Tag: Wii

Nintendo Classic Controller Pro Now Available for $19.99

Nintendo has announced that the Classic Controller Pro for Wii is now available for an MSRP of $19.99. The controller is available in black and white colors. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Featuring two rows of shoulder buttons and ergonomically designed grips, the Classic Controller Pro is compatible with more than 460 Wii, WiiWare and Virtual Console games. It plugs directly into the Wii Remote controller to provide a unique control option for veteran gamers and newcomers alike.

Are any of you planning on buying one? If so, are you going black or white?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It looks like the only interesting game being released this week is Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri. The series is ridiculously popular in Japan, particularly on the PSP, and enjoys a nice following in other regions. I know most of you aren’t high on the Wii, but if you pick up this game, do let me know. For that matter, is there anything you plan on buying this week?

Iron Man 2 Behind-the-Scenes Developer Video

Here’s an excellent video that gives you a behind-the-scenes look of the upcoming Iron Man 2. I guarantee you that this sequel will be way better than the original game. Sharing their insights are Sega Studios SF studio director Constantine Hantzopoulos, creative director Kyle Brink, development director Michael McHale, associate producer Beejey Enriquez, and producer Dean Martinetti.

McHale is an awesome guy. I’ve known him for like a decade and he’s just a sharp, sharp individual. Plus, he has awesome MacGyver hair. Martinetti is also a really cool guy. I met him randomly at a San Francisco dive bar and we bonded over being transplanted New Yorkers.

Anyway, check the video out and let me know what you think of the game (please)!

Harmonix and MTV Working on The Monkees: Rock Band

How do you follow up an excellent game like The Beatles: Rock Band? With The Monkees: Rock Band of course! In addition to bringing the musical stylings of Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork, the game has a few new twists that differentiate it from other music games. For example, maraca and tambourine accessories will be used in the game to accurately convey Jones’ contributions to the band.

In today’s press release, Harmonix CEO Alex Popodopoulous said:

You know, I never really liked The Beatles, but everyone at MTV wanted a game based on them. This is the game I wanted to make. Unlike that game with John, Paul, George, and Ringo, I’m interested in the music this time around. Working on a Monkees game is such an honor and such a personal project.

In terms of movies, it’s like when Matt Damon makes a Bourne movie to make the money. That’s The Beatles: Rock Band. Then he makes the fruity-guy-that-plays-golf-and-talks-to-horses movie that he loves. That’s The Monkees: Rock Band.

Here they come…walking down the street!

Update April 2: Yes, this was an April Fools’ Day post.

Coffee Talk #118: Your Non-Gaming Console Activities

Today I wanted to talk about all the non-gaming things you do on your consoles. I’m guessing most of you have watched a Blu-ray movie on your PlayStation 3 systems. I’m sure many of you have downloaded or streamed movies on Xbox Live. Do any of you use Facebook or Twitter on your home machines? Do you happen to surf the web with your Wii? I want to know anything and everything you do with your consoles (aside from playing excellent games).

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, AT&T’s 100-day plan to stop sucking, updating me on Lost (please), or Edwin Valero entering drug rehab, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today I wanted to talk about all the non-gaming things you do on your consoles. I’m guessing most of you have watched a Blu-ray movie on your PlayStation 3 systems. I’m sure many of you have downloaded or streamed movies on Xbox Live. Do any of you use Facebook or Twitter on your home machines? Do you happen to surf the web with your Wii? I want to know anything and everything you do with your consoles (aside from playing excellent games).

As for me, I use my PlayStation 3 to watch Blu-ray discs and all sorts of media files. It’s frickin’ fantastic as a media player. My Xbox 360 has my Facebook account on it. When friends are over, I sometimes use it to look at Facebook photos of our friends. Web browsing on a console?!? No thanks. Linux?!? Not for me.

Now it’s your turn! Let everyone here know about the non-gaming activities you enjoy on your consoles. What percentage of your console use is gaming and what percentage is non-gaming?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There’s nothing interesting coming out for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, or Nintendo DS this week. Thankfully, the PlayStation Portable has a pair of releases to end Q1 2010. Japanese RPG fans will want to keep an eye on Mimana: Iyar Chronicle, while horny males will want to check out Dead or Alive Paradise. Normally, I would skip posting about game releases on a dead week like this one, but any chance to post photos of scantily clad videogame women is tough to pass up.

Are any of you buying new games this week?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

There are so many great games coming out this week! PlayStation 3 owners have God of War III to devour. Nintendo DS fans have Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver to suck up hours of their lives. Although Final Fantasy XIII has been the only game I’ve played since I came back from GDC 2010, I’m going to drop it like a bad habit when Dragon Age: Origins Awakening comes out.

But wait, there’s more! If you can’t get enough RPG excitement then you ought to check out Resonance of Fate from the fine people at Tri-Ace. Wii owners have Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon to keep them up at night. I’ve been saying this since last year, but my March is totally screwed. I have no idea how I’m going to be able to write for the site, work on Secret Project 2010 #1, play games, and sleep this month. Sheesh!

Let me know what games you’re planning to pick up this week. If you’re picking up a few, let me know what order you plan on playing them.

NPD Console Sales Figures Top 10 Games of February 2010

Here are NPD Group’s console software sales figures for February 2010 (sorry for the lateness!). Along with the usual Nintendo sales, there were some pleasant surprises that should make every hardcore gamer happy.

  1. BioShock 2 (Xbox 360: 562,900
  2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii): 555,600
  3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360): 314,300
  4. Just Dance (Wii): 275,400
  5. Wii Sports Resort (Wii): 272,500
  6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfware 2 (PlayStation 3): 252,800
  7. Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360) 246,500
  8. Dante’s Inferno (PlayStation 3): 242,500
  9. Dante’s Inferno (Xbox 360): 224,700
  10. Heavy Rain (PlayStation 3): 219,300

I’m thrilled that BioShock 2 snagged the top spot in February. I’m even more thrilled that Heavy Rain managed to crack the top 10, despite being released at the end of the month. As you can imagine, seeing a BioWare game on the list makes me happy (duh). It’s also cool to see a new IP like Dante’s Inferno make the cut. Last month I was surprised that Just Dance made the list, but a lot of people in the business play it (to my astonishment). One game designer I know shocked me at GDC when he said that he plays it for at least an hour a day.

Now’s the important part — let me know what you think of NPD Group’s top 10 games of February 2010. Anything surprise you?

NPD Hardware Sales Figures for February 2010

NPD Group released its console sales data for February 2010 while I was at GDC. The numbers are pretty interesting. Check ’em out!

  • Nintendo DS: 613,200
  • Xbox 360: 422,000
  • Wii: 397,900
  • PlayStation 3: 360,100
  • PlayStation Portable: 133,400
  • PlayStation 2: 101,900

The continued onslaught of the Nintendo DS shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s a great portable console with tons of games and a huge March release (Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver). I was a little surprised to see that the Xbox 360 beat out the Wii; logically there are more interesting games for the 360 in Q1 and the Wii has to slow down some time (right?), but Nintendo’s systems have been defying logic for quite some time. Sony continues to lag behind Microsoft in 2010, which is bad news if the company hopes to close the gap this year. That said, March should be more interesting for the PS3, with a number of excellent first-party games and the real version of Final Fantasy XIII.

Now unleash your Pach Attack and go after the numbers as if you were a very tall gaming analyst. I can’t wait to hear your analysis of NPD Group’s sales figures!

This Week’s Videogame Releases

Final Fantasy XIII is obviously the big deal this week, but there are actually quite a few interesting games that you should keep your eye on. Also coming out for PlayStation and Xbox 360 is Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. The PS3 returns to the Japanese underworld in Yakuza 3. On the other end of the spectrum is the lighthearted Sam & Max 2: Beyond Time and Space for Wii.

The handheld systems have some cool things going on too. The DS has Foto Showdown (the game with these awesome promo videos) and Spectral Force Genesis. The PSP has BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.

As always, let your fellow RPadholics and me know if you’re picking up any new games this week!