Hudson Entertainment, Konami ship Kororinpa: Marble Mania

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 20, 2007 – Hudson Entertainment and Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Kororinpa: Marble Mania™ exclusively for the Wii™ has shipped to retail stores nationwide. With an inventive control scheme, Marble Mania offers a unique video game experience that is challenging for seasoned gamers, yet highly accessible for players of all ages. While tackling over 100 different obstacle-packed stages, players will experience non-stop action as they use the Wii Remote™ to twist, turn and bounce their marble around the game world.

In Marble Mania, players use 3D motion controls to tilt, spin and flip the environment on three axes and up to 180 degrees in order to guide marbles through each unique maze full of obstacles and contraptions. Adding to the innovative gameplay dynamic, players can gather crystals as they navigate through the maze to unlock new stages and unique marbles. Once each stage is completed, players can use other types of marbles – over 20 in the game with different characteristics and abilities – to retry levels, adding additional replay value.

Marble Mania immerses gamers in five worlds including colorful lands of candies and sweets, lush outdoor mazes and industrial cityscapes. All of these levels offer their own challenges for manipulating the path of your marble. For multiplayer fun, Marble Mania features a split screen mode where two players must race to reach the end goal while collecting the most crystals along the way. With wildly addictive gameplay and increasingly challenging levels, players will find it is hard to put down the Wii Remote once they have set their marble in motion.

Codename revolution has a summary of the contents of the Nintendo Power January 2007 issue:

Here is the January 2007 issue of Nintendo Power featuring first Wii reviews and with Twilight Princess on the front cover!

UPDATE 1: Nintendo plans to bring more Wii console colors “down the road”, but there is no set time-line of their release.

UPDATE 2: Nintendo Power has confirmed that it made a mistake about the Opera Web Browser in the previous issue and that you WILL be able to download it for free until mid-June 2007!

UPDATE 3: Current top selling Gamecube game is LEGO Star Wars II.
Wii’ Most Wanted:
1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
2. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
3. Super Mario Galaxy
4. Fire Emblem
5. Harvest Moon Wii

UPDATE 4: Nintendo Power confirms that Wii Play (w/Wii Remote) will be available in January! Also new screenshots (that were shown from Nintendo World 2006) of Fire Emblem, MP3, Disaster, Hammer and Mario Part 8 are shown and Metroid Prime 3 looks really sweet!

UPDATE 5: The BIGS, a baseball title from 2K Sports and Big Castle Games will include online play! Cooking Mama will include more than 300 real-world recipes from 10 different countries. Super Swing Golf will be released in December 2006.

UPDATE 6: First feature is on WarioWare: Smooth Moves: Some of the mini-games included are scrubbing a cow, a “wild wild west” classic duel shoot-out, a can-shooter, a slapping game, samurai “microgames”, sketch artist, number matching (from brain age), paper airplane, Balloon fight, darts, a diner game, a waiter game, a chauffeur game, a soccer game and more. In multiplayer mode, you can have up to 12 players (switching Wii-motes from one player to another) and throughout the game itself it will include Mii’s. In a multiplayer mini-game your Mii’s end up tightened by a rope, hanging and below your Mii is a swamp filled with crocodiles and your goal is to survive. There are also mini-games involving Nintendogs and even Link in Wind Waker (parachuting).

UPDATE 7: Next feature is on Virtual Console and while there is nothing new, Ristar is listed as one of the “31? games for the launch window. Next feature is on Twilight Princess: (Note: Skip to the next update if needed, this one contains Spoilers) When you start the game (in Ordon Village) for a third-time, you’ll earn a piece of heart. Get some explosives at Kakariko Village and to earn two extra pieces of heart, hit a rock on a high ledge wit ha bomb arrow and use a boomerang to collect it. Destroy a larger rock on the ground to open a path to a pool and another treasure. Get help from Gorons after you return from the mines, to climb the tower on the north end and at the top you’ll be able to start an archery mini-game (you can earn a piece of heart). Visit Malo Mart to purchase a “telescopic” Hawkeye for sniper-like shooting.

When you fill the third Vessel of Light, Castle Town will be “full of life” and you can find a man on the east road who accepts donations and for 1,000 rupees, he’ll give you a piece of heart. Give 1,000 rupees to the Goron at Malo Mart for fixing the bridge, give an additional 2,000 rupees to bring the shop at the center of Castle Town so oyu can purchase a Magic Armor for 598 rupees. There is a STAR Minigame, and with a Clawshot you can grapple onto cage walls so you can earn 60-arrows and if you win again you can get 100.

Go to southeastern part of Castle Town to meet Agitha, round up 24 Golden Bugs for her and give her one bug for Big Wallet (holds 600 rupees) and all 24 for Giant Wallet (1,000 rupee capacity). Speak to the fortune teller Fanadi in Castle Town and speak about your career so she can point out your next challenge and speak about love to get a piece of heart. There are 45 Pieces of Heart in the game. (Note: the next two pages are dungeons which have been reported before in spoiler posts except the last one) There is a “Rollgoal Minigame” where you press the C button to look at the game and you have to roll a ball through a maze (in Hena’s shop) and you can earn a “frog lure” if you win the eight maze. There is more info and I suggest getting a copy of this magazine or read the official guide itself.

UPDATE 8: Interview with Zelda director Eiji Aonuma, the following is an excerpt: “I think it’s safe to say that Twilight Princess has a lot more Miyamoto influence than other recent Zelda games…The total scale of the world, has definitely surpassed that of Ocarina of Time. There are a lot more dungeons as well…I must warn you that this game will take a lot longer to complete than Ocarina of Time…there were actually instances whee the control changes made for Wii were adapted to GCN, and they ended up improving the gameplay in the Gamecube version…Twilight Princess is set about a hundred years after Ocarina of Time…Twilight Princess has elements in it that were made so that people who played Ocarina can say ‘Oh, I remember this!’…releasing Twilight Princess for the Gamecube and creating a whole new Zelda for Wii immediately after (as it was planned) that would have been extremely diffciult to do time-wise.”

“I haven’t decided whether we’ll make Link right-handed or left-handed in future Zelda games…(he likes Goron Mines the best and his favorite character in the game is Link)…(in the future) I hope to offer more guidance to these talented young creators (on the TP team) so they can create a Zelda that I would never be able to make.”

UPDATE 9: Next feature in Excite Truck and in Summary (point-form):
1. Most of it you’ll have to see the screenshots (they are new) to read about it
2. You’ll earn 50 stars for finishing first in the game
3. Later tracks you’ll need to get a minimum of 100 or 150 stars
4. Strategies to use is Smash-Tested (crashing into opponents by boosting), end faster and hit a morph switch when trucks are in front of you
5. The feature looks at “Super Tree Run” in Scotland and Canada, “Super Air Spin” in Finland and Mexico, “Jump Combo” in Fiji and “Super Drift” from China.

UPDATE 10: Castlevania creator “Iga” on the Wii: “I am still thinking of all the possibilities, but right now I am thinking about all the systems the next game could be on. For me, the Wii controller doesn’t yet connect with the core gameplay of Castlevania. I definitely don’t want to make a game with gimmicky controls where you swing the controller like a whip, so I’ll have to think about it longer.” (Comments: I don’t hear anyone complaining about the Wii-mote being used as a whip? Come on Iga, you’ve been asked a million times about this and have gone on and off about it…make it for the Wii will ya! Heck even use the classic controller, I’m sure gamers would still get the game.)

UPDATE 11: The reason why Twilight Princess got a 9.5/10 was because of Wolf Link and Music. Although the gameplay was great, the issue was in the early goings when you’re forced to remain a wolf for extended periods and seek out creatures of darkness (meaning it can be a drag). The other issue was Music, and the tracks are too “subtle” for their own good.

UPDATE 12: The ratings once again for those who missed out:
Wii Titles:
Zelda TP: 9.5
Trauma Center SO: 8.5
SMB BB: 8.5
Excite Truck: 8.5
Madden 07: 8.5
Wii Sports: 8.0 / 8.5
Marvel UA: 8.0
Red Steel: 8.0
Metal Slug Anthology: 8.0
Rayman RR: 7.5
Need for Speed Carbon: 7.5
Tony Hawk DJ: 7.5
Spongebob: 7.0
CoD3: 6.5
Monster 4×4: 6.5
Rampage TD: 6.5
Splinter Cell DA: 6.0
DBZ BT2: 6.0 (9.0 for DBZ fans)
GT Pro Series: 5.0
Happy Feet: 4.5

Gamecube Titles:
Tomb Raider Legend: 7.5
The Sims 2 Pets: 6.5
Bionicle Heroes: 5.0

UPDATE 13: Former World Wrestling Entertainment “World Champion” Rey Mysterio dropped by Nintendo’s headquarters for a hands-on the Wii and went up against (in multiplayer-mode) Nintendo Power’s Chris Hoffman (who also wore a lucha libre mask). Rey Mysterio had the following to say after playing Wii Boxing: “(it was) awesome…exactly like real-life boxing, except for feeling the punches.” He also made a comment about how he was one of the first to play the Wii and it makes “King Booker” jealous. (Comments: Glad you enjoyed it Rey…now can you convince THQ to bring Smackdown vs. Raw on the Wii?)

UPDATE 14: Next Month will take a look at WarioWare with a review and the 50-floor “Cave of Ordeals” guide from Twilight Princess.

Tidbits: Eragon coming to Gamecube is still in question. Nintendo Power speaks about the game for DS and GBA. Odd thing though is the advertisement doesn’t show a Gamecube logo BUT it says “Also Available on Console”. Will this game be on the Wii instead? This issue also includes (besides the pokemon comic) a Twilight Princess poster and Wii stickers (with Wii Sports)! Also Sonic the Hedgehog on the GBA and it’s history is also featured. Also this is your chance to subscribe to Nintendo Power if you haven’t as yet, as a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Official Guide and Soundtrack CD will be made available!

Source: Codename Revolution

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz (All 50 mini games explained)
Alien Attack - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Take command of your own fighter spaceship to jump, sidestep and swoop your way across the alien landscape. Aliens and UFO’s must all be destroyed without getting your ship blown up. Start firing those missiles to rid the planet of those pesky aliens!

Asteroid Crash - 1-2, Simultaneous
Red Alert! Asteroids are hurtling towards the monkey spaceship and you’ve got to stop them. Shoot the incoming targets to score. If the asteroids hit the ship you’ll lose energy — too many strikes and its game over. Let bananas reach you to restore energy, but don’t shoot them or you’ll lose points.

Banana Catch - 1-4, Simultaneous
It’s raining bananas! Move around the court and try to catch as many as you can while avoiding the bombs. Catch a bomb and you’ll drop all the bananas you’ve collected so far. Nudge the bombs towards your opponents and then steal their bananas to make sure you win!

Banana Thief - 1-4, Simultaneous
Thieves are tying to steal the bananas right off the trees! Protect them by knocking the thieves out of the way, but watch out for the rolling balls on the ground. Get caught in one of these and the thieves will have a free run!

Bugs Balance - 1-2, Simultaneous
Pile up those ladybugs on the stick. Can you get them to reach the sky? Watch out for anything that’s not a bug though, it will remove all your bugs and your game will be over. With multi player play, you’ll have to start collecting again until the time runs out.

Dangerous Route - 1-4, Simultaneous
Guide your monkey around a perilous path that has no barriers! Run around the course collecting bananas while keeping your eye on the edge. It’s you against the clock but one wrong step you’ll have to start from the beginning!

Disk Golf - 1-4, Alternating
Fling that ring and grab the bananas to win! Four players can take turns and throw the disk around the course to try and beat par. Watch out for the wind though, you don’t want to throw the disk off the island!

Fish Catcher - 1-4, Simultaneous
Let’s go spear fishing! Diving under the waves, you’ve got to catch fish by thrusting your spear at them. You’ll have to be quick, otherwise the fish will be able to avoid you and you’re up against the clock! Remember also that you must bring in exactly the color and number of fish that you’re asked to catch.

Free Throw - 1-4, Simultaneous
Step onto the court and compete to score the most baskets. There’s no backboard so you’re going to have to be accurate with power and direction. Do you have what it takes to win the game?

Frog Ball - 1-4, Simultaneous
Your monkey ball now has a pair of legs, which are made for jumping so get some height and distance to ensure you stay ahead of the game. Across the pond, up the cliff and on to your goal, there’s no stopping a monkey ball with frogs legs!

Fruit Basket - 1-4, Simultaneous
This fruit tree can’t make up its mind what fruit to drop! This is where you step in to direct the falling fruit into the right basket and save the day!

Hammer Throw - 1-4, Alternating
Round and round and round you go, but then you’ve got to let it go! Make sure you throw the hammer at the right time, there’s no safety net around this circle and each throw only counts if it goes ahead of the mark!

High Wire Act - 1-4, Simultaneous
Roll up! Roll up! Watch the death defying monkey walk from mast to mast across the wire! Can you keep your balance? The faster you go, the harder it gets, so be careful and good luck!

Home Run Derby - 1-4, Alternating
Step up to the plate, swing the bat, and try to smack that ball out of the park! Watch the fastball and hit it as far as you can. Can you beat your friends and hit the ball the furthest?

Hovercraft Battle - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Battle your opponents on the ice by piloting your hovercraft into the back of your opponent’s craft! Pick up items to stop everyone cold, boost your speed, or double your score. Take the crown from the leader and you’ll be victorious!

Hovercraft Race - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Jump in your hovercraft and doge your rivals while collecting the flags. Control your craft as it slides around on the ice and try to avoid the obstacles. Playing alone, you compete against time. Playing with others, you compete for points.

Hurdle Race - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
On your marks. Get set. Go! Sprint to the finish line while making sure you jump the hurdles on the way. Hit a hurdle and you’ll slow down, so time those jumps and beat your opponents to the finish line.

Jigsaw Puzzle - 1-4, Simultaneous
Pick up the pieces and assemble the picture. Choose the number of pieces and then start to put everything into place!

Jump Rope - 1-4, Simultaneous
Sitting in a banana tree, how many monkeys can you see? One, two, three… how many times can you jump? Watch the rope as it swings around and time the jump so you don’t get caught. Jumping high is good but not always best!

Keepy Up - 1-2, Simultaneous
Using a bat, keep the ball bouncing up in the air for one minute. Beware, the bat is round, just like the ball. So unless you get it just right, one crazy bounce and the ball is down, losing time.

Monkey Bowling - 1-4, Alternating
The pines are all lined up and ready for a battering. Cast yourself down the alley with a little spin and aim for that strike! If any are left you’ll have to bowl again looking for that all important spare.

Monkey Boxer - Nunchuk, 1-2, Simultaneous
Ding, ding! There goes the bell, seconds out, round one! Jump in the ring and swing. The first one to hit the canvas loses! Don’t be that monkey — knock your opponent out first.

Monkey Darts -1-4, Alternating
Step up to the oche and try to hit that treble twenty! Score the most points or compete in the classic games of 301 and 501. Earn respect from your friends for hitting that bulls eye to finish!

Monkey Fencing - 1-2, Simultaneous
Touche! Thrust and parry your way to victory in a duel with the noblest of weapons. Remember, your opponent also has a sword, so keep an eye on him and you’ll avoid being beaten.

Monkey Golf - 1-4, Alternating
Choose your club, take aim, swing and try to beat that par. Careful you don’t hit it out of bounds or you’ll have to re-take your shot. Play the first nine or go the full distance of 18 holes. Can you hit a hole-in-one?

Monkey Race - 1-4, Simultaneous
Roll your ball around the track as fast as you can against seven other monkeys. Pick up items and use them to increase your changes of beating your opponents. Play a single event or compete in a Grand Prix over five races.

Monkey Snowboard - 1-4, Simultaneous
You’re at the top of the mountain and there’s only one way off of it, down! Jump on the board and speed your way down the run competing against your opponents. Play a single event or compete in a Grand Prix over three races.

Monkey Squash - Nunchuk, 1-2, Simultaneous
Take to the court in this fast-paced ball game. Take your chances and hit the ball into those hard-to-reach areas of the court to make sure you beat your opponents. First to six wins the game, so make sure every shot counts!

Monkey Target - 1-4, simultaneous
Can you pilot your ball to the center of the target? Collect those bananas while gliding toward a high score. Time the release of the Option Ball right an you could get even more points. In the multiplayer game, knock your opponent’s ball of course to ensure you’re the winner!

Monkey Wars - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Gladiators, are your ready? Pick up those weapons and wage war against y our opponents. Boost your life with items and increase your chance of winning by riding the vehicles for extra power. Can you keep your crown to be the winner?

Monkeysmith - 1-4, Simultaneous
Learn the art of metal working, monkey style. Swing your hammer along with the master

Number Ball - 1-4, Simultaneous
The pool table is in a mess and you’re needed to collect the balls. Make sure you pay attention, as you’re supposed to collect them according to the number of the ball that is shown.

Paper Sumo Fighter - 1-2, Simultaneous
Take control of your own paper sumo fighter and step in the ring. If you push your opponent out of the ring, you’re a winner. You can also knock him over, so start fighting!

Paraglider - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Take to the skies and try to land on the target. Control your parachute to glide gracefully through the air and land. If the wind changes, you’ll have to work harder to make the perfect landing! Go near the mountain and use the updraft, if you need to raise altitude.

Racing Birds - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Can you fly? You can in this game! Soar up to the sky and dive at the ground in an attempt to pass through as many rings as you can. It’s not that simple though as the canyon pass is narrow and if you hit the cliff walls you’ll lose valuable time.

Red Light, Green Light - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Can you creep up on the wolf without him spotting you moving? Race your opponents to reach the goal, but remember if he turns around and sees you moving, you’ll have to go back to the start.!

Ring Toss - 1-4, Alternating
Anyone for a hoopla? Now you can compete against your friends in a classic game of skill and accuracy. Throw the hoops over the poles and watch out for the Bonus Poles. Increase your score using different combinations.

Rock-Paper-Scissors Attack - Nunchuk, 1-2, Simultaneous
Play this classic game by choosing your weapon for each round. Win and you get to try to bash your opponent on the head with a mallet, but lose the round and you’re going to have to be quick to grab the helmet to defend your own head!

Scoop the Goldfish - 1-4, Simultaneous
Even monkeys want to keep fish as pets and to get your you’ll need to get down to the pond with your net and fish one out. Be gentle though or else your bucket will remain empty and you’ll never catch that goldfish!

Seesaw Ball - 1-4, Simultaneous
Starting at the top and using only gravity to get your monkey ball to the target at the bottom, you’ll need to tilt those seesaws just right to avoid a fall out. Too fast and you could go shooting past the next seesaw. Collect bananas along the way, and compete for the most points!

Shepherd - 1-2, Simultaneous
One monkey and his dog are in the pen and you have to get the sheep out through the gate. You’re up against the clock in this battle with the sheep, so control that sheepdog for the best results!

Simon Says - Nunchuk, 1-4, Simultaneous
Semaphore can be tricky, but with a teacher like this you’ll pick it up in no time. Raise and lower the corresponding flags according to the master’s instructions but remember to hold them in that position until he tells you to move them again.

Sling Shot - 1-4, Simultaneous
Load your catapult and attempt to knock off as many cans and balloons as you can. Watch out for the UFO’s and knock them out of the sky for big points!

Space Monkey Attack - 1-2, Simultaneous
Battle stations! Jump into your spacecraft and defeat waves of invaders by shooting them. Evade their attacks by shooting their missiles. We’re relying on you to stop them getting through.

Spaceship Landing - 1-4, Simultaneous
Monkeys, we have a problem! Can you pilot the spaceship down onto the landing pad using the retro boosters? Increase your score by using less energy. Damage the ship too much and it will explode, so bring that ship in carefully!

Treasure Submarine - 1-4, Simultaneous
Navigate the deep blue in search of buried treasure. Listen to your sonar as it will tell you when you’re near the loot. Extend the arm into the sea wall and extract the treasure to score big points.

Trombone - 1-4, Simultaneous
Make beautiful music by playing the trombone. Who ever heard of a monkey being able to play a musical instrument? Prove them wrong, hit those high notes and play your heart out to get the glory you deserve!

UFO Capture - 1-4, Simultaneous
Aliens have escaped and are running around Earth! Jump in your spaceship, hover over the aliens and activate the tractor beam to pick them up. The bigger the alien the longer you’ll need to hover over them, and time is running out!

Whack-a-Mole - 1-4, Simultaneous
Moles have invaded and are doing some suspicious construction underground. When they pop their head up above ground to look around, that’s when you strike. Hit as many moles on the head as you can with the hammer.

source: WiiNintendo

More About: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

A new game for the Nintendo Wii has been announced by 2k sports : The Bigs

NEW YORK, NY - October 31, 2006 - 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today a unique, new sports title that adds more explosive excitement to baseball video games than ever before - The BIGS. This over-the-top baseball action title puts an entirely new spin on Major League Baseball as it blends outrageous visuals and intuitive gameplay mechanics to bring fans a brand new MLB video game experience.

“The BIGS is sure to turn a few heads as it pioneers a completely different way of playing an MLB video game,” stated Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “2K Sports is always looking to deliver the most innovative and eye-catching sports video games to fans and The BIGS is one of 2K Sports’ most dynamic titles to date.”

Developed by Blue Castle Games, The BIGS brings blazing graphics to huge proportions with larger-than-life MLB player models and ballparks. Featuring fantastic pitching, batting, and fielding animations, gamers can also take advantage of spectacular power-ups with outrageous special effects. As a standard for all major 2K Sports titles, The BIGS features online play for up to four players, making it a grand slam for online baseball battles.

At the helm of The BIGS is Dan Brady of Blue Castle. Dan is best known as the creator of and Technical Director on the EA Sports MVP Baseball series of games. Joining Dan at Blue Castle is a number of experienced baseball developers, including Jason Leigh - the Lead Designer of MVP baseball. “This is an extremely exciting time for fans of baseball videogames, as Blue Castle Games has assembled an absolute all-star lineup for this game,” stated Greg Thomas.

The BIGS will be available for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Nintendo’s Wii™ home video game console. The BIGS is slated for release in summer 2007.

More About: Nintendo Wii, 2k sports, The Bigs