Joystiq

Joystiq impressions: Age of Empires: Mythologies

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T23:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Strategy, Galleries

Age of Empires: Mythologies follows the style of the DS Age of Kings, turning the PC real-time strategy into a portable, turn-based title. We checked out the game a the Nintendo Media Summit and found a lot of depth in the transition. While you'll only choose from Greek, Norse, or Egyptian armies, there's still ample Age of Empires inside.

Gallery: Age of Empires: Mythologies

We initially rushed into battle without a background playing the original DS Age of Empires. While a little confusing at first, the game easily evokes Advance Wars; we moved a handful of units around the grid-based board to attack enemies. Each unit has benefits and drawbacks compared to others; for example, our normally-weak spearmen easily hacked through powerful cavalry enemies.

Unlike Advance Wars, Age of Empires requires more resource management and building maintenance like the PC original. While going to battle - or often before - we used one unit to create farms built structures that generated fighters. We even developed new weapons and upgraded units through research tracks. While the rush of real-time is missing, Age of Empires still retains a lot of depth.

Up to four players will be able to compete online or locally if each person has the game. And two people can locally play against each other with only one copy.

Strategy gamers should look for Age of Empires: Mythologies soon, with a tentative release date of November 14.

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Joystiq impressions: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T20:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Casual, Galleries

The Rabbids are back. We liked the original, thought they dozed on the sequel, and hope the combination of randomness and fun returns for TV Party. More than 50 mini-games are shipping with the new Wii game, most of which will be playable with four people. About 30 percent of the games will be able to use the Balance Board, although the ~~fad~~ device won't be required.

We played three mini-games at the Nintendo Media Summit and are hopeful that this will be the best version yet. We'll know for sure after the November 11 release.

Gallery: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

We liked an updated dancing game most, although we were apprehensive about the controls. A range of dance moves appear in time to one of seven licensed songs. (We got Jungle Boogie.) The motions track Remote and Nunchuk gestures, such as waving both hands in the air like you just don't care, or rotating both hands in a circle. As the song progresses, the pace picks up, although key movements land on beats.

The mechanic felt fun, especially in multiplayer. However, the game didn't register our gestures properly at certain points. We improved accuracy by snapping our wrists with certain moves, so hopefully, that kind of simple adjustment will make a difference.

Otherwise, we sampled two Balance Board games. In a sledding race, we sat on the board and leaned to steer. The setup worked well, as we glided down the track and over jumps. While airborne, we followed on-screen gestures with the handheld controllers to score bonus points.

In a space game, we stood sideways to surf through rings. We leaned forward to dive, back to climb, and to the sides to steer. Like in Tetris Party, a short hop/squat activated an extra function. Here, our rabbid launched his lowest-common-denominator fart-thruster to move quicker. Both Balance Board games were simple and clear.

We also learned about an online mode but mention it here to keep you from getting your hopes up. Players will be able to "pimp their rabbid," dressing up in outfits and uploading the creation. That's pretty much it; all multiplayer games work only with a Wii in the same room.

Otherwise, TV Party seems to maintain the established humor and style from the previous games. Brief interludes parody TV shows, while in-game moments kept us smiling.

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Joystiq impressions: Tecmo Bowl Kickoff (DS)

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T19:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Retro, Sports, Galleries

Game companies must find old IP profitable, with yet another retro remake on the way in Tecmo Bowl Kickoff. This DS diversion plunges into the nostalgia glands within our hypothalamus; we fondly associate the NES original with grade-school sleep-overs. Maybe there's a direct connection between our memories and Visa card after all.

And on that level, Tecmo Bowl wins. It's hokey, clunky, and fun. We think gamers who missed the NES or SNES versions won't enjoy it nearly as much as their John Maddens. But the Tecmo Bowl simplicity can even be elegant. You're limited to just a few runs and passes. There's no play clock. Team names and players are fictitious. Cut-scene interludes show the biggest graphical effects, with on-field play just clear enough to make out what's happening.

Gallery: Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff (10-6-08)

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Joystiq hands-on: Tetris Party (WiiWare)

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle, Galleries

We've soaked up Tetris on countless platforms. There's a balance to strike between versions that retain enough of the core game to be authentically Tetris, and adding new puzzle elements. Tetris Party for WiiWare nails this demand, providing about a dozen game modes, many of which, are all-new. Call it "yet another Tetris?" Maybe. But this is a Tetris on which we'll gladly spend 1,200 Wii points with its release sometime this month.

Nintendo claims there are 18 modes, 10 of which are new, but we only agree technically; the company counts some modes twice as single- and multi-player games. (Most modes support up to four players on one system, and a few work with up to six online.) We tore into as many as we could before overloading like a kid on a Halloween sugar-high. Here's how they stand up.

Gallery: Tetris Party (WiiWare, 10-06-08)

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Joystiq impressions: Animal Crossing: City Folk

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Features, Nintendo Wii, Online, Casual, Galleries

Animal Crossing is a one-hit-wonder. You might like it and play it forever, hate it and avoid it completely, or think it was catchy and then just get tired of the tune. Animal Crossing: City Folk does little to change our perception. This is Animal Crossing, again; go fishing, pull weeds, repeat. Some love it, some hate it, and some just want something new.

From what we saw at the Nintendo Media Summit, the city is just another place to go. Instead of Tom Nook's shop in your own town, you can buy from an upscale store. Instead of waiting for the fortune teller to visit, you can see her in the city. A few minor additions include a city-based auction house and theater where you see shows.

The rest of the updates seem equally subtle. You can play with your Mii face. Up to four players can meet in one of their towns or the city. Gamer can talk over the WiiSpeak microphone (sold separately). You can type messages by plugging in any USB HID keyboard. Otherwise, it's Animal Crossing again.

Gallery: Animal Crossing: City Folk (10-6-08)

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Neopets Puzzle Adventure gets October release window

Zack Stern — 2008-10-06T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, PC, Nintendo Wii, Puzzle, Casual

When we raved about the Othello-based, Neopets Puzzle Adventure, we couldn't scrub away the sadness of endorsing something built on a Tomagotchi-knock-off. We name-dropped how it's being developed by Infinite Interactive, creators of Puzzle Quest, but that wasn't enough. We shivered for weeks.

Capcom let us know that the PC and DS versions are due by the end of October, while a Wii edition is coming later. So you'll soon be able to share our love of the puzzler (and self-loathing). Check out our original impressions again for the full details.

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Knockout Sin and Punishment 2, Punch-Out!! screens and video

Randy Nelson — 2008-10-06T08:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action, Fighting

Since the games were announced last week, all we've had to go on for Nintendo's unexpected, one-two "core" game punch of Sin and Punishment 2 and the new Punch-Out!! for Wii has been second-hand media. Now that the embargo on our Nintendo Fall Media Summit coverage has (finally) lifted, we can offer up these official, pristine screens and gameplay footage.

We've already covered the basics on both games - now it's your chance to sit back, crank up the volume, and get every bit as excited as we were when Nintendo rolled these teasers and passed out anything-but-blurry screens. Of course, there are no firm release dates yet for either game, but they're coming, and that's exciting enough ... for the time being. (Click through after the break for silky-smooth Sin and Punishment 2 footage.)

Gallery: Punch-Out!! (Wii)

Gallery: Sin and Punishment 2

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Nintendo: DSi won't immediately replace DS Lite in U.S.

Griffin McElroy — 2008-10-05T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Business

While there's been a fair amount of excitement and buzz over the recently announced, camera-equipped upgrade to Nintendo's best-selling handheld, it seems that the big N doesn't want American gamers to neglect the DSi's older, lensless sibling. In a recent interview with Game|Life, Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo's VP of sales and marketing (and world-renowned snowboarding expert), explained that the DS Lite has "huge, untapped potential" in the U.S. -- potential that the company hopes to tap before replacing the Lite with the new shutterbugish model.

Dunaway explained Nintendo's hopes to bring America's DS Lite sales to a level the company has come accustomed to in Japan, where one in every two households owns the handheld. While the DSi isn't due out in America until "well into 2009", Nintendo hopes to bolster Lite sales by allowing the two versions to "coexist for some period of time". Hey, as long as the DS Lite doesn't go all Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son, we're cool with it.

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DSi announcement didn't keep Nintendo stocks from falling

Ross Miller — 2008-10-03T16:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Business

Despite revealing a new DS iteration -- the first since February 2006 -- Nintendo's shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 3.7 percent to 39,500 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Bloomberg notes that the stock has dropped 41 percent overall n 2008, compared to the past two years where it doubled in each of those. Comparatively, Sony's stock has dropped 51 percent this year.

While much can be attributed to the global economy at the moment, equity researcher Yoku Ihara said the DSi reveal "didn't exceed investors' expectations ... the stock market was so bearish that the news didn't hlep the shares gain." In other news, the console maker is still paying people to pay other people to count its ridiculous amounts of money.

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World of Goo sticks to WiiWare October 13

Ross Miller — 2008-10-03T13:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Puzzle

click to embiggen

As revealed at the end of Nintendo's second fall media summit press conference, 2D Boy's World of Goo has been confirmed for an October 13 launch on WiiWare. The stick 'em and stack 'em puzzle game was a winner of three Independent Games Festival awards this year. World of Goo is also coming this year for PC and, according to 2D Boy's website, "shortly after" for Mac/Linux.

Gallery: World of Goo

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Joystiq live at Nintendo's fall media summit, Pt. 2

Ross Miller — 2008-10-03T12:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii

Another conference? Yes, Nintendo is hosting a second fall media summit conference. What else does the company have under its sleeve? We're told there will be a couple of announcements and then live demos.
12:07PM Balance Board is on the floor in front of us.

12:10PM Nintendo's PR director, Marc Franklin, is at the podium welcoming everyone. He says he wants to talk about ... WiiWare. Reports that , to date, there have been 33 games released for the service. Gives a shout out to Lost Winds as being highly-downloaded.

12:12PM Two new games to announce today. First up is Tetris Party. Casey from Tetris Online is at the podium; the game is-up-and-running. It's developed by Hudson. We're getting a history lesson on Tetris.

12:14PM He says they challenged Hudsom to "take Tetris to the next level!" 18 new modes, some motion control based, some incorporating Balance Board. Tony, the game's producer, is demoing Field Climber mode. Blocks need to be placed so that a little guy can make his way up them.

12:16PM Next up is Shadow mode. It's a variant of puzzle play. You're given a silhouette that you need to fill in. You can skip through pieces, but are only given 10 skips. This can be played competitively. Another mode is Stage Racer. You actually take a block ? in this case a "T" ? and "drive" it downward through a course trying not to get hung up on anything.

12:21PM There's a new co-op mode that uses a wider well. Both players work together in the same well to clear lines and create Tetrises. Dual Spaces uses the same screen setup but is ... turn-based. Players attempt to fill in the "white space" before their opponents can. Wii Balance Board support is optional. Leaning forward-backwards controls drop speed. "Squatting" rotates pieces. The blocks are really large in this mode, but can be scaled smaller once you get the hang of it. The producer looks a little ... odd playing this way. Price announced: 1200 Wii points.

12:22PM Real Networks and Ninja Bee are showing Boingz It''s a "2D-3D puzzler platformer." The Boinks are elastic creatures. You use the Wiimote to grab, stretch, and flick them around the level to reach exit gates.

12:26PM Boingz is physics-based an actually a bit reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet. The game is "designed for the Wii." Reeeally? Seriously, though, it looks like a retail release. There's a timed mode to challenge more hardcore players.

12:29PM Marc Franklin is back at the podium. He says that "dozens more games" are on the way to WiiWare. World of Goo launches Oct. 13. And that's a wrap! (Yes, really.)

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Club Nintendo coming to North America 'by the end of the year'

Christopher Grant — 2008-10-02T13:28:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii

"Oh, and one more thing ..."

Okay, so Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway didn't quite pull a Steve Jobs but she did save some of the biggest news for last. Japan's (and Europe's ... and Australia's) envy-inspiring Club Nintendo service - a "loyalty program" which rewards your Nintendo purchase with points to be redeemed for cool swag - will be making its way to North America "by the end of the year." Is this a move to placate the dissatisfied "core" gamer, still bitter from Nintendo's mainstream E3 pitch? Or a plan decades in the making which just so happens to coincide with said dissatisfaction? We may never know, but we're anxious to see what sort of goodies Nintendo offers its too-long taken for granted fanboys and girls.

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Nintendo announces Wii Speak Channel

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T13:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

As one of the last two announcements for their fall media summit, Nintendo has announced the Wii Speak Channel for use with the Wii microphone (pictured, from E3 2008). According to Cammy Dunaway, up to four people can chat together, and the microphones will come with a coupon to download the channel.

Of course, this leads to a plethora of other questions, such as: release date, price (if not buying with the microphone), can a USB mic be substituted, what else can we do with the channel besides speak? We're not holding our breath waiting for answers anytime soon.

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Joystiq live from Nintendo's fall media summit

Randy Nelson — 2008-10-02T13:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Business

We're live in San Francisco at Nintendo's press event - sure, they're going to go over last night's Nintendo announcements like the DSi, Play for Wii, and Punch-Out but maybe ... just maybe there's something else in store.

12:14PM: Reggie has taken the podium. He's announced the DSi as a "third trier" platform and is talking about its built-in NVRAM. He's talking about the DSi Shop, the first two titles to be offered are "re-tooled" versions of Brain Age 1 and 2. The DSi features onboard image editing software that can be used to composite photos taken by both cameras in real time. Music player will support AAC format and allow pitch / speed manipulation. Various audio effects can be applied in real time.

12:20PM: Opera browser runs faster than previous DS browser, Wi-Fi is "faster." Reggie just announced that the DSi will not see release until "well into calendar year 2009" citing strong U.S. sales of current DS hardware. He's talking about Wii storage now; confirming that SD card will be used for additional storage, saying that transferring between internal NVRAM and SD card will be dramatically faster.

12:24PM: Reggie says that significantly more Wii systems will be shipped into retail this holiday season versus last year. He can't say how many, and anticipated the question of will it be enough? "Ask me in January." Har. Har. Cammie is at the podium now to talk about software. Take note, folks: She's smiling! Punch-Out!! is on-screen. Cammie calls it a "re-introduction" of the classic title. Video is rolling! Little Mac is showing off in toon-shaded glory. King Hippo and Glass Joe plus a female boxer appeared in the video. Looks like it plays just like the original titles ... but what's that? Cammie says that Punch-Out!! is fully motion-controlled.

12:29PM: MadWorld is the focus now, pretty much just the basics on the game we've already heard. Same for CoD: WaW, Dead Rising: Cop 'Til You Drop, and now ... The Conduit. High Voltage software rep is at the podium, demoing The Conduit. The level is a cold war bunker. Says the game is still pre-alpha, still on target for a Q1 09 ship. Campign mode in basically complete, and they're focusing on multiplayer development now, "incorporating ideas from fans." We're seeing really impressive character animation and use of normal mapping in The Conduit. More impressive, though: the control looks very solid. We'll find out when we play it.

12:35PM: Looks like The Conduit's struggle with finding a publisher is over - Cammie just called it a "first-party" title. It's Wii Music time! Get this - you can "improvise" while "playing." Nintendo guy is ... waggling the Wiimote and sound is coming out. He's set up a "custom jam," adding a bass and drummer set to automatically play the Mario theme. His movement is controlling the tempo of the entire song. He's switched from a violin to a guitar, showing how you can press buttons to create chords, mute cords, add vibrato, and double pick. Now for something "weird." Bagpipes. Holding the Wiimote up makes them louder. Please, sir, lower it. We need more cowbell! Oh, there's the cowbell. Now there's not enough cowbell. Please see to that ...

12:44PM: Now another weird one: beatboxing! Sadly, since there's no mic, you "beatbox" simply by shaking the Wiimote maraca-style. Nintendo rep is blaming Wi-Fi in the room for his poor performance (we're thanking Wi-Fi for this liveblog, so to each his own). Now he's joined on stage by a Treehouse staffer to "play" the Mario theme. Violin and Ukulele. Most of the song is playing itself aaaaand ... they've left the stage. Cammie is talking about how Wii Music was demo'd to real musicians at Austin City Limits. She says they liked it.

12:49PM: Now Animal Crossing Wii ... er, City Folk is on-screen. Cammie just made a sour joke about not being able to pay mortgages in the real world. Boo-urn. Cammie just said we all look "really fit!" Wii Fit is on-screen. Evidently Christina Aguilera's trainer is on-site to give us tips (what about our trainer, Cammie?). Rayman Raving Rabids TV Party is being shown as another Balance Board title. Cammy says it "really works your core!" Actually, we think The Conduit is what Nintendo needs to work its core ... wait, what is she talking about?

12:52PM: Sin & Punishment 2 time. Says the announcement was probably met with excitement and worry, since Sin & Punishment never came to North America formally. Sin & Punishment 2 is coming to the US in 2009 from Nintendo. Says that Virtual Console sales of the original helped in the decision. Gameplay video is rolling. It looks very much like the original in art style and basic concept, only with obvious direct motion-control aiming.

12:54PM: On to the Personal Trainer series for DS. Math and Walking joining the lineup in early 2009. Rhythm Heaven (that's Rhythm Tengoku for you GBA importers out there) is "infectious," says Cammie. She says the Japanese version is averaging around 50,000 units per week. Now she's talking about "hard-edge" titles for DS. Hard-edge = the new "core!" Age of Empire Mythologies for November, Tecmo Bowl Kickoff (also Nov. but we knew that), Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia ("developed exclusively for DS" ... really?), aaaand Chrono Trigger for Thanksgiving week. Last live demo of the day is up. It's Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. Release is first-half of 2009. First in the series with online play. Julian from the Nintendo Treehouse is playing.

1:03PM: Gameplay demo is over, and Julian is talking about Shadow Dragon being a remake of the original NES / Famicom game, but that doesn't mean it's not getting extra DS content. There are two new scenarios, six difficulty levels, and 1v1 Wi-Fi play. But that's not all, folks. Fire Emblem features full voice chat when playing online or via local wireless. You can loan out your units to other players via Wi-Fi and when you get them back, they'll retain all of the EXP, etc. gained while your friends have been using them. There's also a Wi-Fi store with a constantly changing inventory. And that's that for Fire Emblem.

1:08PM: Focus now shifts to Pokemon Ranger. Cammie's going over all of the info we've already heard. EA's Henry Hatsworth is on-screen now and everyone in the room suddenly perked up! Mario & Luigi RPG 3 confirmed for 2009 though there's no "working title" visible. We're seeing video of Bowser being controlled as a playable character. He sucks - literally, he has a sucking power.

1:10PM: Uh-oh! Cammie has two more announcements. First is the Wii Speak Channel, which uses the Wii Microphone. Up to four people can chat together. Microphone comes with a coupon to download the channel. And Club Nintendo is coming to the US (YES!)! "We know that there have been lots of people in the US that have been lusting after these products for a long time." Just like in Japan, consumers will be able to collect points by purchasing Nintendo products and then trade them in for goodies. It's coming to the States "by the end of the year."

1:12PM: And, with that, the briefing is over. But wow, Club Nintendo - finally! We're off to get more info, folks.

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Update: Nintendo will NOT publish The Conduit

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T12:37:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, First Person Shooters

[Update: Whoops! Looks like Ms. Dunaway misspoke - The Conduit is not an "exclusive first-party shooter" ... it's an "exclusive first-person shooter." D'oh! Still no word on a publisher but we've got an email into the cats at High Voltage. Our original post is tucked safely below the break.]

Gallery: The Conduit

[Original: After building so much hype as a publisher-less, motion-plussed, sci-fi shooter for (gasp) the Nintendo Wii, The Conduit now has home at Nintendo -- surprise! (okay, not really). At Nintendo's fall media summit, Cammie Dunaway is now calling it a "first-party" title. Does that mean developer High Voltage Software has been bought by the House of Mario or is this some sort of second-party arrangement? We'll have more details as the story develops.]

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Nintendo unveils new WarioWare, Mario & Luigi, more

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T04:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii

Not content with announcing a new DS iteration and a few franchise updates, Nintendo has used its Japanese press conference to reveal approximately 3 bajillion more new titles, including new editions of WarioWare and Mario & Luigi. Highlights include:

DS (Expanded List, Video)

Mario & Luigi RPG 3
Made in Wario/Wario Ware

Wii (Expanded List, Video)

Pikmin remake
New Punch-Out!!!
Sin and Punishment 2
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Another Code (Trace Memory)

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Nintendo DSi vs. PSP-3000 vs. iPod Touch, v1.0

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T03:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Features, Mac, Sony PSP

Note: Relative sizes approximate

Now that we have some concrete details about the Nintendo DSi -- which bears more than a few similarities between its multimedia competitors -- let's size it up against the PSP-3000 and Apple's "gaming handheld" the iPhone/iPod Touch. Remember this is based on tech specifications and not on games library. We'll keep updating as we get more news from Nintendo about its just-announced portable.

	Nintendo DSi	PSP-3000	iPhone / iPod Touch
Screen Size	Two 3.25-inch displays	4.3-inch display	3.5-inch display
Screen Resolution	256 x 192	480 x 272, 16m colors	480×320
CPU speed / type	One 67 MHz (ARM) and one 33 MHz ARM7TDMI²	MIPS R4000-based; clocked from 1 to 333 MHz	620 MHz ARM 1176, underclocked to 412 MHz
Form Factor	5.85 x 3.33 x 0.99 inches¹	6.7 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches	4.5 × 2.4 x 0.48 inches (iPhone); 4.3 × 2.4 × 0.33 inches (iPod Touch)
Camera	2 cameras, one with VGA resolution	Optional Go!Cam, 1.3 megapixels	iPhone has 2 megapixel camera
Memory	SD slot, internal storage (unknown size)	Memory Stick (up to 16GB)	8-32GB internal storage
Internet	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi (iPhone also has EDGE or 3G)
Browser	Yes	Yes	Yes
Online Store	Yes (DSi Shop)	Yes (PS Store)	Yes (App Store)
Touch Screen	Yes (single touch)	No	Yes (multi-touch)

Notes:
1: Approximate size, based on Nintendo's assertion that DSi is 12 percent thinner than DS Lite
2: Architecture of the DS Lite and, as noted, subject to change pending official release notes

Update: Massively has a comparison piece on the MMO potential of the three portables.

Gallery: What the Handheld War means for MMOs

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TKO! New Punch-Out!! coming to Wii in 2009

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T02:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Sports

At a press conference in Japan, Nintendo announced that a new Punch-Out!! game will be coming to the Wii. No other related news is currently available, but we're guessing it'll share some similarities with the boxing stage from Wii Fit.

Update: Check out videos right here, where Punch-Out!! is shown as a 2009 release.

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Sin & Punishment 2 coming to Wii

Andrew Yoon — 2008-10-02T02:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action

Although its only release in America came as a Virtual Console title on the Wii, Sin & Punishment ~~(N64 version pictured above)~~ has a pretty hardcore following here in the States. Nintendo has announced a follow-up to the Treasure-developed rail shooter. No details are available yet, but those who have played the original Tsumi to Batsu will know that the game is a perfect fit for Nintendo's current home console. Check out videos right here.

[Update: Added screenshot of the new game.]

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Nintendo's Wii storage solution: Load from SD cards; coming Spring 2009

Ross Miller — 2008-10-02T01:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii

Well, it's no hard drive (then again, it's certainly no air conditioner unit). Nintendo has revealed its answer to the Wii storage solution by allowing for software to be opened directly from (and downloaded directly to) an SD card. That will give you 2GB of storage per card swap. We expect a megaton amount of DRM to try and keep the games linked to one console at a time, though.

An update implementing the change is reportedly coming Spring 2009.

[Via NWF]

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