07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008

Home » Archives for 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008

7.31.2008

Looking for Wii Fit in stock? There's tons in Spain!

I didn't go to Spain to actively search out copies of Wii Fit (as Balance Board obsessed as I am), but did make an effort to pop into a selection of videogames stores in Barcelona to see if the previous hunches about the title being available in abundance there rung true.

...And as far as I could see, the shortage of Wii Fit in the UK and US is not a problem at all in Catalonia. The image (right) is a snap taken in one PC City (PC World) chain in the Glories part of the city. As you can see, there's a whole pile of Wii Fits just waiting to be snapped up.

The same was true (multiple copies of the game) in other stores I visited too. Makes you wonder just whether Nintendo, as it says, is really doing all it can to help re-stock outlets in the UK and US...

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party demonstration

It's another great demonstration from IGN again, this time for Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party. There's nothing new here as far as mini-games go, but you do get the best look yet at the Balance Board-compatible title's 'surfing on an ironing board through space' mini-game:

Skate It Wii hands-on demonstration

The following video is one of the best out there if you're looking to see how Electronic Arts' Skate It will work with the Wii Balance Board. As well as plenty of demonstration time, IGN chats about the skateboarding sim's gameplay elements and intuitive controls:

Jet Grind Radio resurrection with Balance Board?

Jet Grind Radio was one of SEGA's best-loved titles on the ill-faited Dreamcast console (and later on the original Dreamcast), and if a new trademark submission is anything to go by, the developer could be planning to ressurect the skating/tagging sim on the Nintendo Wii. And excuse us for jumping the gun a bit, but we reckon Balance Board control would fit the game a treat.

The new trademark, reports Kotaku, was filed on July 24, and is seperate from the original Dreamcast marker.

All of the above is just pure rumour and speculation at the moment. But Jet Grind Radio on the Nintendo Wii - with Balance Board and WiiMotion Plus support - that'd be great, wouldn't it?

Nintendo targets travellers with Wii Fit at Madrid airport

As regular readers will have guessed, I am back from my short break in Spain (it was great - if insanely hot! - thanks for asking. =)). While I went to Barcelona instead of Madrid, this video from the airport of the country's capital shows off just how Nintendo is helping to captivate travellers as they wait to board their flights.

While Wii Fit is near impossible to find either here in the UK, or indeed the US, it seemed to me that there was plenty to go around in Spain. Just wait until you see the pics of piles of the title and Balance Board accessory I managed to snap while out there. Look out for that later today.

Tetris Party WiiWare screenshots

The newest set of screenshots of the now-confirmed-for-WiiWare Tetris Party have now been released, and amongst showing off 10 new game modes, we learn that one will be specifically tailonered towards use of the Wii Balance Board.

It isn't completely clear how the Balance Board will be used to control the game of Tetris, but we imagine that stepping on different sections of the board to manouvre and twist the puzzle pieces will be the order of the day.

Unlike some of the other modes, it doesn't appear that Balance Board control will be compatible with Tetris Party's online multiplayer mode.

Click below for many more screenshots of Tetris Party, which will be released this Fall/Autumn.

Tetris Party officially announced for WiiWare

Hudson Soft has been dropping hints all year that its WiiWare title, Tetris Party, would make use of the Wii Balance Board. And now, thanks to the launch of the game's website, these rumours have been confirmed.

There isn't any detail on how the Wii Balance Board's weight-detecting abilities will be worked into the title, but with an Autumn/Fall release planned, we're sure to find out very soon.

Tetris Party includes a total of 18 game modes (10 brand new), as well as local and online multiplayer. Brand new screenshots and game mode info coming up!

7.27.2008

Viva Espana! We're off, we're off to sunny Spain

This'll be the last post on Balance Board Blog for a little while, guys and gals. I'm jetting off for a few days rest in sunny Spain, but will be back on Wednesday to get the site up to speed.

G3 are winging a signed autograph of Jillian Michaels my way as I type, so perhaps that'll be waiting for me when I get back. =P

See you soon!

Wii Fit... now the rats are playing it!

First cats, then dogs, and now rats! We've been slowly turning into an animal blog this week. Taking inspiration from the infamous Wii Fit Girlfriend, one rodent-obsessed YouTuber tries his hand at Wii Fit Hula Hoop whilst dressed up in a giant rat outfit. Bizarre!

7.26.2008

Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 - first screens

3G Studios, the developer of upcoming Balance Board-compatible Nintendo Wii title Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, has been in touch with Balance Board Blog, and has been kind enough to provide us with the first screenshots of the game.

The images are all work in progress, but do help give us an indication of how the Balance Board will be used to help gamers shape up at Michaels' virtual fitness boot camp. Activities on show include canoeing, attacking a punch bag, and successfully negotiating floating logs from one side of a river to the other - the latter certain to test your balance skills...

...After all, the last thing you'd want to do is soak the avatar that you have created in Fitness Ultimatum's create-a-character mode.

3G tells us that they're currently finalising video footage with Michaels, which we imagine will see the star of NBC's The Biggest Loser encouraging you during your exer-gaming regime.

For loads more information on Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum (which includes a full tracker to masure your progress, and will arrive on the Nintendo Wii before the end of the year) click here.

7.25.2008

Wii Fit now costs $500... wat?!

Wii Fit's US RRP is a reasonable $90, considering that the Wii Balance Board is packaged with the game. Add on the console itself and the total cost clocks up at $250. Total cost for both = $340.

We don't know where WPTV is getting their figures from, but in a story that sees two personal trainers put Wii Fit through its paces, the anchors recoil at the supposed price of a Wii and Wii Fit, misinformation first given by the training experts:

"It's expensive... 500 bucks! ...That's for the whole system," one says.
"No kidding!" the other replies.

Nice journalistic research there, guys.

Puppies want in on Wii Fit action too

Yesterday we posted a photo up from I Can Has Cheez Burger with a cat begging its owner to play with it instead of Wii Fit, so it's rather funny - right on cue - that a video as appeared on YouTube today that sees a group of puppies doing all they can to interfere while their owner tries his best to perform some Wii Fit yoga. Either that, or they want to join in themselves!

Wii gadget to measure your pulse, blood pressure?

A recent patent has been uncovered on the US' Patent Office website, and it's an invention that could add another dimension to Balance Board exercise games such as Wii Fit or the upcoming Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009.

Mr Kent Hsu's idea is for a casing to slot the Wii Remote into, one which houses technology to measure the player's pulse, blood pressure, body rotations and temperature - all displayed on a little LCD screen.

Whether it'll ever see the light of day is anyone's guess, but we can imagine the more serious Wii Fit gamer perhaps being interested.

Miyamoto keen on more healthly games

The phenomenal success of Wii Fit almost guarantees there'll be a sequel from Nintendo somewhere along the line, and while its inventor Shigeru Miyamoto hasn't confirmed there will be yet, in a chat to The Telegraph, he reiterated his interest in the genre, and wished that more developer would follow his lead:

"As game designers, the trend is often for concentrating on pushing graphics, or other capabilities, or network features in new games," he said. "But I like to think that game designers would be better off trying to think about things such as health or mental improvement, rather than technology itself."

Well said, Mr. Miyamoto!

7.24.2008

I Can Has Wiiz Fit?

Like Wii Fit? Like I Can Has Cheez Burger? If so, this entry on the website for cat lovers and deliberately mis-spelled, witty captions should appeal to you. Your little moggy or a Wii Fit sesh? Almost too hard to choose!

Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party Balance Board covers?

Branded designs for the Wii Balance Board could provide a gold mine for companies willing to produce covers for the accessories that players want to buy. We've already seen High School Musical 3 and the now infamous cannabis design, and now there's the possibility that Rayman Raving Rabbids could be adorning the wii Balance Board soon.

Mad Catz has signed an agreement with Ubisoft, developer of the Rayman series, to produce accessories based on the franchise. With the Balance Board-controlled Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party arriving on the Nintendo Wii this November, a Rabbids-themed skin for the device could prove a popular add-on for players.

Nyko talks Balance Board rechargeable batteries kit

This clip is actually part of a longer video by GameTrailers about Nyko and its various videogames accessories. We've cut out the bit about their handy Wii Balance Board rechargeable battery set - the Energy Pack. Over to Nyko for the convincer...

Wii jOG... not a Balance Board threat

That Wii jOG product we mentioned the other day... well, we know exactly what it is now. It plugs into your Nintendo Wii and then to your Wii Remote, and when it is switched on, the game you are playing won't function unless you are moving about.

It might be all right for some games, but just watch the little girl in the clip below playing LEGO Star Wars, and then try and imagine how on Earth the same method would translate into Wii titles where constant use of the Wii Remote's pointer or motion-sensing are prevelent.

The video shows the PS2 version of the accessory, but the Wii's is out this Christmas.

We don't think Nintendo and the Balance Board need worry just yet.

Thanks to Dave for the tip!

7.23.2008

Nintendo edgy over Weed Fit Balance Board cover

That cannabis-themed Wii Balance Board cover that we reported about yesterday... Nintendo doesn't want anything to do with it. On sale at Amazon for under $20 USD by AMR Racing, it sits amongst a variety of decorative accessories from the firm. But Nintendo told GamesIndustry:

"These are not officially licensed products, we always recommend the use of official first or third party Nintendo products to ensure 100 per cent compatibility and reliability with our hardware. We always closely monitor new products entering the market to ensure that they do not infringe on any of our IP."

We're sure AMR will go on selling the dope-flavoured sleeve, but whether Nintendo is pleased about it or not is another matter entirely.

The Wii Fit Baby...

This news actually broke a few weeks ago, and we somehow missed it (slap wrists all round). Tim Schafe, the brains behind the likes of Full Throttle and Grim Fantango utilised the Wii Balance Board to weigh his little babba.

8 years old in Wii Fit years, she is... and her BMI's a bit low too.

The cannabis flavoured Wii Balance Board cover arrives

If you thought AMR Racing's Hoochie Mama Wii Balance Board cover was interesting, take a look at their next move - a protective skin covered in cannabis leaves!

Available for around $20 USD on Amazon's US website, AMR's newest design - 'Weeds White' - is certainly the naughtiest Balance Board cover we've seen yet (given the drug's illegality), but nonetheless we're sure it'll be popular amongst a select breed of gamer... We're talking about those using 'da ganja' for medicinal purposes of course, not the lot who smoke weed and feel so lethargic afterwards, that a session of Wii Fit afterwards is the last thing on their mind.

You even get a matching Wii Remote cover with your purchase too. Bargain!

Shigeru Miyamoto tries out Skate It Wii

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto (responsible for the invention of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda amongst others) didn't just use last week's E3 and Media Summit to blow his own trumpet (or sax as it turned out to be) with Wii Music. He also spent time checking out other games on show, including Electronic Arts' Balance Board-controlled Skate It, which you can see him playing below:

Wii Fit in stock at Amazon! ...But not for long.

Did you manage it? Did you? Were you one of the lucky ones to secure a copy of Wii Fit when it appeared in stock on Amazon this morning? Following a fresh batch of the title to arrive on the site, it sold out extremly quickly and saw its sales rocket up 200 per cent to the top of Amazon's Video Games chart.

In related Wii Fit consumer news, US chain Target advertised in its weekly Sunday circular that it is offering $5 off selected titles, including Wii Fit.

Happy hunting...

7.22.2008

Wii jOG takes inspiration from Wii Fit?

A mysterious product called Wii jOG has cropped up on the listings of online retailer Play.com, and while it isn't specifically Wii Balance Board-related, we reckon it merits a mention.

Touted as a brand new controller for the Nintendo Wii, 'Wii jOG' seems to encourage exercise while gaming, by translating your real life movements to those of your character on-screen. Wii Fit running similarity, anyone?

The blurb reads:

"Wii jOG is the innovative motion-sensing controller that brings a whole new dimension to your living room gaming experience. With jOG your character only moves when you do. Plug jOG into your existing console and wow! jOG measures the steps you take and translates them to movement on screen! Now, when you move in the real-world, you really move in the game!"

Wii jOG is down for release at the end of October. We'll bring you more information on it as soon as we can.

Plentiful Wii Fit stock in mainland Europe?

Wii Fit might be seemingly impossible to find in North America and Europe, but if one independent Spanish retailer's viewpoint is anything to go by, it's available in plentiful supply on the continent's mainland.

Replying to Nintendo UK's claims that it is replenishing Wii Fit every week in the country, 'CostaConsole' writes on MCV:

“Dont know about UK...but [Nintendo] definitely have given some to Europe. We managed to get our stock, although nearly all gone already, but the bigger Spanish chains - CentroGame, GameStop, Media, have plenty. CentroGame which doesnt have the biggest of stores near us had over 100 on display alone (was being nosey)."

A hundred Wii Fit's on display? Wowza.

Does Wii Fit work? News station finds out

It's been a couple of month since Wii Fit launched in North America, and now one television station has decided to see just how it has changed the lives of those who use it. They catch up with Mr. Wii Fit Experiment, as well as focussing on the Balance Board's ability to aid rehabilitation from injury and illness:

Wii Fit - CBS News Report Follow-up from WiiNintendo.net on Vimeo

7.21.2008

Nintendo UK: more Wii Fit in stock every week

Earlier on reports from the UK surfaced that suggested the Wii Fit stock situation would only get worse, not better. However, a spokesperson for Nintendo's UK arm has told MCV that the firm is replenishing stock throughout Britain on a weekly basis:

"We're bringing in stock every week across the UK and monitoring the current situation and sales at retail," is all that was said.

Restocking they might be... but not quick enough!

No more Balance Board games from Nintendo in 2008

Nintendo's Balance Board support at E3 was a little disappointing to say the least (the only first party offering to support the device was Wii Music), and it seems that there'll be no more surprises until at least 2009.

Speaking to Wired, Nintendo of America marketing hotshot Cammie Dunaway explained:

"You have seen the extent of Nintendo’s 2008 holiday lineup. Also items that we didn’t talk about yesterday, like Wario Land: Shake It. Which is a great franchise for the core. It’s Wario in all his gross wonderfulness, shaking the Wii remote, and that’s going to be tons of fun."

Oh, well. We've got Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip and Wii Music to keep us content at least.

Balance Board Wishlist: Mario Snowboarding Wii

Ubisoft's Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip certainly has the snowy corner of the extreme sports genre on the Nintendo Wii covered for the time being, but with the introduction of the Wii Balance Board along with Super Mario's unfaltering desire to try out fresh ventures away from platforming, would it be too daring to suggest that Nintendo could have plans for a new Balance Board-controlled snowboarding title of its very own, featuring a selection of its colourful cast of characters, in the pipeline?

1080 degrees Snowboarding was Nintendo's last effort in the field, a game that was released over a decade ago for the Nintendo 64, and other than that Mario, Peach and Luigi guest-starred in Electronic Arts' SSX On Tour for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005.

While it seems like Nintendo has been happy to let Shaun White take 1080's place in this generation thus far, Mario's already done soccer, the Olympic Games, baseball, and karting on the Nintendo Wii, so snowboarding - especially with the Balance Board's support and the long wait for a Ninty-developed winter sports title - would make a whole lot of sense.

The last great 'cutesy' snowboard title was Atlus' Snowboard Kids (also a Nintendo 64 release), and its Mario Kart-esque approach with fantasy courses, wacky characters and a variety of weapons is something that Nintendo could reproduce with ease. Mario Snowboarding Wii - like Mario Kart on ice with Balance Board support and online play? Yes please.

Could it be that Mario Kart Wii's DK's Snowboard Cross course is a hint of things to come? We hope so.

Wii Fit in stock for Christmas? Unlikely!

If you think finding a copy of Wii Fit is hard enough now, just wait until Christmas time rolls around again. The Telegraph is reporting that that the game and Balance Board will be completely sold out y the end of the year.

"Waiting lists for the toys are reportedly growing by up to 1,000 people every day," it writes, and that "websites which track new shipments of the gadgets are getting up to 30,000 visitors every 24 hours."

Although the above is focussed on the UK, we imagine the case will be the same in the US - at your Walmarts, Best Buys, Targets, Curcuit City's etc. Let us know how your hunt for finding Wii Fit in stock is going.

7.20.2008

Sexy model plays Wii Fit hula hoop topless...

... but they wouldn't show that on YouTube, would they? You'll have to follow 'Emma's' in-video instructions for that. Instead, here she is in a bikini. The Wii Fit Girlfriend started it, Playboy copied it, and now UK lads mag Zoo has jumped on the scantily-clad-young-woman-playing-Wii Fit bandwagon. Nintendo would probably have a hernia if it knew:

Wii Balance Board carry case, anyone?

Dreaming of a carry case for your Wii Balance Board? There are already a load on the market, but perhaps Dreamgear's 'Game Bag' is the one for you. Available at Amazon's US site for $18.95, it's big, white, and emblazoned with a 'for Nintendo Wii' logo. Whatever floats ya' boat.

7.19.2008

E3 2008: Is interest in Wii Balance Board fading already?

The doors of the E3 Media and Business Summit 2008 have closed for another year (some say its final year), and as far as Wii Balance Board support goes, there wasn't terribly much to get excited about, at least not in terms of new announcements. After the hype over Wii Fit and the hope for the accessory’s future, does E3’s lacklustre showing (overshadowed by the likes of WiiSpeak and Wii MotionPlus) prove that developer opinion over the integration of the Balance Board is waning already, or is it just a reflection on what the event itself has become?

Click below to read the rest...

Ubisoft's Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip received the most attention during Nintendo's official press conference, with the main man himself appearing onstage alongside Nintendo marketing boss Cammie Dunnaway to demonstrate the game's Balance Board controls to the crowd of fixated journos.

Other than that, it was only Wii Music that made use of the accessory during Nintendo's one hour show. As had been rumoured previously, the Balance Board is used to control drum pedals by tapping with your left and right foot. And while it looks impressive, the overall opinion of the drum simulator hasn't been fantastic to say the least.

Elsewhere Electronic Arts pulled the covers of Skate It for the Nintendo Wii, and did a good job in demonstrating the extreme sports sim's Balance Board trickery, while Ubisoft was also keen to highlight the hardware's unique butt-controlled mini-games in Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party.

But all of the above were Wii games that we already knew about (or in the case of Wii Music could easily guess) would support the Balance Board. There had been whispers that Nintendo would show off a Balance Balance Board-compatible Punch-Out!! and that EA would reveal its 'Westernised' Wii Fit rival, but neither materialised, both companies choosing to prioritise other games. Ubisoft did actually exhibit Imagine Babiez Party, but not any of its mini-games that, we're promised, make use of the Balance Board.

And then of course there was the absence of THQ's All Star Cheer Squad (a surprise Balance Board favourite amongst critics), 2K Sports' Don King Presents: Prizefighter, Activision's Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, and PheroseSoft's fabled We Move: Pain vs Pleasure - games that are only a few months from being released, but worryingly did not get a showing.

Most disappointing, however, was the complete lack of any announcements of brand new games that will make use of the Wii Balance Board. Everybody has pipe dreams of a Balance Board-controlled Need For Speed, Super Monkey Ball or action-adventure title, but there was no sign of anything of the sort amongst the dozens of developers and publishers (both big and small) attending E3 2008.

There are still some important dates in the gaming calendar where some more decent Balance Board offerings could possibly see the light of day (notably the Leipzig Games Convention and Tokyo Games Show), but as many have dubbed this year's E3 for gaming in general, the Balance Board's representation, an accessory with so much potential, was woefully disappointing.

Here’s hoping for a rosier future and so.

If Lara Croft did Wii Fit...

...if she did, y'know, fancy dropping the whole Tomb Raider: Underworld shenanigan and opted for a bit of body toning, you'd probably end up with this short but sweet YouTube creation:

Another Wii Fit yoga mat. We kid you not...

Once upon a time there was a game made by Nintendo called Wii Fit, and it made its own accessories to go with it. Many, many other companies saw the money to be made in manufacturing their own add-ons to see, and the latest was Blaze with their 'Comfort Mat' for Wii Fit.

It's blue in colour, comes in a fancy-looking box, and will cost you £12.99 GBP if you decide to purchase it from Amazon's UK website.

E3 2008: Wii Music drums video demonstration

Perhaps the best video yet to show off Wii Music's Balance Board-controlled drum kit yet, this one. The main window shows the drums and symbols that are being bashed, while another displays the toe-tappin' Balance Board use:

7.18.2008

E3 2008: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party chat

In what has to be the strangest E3 2008 interview we have witnessed yet, Ogilvy Digital Labs tallest employee chats to Ubisoft's game editor and developer for Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, a man who stands about half the height. Not the most engaging of conversations, but there are a few interesting snippets of information about the Balance Board-controlled game:

E3 2008: We Move: Pain vs Pleasure a no show

When a new 'E3 2008 Teaser' trailer for We Move: Pain vs Pleasure appeared on YouTube nearly a week ago, suspicion about the validity of the supposed Balance Board-compatible social networking project for WiiWare on the Nintendo Wii was rife.

With E3 2008 very nearly over, however, it seems more likely than ever that developer 'PheroseSoft' has taken us all for a ride over the past few months. Two of We Move's trailers have hinted at gameplay of a sexual nature, so perhaps this should have sent alarm bells ringing from the beginning. Balance Board Blog also contacted Nintendo, who told us that they had never heard of it.

We're not going to right We Move off completely just yet - (PheroseSoft claim that it will be out by the end of 2008), but after its no show at the E3 Media and Business Summit, it's looking more like a hoax than ever.

E3 2008: Skate It Wii gameplay videos

Want to see some of Skate It Wii in action? Well, here's a trio of short videos that show off a skater exploring a city centre skate park in the game. You'll be able to do everything you see below with the help of the Wii Balance Board, and we're sure that balance meter at the bottom of the screen will really come in handy.

E3 2008: EA Fitness fails to show up

Electronic Arts has today officially confirmed that it is developing its very own rival to Nintendo's Wii Fit, software that will make full use of the Wii Balance Board.

Currently known as EA Fitness (although this name is subject to change), many had believed that the title, which was hinted at months ago, would be unveiled at this year's E3 Media and Business Summit, the event which is currently winding down to a close in Los Angeles, California.
We wouldn't be surprised if EA had plans to reveal EA Fitness later on in the year, either at the Liepzig Games Conference in Germany next month, or later on at the Tokyo Games Show in October. Either way, that would set the game up very nicely for a possible Christmas release.

7.17.2008

E3 2008: More Skate It Wii screenshots

Electronic Arts has today treated us with another new set of screensh ots for the Balance Board-compatible Skate It for the Nintendo Wii. More fancy stills of pro 'boarders pulling stunts in on the ruined streets of Sanvelona.

Click below to view the rest!

E3 2008: All Star Cheer Squad uses the Balance Board, y'know

All Star Cheer Squad is still amongst a select few games for the Nintendo Wii that will utilise the Wii Balance Board, and the fact that THQ has plastered "Compatible with the Wii Balance Board" on the front of the game's box, means that it wants everybody to know it.

As we know, All Star Cheer Squad gives players the chance to work their way up from the life as a rookie cheerleader, all the way up to becoming captain of a competition-winning team of pom-pom flailing girls.

THQ also reveals today that you'll be able to customise both your character and the rest of your squad, choosing the way their faces, hair, and outfits look.

All Star Cheer squad is currently scheduled for release in North America this Autumn, and already looks to be turning heads.

E3 2008: Punch-Out!! Wii a no show, but there's still hope

Sooo... despite NGamer 'confirming' that Punch-Out!! Wii would be unveiled at this week's E3 Media and Business Summit, it never did materialise. That said, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto did make mention of the possibility of it in a discussion with IGN about how it would be perfect with the new MotionPlus add-on for the Wii Remote:

The Wii remote itself is good at detecting larger movements, whereas the Wii MotionPlus is better at detecting more subtle movements. And so, by combining the two of those, the feeling is that it just opens up the palette of what can be done, in terms of motion control. And so that means there's a lot of possibility in terms of something, like a very accurate version of Punch-Out!! that goes beyond what Wii Sports Boxing can do, or even other ideas...

We're still fairly optimistic that Punch-Out!! Wii will be announced at some point in the future, complete with Wii Balance Board controls. It just makes sense!

E3 2008: Wii Music 2008 trailer

Nintendo has released the first official trailer for Wii Music on the Nintendo Wii at this year's E3 Media and Business Summit. While it's only the Balance Board controls of the drums we're interested in specifically, you'll see it appear more than a few times in the two minutes or so of footage. For details on how the Balance Board controls will work, click here:

7.16.2008

E3 2008: Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip trailer

Ubisoft has released a brand new trailer for Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip on the Nintendo Wii at this year's E3. It shows a group of people fighting for turns on the Balance Board controlled snowboarding sim, as Shawn's on-screen character is seen careering down the mountainside.

IGN had some hands on time with the game at E3 and were delighted with what they experienced:

"We got to try Shaun White Snowboarding's balance board controls for ourselves today and were impressed with how responsive they feel. Immediately, we were speeding down the slopes and pulling off tricks. Steering your board is intuitive -- just lean in the direction you wish to go... We weren't allowed to try the game without the balance board, but we have a feeling this is the more fun way to play, anyway.

E3 2008: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party trailer

Ubisoft has released a brand new trailer for Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, one that includes everything that we currently know about the title in action. There's surfing in space, Beestie Boarding, dancing, and that romp down a deserted track that a new piece of artwork hinted at earlier on. Beware of the wall!

E3 2008: Wii Music Balance Board drum kit failing to impress

Nintendo's Wii Music, unveiled yesterday at the company's E3 press conference, is getting quite a ribbing from the videogames press in first impressions. It's the Balance Board-compatible drum kit mode we're interested in, and that's not escaping a scathing either.

It wasn't so much the Balance Board intergration (players tap their left foot to use the trap set, and their right to hit the bass pedal), but the 'random' Wii Remote controls that spoil it all. IGN writes:

"Rather than dealing with hit recognition on each different drum position, however, it's all done with button modifiers. Hit Z or B and that hand will hit the toms. Hold down C or A and you'll nail the cymbal. Hold left or right on the analog stick or d-pad, and you'll hit the deeper toms, for a more bass-like tap. While more complex we couldn't help but wish Nintendo would just hold on to this one a while longer and add MotionPlus into the mix, as there's too much random button holds involved in playing the drums, and the actual concept of buttons equaling different hits totally defeats the original idea of Wii."

Definitely disappointing, so here's hoping with the help of Wii MotionPlus, we can look forward to something more promising soon.

Click here to see the Wii Music drum kit in action.

E3 08: Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip screens

Ubisoft has today released a handful of new screenshots for the newly re-named Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for the Nintendo Wii. The new stills are looking distinctly sharper than those we've seen before, and show Shaun taking part in a number of exhilerating snowboarding challenges - from half pipe and slalom to leaping off of mountain ridges.

Click below for the rest!