DSi gets it's first must own exclusive

The DSi has been out for about a month now and even with all its new bells and whistles it really is just a DS Lite with nicer screens and some cell phone cameras strapped on. But this post is not about the validity of the DSi but rather that it finally has an exclusive game that is a must own; Art Style Pictobits.
Art Style games started out as a Japan-only series of budget games for the Gameboy Advance with simple presentation and simple gameplay. They appeared in North America first on the WiiWare with Art Style Orbital, a port of one the Gameboy Advance games.
Art Style has kept the simple gameplay premise but moved on to become a series of download-only Wii and DSi games. The latest in the series is particularly special.
Art Style Pictobits is a colour matching puzzle game that uses the DSi touch screen with an 8-bit style.
The game works like this. You start with a cache of coloured blocks on the bottom screen. Coloured shapes will slowly fall from the top screen. If you match up 4 blocks of a like colour they will vanish. If you don't the falling shapes turn into blocks when they reach the bottom (or hit an obstructive block) and convert into more blocks to use to clear the level. As you clear the falling shapes the blocks you clear are sent to the top screen and converted into pixles that colour in an 8 bit Nintendo sprite on the top screen from a calssic NES game (Super Mario Bros., Ice Climbers, etc.).
If you get a chain going it gives you multipliers that helps fill in the image on the top screen.
The game seems pretty simple, but later in the game the falling shapes can fill the entire screen and leave you scrambling to match the colours as they fall, keeping your stylus busy.
The game has 15 levels in the standard mode, but since there is a "dark" version of each level(a totally new level that is super hard) unlocked with coins you earn from playing; that comes out to 30 levels to master. Also taking into account the game will really push you to just clear the standard 15 levels, making this one of the toughest puzzle games I've played in some time.
the real stand-out part of the game for me was the audio/visual presentation that was truly outstanding. All the menues and levels are heavily influenced by 8-bit games. The levels have stylish background built around the game the level is themed after. Even more impressive is the music. All the music is made up of Classic NES game remixes. However, unlike the remixes in something like Tetris DS where they had modernized beats, all the music is completely chiptunes. If you dig the retro style this game is for you. Hint: wear headphones while you play.
Simply put this is the reason to have a DSi. And at only $5 there is no reason not to download this gem right now. For those of you still holding on to your free Nintendo points you got with your DSi, this is the place to put them.
Not just the best game on the DSiWare line-up, the best puzzle game on the DS, period.

nintendo's mistake; Punch Out!! Vs. UFC

Punch Out!! was one of my personal most anticipated Wii games this year, but it looks like Nintendo may have dropped the ball in releasing it on May 19, as that was the same day THQ's UFC Undisputed dropped on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
While the games are world apart; one is a realistic fighter/Sim and the other is a timing based rhythmic arcade/action game (I'll let you figure out which is which), the fact is that Punch Out!! is bound to be completely overshadowed by UFC this week.
Speaking from personal experience as an EB Games employee, I can say that on day 1 UFC outsold Punch Out!! approximately 10:1 (at our one location). A sad turn of events since it is my opinion that Punch Out!! is one of the best games released this generation.
I doubt that UFC will hurt Punch Out!! overall, but I think Nintendo's decision to launch this week and not next will mean slower sales out of the gate.

Square-Enix and Intellegent Systems teams up for DSiWare

Pretty much anyone who knows anything about the video game industry is familiar with with RPG Juggernaut Square-Enix (of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy fame). If you own a Nintendo console or hand held you should also know Intelligent Systems by now because there is a good chance you already bought at least one of their games. If you've played Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, Wario Ware, Paper Mario or Puzzle League (aka: Tetris Attack) you have Intelligent Systems to thank.
Well today Square-Enix announced a new game being co-developed with Intelligent Systems exclusively as a DSiWare title in Japan this winter; Dragon Quest Wars.
Not much is know about the game other than it will be a board game style tactics game where players will pit iconic monsters of the Dragon Quest universe against one another. Word has it there will also be online play via Nintendo's Wifi Connection.
The game will cost 500 Nintendo points, but there is no word yet on if the game will be available for download outside of Japan. Taking into account Dragon Quest's growing popularity outside Japan in recent years and that it's being developed by Nintendo's own Intelligent Systems I see little chance of it not coming to the West... eventually.

DSi Almost upon the English World

Nintendo has committed a release date for the DSi in North America, Europe and Australia this spring but there are still holes and unrest in the future of the unit.

As announced last Wednesday by Nintendo, the new DS update will become available outside Japan in the first week of April with Europe being the first region outside Asia to get the unit on April 3 and America being the last to have it released on April 5.

For those not in the know, the Nintendo DSi looks, essentially like a DS lite, only with two camera lenses (one inside the unit next to the microphone and another on the top the outer shell). Inside the unit has done away with the GBA port, allowing the unit to be slimmed down slightly, the screens are slightly larger (but display the same resolution), and has modestly upgraded guts with a more powerful CPU and about twice the RAM as well as more up to date wireless technology. In addition to this the system also features built-in memory that can be used to store the photos taken with the cameras, AAC music files for audio playback and even store downloadable content, in the form of DSiWare stand alone games, similar to the Wii’s Wii Ware or Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade.

In North America the unit will be getting its own unique colour. Alongside the standard black DSi available since last November in Japan, the United States and Canada will also get a unique (and gaudy) cotton-candy blue unit. Surprising since this means doing away with the white unit that would have been a match with the current Wii model. This almost implies Nintendo is looking to get away from the (seemingly) Apple computers inspired clean white look of the original DS and Wii. After all not too long ago Nintendo discontinued the white DS lite unit in North America in favour of the new silver unit.

The new colour has been met with mixed reactions (mostly negative) but I, for one, embrace it. Sure it’s not the cobalt I was hoping for, but it’s certainly different and since I’m sure most people will flock to the standard black unit, it will certainly stand out in a crowd.

Another thing that seems missing at the moment is that the DSi will apparently not feature any DSiWare content at launch in English-speaking regions. This implies one of two things; either there simply isn’t any English DSiware ready yet or Nintendo of America is taking the safe route and not immediately supporting the download service until they know there is a sizable audience for it. Considering that a number of people are waiting on solid DSiWare support as a deciding factor in whether they upgrade to the DSi or not, this could become a catch-22. Nintendo won’t support DSiWare because nobody will buy the DSi but people won’t want to buy the DSi until DSiWare is better supported.

That or maybe Nintendo is just holding off on the DSiWare announcement until closer to the DSi release date. There is still a good 5 weeks or so before the unit hits store shelves so maybe they will try to reignite the hype fires a little close to the shelf date with news on some solid DSiWare releases then. A boy can dream.

One last interesting bit of info. While Game Stop stores in the United states opened pre-orders for the unit the day after Nintendo announced the release date the Canadian affiliates, EB Games, have yet to begin to take orders, at least in the Greater Toronto Area.

More ports on the way from Square-Enix

Can't stop living in the past? Good news, Squenix's got you covered with a new port announced by ign.com today.
This time it is a 3D-o-fied remake of the Game Boy's Final fantasy Legends II (which was actually part of the SaGa series in Japan) to be released on the Nintendo DS sometime this year in Japan. According to Famitsu, the game will be remade in full 3D (ala: Final Fantasy III & IV on the DS) and may or may not be cel-shaded. Also there will (obviously) be major updated made to game core game system.
More on that when details are available.

Rumor: DSi In April

Nintendo's DS upgrade, the DSi, may be released sooner than expected.
According to a report by ign.com yesterday "numerous sources" have unofficially confirmed that the DSi will be released in North America on April 4. The unit will retail at $179.99, significantly more expensive than the current DS Lite model, which currently retails for $139.99.
The DSi is a slimmed down DS unit with no Game Boy Advance slot, two built-in camera's, music play-back and improved internet connectivity for a new game and application download service called DSi Ware.

New 360 firmware to feature game installs

The Xbox 360 has always had its share of hardware problems. One of which was that the system runs louder and has longer load times than the competing Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. With Microsofts new firmware they plan on ending that with the ability to install, much like most Playstation 3 games.

How does this benefit players? When running a game off the hard drive the system doesn't have to work as hard and there's no need to run the laser to read the disc, which means the system runs nearly silent, according to early play tests. However, games will also need to take up a lot more space on the hard drive (Fable 2 takes up more than 6GB) which may account for Microsoft upping the standard hard drive on the Pro model 360 to 60 GB (from 20). Needless to say, to take full advantage of the new feature players may want to invest in the Elite model 360 with it's 120GB Hard drive.

Just like the Playstation 3, even after installing a game on the 360 players will still need the game disc to run the game.

Since the system will be less strained and run cooler when playing an installed game, it's very likely that installing games could solve the 360 overheating (red ring of death) problem. The problem was ramped in 2005 when the 360 launched, and has since been stabilized with the new "falcon chipset" that allows the system to run cooler. Now with the game installs it may be possible to completely remove all risk.

However, unlike the Playstation 3, players will not be forced to install games to play them. If you want to save space on the hard drive or if you play on an arcade model and don't want to invest the extra money into an Xbox hard drive you can continue to play the old way.