This is the Sponsor List for the Tokyo Game Show 2008 [9-12 Oct 08]

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Official US press release - Turbo CD to be added as a “Virtual Console™” platform on Wii™

September 17, 2007– Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Hidetoshi Endo) is pleased to announce that Turbo CD and Super CD game software will be available for download via the Virtual Console™ feature on Nintendo’s Wii™. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download these classic games through the Wii Shop Channel. Soon, Wii™ owners will be able to enjoy even more software titles previously released on other platforms. These titles will be available for download beginning in October of this year in Japan, and thereafter will extend to North America, Europe and Australia. Now Wii™ gamers will be able to play games originally created specifically for CD-ROM media, in addition to TurboGrafx-16 game titles already available via Virtual Console™.

Players will simply select their favorite games in the Wii Shop Channel to download the software via the Internet. Each Turbo CD and Super CD download will be priced at 800 Wii Points, which can be purchased either by credit card or through a Wii Points Card which are available at various retail locations.

*1 Wii Point = JPY1 = USD0.01 = EURO0.01 = AUD0.01

In November 2006, Hudson Soft launched its Virtual Console™ business in North America, extending the service to Japan and Europe in December and to Australia in July of this year. As of the end of August 2007, 49 titles were available in Japan, and an impressive amount of titles were being distributed outside Japan (including third-party software). Hudson Soft will continue adding to the lineup of popular games for Virtual Console™.

About the download service for Turbo CD and Super CD games

Price per download: 800 Wii Points per title

Projected distribution: over 5 games in 2007, over 10 games in 2008

Source: Press release email

Hudson Soft Revealed The Game Deca Sporta for Wii as an alternative to Wii Sports, this are the first images in tis magazine scan: (more…)

More About: Hudson Soft, Deca Sporta, Wii

Mario Party 8 Wii fact sheet:

Mario Party® 8
Format: Wii™
Launch Date: 05/29/07
ESRB: E (Everyone): Mild Cartoon Violence
Game Type: Party/Board Game
Players: 1-4
Developer: Hudson Soft
Game Information

KEY INFORMATION
The world’s enormously popular party video game is getting a lot crazier in Mario Party 8. Whether you’re shaking up cola cans or lassoing barrels, you and your friends will be drawn into the action like never before using the Wii Remote™.

* Play with motion control: Players row their way through a river race, punch a statue to pieces, steer race cars, mopeds and go-karts and handle a balancing pole while walking a tightrope.

* Play using the Wii Remote as a Pointer: Shoot at Boos in a haunted house, drag and drop toppings in a cake-decorating competition, select the correct answers in game show challenges.

* Play using the Wii Remote’s buttons: Players jump and pummel their way through a football brawl, and hop and run across a field of spinning platforms

* Mario Party 8 also includes dozens of new minigames, six new party boards and many new game modes. In a series first, players can transform their characters into many forms, such as player-smashing boulders and coin-sucking vampires.

* Mario Party 8 also includes “extra-large” minigames like Star Carnival Bowling and Table Menace. One to four players can play Mario Party 8, each with a Wii Remote.

Game storyline: In Mario Party 8, a hyperactive emcee has invited Mario™, Peach and the rest of the crew to his carnival, a perfect setting for the dynamic spectacle of the Wii game play. Mario Party 8 keeps the surprises coming with minigames that draw upon the Wii Remote’s motion, pointing and button control in a variety of ways. Players always know how to jump into the action by watching an animated tutorial that shows how to use the Wii Remote.

How to progress through the game: Following tradition, Mario Party 8 takes the social, strategic game play of board games and adds breaks for quick, action-oriented minigames. In the main mode, players travel across six boards in search of Stars, landing on spaces that are helpful (example: giving coins) or a hindrance (example: sending Bowser in to mess with the player). Several variations for these boards tweak the main goals to enhance game play for solo sessions, two-player games and three- to four-player games.

In addition, Mario Party 8 includes four more minigame-infused kinds of special games, such as Tic-Tac Drop, where players earn the right to put the next mark on the board by winning a minigame.

Characters: Mario Party games are a celebration of all things Mario, so you can play as 14 classic characters, the widest selection yet for the series, including newcomers Hammer Bro and Blooper. You’ll also bump into many old friends and foes that span 20+ years of Mario games.

Special powers/weapons/moves/features: Beyond using the Wii Remote’s motion and pointer control, this eighth game in the Mario Party series goes its own way with two changes:

* Players can transform their character using candy power-ups. Examples: When Peach eats Bowlo Candy, she’ll turn into a Peach-faced ball and bowl over characters to get their coins. When Wario™ eats Vampire Candy, he’ll sprout wings and fly off to suck the coins from all other players.

* A more engaging view of the action puts the player “on the board” with his traveling character, no longer far above the whole board looking down.

More About: Mario Party 8 Wii, Wii

Top 5 Software Sales Worldwide Nintendo Wii

North America:
1. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo)
2. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
3. Wii Play (Nintendo)
4. Need for Speed Carbon (EA Games)
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (EA Sports)

Japan:
1. Super Paper Mario (Nintendo)
2. Wii Sports (Nintendo)
3. Hajimete no Wii (Nintendo)
4. Mezase!! Tsuri Master (Hudson)
5. Zelda no Densetsu: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)

UK:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
2. Wii Play (Nintendo)
3. Excite Truck (Nintendo)
4. WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo)
5. Rayman Raving Rabbids (Ubisoft)

This is an excerpt from the Review of the Nintendo Wii game Wing Island by GameDaily

Back at E3 2006, Nintendo unveiled a remarkable-looking flight demo that used its Wii remote quite ingeniously, allowing players to twist and turn their plane with ease through an open sky. People have since asked if such the game would come to the Wii. Konami answered them with Hudson Soft’s new flight simulation game Wing Island. Unfortunately, it never gets off the ground.

Full Review 

More About: Review, Nintendo, Wii, Wing Island

REDWOOD SHORES, CA – February 22, 2007 – Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for Hudson Soft, today announced that they are bringing the classic puzzle game Chew Man Fu to both the Wii Virtual Console and mobile phones. Both versions of the game remain true to the original, combining colorful graphics with clever gameplay, and are expected to launch within the next month.

In Chew Man Fu, players must roll 4 magic spheres onto tiles that match the each sphere’s respective color, while avoiding enemies, in order to complete each level. Each sphere has unique properties to discover, which add another element of puzzle solving to the game; for example, one ball is better at breaking walls than the others. It is up to the player to free the Egg Roll Kingdom from the curse of the evil wizard, Chew Man Fu!

“Chew Man Fu represents an era of gameplay during which Hudson established itself as a creator of fun games that were easy to pick up and play, and also appealed to a wide range of gamers,” said John Greiner, president of Hudson Entertainment. “With such a fantastic catalog of games released over the last 30 years, Hudson is in a great position to bring back some of these classics to a whole new generation of gamers.”

About Chew Man Fu:
Originally launched on the TurbofGrafx-16 in 1990, the game charmed players with its colorful visuals and simple, yet addictive gameplay. This classic action/puzzle game saw limited release back then, but is now available to fans on both the Wii Virtual Console and on cell phones. The overall design appeals to gamers of all ages, and to both boys and girls.

Wii Virtual Console Version
The original Chew Man Fu is coming to the Virtual Console. Just like in the original Turbografx-16 version of Chew Man Fu, players must roll 4 magic spheres onto tiles that match the each sphere’s respective color, while avoiding enemies, in order to complete each level. Each sphere has unique properties to discover, which add another element of puzzle solving to the game; for example, one ball is better at breaking walls than the others. Fans can play through all of the original 50+ levels, culminating with a race against the clock to defeat Chew Man Fu’s toughest minions. The original version of the game also featured a 2-player kickball mode, which you can compete against a friend. It is up to the player to free the Egg Roll Kingdom from the curse of the evil wizard, Chew Man Fu!

Mobile Phone Version
For mobile phones, Chew Man Fu has been updated with all-new graphics and animation for a modern twist. The same gameplay principles apply to the mobile version of Chew Man Fu: players must roll 4 magic spheres onto tiles that match the each sphere’s respective color, while avoiding enemies, in order to complete each level. Each sphere has unique properties to discover, which add another element of puzzle solving to the game; for example, one ball is better at breaking walls than the others. The game has been optimized for cell phones, with levels designed specifically for mobile screens, and a control scheme that works with keypads. The game features 50 all new levels, as well as enhanced music.

More About: Chew Man Fu, Wii Virtual Console, Wii

Mario Party® 8
Format: Wii™
Launch Date: Q2
ESRB: E (Everyone): Mild Cartoon Violence
Game Type: Party/Board Game
Players: 1-4
Developer: Hudson Soft
Game Information (more…)

Wing Island and Kororinpa US Bound

ESRB confirms it. But when will they ship stateside?
by Matt Casamassina

January 18, 2007 - The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which evaluates soon-to-be-released software and rates it for age appropriate content, recently added two new titles to its online website. According to the organization, publisher Hudson Entertainment has submitted both Wing Island and Kororinpa for ratings approval, a very strong indicator that the Wii games are not far off from an American retail release.

Wing Island received an E for Everyone rating due to its cartoon violence and Kororinpa was given a similar E rating with no descriptors.

Wing Island is a Pilot Wings-style flight game in which players control bi-planes and other aircraft over simplistic terrain, performing stunts and collecting items. The title utilizes the Wii remote for added maneuverability and precision steering. Gamers simply hold the remote on its side in classic form and twist and turn to send planes diving and looping.

Kororinpa is a unique effort that seems inspired by both the Marble Madness and Super Monkey Ball franchises. Gamers roll balls over hovering maze-like boards in an attempt to navigate through a wide arsenal of 3D obstacles and puzzles. The import version of the game has captivated a handful of IGN’s editors.

Both titles are expected to debut in the US before the end of March.

When contacted, representatives for Hudson would only say that the publisher has not officially announced any plans to release the games stateside yet.

This are the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console Games - Japan’s releases for this week:

FAMICOM (NES)
- Ikki (SunSoft)
- Ice Climber (Nintendo)

SUPER FAMICOM (Super NES)
- Contra Spirits (Konami)

PC ENGINE für je 600
- Motoroader (Hudson)

More About: Wii Virtual Console