Ivy The Kiwi?: The First Proper Game For Windows Phones?

By Benedict Wee

Windows Mobile 6.5 is far from the revolutionary mobile operating system we've come to expect, especially when compared to Google's Android or the iPhone, but that isn't stopping Japanese mobile game developer PROPE from creating a stunningly beautiful puzzle-platformer starring our very own mascot.

In Ivy the Kiwi? you help a lost kiwi chick find her way home by drawing vines along its path to help it climb out of holes, avoid predators and in certain cases, launch into breakable walls. There are 50 stages in total to complete with an online ranking board to compare high scores.

Perhaps this might be the game that will help Windows Phones get a foothold in the mobile OS wars but nothing is standing in the way of the game coming to the other smartphones in the market and to handhelds like the DSi and PSP via downloadable content.

Ivy the Kiwi? gets released in December on the Windows Marketplace but there's currently no exact date nor price for the game.

Latest Final Fantasy XIII Trailer Mocks You For Not Being Able To Get It Till Next Year

By Benedict Wee

Square Enix's latest Final Fantasy XIII trailer once again shows you why the company is famous for its JRPGs, with tones of action for the guys and drama for the ladies. The last bit is especially exciting with all the characters teaming up with their summons in battle.

This is purportedly the last Japanese trailer we'll see before the Japanese version of the game is released in Japan on the 17th next month. Us english-speaking folks won't be getting the game till March next year but I guess we can wait for them to do the voice overs for the trailers to tide us over in the meantime.

Facebook Arrives To The PlayStation 3 Too.

By Benedict Wee

Taking a leaf from Microsoft's book, Sony's next PlayStation 3 update (firmware 3.10) will come with Facebook integration.

Starting this thursday, PS3 owners will be able to assign their PlayStation Network (PSN) IDs to their Facebook accounts which will send status updates of PSN purchases and Trophies earned in games played. Unfortunately, writing your own status update from the console isn't possible yet but on the bright side the service is free, unlike the Xbox 360 which requires a Gold membership account in order to use its social networking features.

The update also brings a better photo browsing interface to the Cross Media Bar (XMB), an improved PSN Friends List and the ability to choose a color for your PSN ID.

Check out the video below to learn more about the new update.

Sources:

Engadget - Facebook for PlayStation 3 'begins' this Thursday with firmware update 3.10 (video)

PlayStation Blog Europe - PlayStation 3 Firmware (v3.10) Update Preview

Facebook And Twitter To Arrive On Xbox 360s Today.

By Benedict Wee

Microsoft's second major update of the year for the Xbox 360 should hit dashboards all around New Zealand as you read this post.

The latest update brings Facebook and Twitter to the console, but is only accessible if you have an Xbox LIVE gold account. In addition to a paid subscription, I suggest you invest in a cheap USB keyboard should you choose to utilize the new features as the thumb-stick and button input method is a tedious endeavor when you want to update your status. Don't bother getting the official Chatpad either cause it's way too expensive.

English Version Of Final Fantasy XIII Hits March 2010.

By Benedict Wee

Square Enix has just announced on their official Final Fantasy XIII site that the English translation of the game will be available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on the 9th of March next year.

The highly anticipated game features a new battle system, a "dramatic story" focused on the emotions of the characters (I don't know what that means) and will have Leona Lewis singing the official soundtrack -My Hands- of the game.

Check out the announcement trailer below which features never before seen footage of the game.

Source:

Final Fantasy XIII Official Site link.

Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time Movie Trailer Looks Awesome. Except for..

By Benedict Wee

• The cliche smoky-voiced princess background commentary.
• The location to keep the magic dagger is a place called "The secret guardian temple".
• The American/English voices of the Prince and princess.
• Their witty exchange of dialogue like they're in a sitcom (similar to the latest PoP game).
• The fact that the movie is made by Disney.

Here's hoping it doesn't disappoint. Till then however, I maintain that videogames should never made into movies cause they are bad at bringing the game across to the big screens.

Source:

CrunchGear - Watch the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Trailer Here.

Upcoming Nintendo Wii & DS Games For NZ.

By Benedict Wee

Nintendo and their 3rd party developers have just announced a list of upcoming games to hit the US, Japan and Europe. Since we belong to the latter group (God knows why), I've only posted the dates from the PAL region to save us the grief of knowing how much faster the the rest of the world will be getting their games.

First party DS titles:

• Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story 9th October 2009
• Nintendo presents: Style Boutique 23rd October 2009
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky 20th November 2009
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks 11th December 2010
• Pokemon HeartGold Version 2010
• Pokemon SoulSilver Version 2010
• WarioWare D.I.Y TBA

First party Wii titles:

• Wii Fit Plus 30th October 2009
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii 20th November 2009
• Endless Ocean 2 (tentative title) 2010
• Sin and Punishment 2 (tentative title) 2010
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (tentative title) 2010
• Metroid: Other M (tentative title) 2010

Third party Wii and DS titles:

Bear in mind that game titles and the release dates are subject to change.

Sources:

Kotaku - Nintendo Announces Its Upcoming Wii Games

Kotaku - Nintendo Announces Its Upcoming DS Games

Kotaku - Wii And DS Games From Non-Nintendo Companies

Nintendo Announces Newer, Bigger-Screened DSi.

By Benedict Wee

Whispers of a big screen DSi have been circulating throughout the internet since early last week and today, Nintendo confirmed the rumors at a press conference in Tokyo by announcing the revised version of its handheld; the DSi LL.

Nintendo's newest handheld will have a screen that is 93% larger than the DS lite's and -according to Nintendo- is targeted towards those who use their handhelds for internet browsing and to playback music. I'm guessing this is for everyone else who's sick and tired at looking at tiny screens while gaming too.

The DSi LL is packaged with two styli; a short one that fits into the handheld and a bigger, pen-looking one which I guess is for home use. The handheld will also come with 3 DSiWare titles pre-installed; humanities and sciences brain training games and DS Easy Dictionary.

The DSi LL will be released on November 21st in Japan, retailing at 20,000 Yen/NZ$305 and will come in Dark Brown, Wine Red and Natural White colors.

Source:

Kotaku - Nintendo Announces Big Screen DSi

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Rocks Bon Jovi.

By Benedict Wee

Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) have a long standing tradition of J-pop artists singing the game's soundtrack but FFCC: The Crystal Bearers does something different by featuring legendary rock band Bon Jovi providing the official theme song of the game.

The track - We Weren't Born To Follow - is from their latest album; The Circle due out November 10. An appropriate song as the game's narrative is about a mercenary born with magical abilities which gets him (and those possessing similar powers) ostracized by the general populace. Incidentally, the protagonist does look like a young Jon Bon Jovi too.

The Japanese ads for the game feature the theme song but for the benefit of those who are easily distracted by the million-and-one things going on in the clips above I've provided the official music video below:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers hits Japanese/US Wiis this year while PAL regions (read: us) will only get it in February 2010.

Xbox LIVE Update Preview Program Now Open.

By Benedict Wee

Like a couple of months before, Microsoft is accepting sign ups for their next Xbox Live Preview update which will bring social networking sites -facebook and twitter- as well as internet radio; Last.fm to the dashboard of Xbox 360s.

If you want to enter be prepared to fill out a tedious survey form which will require the make and model of your entertainment setup as well as your 360's serial/ID numbers in order to participate in the program. And bear in mind not everyone will be chosen as they'll only need a sample size though your chances of getting the invite are pretty good.

Xbox Live Update Preview SignUp.

Source:

Engadget - Xbox 360 Dashboard Update... updates: Preview Program Reopened.

Black Wiimote Comes With Motion Plus, Is Cheaper.

By Benedict Wee

Wiimote NZ$100 + Wii Motion Plus NZ$45 +Wii Nunchuck NZ$50

= NZ$195 is a pretty high price to pay for what is essentially, a one-person controller for Nintendo's console.

Thankfully, the first variant color of the bundle promises to be cheaper as the Motion Plus device comes built into the Wiimote.

The black Wiimote will retail for US$50 (NZ$68), which is US$10 cheaper than having to buy both Wiimote and Wii MotionPlus accessories separately. Don't expect us to get a major discount when it reaches our shores that match the US price but we should be paying lesser than what we'd be forking out right now.

Source:

Kotaku - Black Wii Remote And Nunchuck Price For U.S.

THIS Is The PSPgo Everyone Can Afford; A Fake China Gadget.

By Benedict Wee

Sony made a big mistake when it decided to maket a smaller-screened, non-removable battery, expensive hardware and software version of the PSP (a.k.a PSPgo), proving that they have no idea how to cater to the gaming market... wait. We did this already.

If you have do not own a PSP Slim to modify into Tim's PSPgo killer then perhaps you might want to give this China-made knockoff a look.

The PXP-2000 is a power-packed handheld that runs NES/Famicom, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, SFC and MD (32-Bit Rom) games and plays a whole list of video extensions such as RM, RMVB, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, MOV and MP4. It also has a voice recording function, speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, camera with photo and video recording and a TV-Output that supports PAL/NTSC televisions.

The price of this knockoff? US$84/NZ$114.40, a pretty good deal considering this has more functions than the US$250/NZ$340.48 PSPgo. Yeah it won't play PSP games but they're way more expensive to download compared to their UMD counterpart anyways.

Note to Sony: When a China knockoff has better functions than the original product you're selling, it means you have failed big-time.

Source:

PMP Today - PXP-2000 MP5 Player and Gamer > Than PSP Go?

THIS Is The PSPgo Everyone Wants.

By Benedict Wee

Sony made a big mistake when it decided to maket a smaller-screened, non-removable battery, expensive hardware and software version of the PSP (a.k.a PSPgo), proving that they have no idea how to cater to the gaming market. Thankfully someone from JoblessPunk DESIGNS has managed to create the Sony handheld many have been waiting for.

Tim Magoolaghan has modified an old PSP Slim by giving it dual nubs, a second USB port for charging, an integrated camera, 32 GB worth of storage space and custom firmware capable of playing SNES, Genesis and Nintendo 64 games.

This 20-year old young man has single-handedly destroyed the PSPgo, he's even provided a tutorial on how to modify the PSP by yourself. Sony, Nintendo... hell even Microsoft should consider hiring this guy for their game hardware division.

JoblessPunk DESIGNS PSP Link.

Source:

Engadget - PSP O Rly? Modder Adds Camera, Custom Firmware To Slim, Films His Own Informercial.

ODROID: An Android Handheld Console.

By Benedict Wee

Firstly, let me say that I don't buy Apple's statement about the iPod Touch being a gaming device. It's more a gadget that has the extra function of playing games like the old Nokia mobiles which came with the pre-installed Snake game. To call something a portable gaming console you've got to a) focus primarily on games, b) get big name publishers making aforementioned games and c) have more than one button and a physical D-pad. Oh, they also must come with a decent narrative as games are, after all, interactive stories.

Seeing as Android is a free mobile OS, it was bound to pop up on anything with a screen so it isn't surprising to see it appear on what is being marketed as a handheld console. The ODROID comes with an impressive spec sheet; a Samsung 833MHz Processor (what the iPhone 3GS runs), 512MB RAM, WiFi & Bluetooth connections, 3.5mm headphone jack and a HDMI connector for HD (720p) viewing, all incased in what looks like a WonderSwan housing.

The ODROID doesn't stand up as a gaming device unfortunately as most games currently on Android are of the iPod Touch/iPhone variety which -as I've previously mentioned- does not count as proper games but what it does do is provide a cheaper Personal Media Player alternative to Creative's Zii Egg, if you do not mind the lack of GPS and dual cameras and full HD output support.

The developer's version of the ODROID is now out for US$320/NZ$442.11 and it'll ship in November but I recommend you waiting for a month as the consumer version will only retail for US$250/NZ$345.40.

ODROID Link.

Source:

Gizmodo - ODROID Gaming Handheld Runs Android; Now Available For Pre-Order.

250GB Playstation 3 Slim Coming To New Zealand Soon

By Benedict Wee

If you love streaming tones of media on your television or if you're the "download-everything-from-the-Playstation Network Store" kind of person then good news, Sony's just confirmed that there is a 250GB version of the Playstation 3 Slim and it'll expect to hit New Zealand stores on the 15th of October.

The bigger-volumed console will retail for NZ$699 which -as usual- is a major rip off as Australia is charging Au$600/NZ$724.20 but it'll come with a bundle of either:

- Uncharted 2

- Singstar Motown

- Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time

- EyePet

That is NZ$25.20 more for a brand-new game.

If you've already gotten a Playstation 3 Slim don't fret about the smaller 120GB space as you can always expand it by attaching an external HDD.

EB Games NZ Won't Be Stocking PSPgos Either.

By Benedict Wee

Looks like the PSPgo hate has spread to New Zealand. EB Games has just sent word that they will not be stocking Sony's new handheld which will be released this week internationally. The decision isn't final however as they said the situation could change in the future.

It makes sense though, selling something that would end up cannibalizing your business would be pretty silly.

PSPgo: Retailers Don't Want It. No-Go For UMD Transfer Program.

By Benedict Wee

Sony has confirmed that they currently do not have any plans for an exchange system that will allow you to convert your UMD-based PSP games into digital versions for their latest portable console system.

The PSPgo -which will be released internationally next week- does not have a UMD reader, rather it relies on an internal hard drive to download and play games.

Not being able to play their current collection of games would be a huge barrier for those who already own a PSP though it might appeal to those who do not already own Sony's handheld as the PSPgo is lighter and slimmer compared to its predecessor. Sony says that due to legal issues they will not be able to carry out an exchange system for PSP owners but they are working on finding a solution.

The PSPgo looks to be stirring up some controversy with its imminent release, with rumors that the downloadable games would cost more than the physical retail versions and they won't be available on the same day online as the ones you can get in the store. Also, certain retailers from the Netherlands and Australia have commented that they won't be stocking the new portable console and though they have not given specific reasons why, it is clear that the PSPgo's digital distribution model would be a threat to their business of selling and trading video games.

We've contacted EB Games in New Zealand and asked if they'll carry the handheld and will wait for a comment from them.

Source:

Kotaku - Another Retailer Says Nothankyou To The PSPgo

Kotaku - Sony Nixes Plans For UMD Conversion Program For PSPgo

NZ Elite Xbox 360s Finally Get Price Cut

By Benedict Wee

As reported earlier last month, the Xbox 360 Elite in New Zealand has gotten its anticipated price deduction, dropping NZ$100 to NZ$499 while the soon-to-be-phased-out Pro has dropped to NZ$449 from NZ$499. The Arcade's price-tag remains the same.

Here are the official price checks:

US

Elite 120GB - US$299.99/NZ$412.49

Pro 60GB - US$249.99/NZ$343.74

Arcade - US$199/NZ$273.62

UK

Elite 120GB - 199.99GBP/NZ$328.12

Pro 60GB - 169.99GBP/NZ$383.49

Arcade - 129.99GBP/NZ$293.95

New Zealand

Elite 120GB - NZ$499

Pro 60GB - NZ$449

Arcade - NZ$349

Get Your Free HALO:ODST Premium Theme Now

By Benedict Wee

To celebrate the launch of HALO: ODST for the Xbox 360 Microsoft is giving away the HALO: ODST premium theme as a free download but only if you're an Xbox Live Gold Member (and over 18 here in New Zealand).

That is all.

Kanye Is A Jerk... Even In Pokemon

As seen on GoNintendo