Elebits 2 Announced for Nintendo DS

How odd to release the sequel to a fun Wii game on a hand held device over the original platform. Introducing,  Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero. Sure, the DS is a great staging point for an Elebits style game, but what happened to the Wii platform?

Video game attachment rate, that’s what happened to the Wii version. Konami has chosen to launch the second franchise title on the platform that sells more games. Unlike the Wii, the DS sells both hardware and software while the Wii sells accessories and consoles.

If the Wii could move hardware and attach software with the sale they may have a more stable launching point for other video game titles, both casual and hardcore. Perhaps Wii Sports was the worse thing that could have happened to Wii because Nintendo can’t get us to buy other games. For the most part, the Wii and the bundled game is worth the money; we need no other games.

Konami, a company that makes “other games,” probably wants to see higher volumes of sales. Now, we’ll have to wait until Fall of 2008 to get the DS release of Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, unless you’ve got a Wii and no hand held DS system than you’re out of luck! But, apparently nobody buys Wii games anyway so the chances are, neither would you…

KONAMI ANNOUNCES ELEBITS: THE ADVENTURES OF KAI AND ZERO FOR NINTENDO DS™

The Mischievous Creatures are Back in the Sequel to the Popular Original Action Title

El Segundo, Calif. – July 8, 2008 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, the sequel to Elebits, is currently in development exclusively for Nintendo DS™. The exciting game of hide and seek allows players to find, capture and befriend the tiny creatures known as Elebits who serve as energy sources in a far-off world where energy resources have been depleted.

In Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero, players seek out the mischievous omega Elebits who hold magical powers and the ability to complete puzzles and quests while embarking on a magical journey. Utilizing each of the Elebits’ special powers, players can solve puzzles, reveal hidden paths, freeze flowing water, turn darkness into light, levitate rocks, and much more. As an added bonus, players are also able to compete head-to-head using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection™ and battle up to four friends simulataneously.

Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero will be released in Fall 2008 on the Nintendo DS™. For more information, please visit: www.konami.com.

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Nintendo’s Non-Gamer 50+ CrowdNintendo’s Non-Gamer 50+ Crowd

While Sony and Microsoft one-up each other with fire sales on old hardware and blockbuster titles like Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2, Nintendo goes for something completely different… older people.

You’re only as old as you feel, but it’s hard to discount Nintendo’s attack on a demographic when they visit the American Association of Retired People’s Life@50+ Expo in Washington, D.C. this week. Odd move, indeed… or is it?

Retired people may have a bit more time than a busy adult with two kids and a few jobs to hold down. While young adults may want to game, they may not always have the time in their schedule, especially in the United States where people forget what “vacation” means. Retirement is a time to reflect upon your life, your deeds and enjoy the fruits of your labor with your grandchildren; it’s time to get a Wii.

The Wii is the perfect gift for retired folk who want to entertain themselves with something new and different without having to keep up with game releases. The Wii doesn’t have very many games when compared to the 360 and, although many get low review scores, retired folks aren’t scanning the Internet for weekly game reviews and news. They may not be the most in-touch with the industry but that’s okay, they’re non-gamers.

All that Nintendo has to do is sell the unit to them, it may sit on the shelf for months or only get pulled out when the grandchildren visit, but it’s a low-cost unit with games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit, what more do they need?

(Thanks, Kotaku)

No New DS Redesign Until Sales FadeNo New DS Redesign Until Sales Fade

If you’re looking to see what the next greatest DS hand-held will look like, plan to wait until Nintendo starts to see declining sales trends for their current DS hardware. Sensible from Nintendo’s standpoint, but a major bummer for those hand-held gamers who want to see something new and cool out of the Nintendo camp.

While the DS sells great, many of us tech fans would love to see what a new generation of DS would look like. Perhaps something closer to the iPod touch in screen size and touch-abilities with real WiFi capabilities connecting to the Internet? Wouldn’t it be neat if they added GPS location and tilt abilities much akin to the iPhone or iPod Touch?

Personally, I envision a system where you are in total control of your character from leaning, to sliding, to moving your fingers around the screen and communicating over the Internet sharing high scores, drop-in drop-out multiplayer titles with complete voice communications.

Alas, Nintendo tends to gimp most of their hardware from hot innovation such as Internet communication, much like the Wii. While Nintendo has the next-generation capabilities now for Internet communication they’ve constantly opted to have a more useless version of connectivity to “protect the consumer.”

We need a DS store, much like the Xbox Live Marketplace for downloading DS casual games, considering DS game size is much smaller than a PC, PS3 or Xbox 360 title. We need a smaller form factor mimicking the iPod in thickness and durability with a larger screen or unfolding dual screen to double the size of an iPod style play area.

Hardware innovation seems to be more acceptable to Sony and their PSP product while Nintendo always opts for something more simple. Unfortunately, the PSP cannot compete against the DS which will leave them in the lead with very little desire to re-up their hardware with new capabilities and sexy new designs.

Oddly enough, the DS is the perfect device for the mass market which means they’re not going to be forced to innovate beyond its current capabilities for now. Apparently people don’t desire huge leaps in technology, screen size and speed, or we’d would probably see a decline or dis-interest in the DS hardware, thus forcing Nintendo to re-innovate and evolve.

The day will come, but probably not for a long time.

Gaming Flashback: Yo! NoidGaming Flashback: Yo! Noid

Yo! Noid was a commercial opportunity for Domino’s Pizza developed by Capcom. This retro style game revolved around Domino’s Pizza claymation style mascot, the Noid, as he adventures through fourteen stages of side scrolling action.

The game sound was much like any other 8-bit action platformer. It reminded me of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Nintendo Entertainment System, not the cool arcade one. Minus the turtles, Yo! Noid is a battle against Mr. Green, the Noids evil duplicate, a concept used in so many games; remember Shadow Link?

Unlike Link, Noid lost a life when he hit an enemy similar to the Super Mario Bros. style platformer but with a Yo Yo weapon. You could also gather smart-bomb type scrolls to clear the screen of all enemies, another classic side scroller arcade recipe. Yo! Noid brought nothing to the table in terms of uniqueness and relied on the standard recipe of side scrolling conflict.

This retro game may be one of the first true “total conversion mods.” Later we’d see Counter Strike born out of the Half-Life engine and way before that, Noah’s Ark 3D built out of the Wolfenstein 3D engine. Yo! Noid was a re-creation of the game Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru. Oddly enough, Yo! Noid was probably more well known than its forefather game because Capcom didn’t release Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru in the United States. Instead, we got Yo! Noid and a $1.00 off coupon on the back of the manual so we can get ourselives some Domino’s Pizza.

Although a few of us may recall Yo! Noid from our childhood, the title really didn’t create any huge waves in the game industry. Yo! Noid did show developers that a brand named product could be used as a marketing and brand awareness strategy, something we’d later see Burger King try on the Xbox 360 and find some success.

Can you tell the difference between Yo! Noid and Kamen no Ninja Hanamaru?