Time to head off to bed for the night…or play some more Super Mario Galaxy. I’m so proud of Mom Brain for giving the game a shot today, and she absolutely loved it. She played for hours, and can’t wait to go at it again later today. I think I’ll sneak in a little bit before she hogs it! See you all in a few, short hours. These ‘bit and run’ early Friday mornings are starting to get me a bit depressed. I really think Cory’s work is top-notch, and I look forward to his latest work with every day that passes. The problem is, these features are going to end long before I’d like them to. Cory’s giving us 3 months of features, and that will be that. I guess it’s better to end on a high note than peter out. What am I even talking about?! We aren’t at the end of the series yet! Time for me to just shut up and enjoy each feature while it’s here. I suggest you do the same, and feel free to leave Cory and comment or two!

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GoNintendo ‘End of Day’ thoughts - Cory Godbey’s ‘bit and run’ #7

“Nintendo Australia is always pushing for games to be released here at the same time as the rest of the world, so we were pleased to get New Super Mario Bros. Wii before anyone else. Unfortunately, due to to the actions of this individual, future release dates may be affected for Australia, which is disappointing for us.” - Nintendo of Australia spokesperson Ouch…that really hurts the Aussie gamers out there. Normally you would chalk a statement like this up to a bluff, but with Nintendo you know that it could be the real deal. This is a real shame…just when Australia was getting things ironed out with their releases. Thanks to Vooks for the heads up! Link

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Software pirates may be screwing up release dates for Australia

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - January 29, 2010 - THQ Inc. today announced the official soundtrack for MX vs. ATV™ Reflex™, the latest edition to the multimillion unit-selling franchise, is now available for purchase and download at online retailers worldwide. The soundtrack, helmed by renowned music industry veteran Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory, Arkaea) through his company, 3volution Productions, unites a powerful blend of original, hard hitting creations with the game’s cutting edge features, including intuitive, dual-stick control and real-time terrain deformation. In addition, the soundtrack is compatible with most MP3 players (including with iPod®), iTunes® and Windows Media Player. Recorded at Temple Studios in Chatsworth, Calif., which Herrera co-owns and operates with B-Real (Cypress Hill), the soundtrack came to fruition through collaboration between Herrera, his industry colleagues and the team at THQ’s Rainbow Studios. The end result impressively reflects a variety of heavier music styles, with influences such as Killswitch Engage, Soilwork, Corrosion of Conformity and Fear Factory. Collaborators on the MX vs. ATV Reflex soundtrack included Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory, Arkaea), Jon Howard (Threat Signal/Arkaea), heavy music industry professionals Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer, as well as emerging hip-hop artist Young De. “The MX vs. ATV Reflex soundtrack is a perfect example of great synergy between the right music and a compelling gameplay experience,” said THQ Vice President of Global Brand Management Brian Coleman. “The overall product is certain to have appeal with a widespread audience of game enthusiasts, off-road fans and mainstream consumers.” “We wanted the soundtrack for MX vs. ATV Reflex to sound like a full-fledged album, and as a long-time fan of Motocross, it was great to help add the realism to this already amazing game and franchise,” said Herrera. “All in all, it was a fun project to work on, and the end result sounds great – especially every time I play the game!” The MX vs. ATV Reflex official soundtrack list is as follows: 1. “Pressure Plate” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 2. “Nac Nac” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 3. “Aftermarket” (Robert Cote) 4. “Holeshot” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 5. “50 Ft. Drop” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 6. “Pilot Jet” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 7. “Terrain” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 8. “Devil’s Swingarm” (Dave Lowmiller) 9. “Wheels In Motion” (Robert Cote) 10. “Scraping the Can” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 11. “Machined From Billet” (Dave Lowmiller) 12. “Silencer” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) 13. “Accelerate” (3volution featuring Raymond Herrera) GamesPress

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MX vs. ATV™ Reflex soundtrack now available

Cort has some hands-on impressions for you guys that I think you’ll be just a tad interested in! Earlier this week, Nintendo invited us to their office near San Francisco to show off their upcoming Pokemon titles for DS, HeartGold and SoulSilver ; two classic games from the franchise remade for both long-time fans and new players alike. I won’t pretend to be any sort of expert, just a gamer who has been more of a spectator all these years…ever since the franchise emerged with Red/Blue (and its associated merchandise) and I was a wee college boy working at my local Toys R Us amid the rabid children and their parents. Many regulars will recognize these games from their previous incarnation about ten years ago, and many of those people consider them among the best in the series. So for those who have seen them before, what’s new? Whistle whilst you work. Purdy colours. Well for starters, neither game really introduces any new pokemon to the series per se, but it does include many from games released over the past decade, including a number of legendaries. I don’t have the specific number handy, but between both HeartGold and SoulSilver , there are 490-something to catch, train, etc. Talk about either a dream or nightmare for obsessive compulsive players like me! The setting remains in the same Johto region, described as being a bit like Kyoto, Japan with its lush vegetation, historic shrines and culture. As remakes, both the music and graphics have been bumped into the present, and although not drastic, the subtleties are very attractive. Gusts of wind blow about, streaming leaves and delicate, visible wisps of air across the screen while weather vanes atop buildings quiver back and forth as they should. All of the art looks quite sharp on the vivid DS screen, with plenty of colour to spare. Checking out some of the touch-screen goodness: the battle screen and some pokeball action. Other new features include the ability to equip two key items at once, which ought to definitely reduce trips to the menus. You can also have ANY pokemon from your collection follow you around, whereas before I believe you were limited to just Pikachu. This comes in handy because as they follow you around, they level up in friendship, which for some pokemon is extremely valuable. Just move your desired poke-friend into the first slot, easily done with simple drag and drop thanks to the DS stylus. Yes, menus have been assigned to the touch screen to help streamline things and get you back into the action, though the traditional d-pad navigation is still intact for those who prefer it. Other tweaks and features added to the menu system will definitely be helpful to fresh and veteran players alike…as one of the former, I can personally attest to having almost no barrier or frustration jumping right into things. The most fascinating new feature for me was the PokeWalker , a pokeball-shaped pedometer that can wirelessly sync with your game and allows you to take one of your pals along during the day. During that time, your real-world walking translates to building up in-game experience, levelling up whichever pokemon you’ve equipped plus earning Watts, but that’s not all. You can also discover new wild pokemon and items, and play a rudimentary game to catch them. Earning Watts will allow you to unlock new routes; the routes affecting what you’ll find out in the wild. So if you’ve set your route to a grassy area, you’ll stumble on grassy-type pokemon, etc. You also have access to two mini-games or you can also connect with PokeWalker-carrying friends, which will earn you each a gift during the exchange. You can hold up to three captured pokemon at a time with the PokeWalker before having to either sync or manage what to keep and what to release. Also of note that there are some safety/backup features in case something happens (you lose the device, lose your pokemon, etc.) so you can always “revert” and pull a lost pokemon back into the game. It works with a simple watch-type battery and thanks to a basic b/w LCD screen and infrared wireless, it has a pretty good lifespan, not unlike a typical TV remote; the one shown during the demo has been going strong since the Japanese release back in September 2009. The darling of the hour, the PokeWalker. I personally found the PokeWalker the most intriguing aspect of the games; it definitely takes the old Pocket Pikachu idea to the next level and is a delightful idea, considering the etymology of the series as Pocket Monsters…now you really can take them with you during the day—in your pocket—and continue the adventure regardless of what else you might be doing, be it work, school, or playing Wii. I may not have been converted to a Pokemon fanatic, but after 15 minutes of hands-on and a run down by a seasoned pro from Nintendo, I’d definitely give these games a try at home. Look for HeartGold and SoulSilver this March 14 in North America. Thanks to Nintendo for giving us the chance to attend and check things out! —cortjezter

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Cort finds himself a Soul(Silver), plus hands-on impressions

A portion of a Dtoid review… In just a week, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth has become one of my favorite games in the series. Good job, Iga and company. Now if you (or Kojima) could just make a 3D Castlevania game that’s this fun, then I’d really be impressed. Full review here

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Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth - review

Tetsuya Nomura has teased a few projects in the past, and now he’s doing it once again. In the latest issue of Gemaga, when he’s asked about 2010 projects that he’s looking forward to, he starts to get cryptic. Nomura says there’s a game coming that is yet-to-be announced, but he has received many personal requests about it. When revealed, he expects quite the reaction from gamers. That’s all the info we get to go on…so let your speculation run wild! Link

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Tetsuya Nomura teasing highly-anticipated game for 2010

You guys may have noticed that we had a bit of a technical difficulty on the site late tonight. Glad to say that it was a small snafu, and all is looking just fine. Just incase, I wanted to make sure I got up the ‘End of Day’ thought for you guys, because D3stiny_Sm4sher worked hard on it. You enjoy the review, and I’ll see you all in a few, short hours! - RMC I dunno about you guys, but I’ve seriously been soaking up the holiday season. Specifically, the Christmas season. I’d be curious to know which of you folks out there celebrate different holidays. Hopefully, no matter what name you prescribe to the whole “Good will toward men (and women!)” time of year, you folks are all enjoying it. I know I sure am. I just spent about 14 hours of the past 30 playing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Holy crap, such a wonderfully made game. But when it comes to this season, I can’t think of a more appropriate game than Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics. - D3stiny_Sm4sher Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics -Opening Ceremony- Time played: About 7-9 hours Obtained: Rented via GameFly Other Conditions: Have played the previous Olympics game. Played multiplayer for about 1 hour. -Let the Competition Begin- A couple of years back, Mario and Sonic and some of their friends competed in the Summer Olympic games, so it really isn’t that surprising that they’ve taken another go at it now that the inverse Olympic season approaches. Fortunately, the sequel tries to add some more to overall package in an attempt to up the ante. But just how much has Sega improved the minigame formula? For starters, the sports that you’ll participate in are obviously flavored with a lot more white. Skiing, snowboarding, curling, ice skating, bobsleigh…It’s all here, it’s all simple, and it’s all fairly forgiving. There are optional tutorials to explain every event’s controls, and there are many motions or steering controls that are universal across like-minded events. One of my issues with the original title was how much it forced players to mindlessly flail their arms to the point of exhaustion. Fortunately, Sega was smart enough to not include a single event like this. One can play this title for a couple hours on end if they like and never feel their arms tiring out. Definitely a good choice. Controls are fairly lenient, as well, though oftentimes, more experienced gamers will feel like they’re a bit sluggish or lag behind, at least in terms of what gets displayed compared to when the gesture is performed. The variety in sports doesn’t feel as great as the original, but given the season, this makes sense. The gameplay elements can blur together snowboarding and skiing feel similar in many ways, for example. But to mix things up, there are a number of Dream Events to play. Quite a bit — definitely moreso than the original. And I found the Dream Events to be a real hook, surprisingly. They are all deliberately video game-themed, mixing and expanding upon the traditional sports. For example, the ski jump Dream Event involves players flying off into space through the Good Egg Galaxy (a la Super Mario Galaxy), steering through zero gravity to fly through Star Bits and hoops for a high score. Dream Figure Skating was incredibly endearing to me, taking a “Mario and Sonic on Ice” approach with its presentation - it plays itself off as an ice skating musical version of each series. It’s simple and cute. Every Dream Event features a remix from Mario and Sonic’s adventures, along with locations from the games. Mario Kart Wii to Sonic Adventure 2, it does a much better job at capitalizing on the history of these franchises than the original title. I would say the Dream Events are probably the overall highlight of the game. They’re certainly not amazing but they feel much more “Mario” and “Sonic” in their atmospheres. While any event can be played after it’s unlocked in Free Play mode, players will need to play through the Festival Mode to unlock the Dream Events. Festival Mode goes through the Olympic schedule, in a sense, letting players “train” in sports and then participate in them to earn medals/points toward an overall ranking at the end. It can drag on a bit, but it does save your progress. Furthermore, there are amusing cameos (I won’t spoil any) from each respective franchise that serve as “bosses” of sorts every couple of days or so. All the while, however you choose to play, you will earn Star Tokens which can be used to purchase the myriad of unlockable features, from decals to your sports equipment to costumes for your Miis to use in-game to music tracks, and even some extra challenges, such as unlocking collectible Blue Coins in some of the Dream Events which contribute to a reward. There’s just a lot of stuff to unlock. I just wish the music tracks that you unlock had more applications other than just a jukebox. It’d be great to play some Mario/Sonic remixes during the standard events, for example. And yes, online leaderboards are back for those of you interested in competing for records, though there isn’t online play. Honestly, I’m not sure what this would matter, since many events are played by taking turns, anyway. This isn’t a specifically competitive game (ironically), so online isn’t really a big loss, though it could have added some incentive for replayability. By now, it probably sounds like a no-brainer that, as a whole, the Winter Olympics have much more to offer than the Summer ones. Frankly, that’s pretty much the case. The visual presentation is kicked up a notch, with very slick menus and another well-executed, “Olympic Spirit” inducing intro cutscene. Visuals look a bit more detailed but there’s still room for improvement in areas such as the crowds or backgrounds. Music is either proper game remixes or orchestral Olympic fare, all of which is pretty effective. The sound effects, however, are incredibly aggravating. Do I really need to hear my character repeat the same chirp of excitement every single damned time they do ANYTHING correctly? Seriously, it gets just plain annoying to the point where I turned off the sound now and again. Mario and Sonic has a varied and pretty well-represented cast, decent variety in its events, and simple, approachable mini-game play style which makes it an effective party game. That said, it can get kind of repetitive if you play it for more than a half hour to an hour, and the general execution of controls makes it feel like the game is sometimes auto-piloting a little too much to let the tilt controls feel natural, or the images on screen react sluggish to your actions. There are also some fairly long loading times that occur too frequently from what has been seen on other Wii games. The set of minigames won’t blow your mind, and some are just generally bland. There’s more depth than you might expect in some events but it’s still a fairly cut-and-dry affair that doesn’t fully make good use of the control scheme available to it. -Awards Ceremony- Another bronze medal goes to Mario and Sonic in their Winter Olympic festival. While definitely a step up from the original sports title in terms of execution and presentation, there’s not quite enough polish and content and quality here to make the game pass into that land of specifically great games. It’s definitely one of the better mini-game collections on the platform and will definitely keep more casual audiences occupied for many short bursts of time, and the more deliberate references to the game series are a nice nod to core gamer fans. If you’re up for a more light-hearted game you can play with your friends and family, look into trying this one out. -High Score- 7/10

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GoNintendo ‘End of Day’ thoughts - Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games review by D3stiny_Sm4sher

“The tour kicked off again on December 3rd and runs all the way through until Christmas Eve at Milton Keynes’ MK Centre, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Lakeside. We are also running a BOGOF promotion in conjunction with GAME throughout Christmas on the Imagine range, advertising via leaflets that we will be handed out throughout the tour. We have already toured at Birmingham and Sheffield and had some great results with many girls interacting with the brand and also entering our competition to win a Nintendo DS. The tour has been very popular with kids and parents alike with high levels of participation. We have a great team working with us this year that are really passionate and always eager to engage with the customers. Imagine is already a recognised brand for these girls. They love the chance to be able to have a play and work out which games of the range are their favourites and what they really want for Christmas.” - brand manager Rachael Grant Ubisoft is set on milking the Imagine brand for all that it has. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with promoting your game line, I just think it sucks that Ubisoft takes that money and puts it mostly towards 360 and PS3 projects. Ubisoft, you have Red Steel 2 in the works for Wii…but how about some other core-oriented projects? Link

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UK - Ubisoft kicks off second leg of ‘Imagine’ promo tour

Hope you guys enjoy this article. It’s my pleasure to answer your questions. If you have any more, feel free to leave them in the comment section of this post! You enjoy the rundown as I slip off to bed. See you all in a few, short hours! It took a little while, but I finally got to answer your DSi LL questions! I wanted to make sure that I had more than just 24 hours with the platform in order to give you guys some meaningful answers. If you don’t find your question answered below, it’s because I felt that I answered your question in another section of this article. With that said, let’s get on with the fun! SuperMario290 - What do you see in the quality of the graphics, like did the larger screen make the graphics on any games more “pixely” or the resolution get worse? - From what I can see, the graphical distortion in games is hardly noticeable. I’ve played both 2d and 3d games, and I really didn’t notice anything. The only time you might notice the difference is when looking at in-game text. The DSi LL screens don’t make text unreadable…but there is a very, very slight jaggedness to text. First pic = DSi LL, second pic = DSi Chicken Fangas - How bad is the motion blur? - Truth be told, I haven’t noticed any issue with that at all. It seems exactly the same as it was on the DSi, which never bothered me to begin with. I’m thinking this is more of a person-by-person issue. LOLhahaDEAD - Seeing as it’s a handheld system, does it get tiring to hold it during play? - This sucker is definitely heavier than the other platforms, but you knew this already. I didn’t find myself getting a sore arm or anything like that, but my hand was a bit more tired than usual after holding the system upright for an hour or so. Sergioalb64 - Are the speakers louder, is it brighter than the DSi, do DSi-enhanced games work on an import, picture of the bottom of the DSi LL, what case can hold this monster? - The speakers are indeed louder, and they seem to be of a better quality. I don’t know if that’s just the loudness making things seem better, but without a doubt, the speakers are one of my favorite aspects of the platform. - I don’t know…you tell me! I don’t really see a huge difference, if there is one at all. - DSi-enhanced/only games do not work on an imported DSi LL. You must have DSi-enhanced/only games that match the region of your DSi LL. - You got it! - I don’t know! I haven’t even started looking for cases! Supakoopa - close-up of the screen? - I think the images above should be what you’re looking for. If not, just let me know! ECC - DSi LL Vs. DS Phat pic Dandancc - Are the buttons any larger/different in feel? Are the face buttons more spaced? Are the L/R buttons larger/bigger/longer? Are the face buttons farther from the top of the DS? - When adjusted for the unit’s size difference the face buttons are exactly the same size and placement as the DSi, but the L and R triggers are bigger on the DSi LL. NeroSurferoth - Is that the only color available?.. Did you ask for that specific color? And one of my problems is that I actually find the DSi a bit small or uncomfortable to hold when using the D-pad so… Does it feel more comfortable in your hand for classic gameplay? - This is not the only color available. There are two more colors in Japan, with the colors for Europe/NA yet to be announced. I did happen to ask for this color. - I actually like the size of this one more. It just feels better in my hands. I have small hands, but holding something bigger just makes me feel a bit more connected to the gaming experience. Again, this is personal preference. BAMtendo192 - 1. Would you say the size of the screens enhance the gameplay for certain games? 2. Do the larger screens make any games look better? Worse? Or do the graphics look just as good as a regular DSi? - I definitely like the size of the screen more. As I said above, the bigger platform makes me feel like I’m better connected to the game. It’s not a huge difference, but it’s indeed a noticeable one. - I don’t know if they make the games look better, but you should have an easier time seeing things if you have bad eyesight. They don’t make things look worse either! Pichi - If possible, can you put the Phat in the middle of the LL? Diego_Jose - If you already own a DSi, its worth the trade? - That’s a completely personal preference question. If bigger screens and louder speakers make a difference for you, then you should trade in. If that stuff doesn’t interest you, you should be just fine holding onto your DSi. Ash_Pokemaster - Region free for DSiWare? - You can only access the Japanese DSiWare Shop, so you’ll only be downloading DSiWare titles that release in Japan. Skullkid700 - Is it awkward at this size, both while holding it with one hand and using the stylus with the other, and while playing with both hands holding it, Is the smaller stylus the same size as the original DSi stylus, Can you change the language on an import to English, Are the built-in cameras better quality, If you still have a DSphat sitting around, can you do a size comparison photo? Maybe a nice 4×4 of the four DS systems? That would be awesome! :], are there any new settings or apps thrown in with the DSi LL that wasn’t on the original? - I noticed no difference in holding the DSi LL in one hand a stylus in another. If you have very weak hands, I guess this might cause a slight problem! - The DSi LL stylus is just a tad thicker/longer than the DSi stylus - You’re stuck with Japanese, as far as I can tell. - Cameras are the same quality - No new settings or apps from what I can see, but the DSi LL does come with pre-installed DSiWare. NintendoGamer17 - Is the bottom screen slightly darker/dimmer than the top screen like all previous DS models? - My eyes could be playing tricks on me…but the top screen on my DSi LL looks ever so slightly brighter. Only noticeable when you’re specifically looking for that detail. BillyatWiiLoveIt - On a scale of one to ten, how sextastic would you say the DSi LL is? - There’s no number sexy enough to describe it. Necrochild313 - Is it pocket-sized? I know it’s bigger, but is it TOO big? - Well, here it is in my pocket! These pants have sizeable pockets, but they aren’t huge. You might have a snug fit with jeans, but you should be okay with khakis. Ninty - Can you show the video about internet that come pre-installed (like the most recent Wii’s) with the DSi LL? - I think we have shown that already, but I’ll have to double-check. If not, I’ll do my best to get it for you. Aoixgp - How does the internet load times compare to the other versions? - In my tests, I noticed no comparable difference in the units. Everything seemed to load up at the same speeds. Fred-87 - is there a option to go straight to the game instead of the menu like you can do on the nintendo ds phat? - Don’t quote me on this, but I think there might be. I can’t ready Japanese, so it’s a bit slow-going for me to figure out. If I get the confirmation one way or another, I’ll be sure to update you. MidnightScott - Why did you import the same game system that is just slightly bigger in size? - I was interested in comparing the units, and I was personally interested in owning one. UniqueJ - Can I have it!? - Ummm……no? Ask again later?! Superdoh - I like to know what exactly is the preloaded software other then Brain Age games. - It’s just the dictionary DSiWare that is available in Japan only, and Flipnote Studio. Srkelley - Is the sound from the ear phones significantly louder, can you do a stylus precision test with three games? - From what I can tell after having my eardrums blown out, the DSi LL does seem a bit louder with headphones in as well. - I tried Spirit Tracks on the DS Phat/DS Lite/DSi/DSi LL, and I do have to say that I find the LL the best. Just having the extra space to move around is nice. You have more freedom of space to move your hand around. Of course, it’s not like you’re actually getting more of the game on your screen, you’re just getting more space to do the same thing. If you have an issue with cramped hands/movements on the other DS units, the LL might be one to test out.

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GoNintendo ‘End of Day’ thoughts - Your DSi LL questions answered!

Nicky Hill said something to me earlier today that I picked up on as well. Game industry news has been a little slower than usual lately. I had a feeling things would go this way. Right after Thanksgiving, everyone really seems to be in the Winter holiday mood. On top of that, December really doesn’t have the big-name titles it usually does. There are only a handful of AAA titles on the way. All that leads to a quiet time of the year. With that said, I’m still doing/have been doing my job as usual! Sorry if the quiet nature of the game industry has you craving more news! Sometimes, there’s just not a lot to report! Hopefully this video will be a perk for your day. See you all in a few, short hours! As promised, I have some footage from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for you guys. It turns out that I decided to record my footage at the perfect time! This 10 minute segment of play includes some traditional Zelda puzzling and enemy bashing, as well as some Spirit Flute play. You’ll have to excuse my rather lackluster play in some portions of the video. I had the camera in front of me, and then the DS in front of that. I had to reach around the camera to play, and try not to block the screen with my hand/stylus! Also, a second apology for the portions where I have to blow into the mic. You’ll see where blowing in the mic and strange stylus position really screw me over! With that said, I hope you enjoy the footage. I recorded my play on the DSi LL, so the video should be of a better quality than usual. Please, if you have any video requests or questions in general, feel free to leave a comment. I’d be more than happy to do more video footage for another night, if you guys want that. Direct link here

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GoNintendo ‘End of Day’ thoughts - 10 minutes of Spirit Tracks: enemy fights, story bits, puzzles and Spirit Flute