Monday, April 7, 2008

Mini Bash’s DS Brought to Life

11:40PM Brian Ashcraft | Someone has taken Mini Bash’s origami DS and made it real! Over at Newgrounds, artist zikayn writes: I was bored over Easter and after reading something about a kid making his own DS out of paper, I decided to try and make one of my own, surprisingly it actually started working… Mini Bash response: “Why does his move, but mine doesn’t?” Because zikayn is a witch, that’s why. Home Made DS [Newgrounds Thanks, jama!] More »

Death Takes Old PS2, PSP Online Servers

11:20PM Luke Plunkett | Sony aren’t a charity, folks. They’re not going to go paying for online support for a bunch of old games that none of you play anymore. So they’ve announced that on June 30, they’ll be killing off the American servers for a range of older titles on both the PS2 and PSP. Most notable are probably Twisted Metal: Black Online and Amplitude, while if any of you say that shutting down World Tour Soccer 2’s PSP servers affects you you’ve gotta stop talking so much shit. More »
News

Hudson Doing Well With Wii

11:00PM Brian Ashcraft |  Hudson is coming back in a big way, and it’s got one thing to thank: Nintendo hardware. Hudson profits have increased fourfold thanks to concentrating on the Nintendo Wii and the Wii’s Virtual Console. Says incoming Hudson president Michihiro Ishizuka: Two years from now will be the time when game-software developers’ profits are expected to grow the most, after the winner and loser for consoles becomes clear. I will ensure earnings jump in the next three years by promoting licensing of our games and increasing spending on promotions. Guess someone besides Nintendo is making money off the Wii. Hudson, for instance. Hudson Doing Well Wii Wise [Bloomberg] More »

Pierce Film, Cook Xbox On High For Five Minutes, Then Stir

10:30PM Luke Plunkett | Ingredients: Kids, a camera, an Xbox 360, a microwave, the timeless human desire to bust stuff up real good. Preparation: Remove white plastic shell from console. Cooking Directions: Insert Xbox 360 in microwave. Cook until in flames. Remove from microwave, inhale toxic fumes, high-five everybody in the room, take photographs. Serving Suggestion: Video of microwaved 360 is above, with a gallery of fried console components in the gallery linked below. Xbox 360 [Microwave Science, via Giz AU] More »

Maniac Mario Collection

10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Some people like Nintendo. Other people like Nintendo. The person who lives in this room, well he/she/it is clearly very bananas for Nintendo. Look at all those Marios packed in there like sardines. The cruelty! Like Nintendo [popgive via Go Nintendo] More »

Unreal Tournament III 360 Reminds Us We’d Forgotten About It

9:30PM Luke Plunkett | I completely forgot about Unreal Tournament III. Sorry, Epic! No harm meant, it’s just, I think the world’s FPS games/fans have kinda moved on from the late 90s. That and there wasn’t a 360 version, which for an online console FPS is like holding a doritos-eating championship then forgetting to invite the fatties. While many then went and assumed the “delayed” 360 version would quietly become the “cancelled” 360 version – due to Microsoft’s reluctance to allow user-generated content on the 360 – Epic are still plugging away on the project, with Mark Rein posting on the company forums that the title will be playable for for the press in about two weeks time. Gotta admire their sticktoitiveness. UT3 XB360 Release Date? [Epic] More »

The Arcade Mahjong Public Shame

9:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Sexy mahjong games. Your more discriminating Japanese arcades typically have a couple cabinets that feature mahjong ladies in various states of undress. Thrilling stuff! Some people find these games a tad too thrilling, a tad too titillating, so do beware if you plan on hitting the risky jump. NSFW carpenter’s smile ahead! You’ve been warned, so don’t go complaining. More »

So The Wii Wheel’s Not $US 15?

8:30PM Luke Plunkett | $US 15 for a Wii Wheel? No, thanks. Hollowed-out plastic shells aren’t quite at the MUST-BUY stage where that becomes a sensible purchase. But what about $US 10? Contrary to GameStop’s (now yanked) advertisement, that’s what Nintendo Power reckon the wheel costs, stating in the terms and conditions for a Mario Kart comp that the wheel’s MSRP is $US 9.99. Which is certainly more palatable, if not entirely delicious. Wii Wheel for $US 10 says Nintendo [Nintendo Power, via Go Nintendo] More »

Zelda Manga Getting Its English On

8:00PM Brian Ashcraft | The Legend of Zelda manga incoming! Word on the street is that English adaptations of two volumes of Zelda, written by Akira Himekawa, the pen name for two writers who wrote half a dozen Zelda manga. The books trace the Ocarina of Time story line. Release date is October 7th, 2008, and it will be published by Viz Media. Better late than never, no? Zelda Manga [Go Nintendo via Anime News Network via Albotas] More »

New Lost Odyssey DLC On April 10

7:30PM Luke Plunkett | So…Thursday, then. Oh, and sadly only in Japan, at least for now. For 400 points, on offer is a single (very familiar-looking) dungeon, which promises a single rare item and a single boss encounter, though you’d expect a fair bit of random-bad-guy-pop-ups to hassle you during your exploration as well. One more thing: the Famitsu report’s a little unclear on where you need to be in the game to access this stuff, so keep that in mind if you’re going to try and get around the region locks on XBL and pick this up. 『ロストオデッセイ』ダウンロードコンテンツ第3弾が2008年4月10日から配信[Famitsu] More »