DS News

[A Black Falcon]

Other stuff (Bioware RPGs, Nintendo interviews about Revolution, etc) don't get a reply... will this, or will I waste my time posting it again?

Newly announced DS titles.
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ds/mr-tingl...129168.php

- Final Fantasy III (Square Enix, Release: 2006)
- Mario & Luigi RPG 2 (Nintendo, Release: 29/12/05)
- Gyakuten Saiban 4 (Capcom, Release: 2006)
- Brain Training 2 DS (Nintendo: Release: 29/12/05)
- Rainbow Island DS (Taito, Release: 05/01/06)
- Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (Square Enix)
- Tingle RPG (Nintendo)
- Tales DS (Namco)
- Magical Vacation (Brownie Brown)
- Ash
- Wishroom
- Tenchu (From Software)
- Kaitou Wario
- English Training DS (Nintendo)
- Detect Hacker
- Densetsu no Stafi 4 (Nintendo)
- Puzzloop DS
- Crossword
- Jigsaw Puzzle
- Sudokou
- Bomberman Story (Hudson)
- New Gundam (Bandai)
- Mario Basket 3 vs. 3
- Stylebook Serie (Bandai) - Ocha Inu no Heya
- Dangerous Jiisan
- Nobunaga’s Ambition DS (Koei)
- Dracula (Castlevania)
- Yugioh (Konami)
- vs. Puzzle Papi Inu Vector Wan!!
- Custom Robo DS (Nintendo)

A few notes from PGC.

http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?a...em&id=6563

Tingle RPG
The top screen shows Tingle holding a bomb with the number "9", while the bottom screen has a gigantic insect crawling around with what appears to be a big red target on it. You can also see a bomb with many little balloons attatched to it near the insect. Perhaps the game will play out similarly to the Tingle Tuner in Wind Waker, where players did not control Tingle directly?

Densetsu no Starfi 4
The fourth game in the Starfi series of games - the previous three were available for Game Boy Advance in Japan. In this game, the top screen shows the action while the touch screen displays a map. Starfi (as you may or may not have guessed) is a starfish.

Mario Basket 3 vs 3
Basketball with a Mario flavour. The top screen shows the action, the touch screen shows a layout of the court. Confirmed characters include Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, Bowser and Paratroopa. There are also Question Mark boxes scattered on the court, including one with coins spewing out of it. Looks like you have to hit those boxes when you have the basketball. Turtle shells are also displayed on the touch screen, suggesting Mario Kart item mischief as well. Finally, this game is Nintendo Wi-Fi compatible!

Kaitou Wario
Not sure what to make of this platform game. The top screen shows a Metroid-like map, as well as what appear to be power-ups. There's also a clock shown - could this be timed, similar to Metroid? It's definitely Wario, though - that Wario hat shown in the touch screen is enough of a clue!

Scans of the Famitsu pages here -- a whole bunch of these games have screenshots! I'd post them if I thought it was worth my time, but I'm not convinced of that... just click the link.
http://www.cubed3.com/news/4379

FF3, 4, 5, 6
http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/656/656170p1.html

Final Fantasy V & VI Set for GBA
Square Enix confirms additional GBA ports.
by Anoop Gantayat

October 5, 2005 - Nintendo's DS press conference in Japan today provided Square Enix with the perfect opportunity to solidify some of its recent moves with the Final Fantasy series. We were most interested in learning what is up with DS Crystal Chronicles and all the Final Fantasy port projects now in development.

First off, the ports. The first two FF games are already available in one package for the Game Boy Advance. An updated version of part IV was recently announced, also for the Game Boy Advance. So that leaves III, V and VI as the pre-VII Final Fantasy games that are still screaming for a revival.

Final Fantasy III was announced for the DS months ago, but today Square Enix showed that the game is more than just vaporware. The company shared a trailer for the game showcasing, surprisingly, 3D visuals for both characters and fields, a far cry from the original's 8-bit graphics.

Producer Hiromichi Tanaka, who's heading up the game's DS conversion (Tanaka is also known for his more recent work on Final Fantasy XI) took the stage at the press conference to explain some of the background behind the port project. According to Tanaka, Square Enix has considered remaking FFIII multiple times in the past, but the plans never came to fruition due to various conflicts -- a system's life span running out, the inability to gather the requires staff members, and so forth.

The game's visuals have changed considerably, Tanaka admits, but in order to preserve the image of the original, staff members from the original, including Kazuhiko Aoki and Koichi Ishii, are supervising the remake. New members are also playing big roles in the game's development. Tanaka revealed that FFXI's Ryosuke Aiba is serving as art director and FFXII's Akihiko Yoshida is serving as character designer on the project.

FFIII was the main focus of Square Enix's presentation today, but the company also made sure and provide some closure. Following the release of FFIV on the Game Boy Advance, the company will be brining V and VI to the system as well. As with the conversion of IV, the games will be updated for the conversion.

Sadly, the DS version of Crystal Chronicles wasn't addressed today, although the game is still known to be in development for release some time in 2006. The company is also at work on Dragon Quest Monsters and Seiken Densetsu DS Children of Mana for the DS, both of which were previously announced.

We expect details on most of these games to follow over the next few weeks.

DS Wireless Adaptor
http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?a...em&id=6566

NINTENDO CREATES AN EASY, ACCESSIBLE VIDEO GAME NETWORK – AND IT'S FREE

On Nov. 14, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Ushers in New Era of Free Wireless Gaming

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 5, 2005 – On Nov. 14, Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection will begin a new era of easy, social gaming. For the first time, characters from the Nintendo universe will be playable online, as part of a unique wireless community, accessible inside or outside the home. Nintendo DS™ games like Mario Kart® DS, Animal Crossing®: Wild World and Metroid® Prime Hunters will require no additional charge for online play. Each is scheduled to launch in the coming months, along with the first third-party title using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Activision's Tony Hawk's American SK8Land, developed by Vicarious Visions.

From home, if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly to it with minimal setup procedures. Those who have a high-speed Internet connection such as cable or DSL, but no wireless network, can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, sold separately, that will plug into a computer USB port to create a wireless access point to connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Outside of the home, players will be able to connect in a variety of ways, including at thousands of free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots nationwide. More details about these hotspots and how to connect outside of the home will be announced shortly.

Nintendo DS is just the first Nintendo system to connect via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The same service will be incorporated into Nintendo's next-generation home console, code-named Nintendo Revolution, set for release in 2006.

"Nintendo has taken the online video gaming model and rewritten the definition of community," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "With easy setup and no added service fees, players far and wide will log in and play with one another as easily as if they were sitting in the same room."

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will create a welcome, inviting atmosphere where video game players of all kinds can log on wirelessly and begin playing. The service will be used in different ways for different games. In Mario Kart DS, four players at a time can race over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Racers can pick opponents from their roster of friends, match up randomly against strangers of comparable skill levels or simply choose to race against anyone in the world. Mario Kart DS launches Nov. 14.

People who hang out in Animal Crossing: Wild World can travel to other players' towns or invite up to three other players to visit their own towns, simply by opening the town gate. The four players then can interact and play together simultaneously in one town. Players must know one another and register to their respective friend rosters before they can connect. Animal Crossing: Wild World is set to launch on Dec. 5.

Activision's Tony Hawk's American Sk8land will let players compete head-to-head in multiplayer games in a variety of modes. Players also can create custom skateboard art and graffiti tags, and share them with other players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The service will track global high scores and stats. Tony Hawk's American SK8Land will launch on Nov. 14.

Games in development include Metroid Prime Hunters, slated to launch in the first quarter of 2006. Players can hook up for play with registered friends, automatch with other players based on a skill-level match or play with anyone; Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection quickly finds the best match with other players online.

Pic
http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/.../#comments

[EdenMaster]

Uh-huh...I think that Nintendo is turning on the handheld magic. Things are looking good for the DS. Those Final Fantasies are solid additions, too.

[A Black Falcon]

Well, FF4, 5, and 6 are for GBA, but yeah... (that is kind of odd though... FF3 as a complete remake for the DS, but 4-6 are just ports and are coming to GBA?)

[EdenMaster]

Games as time-tested and fun as those need no improvement. As to why they're updating 3, that I can't say.

They're not just direct ports either. I'm not sure about the others, but I know that FF IV will have some (hopefully only minor or aesthetic) changes made to it.

[Smoke]

Xbox Live PWNED (It's good to see some positive reactions to a Nintendo announcement)

From the thread:

I haven't owned a Nintendo home system since the NES. Now, between my curiousity about the new controller, my nostalgia for the classic games offered on their downloads service, and the free online service - Nintendo, you just sold one more Revolution.

Nintendo's master plan is already working. :evil:

[Great Rumbler]

Check out these screenshots of FF3 on the DS:





That's almost as awesome as the Tingle RPG...

[A Black Falcon]

You know you need this. Right now.

[Dark Jaguar]

Tingle's Revenge.

Well now, I want that game.

As for FF3, that game looks very nice. I'm impressed. The added gameplay stuff should be interesting as well, but considering I never played it before (since it was never released) it's all brand new. Now then, I do still hope an original mode is in the game somewheres.

I am also interested in how they will use the touch screen. I'm still thinking the entire interface with the game will be touch screen driven (it would work great for RPGs like that I believe).

It seems that FFIV-VI will be getting some graphical revisions. I know they won't be as major as FF3, but that's okay. Really though, I just hope they fix the age old glitches in FF6. Namely, they need to fix Gau's rages so that you can actually COMPLETE his rage list. Also, screwing over those vanish doomers who say they beat the game by fixing that glitch would be funny.

I wonder, will they put the PS FMVs in the GBA versions? They can do that it seems.

Also, will they be bringing those 3 games to the system seperatly, or as a bundle? I'm afraid we'll be getting them seperatly myself...

I have to say, I had hoped that in making FF3, someone would chime in and say "hey, as a bonus, let's include every OTHER pre-FF7 game in a 1-6 collector's package!".