Tetris is one of the oldest and most endearing puzzle games ever. Most other puzzle games that have come out since then have not steered too far away from Tetris’s basic design. So how does the age old-formula manage to remain fresh for its Nintendo DS debut? Nintendo has combined Tetris’s classic gameplay with the look and feel of several of its classic franchises, added several new game variations, and added online play to boot. Even the classic version of the game has a new twist; as players create lines, Mario moves through the levels. Puzzle mode, which has its look inspired by Yoshi’s cookie, has players using a set amount of blocks in order to clear the screen. Mission mode, inspired by Legend of Zelda, has players completing lines while having to follow various rules, such as not being able to use a certain block. Touch mode, which is taken from balloon fight, has players use the touch screen to slide blocks into place to clear the screen, kinda like those slide puzzles. A mode inspired by Metroid has players scrolling upwards, kinda like a vertical shooter. You combine falling pieces into clusters of blocks to get rid of them. Finally, a duel mode inspired by Donkey Kong, has players making lines in order to push the stack onto their opponent. In short, Nintendo has done so much more than simply regurgitate another version of Tetris with touch screen controls. They have created an all new way to experience Tetris, and created a must-have title for the Nintendo DS.
Yes ladies and gentlemen the Wii finally gets another firmware update today, bringing the system up to 3.0U. The primary accomplishments of this update? A fairly major overhaul to the Wii Shop Channel and a clock on the main screen. Hey it’s not exactly loading games off an SD card, but we’ll take what we can get. For anyone curious about the Wii’s new abilities, we’ve got the full list of known changes after the jump.
One of the best reasons to buy Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade is now heading toward’s Nintendo’s twin screen portable and waggle powered console.
I speak of course of Geometry Wars. Sierra Entertainment has licensed the frantic shooter from Bizarre Creations and will be adding a full single player campaign, co-op multiplayer, and connectivity between the DS and Wii. Titled “Geometry Wars Galaxies” it will be available as a stand alone release instead of a download title. The Geometry Wars Retro Evolved will be included in the package as well.
The original game is a pick-up-and-play masterpiece. Powet’s own Screwface Capone sang GW’s praises in his weekly column. Adding to the complexity of the game could destroy it, or it could make it better than I ever imagined. This is one port I’ll really have to play to appreciate. At the very lease, the asthetic hasn’t changed, the above screen shot from the Wii version looks pretty much identical to the XBLA one.
Thankfully, one feature will be retained from the XBLA classic: Online leaderboards! Nothing drove me to get better at this game more than knowing a friend had only a couple thousand points more than me. No other Wii game has been announced with this feature so hopefully it’ll spark developers to add it in for appropriate games.
IGN has posted a preview of the pair of Transformer DS games. Sounds pretty interesting, the games are completely different and will feature levels and playable characters unique to each version. Perhaps the most intriguing detail is that it will support Nintendo WiFi Connection for “Allspark War” with up to 4 players in Team Deathmatch and other gametypes. Considering there is no online multiplayer in the console versions, this is a very welcome surprise!
Speaking of the console versions, today you can put $5 down on any of these games at GameStop (yeah, I know) and they’ll give you the movie poster. I placed my reserve on Transformers Collector’s Edition on Xbox 360, weighing in a $69.99. If past Collectors Editions are any indication, I should get a second disc full of concept art and documentaries in steel book packaging.
Pokemon Battle Revolution is due June 25 on Nintendo Wii and it will be the first online multiplayer title for the system. Already released in Japan, it supports the dreaded “friend code” system that makes pairing with friends and keeping track in game much more difficult than in the firmware available for Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.
That may change now. GameSpy, who not only are a video game news site, but also a middleware developer for online games, have been charged with turning the Wii’s online capabilities into a full functional network. They developed the software that governs existing DS WiFi titles, but promise something more robust for the console. Full press release after the jump, but I’ll spoil it for you right here with the important parts
Friends Lists
Ranked Matches
Matchmaking
Of course, all of those have been in place since Mario Kart DS became the first Nintendo online title, but the promise of keeping a list using the console’s identity rather than each game’s is enough to give us hope for the future. Launching 7 months after the Wii’s debut and a year and half after the Nintendo WiFi service launched on DS, they’ve had plenty of time to get this right.
Still no word if this GameSpy middleware is being sent to 3rd party developers.
by FakeTrout, filed in Uncategorized on Aug.12, 2006
In addtion to Baby Mario, we found out at E3 that Yoshi would also carry a Baby Princess Peach and a Baby Donkey Kong.
But in the lower and upper left corners of the final box art we see a Baby Bowser and a Baby Wario. The different babies promise to add new gameplay mechanics to the platformer, which iteself is a sequel to an underrated classic on the SNES.
Also of note, theres a Nintendo WiFi logo. 2 player online Co-op? Versus race? Mini Games? Nintendo hasn’t said anything yet.
Yoshi’s Island 2 will be released to the Nintendo DS on November 13 in the US.
PS3
Famicom Dojo
KEEP PLAYING
KEEP PLAYING: Rewind
Powet Toys
Powetcast
Hitchhiker's Guide POWETcast
Tetris is one of the oldest and most endearing puzzle games ever. Most other puzzle games that have come out since then have not steered too far away from Tetris’s basic design. So how does the age old-formula manage to remain fresh for its Nintendo DS debut? Nintendo has combined Tetris’s classic gameplay with the look and feel of several of its classic franchises, added several new game variations, and added online play to boot. Even the classic version of the game has a new twist; as players create lines, Mario moves through the levels. Puzzle mode, which has its look inspired by Yoshi’s cookie, has players using a set amount of blocks in order to clear the screen. Mission mode, inspired by Legend of Zelda, has players completing lines while having to follow various rules, such as not being able to use a certain block. Touch mode, which is taken from balloon fight, has players use the touch screen to slide blocks into place to clear the screen, kinda like those slide puzzles. A mode inspired by Metroid has players scrolling upwards, kinda like a vertical shooter. You combine falling pieces into clusters of blocks to get rid of them. Finally, a duel mode inspired by Donkey Kong, has players making lines in order to push the stack onto their opponent. In short, Nintendo has done so much more than simply regurgitate another version of Tetris with touch screen controls. They have created an all new way to experience Tetris, and created a must-have title for the Nintendo DS.
Yes ladies and gentlemen the Wii finally gets another firmware update today, bringing the system up to 3.0U. The primary accomplishments of this update? A fairly major overhaul to the Wii Shop Channel and a clock on the main screen. Hey it’s not exactly loading games off an SD card, but we’ll take what we can get. For anyone curious about the Wii’s new abilities, we’ve got the full list of known changes after the jump.
