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Japanese gaming companies doing their part in the disaster relief effort
After being hit last Friday by both an earthquake and tsunami, Japan is in a state of disarray and turmoil. Along with millions of others around the world, video game companies are doing their part to help out. Here’s just a few of the companies and what they’re offering:
- Nintendo – 300 million yen, letter to the victims
- Sony – 300 million yen, 30,000 radios
- Sega Sammy – 200 million yen
- Tecmo Koei – 10 million yen to Japan Red Cross, taking public donations
- Yon-sama – 73 million yen
- Namco Bandai – 100 million yen, conserving power by suspending operations in arcades
Courtesy of Tasuro Iwamoto, illustrator for everyone’s favorite attorney series, Phoenix Wright, Miles Edgeworth, and Maya Fey also offer their support:
"Let's work hard and not be defeated by the earthquake."
Hit the source to see what other companies have done, and do your part and find out ways to help out here.
Source: GoNintendo
DS signed by a quartet of pure awesome auctioned to support Japan
Everyone knows that the 3DS comes out in just a couple of weeks, but you can also take a step a few years back and bid on an awesome DS Phat, with the proceeds going to the Japanese relief effort. What makes the DS so special? Try this on for size:
- Rare red MarioKart DS
- Near-mint condition, having been kept in a glass case for the past four years
- Signed by the following:
- Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, and several other Nintendo classics
- Koji Kondo, composer of various Nintendo titles including The Legend of Zelda
- Charles Martinet, voice actor behind everyone’s favorite plumber Mario
- Martin Leung, the fantastic pianist who famously played various Mario songs blindfolded in this video
Best of luck to all of you with your bids on the system
Source: Joystiq
Nintendo Download: Use foliage to battle the undead
The trickle of releases that WiiWare and Virtual Console are reduced to would lead one to believe that the successor to Wii is coming out in a few short weeks, not the 3DS. WiiWare sees one new title (unless you count a demo to a previously-released title as well), while DSiWare sees three new additions to the library, including the eagerly anticipated Plants vs. Zombies.
WiiWare
- Liight
- Publisher: Studio Walljump
- Players: 1
- ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
- Price: 500 Wii Points
- Description: Liight is a unique, award-winning, puzzle-solving game where you use colored lights and shadows to solve puzzles and make music. Each puzzle in Liight is a unique combination of colored lights and targets arranged on a special board. If you completely cover a target with light of the matching color, the target will glow and play music. A puzzle is solved when all of the targets are glowing and playing music together. Every puzzle makes a different song each time you play. Nonstop mode in Liight is a fast-paced arcade puzzle game that uses the same basic concepts you learn in Solve mode in a constant struggle for a high score. Liight also has a Create mode to make your own puzzles any way you want, and a Share mode to send them to your Wii friends using the WiiConnect24 service.
- Mix Superstar (demo version)
- Publisher: Digital Leisure Inc.
- Players: 1
- ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
- Price: 0 Wii Points; full version available for 500 Wii Points
- Description: Think you can be the next big music star? Well now you’ve got all the tools right at your fingertips with Mix Superstar. Create, mix and record your own royalty-free musical masterpieces right on your Wii console. There are more than 1,000 Dance, Hip Hop and Techno loops included across multiple instruments like Drum, Bass, Synth, Guitar and even voice tracks. Once you’ve got that next hit created, it’s time to show it off. Mix Superstar allows you to export your music creations, and download them to your computer so you can take them on the go. You can also use the WiiConnect24 service to send those hits to your Wii friends who own the game, and even collaborate on mixes. Also included is full support for both the Logitech USB Microphone and the Wii Speak accessory (sold separately) so you can lay down your own vocals. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play service even allows you to enhance your music creation experience with additional loop packs from a variety of genres. Now go on and make some noise.
- Pong Toss Pro – Frat Party Games (demo version)
- Publisher: JV Games Inc.
- Players: 1-4
- ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Language
- Price: 0 Wii Points; full version available for 600 Wii Points
- Description: Born on college campuses, Pong Toss is the ultimate party-game favorite. Now Pong Toss Pro takes it to the next level with improved graphics and a redesigned throwing system for complete accuracy. Also new to Pong Toss Pro is a Tournament Mode that supports four-, eight- or 16-team bracket play. Pong Toss Pro features six regulation tables and the ability to modify simple house rules. Rock it with a high-energy soundtrack and listen to the announcer commenting on your play. Rule the table with Fireball bonuses for consecutive shots. In Speed Pong, up to three challengers can compete at the same time. Speed and strategy are key in this fast-paced game. Jack up your opponents by using a slew of power-ups that will slow them down. The first player to sink the last cup wins it all.
DSiWare
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Publisher: PopCap Games
- Players: 1
- ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
- Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
- Description: Get ready to soil your plants in the zombie-zapping phenomenon from PopCap. A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home, and the only defense is your arsenal of home-guardin’ plants. You’ll have to think fast and plant faster as you fight the fun-dead through day, night and fog, in the swimming pool and on the roof. Dig into five game modes and get more zombie-zapping action in four new mini-games. You can even make your own zombie creation with the Zombatar! The fun never dies.
- Rabi Laby
- Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
- Players: 1
- ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
- Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
- Description: Rabi Laby requires teamwork, dedication and the love of a great adventure. Alice is a spunky young girl who adores her fluffy pet rabbit named Rabi. One day Alice was looking for Rabi and finally found him right before he jumped into a small hole in a tree. Without thinking twice, Alice jumped in after him. This is where their magical adventure begins. Alice and Rabi encounter intriguing animals and creatures that may lead them to the exit, or stop them from escaping. Together they will explore and discover things unlike anything they’ve ever seen before. They must work as a team to find the key and escape each area of the mighty labyrinth. Both Alice and Rabi have their own unique abilities and you must switch between them in order to complete each area and ultimately escape the labyrinth’s grasp. The labyrinth awaits you…
- 5 in 1 Mahjong
- Publisher: cerasus.media
- Players: 1
- ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
- Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
- Description: Play Standard mahjong without all the bells and whistles. You can choose from more than 300 layouts or try different variations of the game. In “Countdown,” you only have 20 minutes to clear the tiles. With “Remember,” you can train your memory as every tile is only briefly visible. Don’t dally in “Shuffle” mode – the board will rebuild itself if you don’t make a match in time. In “Match” you simply need to search for particular tiles. The tile images are strikingly sharp, making them easy to recognize. Choose your favorite tile design, plus enjoy the great soundtrack and high-quality animation that create an authentic gaming experience. Challenge yourself with a range of difficult layouts. If you are stuck, hints will help you out.
Source: Nintendo Press Release
