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This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Media Summit 2010 redux

David Hinkle — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:15:00 EST

This week's Nintendo Channel update features a lot of trailers for all of the big news items out of Nintendo Media Summit last week. If you haven't had a chance to check out the new trailers and our hands-on impressions, hit up this post here. Otherwise, boot up your Wii and enjoy all of the new videos for Super Mario Galaxy 2, Sin and Punishment: Star Successor and Disney Guilty Party!

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Media Summit 2010)

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This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Media Summit 2010 redux originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Media Summit 2010: The Recap Post

Xav de Matos — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST

The 2010 Nintendo Media Summit has come and gone, and sent a wave of huge Nintendo news through the industry. We had hands-on time with some of the Wii's biggest upcoming titles, screenshots for almost everything on Nintendo's 2010 calendar and a big ol' sack full of new videos. In case you missed anything, we've wrapped it all up and have it here for you in one tidy little package.

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Nintendo Media Summit 2010: The Recap Post originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story

JC Fletcher — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST

As if Satoru Iwata's pronouncement of a 2010 release date for -- let's call it -- "New Legend of Zelda" wasn't exciting enough, Nintendo of America's Cammie Dunaway referenced a similar timeline for the upcoming Wii game at the Nintendo Media Summit this week. Speaking to GameLife, Dunaway said, "If you compare the first half of 2010 with the first half of 2009, it's night and day. And from some of the things that Mr. Iwata has talked about, and things that we will talk about at E3, like Zelda, you know that we're going to have a good back half of the year, as well." So then, Zelda in the back half of 2010? Yes, please.

In regards to North American releases of RPGs Xenoblade and The Last Story, Dunaway somewhat baffling said, "It's too early to say whether we're going to bring those here" -- even though Nintendo of America already announced Xenoblade back at E3 2009 when it was called Monado: Beginning of the World. It's possible Dunaway simply misspoke, or she just forgot about Monado -- like everyone else in the world.

Gallery: Monado: Beginning of the World

Dunaway hints at new Zelda in 2010, unsure about Xenoblade and The Last Story originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Club Nintendo goodies: Ultrahand, Game and Watch Collection 2

JC Fletcher — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST

The best part of buying Nintendo games is ~~playing the actual Nintendo games you just bought~~ collecting coins for Club Nintendo! At yesterday's Nintendo Media Summit, the publisher announced two new items: the DS Game and Watch Collection 2 and Grill-Off with Ultrahand for Wii.

Game and Watch Collection 2 is a cartridge with classic and updated versions of Parachute and Octopus, released to Japan's Club Nintendo in 2008. Ultrahand is a WiiWare game about using a classic Nintendo toy to grill meat (really), released for just 50 points in Japan late last year. No information about release dates or cost have been released here yet.

New Club Nintendo goodies: Ultrahand, Game and Watch Collection 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dunaway: Wii successor isn't coming 'anytime soon'

David Hinkle — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST

GameSpot cornered Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway in a dimly lit back room at yesterday's Nintendo Media Summit and pried loose some information about the Wii's eventual successor. It would seem Nintendo is aiming for PlayStation 2 levels of success with the Wii, which means it'll be around for quite some time before being ousted by a follow-up system.

"I don't think it'll be anytime soon," she said. "Even though our install base is, at this point, five million households larger than the PS2 install base was at the same point in its life cycle, it still has a lot of room to grow. If you think PS2, there's been about 50 million sold -- Wii close to 28 million sold -- so it says to me there's still a big audience out there that we can access with Wii." In a less oblique fashion, she added: "We'll have it ready when we think the time is right."

The rest of the video is mainly fluff, with Dunaway talking up the large global install bases for the Wii and DS, and Wii Sports Resort's six million-strong success. The full video is embedded after the break.

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Dunaway: Wii successor isn't coming 'anytime soon' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DSiWare First Look: X-Scape and Metal Torrent

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST

Two DSiWare shooters were on show at Nintendo's Q1 Media Summit -- X-Scape (left) and Metal Torrent (right). Both hail from different dimensions (of gameplay and graphics). I played them both, and you'll find my impressions beyond the break.

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DSiWare First Look: X-Scape and Metal Torrent originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiiWare First Look: Art Style series Light Trax, Rotozoa

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST

Nintendo's house brand of "minimalistic mechanics" downloadables, the Art Style series, is growing its ranks with two new titles: Art Style: light trax and Art Style: Rotozoa, both for WiiWare. The games were present (and looking close to finished) at the Big N's media gathering in San Francisco, and I took both for a spin -- quite literally in one case. Catch my thoughts after the break.

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WiiWare First Look: Art Style series Light Trax, Rotozoa originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo: WarioWare D.I.Y. getting two DLC microgames weekly, famous devs contributing

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST

Meeting with Nintendo reps yesterday to check out the interoperability between WarioWare D.I.Y. for DS and WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase for WiiWare, we were informed that the publisher itself will be making two original games available for download each week after the titles launch at the end of March. Not only that, but there are plans to distribute D.I.Y. microgames created by "famous" game developers in the future -- which, of course, you'll be able to study the inner-workings of in detail using the DS version of the latest WarioWare.

Think you should be both "famous" and a "game developer?" The trio of tidbits we jotted down is rounded out by word of contests Nintendo is planning to hold, in which specific microgame themes will be presented to the D.I.Y. community, it'll take submissions (for, say, a game based on your favorite food) and the best of the best will then be chosen and distributed by the Big N. Got that notebook full of (tiny) game ideas handy?

Gallery: WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase (WiiWare)

Nintendo: WarioWare D.I.Y. getting two DLC microgames weekly, famous devs contributing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Disney Guilty Party

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:01:00 EST

On my list of games I expected to see from Stubbs the Zombie dev Wideload Games, "multiplayer mystery game" ... well, wasn't on my list. But I have to say that I was excited by what I saw (and played) of Disney Guilty Party during the Nintendo Media Summit. It was funny, clever and, simply, different.

Though it will support four-player cooperative (and even competitive) mystery-solving (think: Clue meets Zack & Wiki), the session I participated in was a two-player affair. From levels that include a train, mansion, aquarium, and other settings, I ended up playing the gumshoe character on a cruise ship that was missing its wheel and anchor. Along with my partner in crime ... solving, I came pretty close to solving the whodunnit (you need to find evidence as to the perp's hair length, sex, shape, and height, before accusing anyone) as I used my allotted moves and turns to investigate the dollhouse-like cut-away of the ship.

Special cards came into play (the over-arching story's villain might, for example, lock off a room -- there's a card that counters that) as did some ... err, unique "interrogation" mini-games, including "staring" into a suspects eyes, paying a bribe and tickling the truth out of an NPC using the Wiimote. The writing's sharp and funny, the classic adventure game underpinnings are noticeable, and I'm eager to play more.

Gallery: Disney Guilty Party

Hands-on: Disney Guilty Party originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: FlingSmash

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:52:00 EST

click to enlarge

After playing a few levels of ~~Span Smasher~~ FlingSmash, I had finally answered an important question -- "What the heck is it?" -- but was left with another unanswered. It's true: This is a game of tossing a ball (well, a ball-like character) against blocks in side-scrolling stages, using the power of Wii MotionPlus to ... more accurately toss the ball-thing. (It actually comes in pretty handy for hitting small targets, such as gems and coins.)

Playing it felt like tossing a ball against a brick wall, only sideways, which I assure you is as strange as it sounds. It was good enough fun; a very simple arcade game that is a nice change from the typical paddle-based block-breaker. I couldn't help but wonder, though, why it's destined to be a retail release and not a WiiWare title.

Gallery: FlingSmash

Hands-on: FlingSmash originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:52:00 EST

Treasure can do no wrong in my book. (It's self-published and titled Treasure Only Makes Awesome Games.) Its successor to the great N64 import Sin and Punishment finally has a release date and apt subtitle for the States, Star Successor, and I can safely say that my playthrough of the game's first level today was nothing compared to this guy's. Buy hey, I'm not complaining. I got to play Sin and Punishment: Star Successor -- and it's sharp-looking, smooth-moving and brimming with bullets (both incoming and outgoing). My experience was much like the one JC had at E3 last year, only I suspect he wasn't playing with an extremely bright LED camera light channeling the intensity of the sun into his eyes.

I still managed to build up a respectable multiplier and not botch the timing of sending missiles back to their sender using my melee attack. That's worth something, right?

Gallery: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor

Hands-on: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impressions: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii)

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:32:00 EST

For no apparent reason, the Wii version of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands wasn't playable at Nintendo Media Summit in San Francisco. I take that back -- it was playable, just not by anyone whose paycheck doesn't have an Ubisoft logo on it. Still, I watched and learned as a live demo was given. And hey, it looks solid so far. (Well, except for ... well, I'll get to that in a moment.)

The game looks like a mash-up of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the most recent (and more simply titled 2008 reboot) Prince of Persia, featuring the environments of the former and the saturated color palette of the latter. It also runs really well; it's locked at 60 frames per second. What doesn't look so hot: The stiffly animated Prince himself. Given the fluidity of the action, I expected his movements to be, well, more fluid.

Said to have been in development for two years now, The Forgotten Sands seems to make good use of the Wiimote for performing fantastic feats with the Sands of Time. Much like in Super Mario Galaxy, players will be able to aim the Prince's magic independently of his movement -- using the cursor to place "sand rings" anywhere on walls for handholds, "sand columns" to reach new heights and a "sand sphere" that lets the Prince hover in-between leaps, planning his next move. The result looks to provide a lot more freedom in the ways that levels can be navigated. I just hope the Prince ends up looking cooler while sand-magic-ing his way through the world in the final release.

Gallery: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii)

Impressions: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:02:00 EST

The original Super Mario Galaxy was selected as one of Joystiq's top games of 2007. Which, of course, meant we liked it -- a lot, in fact. So we took it as welcome news when the sequel was revealed at E3 last year; even if it didn't look all that different from the first game. Truth be told, after playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 at the Nintendo Media Summit, I can say that it isn't that different. But sometimes that's a good thing -- especially when you're talking about the video game equivalent of comfort food.

I specifically played two worlds during my demo, with the intent to focus on two of the new game mechanics in SMG2: the first being the drill bit power-up, which quickly wowed me with the nifty new level designs it has inspired; and the second being Mario's lizard pal Yoshi, who really is a space-faring plumber's best friend.

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Media Summit 2010)

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Hands-on: Super Mario Galaxy 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on: Metroid: Other M

Randy Nelson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:01:00 EST

There's a lot I want to tell you about the 45-minute demo of Metroid: Other M that I played at the Nintendo Media Summit, but let me answer your most pressing question first: The game is really impressive; it's really fun; it's totally Metroid. The demo was only the beginning sequences of the game, but if everything Nintendo and Team Ninja have managed to deliver in this short span holds up for the entirety of the game, it's going to be really good. (Also, let it be said now, Other M is in no way a re-skinned Ninja Gaiden.)

My demo began with the game's opening cinematic, which is fully pre-rendered CG and recounts the ending of Super Metroid, to which Other M serves as a direct sequel. It sees Samus in a showdown with Mother Brain (realized by Team Ninja as a mammoth bipedal monstrosity with one huge eye) before the bounty hunter awakes in a medical bay wearing her Zero Suit. The cinematic narrated entirely by Samus (as promised, Other M is the first time we hear her voice -- and it's, well, just all right) and leads directly into a tutorial disguised as a "diagnostic" of her armor and recollection of how to kick ass.

Gallery: Metroid: Other M

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Hands-on: Metroid: Other M originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii No Ma trademarked in U.S.

Justin McElroy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:15:00 EST

Since the day Nintendo's video on demand service Wii No Ma first escaped Satoru Iwata's lips, there's been speculation about it coming to North America. Broke My Controller has the latest (though still circumstantial) evidence in the form of several Wii No Ma trademarks made in the U.S. earlier this month.

We had hoped Nintendo would confirm the service's North American arrival during today's media summit, but alas, it was not to be. Seems will just to have to keep getting our fast food coupons from the newspaper like everybody else.

[Thanks, J. Lopez]

Wii No Ma trademarked in U.S. originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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100 Classic Books on DS this June

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:45:00 EST

Why did it take Nintendo a year and a half to localize a bunch of books that were already in English? No idea, but at least we'll finally be able to buy the 100 Classic Book Collection in North America this year. It's out as 100 Classic Books on June 14, at a cost of $19.99.

Nintendo has yet to release a list of the included novels in this version, but we expect it to be identical to the European release. In other words, the greatest hits of the public domain.

100 Classic Books on DS this June originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DSiWare screens and trailers from Nintendo Media Summit

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:15:00 EST

There wasn't as much DSiWare stuff on display at Nintendo Media Summit as there was WiiWare, but Nintendo did announce three new games. Photo Dojo is Japan's Photo Fighter X, the bizarre two-player fighting game made out of your photographs. Metal Torrent, as you may have heard, is a localized version of Aa! Mujou Setsuna, a vertical shooter from Arika.

X-Scape (above), fascinatingly, is a super-stylish first-person tank game from Q-Games, a sequel to the vintage Game Boy game X. You can see screens and video of all of them after the break.

Gallery: X-Scape (DSiWare)

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DSiWare screens and trailers from Nintendo Media Summit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokewalker caught on video

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST

If you're hoping to learn more about the device which you'll soon be hiding within your deepest, darkest pocket, filling you with terror that, while withdrawing your keys, you'll accidentally expose the accessory, bringing your reticent Pokémaniacal tendencies to light, forcing you to ... wait, what were we talking about again? Oh, yes, the Pokéwalker accessory which comes with HeartGold and SoulSilver was recently demoed in a video released at the Nintendo Media Summit, and posted above. Looks like it has some neat functionality beyond just step-counting.

Oh, the games themselves also received their own trailer, which is posted after the jump. We've seen most of the footage shown there before -- though the music is new, and totally triumphant.

Continue reading Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokewalker caught on video

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pokewalker caught on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WiiWare screens and trailers from Nintendo Media Summit

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST

Nintendo had a few awesome new WiiWare announcements at its Nintendo Media Summit, most notably, Cave Story! Most notably in the field of games we didn't know about, new Art Style games! The series hasn't been on Wii since the DSi came out, but now we've got Light Trax (a Wii version of the original bit Generations game Dotstream) and Rotozoa (a game about multi-tentacled organisms absorbing creatures of the same color) to look forward to this spring.

Check out the trailer for Light Trax above, and see a trailer for Rotozoa, as well as screens of Max and the Magic Marker, WiiWare's WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, Rage of the Gladiator, And Yet It Moves, Super Meat Boy, and Cave Story after the break. Oh, man, Cave Story!

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WiiWare screens and trailers from Nintendo Media Summit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney Guilty Party spurs television-crowding bedlam

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

We're not convinced that anyone outside of Disney Guilty Party's target audience will stand up and dance when the music for the above trailer really ramps up, but that doesn't mean we're trying to dissuade you from viewing it. Quite the contrary, as Guilty Party's revelry in the family-friendly nature of its cartoon sleuthery shouldn't necessarily be a reason to ignore it (yes, the music is a tad obnoxious).

We'll have a hands-on with the game going up later today, but from what we can see in the trailer above and the screenshots below, it seems to be a lighthearted puzzle game suitable for a room full of friends. The jury's still out on whether or not that room full of friends plays good games or not.

Gallery: Disney Guilty Party

Disney Guilty Party spurs television-crowding bedlam originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What exactly is 'FlingSmash'?

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:20:00 EST

Smash the image to fling yourself into the gallery.
Nintendo released news about a bunch of big Wii hits today: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Monster Hunter Tri, FlingSmash, Cave Story ... wait, what? Okay, so FlingSmash doesn't have the name recognition of those other games, but if you've been watching Nintendo carefully over the last couple of trade shows, you've seen it.

FlingSmash is a new name for Span Smasher, a MotionPlus-exclusive game about throwing a character named Zip through side-scrolling stages, hitting obstacles and enemies pinball-style. It was shown at E3 alongside games like Line Attack Heroes, which was conspicuously absent from today's proceedings.

FlingSmash features play for up to two simultaneously (provided, of course, you have two MotionPlusses) and is currently scheduled for a release sometime in summer 2010.

Gallery: FlingSmash

What exactly is 'FlingSmash'? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo DSi XL video overview appeals to all hand sizes

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:50:00 EST

The DSi XL is the star of the show at the Nintendo Media Summit, with the announcement an official price and release date for the system, as well as the marketing material posted above. There are no shocking revelations in the video -- well, aside from the fact that they actually went with "A Larger Experience" for the device's advertising catchphrase. A lesser blog might mention how that sounds like the slogan of one of those commercials that come on cable television after midnight. We'll abstain from making the reference.

The video does a great job of showing the size of the the device in correlation to human hands of various shapes and sizes. Check it out, and imagine what that Squiggle Pen-sized stylus will look like in your own meaty grasp.

Gallery: DSi XL (Nintendo Media Summit 2010)

Nintendo DSi XL video overview appeals to all hand sizes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sin & Punishment: Star Successor trailer is suitably insane

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:37:00 EST

When we last saw Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (formerly Sin & Punishment 2) in action, it was little more than an impressive video of an expert player charging through the game's first stage. Today, alongside the renaming and release date announcement, Nintendo unveiled the latest trailer for Treasure's insane shooter, as well as a whole mess of new screens.

As you might expect, Treasure once again delivers with its signature brand of brazenly Japanese game design stereotypes, mashed with pounding music and quick video cuts. Check out the whole thing above, and don't feel too bad if you watch it a few times (we did too). It's gonna be a long wait until June, folks.

Gallery: Sin and Punishment: Star Successor

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor trailer is suitably insane originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metroid: Other M screens (the other M is for 'mmmmm')

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:35:00 EST

The other, other M is for media, which you can click here to see.
Nintendo released a flood of information about Metroid: Other M today, not the least of which is when it's coming out. The Media Summit press release describes a game that takes place primarily in a side-scrolling perspective, using a sideways Wii Remote, but gives the player the ability to switch to first person at any time and control the game with the pointer. So it's an odd hybrid of old Metroid and Prime.

As these screens reveal, it's also very nice-looking (though it must be said, these screens are from a pre-release version, and at a higher resolution than an actual Wii can display). Other M will be in stores June 27.

Gallery: Metroid: Other M

Metroid: Other M screens (the other M is for 'mmmmm') originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roundup: Wii and DS game release dates for 2010

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:40:00 EST

Today's Nintendo Media Summit played host to a whirlwind dating game with quite a few players. If all the excitement got your heart thumping but left your head spinning, then you'll be relieved to find our list of matches -- each game paired with its release date (or release window ... or release season) -- posted just after the break. You're welcome!

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Roundup: Wii and DS game release dates for 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo publishing Dragon Quest IX in North America

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST

American DS owners have been waiting patiently for Dragon Quest IX, as the game racks up crazy sales in Japan and weekly DLC is released from Square Enix. Well ... we're going to have to keep waiting. While Nintendo didn't announce a date for the RPG at the Nintendo Media Summit today, the company announced that it will not only co-market Dragon Quest IX, it will publish it in North America. This is the first official confirmation of a localized release.

Square Enix previously said that it would consider localizing DQIX in its next fiscal year (beginning in April). Update: Nintendo has scheduled Dragon Quest IX for a summer 2010 release.

Nintendo publishing Dragon Quest IX in North America originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monster Hunter Tri releases April 20, will be free to play [update]

David Hinkle — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:31:00 EST

Update: Capcom sent word that the Monster Hunter Tri demo disc will be freely available to any GameStop patron starting March 8. If you pre-order the game, you'll also get a 500 Wii Points card.

Original post: At today's Nintendo Media Summit, Nintendo dropped some pertinent details about Capcom's very successful and Wii Speak-compatible hunt-em-up, Monster Hunter Tri. The game will release on April 20 in North America as two versions: bundled with a Classic Controller Pro for $59.99 (while supplies last) and as a standalone game for $49.99. The game will also ditch the pay-to-play model for online play, as used in Japan, in favor of free online functionality. ~~Additionally,~~ ~~GameStop~~ ~~pre-orderers will receive a demo disc on March 8.~~ Additionally, GameStop will offer free demo discs starting March 8 and those who pre-order will get themselves a card with 500 Wii Points on it.

Considering Capcom was beating itself up over whether or not to charge for online play, we're glad the publisher finally came around and went with the option that requires us to spend less money. Just imagine -- with all the money we'll save, we can import even more delicious ramen!

Gallery: Monster Hunter Tri

Monster Hunter Tri releases April 20, will be free to play [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Metroid: Other M rolls into North America June 27

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:20:00 EST

The galaxy is at peace, now that we know we'll be able to demand our copy of Metroid: Other M from the patient retailer of our choice on June 27. The date for the Nintendo and Team Ninja collaboration was just announced at the Nintendo Media Summit event.

Even better: Nintendo has a playable build of Other M on hand at the event. We're shooting down every door between us and the demo immediately, so we can deliver our impressions to you later tonight!

Gallery: Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Metroid: Other M rolls into North America June 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disney Guilty Party: A Wii detective game from Wideload

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:10:00 EST

Click to investigate
What's Disney doing with Wideload Games, the development studio it acquired last year? It's going to take some detective work to find out. No, really, if you want to play through Disney Guilty Party, the new game from Wideload, you'll have to do some sleuthing. Because it's a detective game, you see. Never mind.

Disney Guilty Party is slated for release in the second half of 2010.

Gallery: Disney Guilty Party

Disney Guilty Party: A Wii detective game from Wideload originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Picross 3D shaping up for May 3 release

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:03:00 EST

If you've been looking for a way to tease your brain into an overloaded, catatonic state while on the go, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory will soon deliver an application that should aid in your endeavor. Picross 3D, the DS puzzle game that hit Japanese retail last March, will be released on May 3 in North America.

The announcement came during today's Nintendo Media Summit and added that the game would receive DLC in the form of extra puzzles, à la Professor Layton. With continued support like that, Picross 3D could be capable of frying our brains for the foreseeable future. We can't wait.

Gallery: Picross 3D

Picross 3D shaping up for May 3 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sin & Punishment: Star Successor descends on June 7

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:52:00 EST

Treasure's unhinged third-person shooter, Sin & Punishment 2, is finally set to arrive on June 7 in North America, several months after its October debut in Japan. The date was announced today at the Nintendo Media Summit, which also re-dubbed the game "Sin & Punishment: Star Successor."

It's been a long and often uncertain wait, but at least Star Successor should manage to escape Japan (on a crazy techno-surfboard) with more rapidity than its N64 predecessor.

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor descends on June 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cave Story out on WiiWare March 22

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:44:00 EST

Finally.

Update: Developer Nicalis has confirmed the release date and noted that the extra modes previously announced as DLC -- Boss Rush and Sanctuary Time Attack -- are now included with the initial download, "so there's no need for additional downloads or purchases." Nice!

Gallery: Cave Story (WiiWare)

Cave Story out on WiiWare March 22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Super Mario Galaxy 2 flies into retail space May 23

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:33:00 EST

Those of you eagerly awaiting more exploration of tiny, gimmick-filled planetoids don't have long to wait. At its Media Summit event today, Nintendo announced the May 23 release date of Super Mario Galaxy 2 in North America.

Last night, news from Nintendo of Australia suggested that Galaxy 2 would see a summer release, and we're delighted that the wait for a more specific date -- one that applied to America, as well -- wasn't long at all. Speaking of delight, we'll now get to see just how high Mario can jump when he ditches Yoshi mid-air ... in space!

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Super Mario Galaxy 2 flies into retail space May 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DSi XL releasing March 28 for $190 in North America

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:25:00 EST

[Business Wire]

At its Media Summit today, Nintendo just announced the North American release date for its new, enormous DSi, the DSi XL: March 28. On that day, you'll be able to walk into a store and pick up a DS that makes your hands (and Cammie Dunaway's head) look super tiny for $189.99; a $20 premium over the regular-sized DSi.

Hopefully, we'll hear about some new DS games to play on the vast expanses of DSi XL screen space today as the Nintendo Media Summit continues.

Update: The system will be available in Burgundy and Bronze at launch, and will be preloaded with both DSiWare Brain Age games, Photo Clock, the DSi Browser, and Flipnote Studio.

DSi XL releasing March 28 for $190 in North America originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Australia: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid Other M out this summer

JC Fletcher — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:20:00 EST

IGN reports that Nintendo of Australia released some big news about two upcoming Wii titles at its media summit. Metroid: Other M and Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be released between June and August. Other M was previously named as a summer release by Nintendo of Japan, but Galaxy has only ever been specified as "2010."

Those dates are presumably for Australia, but at least set a rough time frame for the rest of the world. We'll find out more tomorrow during Nintendo's US media summit.

Nintendo Australia also dated the black Wii console (March 11) and the DSi XL (April 15, in burgundy and bronze).

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy 2

[Thanks, Caleb Schowalter!]

Nintendo Australia: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid Other M out this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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