtrack are Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Fat Joe, The Velvet Underground, The Ramones, Bob Dylan, My Chemical Romance, The Bravery, and some others. You'll be able to get your hands on this game sometime around mid November.

Super Princess Peach Japanese site

Second site launch of the day, but this time its a Japanese one. Super Princess Peach is finally getting some attention, since it is coming out soon in Japan. When are we going to get some Peachy platforming goodness?! Click the link below to check out the site, and make sure you watch the brand new video of the game too!

Monday, September 26, 2005

Pokemon Dungeon info

Seems like Nintendo has something new up their sleeve for Pokemon Dungeon. A whole bunch of new facts were just released about the game.

As heard before, you will be playing the part of a Pokemon...but apparently this Pokemon was once a human that was transformed into a Pokemon somehow.

The character you play as will now have a food meter you must follow. The more hungry your Pokemon gets, the more damage it will take. If you let the meter get extremely low, you will suffer from the lack of food, and constantly lose health points.

The game will be more mission based then past games, and it will also contain dungeons. The dungeons will be randomized, and all contain a random number of floors...making each copy of Pokemon Dungeon a different experience.

The game will also contain earthquakes and other natural disasters which will effect the worlds you play in.

While the tried and true Pokemon fighting style is still present in the game, there are a lot of new gameplay elements here to give the series a fresh spin. This game is heading to the DS this November in Japan, with an US release date not yet set.

Lego Star Wars to the Cube

I don't understand why this game didn't come out for the Cube in the first place, but it appears that finally it is on its way. Lego Star Wars is being advertised on the back of the latest issue of Nintendo Power, and it says that it is coming to the Cube. The expected release date of the game is October 14th, so it won't be that long of a wait til you are slaying Lego Jar-Jar left and right.

IGN gives Han Solo the smackdown

We covered the Han Solo Revolution specs story a few days ago, and now it has hit IGN, and they have blasted it wide open. IGN claims that the specs are 100% untrue, and contacted Factor 5 to futher the issue. With Han Solo claiming that he works for Factor 5, and stating that he got the information from there, Factor 5 had this to say.

"Han Solo is a scoundrel, we all know that, but in this case he isn´t a very clever scoundrel. That so-called employee of ours posting on message boards under the Han Solo name certainly isn´t employed at Factor 5 or working in any way for us. He isn´t speaking for the company and he better change his story as to where he has his information from, or we will be forced to take legal action against him."

Nice to see another rumor put to rest...now we must wait about 5 minutes for a new one to pop up.

True Crime: NYC Screens

A few more True Crime screens to hold you over until this game hits the streets guns blazing.


IGN goes gun crazy

Trying to top the Nintendo fans of the internet, IGN has come up with their own Revolution gun mockup. While this is awesome, I just don't see the Big N making a gun peripheral this..well...real. Check out the images below.

I wonder if you can play Super Mario 64 with it...

One part Robin Wilson (lead singer of the Gin Blossoms), and one part Bryan Vogel (multi-media artist) and you get this. Rock on!

Gameboy Micro TV Spot

1up has the first official Gameboy Micro commercial for the US. The ad is a very stylish one, and would easily attract a huge group of gamers out there. I think if they are going for people who wouldn't normally pick up a game system, the Micro might be the system to get them interested. Click the link below and check out the commercial.

Mario and Luigi 2: Partners in Time video

A link to an E3 video from Partners in Time just popped up, and it is worth checking out. Be forewarned, the link is a little slow so have some patience when you are downloading.

Mario Kart Arcade GP in October

Get ready to hit your local arcades in October for some Mario Kart action! Namco and Nintendo have teamed up once again to bring you break neck speed/turtle shell chucking action! This time around, some of Namco's traditional characters such as Pac-Man will be joining the usual crew. There are also 24 new tracks that all can be modified in many different ways. Better start practicing your karting skills now!

We made the New York Post!

One of my friends just called to inform me that we were in an article in the New York Post! Like I said below, we were interviewed by a bunch of papers, but I didn't think we would make any of the big ones! Check out the freview of the article I grabbed from the New York Post online edition.

September 26, 2005 -- Hundreds of "Nintendo nerds" invaded Manhattan yesterday to meet the legend who gave birth to the Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Zelda.

Shigeru Miyamoto came to Rockefeller Center's Nintendo store to unleash his latest creation: Nintendog, a "pet" that responds to its "owner's" voice.

Kevin Cassidy, of New Jersey, arrived Saturday fashionably dressed in his magic Mario mushroom pants to join the blocks-long line. "It was great to hang out with other nerds," he said.

How cool is that?! I know I gave the interviewer the address to the site..if only she would have mentioned it!

Our day at the Nintendo World Store

I am sorry I write up how the events went for us yet. I got home yesterday and had a horrible headache...one worse then I have ever had. It was making me physically sick, and it hurt worse if I laid down! Must have been all that NYC air...but I am back to normal now! I'll fill you in on how the events went from the moment when the line started to move in the store.

After a night of sleeping on the street, and waking up early the next morning, we packed up our stuff and got everything ready for 11:00am. Finally around 10:30 the line started to group closer together, and inched its way towards the front door. By 11:00 the line started moving inside, and we were all getting really jumpy. Once we were standing next to the store, we could see a line snaking up the inside of the building to the top floor where Mr. Miyamoto sat. We couldn't see him, but we knew he was up there. A half hour later and one of our listeners Nathan came up, and filled us in. He told us about his bark mode time with Miyamoto, and that he received Miyamoto's gamer profile in his DS. There was also a special voice message from Mr. Miyamoto introducing himself and his dog Pik. Lastly, Nathan also received a limited edition piece of artwork from Mr. Miyamoto himself...all very exciting. After we dicussed that we also found out that Reggie was inside too! We turned around and yelled out to the crowd that Reggie was inside, and cheers erupted down the line. This would make the wait even harder!

After some more waiting we finally found ourselves inside the building, slowly making our way upstairs. We reached a point on the stairs where we could peer up onto the second floor and we saw the man himself, Miyamoto, sitting at a table. He had a man on his left and a woman on his right, both helping with translations. We also caught a glimpse of Reggie signing stuff for some fans. Soon enough we found ourselves upstairs and in the front of the Miyamoto line. Mr. Miyamoto appeared to be so happy, smiling and really listening to everything that the current person with him had to say. Then we hit the point where one of our own, Nicky Hill, was next to meet him.

Nicky Hill went up, and told me that he was so excited he can't even remember what he said to Mr. Miyamoto. It was nothing but smiles and laughing from Mr. Miyamoto, obviously very happy to meet everyone. After Nicky went John the Savage, who complimented Mr. Miyamoto and received the same warm welcome. After him was Mother Brain, who brought up a little piece of Miyamoto artwork for him to sign. The artwork was Mr. Miyamoto's head with a speech bubble coming out that had a heart in it. Mr. Miyamoto smiled so much at the site of this, and was more then happy to sign it. In the meantime I was in line freaking out, and happened to be standing next to Reggie while I was doing this. Reggie was in an interview, which I was DYING for to end. Just as Mother Brain was finishing up, Reggie's interview was over so I attacked. I screamed, REGGIE, REGGIE! and he came over. He shook my hand and asked how I was, and of course he was all smiles too. Just as I was about to speak, it was my turn for Miyamoto, so I made my way up to the table.

When I got up there, I was in awe...I couldn't believe I was meeting Shigeru Miyamoto. I thanked him, shook his hand, and told him it was an honor to meet him. I then professed how it was him that made me make the choices I did as far as a career in my life thus far, and told how he had influenced me to follow this path. He listened very intently, and smiled once I was done with the explanation. Then the man on his left asked me to explain my shirt to Mr. Miyamoto. I went through the Che Gueverra/Revolution explanation, and then he translated for Miyamoto. Mr. Miyamoto let out an OHHHHHH! and then began to chuckle. Just after that, Mr. Miyamoto burst out into laughter, and said something to the other two, and then they followed with him. The translater told me that Mr. Miyamoto was amazed by my Nintendo themed pants, and that he found them very amusing. As we were all laughing, I took back my signed copy of The Legend of Zelda: Collectors Edition, shook Mr. Miyamoto's hand, and thanked him again. I moved off to the side, had a little chat with the translator, and then was on my way. I had such a smile on my face, it was an amazing experience. Little did I know that while my Miyamoto experience was over...there were other Nintendo experiences to be had.

As we picked up our stuff and started to head downstairs, we were stopped to be interviewed by no less then 4 people. One worked for a college newspaper, one for the New York Post, one for their own website, and the last for Nintendo themselves! The man from Nintendo asked us plenty of questions ranging from where we came from, to how we have come to know Mr. Miyamoto. After he took a few pictures he explained that he worked for Nintendo and was taking the pictures back with him to Redmond Washington (headquaters of NOA) to show them to the people up there. Then he said that a lot of the pictures would be posted on Nintendo.com sometime in the future, so we might be up there! All four interviewers took the address to our site and said they would be checking it out...which is amazing! Unfortunately Nicky Hill missed out on the interviews, but he was downstairs having his own fun.

Nicky went downstairs after the Miyamoto meeting and met up with Reggie for the SECOND time. Apparently Nicky snuck in some Reggie time earlier and gave him the address to our site. Reggie promised to come check it out, and perhaps drop by the messageboards! For his second visit Nicky managed to get a one on one picture with Reggie himself, and nabbed an autograph.

When we all got back downstairs, I got in a line of few people to meet with Reggie AGAIN and get myself an autograph. When I met up with him I shook his hand and apologized for jumping the gun upstairs. He was extremely nice and took the time to explain that it was'nt a problem at all, he was more then happy to talk to us. I asked him again about the website and he promised to definately check it out. We figured since we would be leaving the store soon, so while I got my autograph, I asked if we could have a group picture for the website. He was more then happy to take part, and automatically put his arm around me. He was telling the rest of us to gather round and get close in. Nicky Hill had asked if we should put down all our bags and such, but Reggie said, "No way! Keep all that stuff on ya, get out the chairs you brought! You guys slept here all night, keep the stuff with you to show it off!" And just like that, the picture was taken, we shaked hands, thanked him, and were on our way.

Everyone that we met while in the store was so extremely nice, especially Reggie and Miyamoto. They really made you feel that they cared about you, and really were happy that you came. We met a lot of other great people while waiting in line, and we stopped by to say our goodbyes with them. After wishing everyone a safe trip home, we started to walk back to our car. The line that once was 10 people long now stretched for many many MANY blocks. As we were making our way back, people in line chanted," H-CORE, H-CORE!" referring to how hardcore we were for sleeping outside. We would also pass along the news that Reggie was also inside, sending waves of screams down the street. The whole experience was amazing, and I can't thank Mr. Miyamoto enough for taking the time to come to the US and do this for us. A equally important thank you to Reggie and the rest of the Nintendo staff for taking time out with us. Lastly I would like to thank our fans, and the friends we made while we were there, you have made a lasting impression, and will survive in our great memories of this weekend. You all made this weekend one of the best weekends ever.

Pictures done the RIGHT way

Here is how the pictures should have been done in the first place!
Click any picture for a large view.










Found a couple of new screens for the Shogun game coming out on the DS. The horse riding screen looks particularly interesting to me. Checkem out, see what you think. Pictures seem to be working for the time being...so I am going to post all I can!

Blogger pics still screwed up

I know the site is looking a little drab without its usual pictures, but Blogger is still having some photo issues. I am holding off on a news story or two until pictures start working again...just wanted to keep you guys informed. Everyday now I think more and more about switching to my own domain. If I only knew more then basic HTML! Anyone care to help?!

*RUMOR* Mother 3 in the works?

The Mother series (Earthbound) is a much loved series of games, and gamers everywhere have been waiting a VERY long time for the next installment to pop up. While there have been rumors for years and nothing has come of it, this one rumor comes from the developer themselves. Developers Brownie Brown have put up a teaser site with a countdown to something...and the style of the site is very Earthboundish. Click on over and check it out...and we will be keeping an eye on this countdown!




Trace Memory site opens

The Myst-like puzzler is heading to the DS in just a day or two, so I think it is a great idea to finally have the official site open. The is set up much like the game, and you have to solve puzzles and find clues to check some of the stuff out. For now there are only a few pictures, one wallpaper and some videos, but more is sure to come. Click the link below to check it out.

Trace Memory site

By the way, if you go to the site and get stuck, the password is 132

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence details

Capcom has released a few new details concerning the DS version of Resident Evil.

Top screen is map, bottom screen is ammo and life. Life is shown by the color of the top screen, not by a bar.
Puzzles utilize the touch screen.
Microphone will most likely be used, but it was not mentioned what it would be used for.
Blood must be wiped away from screen to clear your view.
Knife battles are in first person, and are automatic. When a knife fight happens, the view will change to first person and you have to begin swiping with the stylus. You cannot choose first person view as a default, it happens only during knife fights.
There is four player wireless play, but we don't know what type of play it will be.

Quite a bit of interesting information on the game, and a few of those points make me a little more then excited to check the game out.


Sunday, September 25, 2005

As if the pictures weren't enough...

If you feel like experiencing the line that was at the Nintendo World store, then check out the video below. By the time we left, the size of the line had pretty much doubled from what you see in this video.

PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES!

For now I have all the pictures hosted over at Flickr. Make sure when you click the link below that you check out BOTH pages! Lots of great stuff for you guys to see. Check back later on for a video from the crowd!

Blogger loves to mess up

I can't post any pictures right now, blogger won't let me! I am looking for a place to upload them to real quick and then give you a link. Hopefully you will hear soon!

NINTENDO NOW BLOGSPOT PODCAST "THE WEEKEND OF MIYAMOTO!"

Man...what a crazy, amazing, awesome weekend. I wish each and everyone of you guys could have been there with us. I am telling you, this is easily one of the best days ever. We had so much fun, from waiting in line up until we met the man himself...it was all great. We did a little on the spot podcast while we were sitting in line at about 10 at night. We cover everything that happened in the day so far, and let you know what the plan is for tomorrow. This podcast is completely unscripted, and completely unedited...and I think it makes for a great show. While it only clocks in close to 20 mins, we cover ONLY what is going on at the Nintendo World Store while waiting to meet Miyamoto. The show has a TON of surprises, and is definately worth a listen. Be careful, I think one curseword pops up in there! Pictures of the craziness will be up soon, along with a movie! You will not BELIEVE some of the surprises...



US Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow site live

With the next installment of Castlevania quickly approaching its US release, Konami has put up an official site for the game. Click the link below to check out some information, and grab some goodies.

New Nintendogs Commercials

These commercials do a much better job of selling the game then the original two. That doesn't mean they are great by any stretch of the mind. Check'em out and decide for yourself.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

We're off to see the wizard!

So it begins today...our trip to see Miyamoto! We are leaving in about ten minutes, and heading into the city to set up camp. Hopefully we will be early enough to secure a good spot in line. I called the Nintendo World Store and found out that you are allowed to line up and camp overnight starting at 9:00 pm Saturday night. We all expect there to be a line of waiting full of people raring to get into the 9:00 line! We have a long day ahead of us, but we have some things planned to keep us busy. We are going to try and record a podcast after we set up camp in line, but I really have no idea how well that will go. We will do our best to get a show done, and then get it up on the site tomorrow. If that doesn't work out, we will have to miss out on one show and make up for it next weekend. Other then that, we have Nintendogs to take care of, I have a lil DK King of Swing to play, and we have people to meet, cards to play, and all night parties to attend!( yeah right). Wish us good luck, and we will try to get as many pictures as possible to our (hopeful) meeting with Mr. Miyamoto! Check back on the site tomorrow in the afternoon for an update, if we are still alive!

Friday, September 23, 2005

1up Revolution controller video discussion

The guys and girls over at 1up have put together a roundtable discussion concerning Nintendo's Revolution controller. They cover a lot of good topics, and were kind enough to videotape the whole thing. Click the link below to check out the story, and download the video.

Gearbox backs Revolution

Looks like the guys over at Gearbox are getting pretty vamped for the Revolution. Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox had this to say.

"I look forward to the challenge of making games for it <>. There are a few ideas...that I think would be very appropriate for the interface options the Revolution provides."

Chalk up another developer for the Big N! Brother in Arms Revolution perhaps!
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