About James Higginbotham

Vienna, Austria – Tuesday April 7th, 2009

Bplus, independent software developer, today officially announces Vektor Tank, a brand-new title under development by Bplus for Wii™.

Vektor Tank is a totally …
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Rockstar was kind enough to send me a review copy of Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars, and you as the reader have been kind enough to wait for my review, so here it is.

Story:

I wanted to start out talking about the story, because in all honesty this is the weakest part of the game. It’s your typical GTA story line. A young man from China named Huang Lee, a member of the Chinese Triad is sent to Liberty City to deliver his family sword to his uncle after his father’s death. As he arrives, Huang is shot and left for dead at the bottom of the river. The story takes the normal GTA spin while you help Huang rise from the bottom of the crime ring to the top anyway possible.

Gameplay:

One of the first things I would like to point out, is a new feature that has never been in a GTA game before, the fact that the game can be saved anywhere, when a mission is not in progress. Earlier GTA’s you had to find your way back to your safe house, which sometimes took some time, depending on how much you cared about purchasing safe houses. We were told during our hands on time with China Town Wars at Comic Con, that this was done because the DS is a “on the move system.” Most people are not going to have time to sit down and play hours after hours of GTA on their DS. People are more for playing their DS on the way to school work or on a quick break.

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GamePro: Finally, we have to ask — what does the “i” in DSi really mean?

David Young: The DSi is really about the “individual” gamers. For instance, the Wii console …
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Konami reinvents its first Silent Hill classic, as Shattered Memories arrives to scare on Wii, PSP and PlayStation 2

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is to bring its terrifying Silent Hill series to Wii™ as Silent Hill: Shattered Memories heads to the Nintendo system for the first time in Autumn. The game, a clever reimagining of the now out of print first Silent Hill title, will also be released for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®2 at the same time.

While the game shares its twisting plot with the original PlayStation game, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories takes a different path in many, many ways. Characters can be approached but will offer different responses and be found in different places, while new clues and gameplay paths can be followed. The title follows Harry Mason, as he attempts to unravel the mystery of his missing daughter, Cheryl. A broken man, Mason’s investigations lead him to the mist-shrouded, snowy streets of Silent Hill: a malevolent town where the shadows play host to a wealth of evil, misshapen creatures.

Designed to make full use of the Wii’s unique controllers, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories uses the Wii Remote™ as a torch and cell phone as Mason looks for clues. The torch is vital for scouring the darkened, abandoned buildings of Silent Hill, while the phone acts as a secondary user interface, allowing the player to access maps via its GPS capabilities and take pictures of interesting elements. Likewise, the Wii Remote also can be used to pick up, examine and manipulate items to solve puzzles along the journey. Such technology was not available when the original Silent Hill was released in 1999, and its inclusion showcases Konami’s determination to enhance the playing experience with new, available technology.

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LONDON, UK – 06 APRIL 2009 – Today, Ubisoft announced the launch of its first game created specifically for the new Nintendo DSi™: My Cooking Coach. Already a worldwide leader …
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We told you about this yearly sale that Gamestop puts on last week, and thanks to cheapassgamer.com we have a large list of the games that will be on-sale. After a quick scan of the list, the only two game that catch my eye is Chrono Trigger for 30 and Line Rider for 10.

DS Games

Barbie Horse Adventures: Riding Camp 14.99
Bella Sara 19.99
Ben 10 Alien Force 19.99
Bleach: Dark Souls 14.99
Bratz Kidz 14.99
Bratz Ponyz 2 14.99
Chicken Shoot 9.99
Chrono Trigger 29.99
Digimon World Championship 14.99
Diner Dash 14.99
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NEW TRACKS FROM FOO FIGHTERS, GLASVEGAS, OASIS, THE VON BONDIES AND MORE ADDED TO Wii MUSIC STORE LINEUP

Cambridge, Mass. – April 6, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games announced today 11 new tracks coming this week to the Rock Band® Music Store catalogue of downloadable content for Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo, including Journey’s definitive power ballad “Don’t Stop Believing.” This week’s music lineup also includes tracks from American hard rock band Foo Fighters, British alternative band Oasis and three family-friendly tracks from the favorite pineapple dweller, Spongebob Squarepants.

Described by Allmusic as “one of the best opening keyboard riffs in rock,” Journey’s smash 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believing” will be released for download in the Wii Rock BandMusic Store this week. “Don’t Stop Believing” is one of the most referenced rock songs in popular culture, receiving prominent placement in the 2007 series finale of The Sopranos.
Pat Benatar’s classic single “Heartbreaker” from the In the Heat of the Night album (1979) will also be available for download along with The Von Bondies signature hit “C’Mon C’Mon” from their debut album Pawn Shoppe Heart (2004). In addition, the content update will also include the 2008 single “Geraldine” from Scottish alternative band Glasvegas.

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Doncaster, UK. 6th April, 2009 – BLAZE is proud to launch the new Automated Cartridge & slot cleaner for Nintendo DSi and DS Lite consoles. The new …
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Put Music in Your Hands and Rhythm in Your Life

REDMOND, Wash., April 6, 2009 – When you hear a catchy tune, you probably find yourself tapping your fingers in rhythm to the beat. If you can do that, you’ll be a natural for Rhythm Heaven™, a new game that is now available for the portable Nintendo DS™ system. Rhythm Heaven asks you to tap, hold and flick your stylus on the touch screen as you keep the beat in more than 50 rhythm-based mini-games. It’s hard not to crack a smile as you enjoy the game’s unique visual style and infectious game play.

“Rhythm Heaven represents another example of how Nintendo creates new experiences that surprise and delight people,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The game exudes a simple charm and captures an endearing quality that makes it very appealing to all types of players.”

The fun look and feel of Rhythm Heaven make it unlike any other music-themed title on the market. The game stakes out its own distinctive territory in the genre by combining rhythmic sounds with entertaining hand-held challenges. For instance, the Glee Club mini-game features a chorus of three characters. You are in control of one of them and must tap the touch screen at the right time to keep the group singing properly. Sing at the wrong time and you make the other members of your group noticeably sad.

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April 6, 2009

This week marks the launch of Nintendo DSi™, the third iteration of the nation’s top-selling portable video game system. Along with it comes the grand opening of the Nintendo DSi Shop, an online store where players can redeem Nintendo DSi Points™ for a wide variety of games and applications, including Nintendo DSiWare™ titles. Just as the WiiWare™ service does for Wii™ owners, the Nintendo DSiWare service delivers an ever-growing library of cool new downloadable content for Nintendo DSi users, with new games added on Mondays.

For this first edition of Nintendo Download, we’re pleased to highlight the latest additions to both the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel. You’ll find six Nintendo DSiWare titles to choose from, including a free Web browser that lets Nintendo DSi owners access the Internet with a swipe of the stylus. Wii users, meanwhile, will see a fun new WiiWare game that’s compatible with the Wii Balance Board™ (sold separately with Wii Fit™), plus a classic exploration game for the Virtual Console™.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ or Nintendo DSi Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All Nintendo Points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems. This week’s new games are:

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If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the “kids” market that they’ve always engaged, there isn’t much new with the DSi to …
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