Big N Radio

Live Metroid Prime 3 Corruption Feed

2007-08-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

Big N Radio - Ep. 11!

2006-10-05T16:43:00.000-04:00

Be sure to listen to this episode for a complete breakdown on everything that was announced over the 14th and 15th of September at the Wii events. Hear our very insightful commets pertaining to the price and release date, as well as everything else. Episode 11 features A-Zar, ill_masta, and KZero. Head over to the Big N Radio Podcast site or iTunes and listen today!

Big N Radio - Episode 10!

2006-10-02T08:45:00.000-04:00

Big N Radio Ep. 10 has been up for about a week now, but I haven't been able to post here for some weird reason. Be sure to download it on iTunes or go to the Big N Radio Podcast site by clicking the link on the right sidebar. Episode 10 contains all of the info leading up to the September 14th Wii event.

Episode 11 should be up later today or tomorrow at the latest. This episode will include everyhing of importance from the NYC Wii event on the 14th, as well as the info from the Japan and London Wii events.

Amazing Super Mario Theme

2006-09-20T06:14:00.000-04:00

This guy manages to play two guitars at once and its the best fan theme I've ever heard.

Watch the American Wii Event

2006-09-16T08:57:00.000-04:00

Link

Japan and Europe Wii Launch

2006-09-16T08:46:00.000-04:00

Japan will get the Wii on December 2nd for 25,000 yen. They will not see a pack in of Wii Sports, but they will be able to download the Wii Opera Browser for free until June.

Click here for more Wii interface footage!

And click here for even more!

The UK and Europe will get Wii on December 8th for £179 and 249 Euros respectuvely. Wii Sports will be packed in at launch.

Nintendo American Event Information

2006-09-14T11:49:00.000-04:00

Almost every question that we had about the Wii and it's launch state-side were revealed by NOA President, Reggie Fils-Aime last Thursday. The press conference confirmed what was already believed to be true by The New York Times earlier today. Wii will launch for $249.99 on November 19th, and only in white. It will come with Wii Sports, which boasts 5 games: baseball, golf, tennis, boxing, and bowling.

At the event on Thursday, Perrin Kaplin, NOA's Vice President of Marketing and Affairs, stated that the Wii system will not be region locked, and that all Nintendo first party games will be region free. However, at the Londin event the next day,
Nintendo UK's General Manager, David Yarnton, stated that the Wii WILL be region locked.

First Party games were confirmed to cost $49.99, and third paries may charge whatever they want. The Wii remote will cost $39.99 and the nunchuck will cost $19.99. There has been no mention of a bundle for the U.S yet. The Classic Controller will cost $19.999 as well.

Something new that we learned at the event was the announcement of Wii channels. There will be separate channels on the Wii when you start the system up. For example, games will be played on the disk channel and other channels will be included, such as an image channel, a Mii channel, the Virtual Console channel and a news/weather channel. The Opera Browser will be downloaded for a price in America, but Japan will get it for free until June. The Mii channel is the place where you can customize your avatar to look like you so that you can see yourself in all of the Wii Sports titles, Wario Ware, Wii play, and, "other Wii software compatable with the Mii channel." You choose from shape of the head, to type of eyes, hair color, etc. For the picture channel, you just load some pictures to the Wii through an SD card, and you can make them into puzzles, add effects, and play around with them. You can also play videos off of your SD card through Wii Photo. The weather channel will offer accurate weather forecasts throughout the day. Forget CBS and Fox, just turn on your Wii. The front flap on the Wii is where you load your SD card.

One of the coolest things about the conference was when Nintendo announced during the Mii demonstration that you can place your, "Mii's" on your Wii remote so that when you go to someone else's house with it, you'll have your Mii's right there. You can then transfer your Mii's to your friend's condole and it'll be there whenever you want.

Wii interface movie video of Mii and picture channels.

Another Wii Photo Video

Virtual Console games will cost $5 for NES games, $8 for SNES games, and $10 for N64 games. On launch day, you will be able to download Zelda, Mario, and Donkey Kong games. 10 new games will be available for purchase every month and by the end of the year, 30 games will be available. Different VC games that you have downloaded may be set to certain channels on Wii as shortcuts. Once you download the game, it will be available for rver. Nintendo will sell VC cards, similar to Xbox Live Points cards, as a form of payment.

Also announced at the event was that Metroid Prime 3 is now a 2007 game, but it was playable at the event with a revamped control scheme. There are plenty of new videos available to view as well, so check them out here.

Be sure to watch the latest videos of Wii Sports to check out Bowling and Boxing.

Wii've got a release date and a price!

2006-09-14T06:13:00.000-04:00

***ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WAS CONFIRMED BY REGGIE TODAY***

The New York Times has revealed a release date and price of the Wii. November 19th for North and South America and it will retail at $250. The system will come packaged with one Wii, one Wii remote, one nunchuck, one AC-Adapter, an audio'visual cable, a sensor bar, a Wii standard stand, 2 batteries, and, just as I had predicted, Wii Sports. Wii Sports includes, baseball, golf, tennis, bowling, and boxing.

Japan will be getting the Wii on December 2nd, for 25,000 yen, which is a little bit cheaper.

More secrets were revealed as well, in regards to the interface and what software is built into the system. A image channel called, "Mii" is available, as well as the Opera Browser, and a news and weather channel. The Virtual Console dowloads will cost between $5-10, which isn't too bad. Seperately, the Wii-Remote costs $40, the nunchuck costs $20, and a Virtual Console Controller costs $20. First-party games will cost $50.

This information was posted in the New York Times, before Nintendo could announce anything in the American event, so stay tuned for tons of updates about the American event once it takes place.

Also check IGN and for more details, click these links:

-http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732669p1.html

-Japanese Wii Site Pictures/Videos

Japanese Wii Event is Starting Now!

2006-09-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

Well, the greatest 2 days in recent Nintendo history have finally arrived. The Wii event in Japan is starting right now. IGN isn't offering live updates right now, so live info that is accurate is difficult to come by right now. Let's hope that this event is the mother of all Wii events!! We need to see:

-rlease date
-price
-region free?
-interface
-virtual console info
-price of games
-colors of console
-Online info
-WiiConnect24 info
-launch titles
-packaging info
-final secrets!!!

Another Wii Event

2006-09-04T08:40:00.000-04:00

Well September is definately the month for Wii. On the 14th there will be a U.S. event, and the next day there will be a European event. Now, we know for sure that also on the 14th there is going to be a Japanese event. IGN has confirmed the rumor, and has said that the Wii will be playable and that many insiders are stating that release sate and price info are very likely.

At this point, since Nintendo said release date and price by September, it is very likely that we will hear release date/price info at one of the events, if not all of them. Right now I'm thinking that all of the release dates will be announced at each event, specific to the region it is going on in.

Less than two weeks to go!

Big Wii Events

2006-09-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

Most of you are aware of the U.S. Wii event that is scheduled for September 14th. Reggie will be speaking and many people ae hoping to hear big announcements, such as the price, release date, and other system info.

Another event has been announced in Europe the day after. On September 15th, a Wii event will be held in London. A NOE rep has stated that, “Wii will be playable. Nintendo will be announcing new software at the event and there will be new announcements regarding the Wii console itself. The reports (of a delay) are entirely rumour and speculation. I can confirm that the Wii is very much on course for a Q4 release, as Nintendo originally stated.”

Finally, this is what we have been waiting for. And it's only 2 weeks away.

Check Out the Big N Radio Forums!

2006-08-27T15:01:00.000-04:00

As a new way for all of our listeners and readers to communicate about Nintendo, gaming, and the podcast, we decided to make a Big N Radio forum! There are several interesting discussions about the Wii, DS, and Classic systems, as well as Big N Radio Discussions!

You can find the forum right here. All you have to do is choose a username and register.

In the future when you want to visit the forums you can just click the link in the bar on the right. Hope to hear from you all soon and Happy Posting!

Big N Radio - Ep. 9

2006-08-26T23:50:00.000-04:00

In this packed episode, A-Zar and ill_masta are blessed with the return of Coop via skype. We discuss some major announcements about the Wii, including the Leipzig Game Conference, which took place on the 23rd. We take an in-depth look at a very revealing interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in Nintendo Dream Magazine, discuss some more Wii games, and talk about recent rumors and comments made by some pretty important people. For DS, we discuss recent announcmennts, such as the arrival of 2 new colors of the lite, and the many new games on the horizon. Tons of DS games are launching just around around the corner, such as the new, and somewhat strange RPG from Atlus entitled, Contact. To finish up, we include an interview with someone that Nintendo is trying to target in it's new marketing strategy; a casual gamer named Cheeks. Join us, and listen as we discuss the latest developments and conferences from Nintendo, as well as a few secrets! Keep it here for the latest news, info, release dates, and announcements, and for all Nintendo, all the time!

Feed issues are coming to an end

2006-08-26T15:35:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I'd like to thank you for your patience as we switch sources.

The worst seems to be over and I have finally got our podcast feed working reliably. For those of you who have had to download our episode multiple times... I apologize.

The new feed, in a nontechnical manner,
-Puts us in control
-Gives us more flexibility
-Allows us to modify descriptions.

However,
-It is slower than the other feed (can't help that)
-No longer contains reviews (please help us with that!)

Thanks for your patience! As we mentioned before, Episode 9 was recorded last night and we welcome your feedback.

We want feedback!

2006-08-26T09:31:00.001-04:00

Hey guys, we recorded Episode 9 last night, and since Episode 10 is approaching, we are looking for some feedback. We really want to know how you, the listeners/readers feel about the podcast, as well as the site. We want to know what you like about what we have done, as well as what you dislike. All of your comments are appreciated, and if you make a suggestion that we use, you will recieve full credit for it. You can contact us pretty easily via email, AIM, or even skype! We also have a Big N Radio forum in the works!

-Want to say something to all of us? Then you can email us at: bignradio@gmail.com

-Want to say something to only one of us?

A-Zar Contact Info:
Email: AZar27@gmail.com
AIM: AZar027

That's me 20 feet up!(No joke) ^

Ill_Masta Contact Info:
Email: theillmasta@gmail.com

That's the Ill_Masta. ^

I just wanted to note that our host troubles seem to be over for now, and you should able to get Ep-8 pretty easily now, with Ep-9 on the way soon!

New DS lite colors in America!!!

2006-08-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

Finally, after months of waiting, the U.S. will be getting a black and pink DS lite on September 13th of this year. The official names of the 2 new systems are "Onyx" and "Coral Pink." I was hoping for Noble Pink, but I guess I'll live...

Something to be Excited for?

2006-08-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

September 14th. Mark that day down. It's the next date of a Nintendo Event. Here's a picture of an invitation to a Nintendo Event. Some parts of it are blurred out on purpose, so maybe it offers some good details that the public does not know yet. Could it be a Wii launch party?(Sarcasm)

Nintendo at LGC - "Wii Prove Our Promise"

2006-08-23T07:31:00.000-04:00

Well I for one could not wait for LGC. I thought that the launch of the Wii was right around the corner, so Nintendo would have to give some pretty big details. Plus, Nintendo said the price and date of the system would be announced bySeptember, so what's the difference if it's about 2 weeks early? I was expecting a lot from LGC. Unfortunately, we learned almost nothing new, and for what we did learn, honestly, I really do not care.

The conference started out with a lot of DS talk. All of it was old news for us. Very old news. For example, Phoenix Wright will be launching soon in Germany. One good thing was mentioned, however, even though it doesn't really affect us. A pink, scratch that, "Noble Pink" DS lite will be launching in Europe on October 27th. There have been rumors lately about a black and pink DS lite launching here soon, so maybe we'll be seeing those around the same time.

After DS, they moved onto the Wii. They showed some old videos, as well as a new one that shows people playing Wii while jamming to hip hop music. Confusing, yes. Next, Bernd Fakesch, General Manager of Nintendo Germany who was doing the conference, introduced Super Mario Strikers: Charged. This is the sequel to Super Mario Strikers and it will be a Wii exclusive. Apparently, sports are all the rage right now, but only if Mario is in the game. For example, Mario Hoops, Mario Strikers: Charged, and now Mario Smash Football for Wii. Personally, if I want to play football, I'd either play a real game or if I wanted to play a video game of it I'd play Madden. Soccer I don't really care for either way, so neither one of these two titles for Wii appeal to me.

Mario Strikers: Charged Info

* Gameplay: Use the skill the Wii Remote and Nunchuk Controller provide to win the ball, score unstoppable goals and take control of the goal keeper to perform spectacular saves
* Characters: Mario is joined by other famous Nintendo characters who take on the role of captain. Players then select a host of popular teammates to make up the rest of the team.
* How to progress through the game: Players form an original team by combining one of 12 captains with three of eight sidekicks before competing in one of the games many modes. Anything goes in Mario Strikers Charged as players are allowed to utilize a variety of special abilities to clinch important goals.
* Super abilities/power ups/moves/features: Each captain has their own set of skills, super abilities as well as the ability to perform special shots called Mega Strikes, where the iron ball splits up to five balls and flies at the goal. The defending player must use the Wii Remote to target and aim at and shoot these balls out of the air before they concede a goal. In this game players can also charge energy to the metal ball, making it more likely to find its target when fired at goal.
* Stadiums: Each of the stadiums in Mario Strikers Charged have various characteristics and contraptions, which influence game play. Players must learn to use this to their advantage to truly dominate the pitch.
* Multiplayer: Mario Strikers Charged will not only feature an action packed multiplayer mode but will also support the Nintendo WiFi connection service, allowing players to take part in tournaments with people from all around the world.

Battalion Wars on GC was supposed to be pretty good, however, I never played it so I can't really say anything about it. The sequal was announced for Wii, and it will be abbreviated as, "BWii."

Battalion Wars Wii Info

-BWii - Battalion Wars 2
-Tricked into believing that the Solar Empire is developing a devastating super-weapon, Commander Pierce and Colonel Windsor of the Anglo Isles launch a pre-emptive strike on the Coral Atolls. The world is once again at war.
-Drive tanks, command ships, pilot planes and direct your troops into the heart of the action in the return of the popular tactical action game for Wii.
-3 Online Multiplayer ModesAssault: Instant CombatSkirmish: Tactical depthCo-op: Work with friends
-3 Theatres of WarCombine land, sea and air combat
-5 New Naval UnitsBattleship, Frigate, Submarine, Dreadnought, Transport
-6 Different Races, 5 Different EnvironmentsWith new vehicles for each side
-Wii-ControllerProvides intuitive, all-action gameplay
-Greater tactical depthCapture facility buildings to re-spawn units (HQ, Barracks, Factories, Airfield, Docks)Use Map Screen Commanding to order from afar
-Bigger and Better20+ single player missions AND 15+ mp missionsIncreased replay value

So, all in all, LGC was very dissapointing; at least Nintendo's conference was. Let's hope that the third party developers give some new details and that we're not going to be forced to wait for months for new info. One thing that keeps getting me nervus is whenever a Nintendo rep says, "When the Wii launches later this year..." Later this year makes me think of late November or December and after all the talk of an early Wii launch in October/first week of November, I wouldn't be able to handle another 3-4 month wait. I want to play Red Steel, Corruption, and TP now.

I'm not sure where Nintendo "Proved their Promise." Maybe it was when the 7-year-old girl came onstage to try Wii Sports Tennis to try to show that anyone could play Wii, and then she kept missing the ball. Or maybe it was when they asked the girl if she had a DS and she responded, "No." It's also possible that it was when the person onstage said, "Where am I? Am I winning? I don't know where I am." Sounds right to me.

Wii for $170?

2006-08-22T08:46:00.000-04:00

Last week, Nikko Citigroup of Tokyo said that the Wii would retail in Japan for what is $170 stateside. With all the guessing at what the price will be, I didn't think much of this story when I saw it, therefore, it was not posted. Now, however, David Gardner, executive VP and COO of EA's worldwide studios, said, "I've heard in Japan that the price is about $170, but I don't know if the price has been set in Europe yet." When a pretty big guy at EA comments on the price of the Wii I pay attention. Gardner also said, "Nintendo has come up with a very clever strategy. They've made a choice which is great for the consumer. Now we're going to have a choice whereby consumers can buy a Wii plus one other console." Sounds like he's trying to say, "Xbox Wii-60 might be cheaper than a PS3!!" So I helped him out.

If the price in Japan equals about $170 that would be amazing. I can't see the price actually being $170 here though because that's a pretty random number when it comes to price. Maybe it will sell for $179.99, but it will most likely be around $199.99. Just remember that out DS lite is cheaper than theirs, so if the Wii is a little more expensive here, that's alright with me.

Parts from Miyamoto Interview with Nintendo Dream Magazine

2006-08-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

Nindori: 10 years of Famicom and Super Famicom. 10 years of N64 and GC. And now another ten years is starting with Wii?

Miyamoto: Yes, we’re starting from here.

N: Looking at the titles you’ve announced so far, it already seems like you’ll be releasing games at a faster pace than the N64 and GC.

M: That’s because the machine is based on GC. Dev tools are of course being upgraded, but GC code will basically run as is. Because of that, I’m also thinking I can remake some of my GC games for Wii, making use of the Wiimote.

N: So you think games will experience a rebirth thanks to the Wiimote…

M: Yes. Of course you can wander into a second hand shop and buy a lot of these games still, so I don’t think we can release these Wiimakes at full price. Since a lot of the development cost has already been accounted for, we’ll be able to release these at a much more affordable price. And if others also take advantage of this and release Wiimakes, there’s a high possibility of a lot of software from third parties also.

N: So, there’s a possibility of Nintendo doing this?

M: Yes, I strongly believe there is. For this reason, the next Zelda will be released for both Wii and GC simultaneously. It’s quite an interesting experiment.

N: Ah, I see.

M: Also, when we were working on it, some of the staff were saying “Since the Wii has more power than the GC, let’s polish the graphics up a bit too”, but Zelda’s fans aren’t expecting polish, they’re expecting a fun and exciting game, so I said it is better if we make it fun both on Wii and GC. And recently it’s been established that “Wii is not a machine that tries to deliver next-gen graphics”. Of course, since there are still games that demand high quality graphics, there will be separate paths of development depending on the software.

Twilight Princess controls changed for Wii!

2006-08-22T08:03:00.000-04:00

In the same interview with Nintendo Dream Magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that the controls for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on Wii have been dramatically changed. At E3, we saw that the sword was controlled by pressing the B button, and the bow and arrow was fired with the D-pad. Many people were surprised and slightly dissapointed that the sword was not controlled as it is in other games, by swinging the Wii controller. Nintendo gave the reason that the player would become too tired from swinging the Wii controller as a sword, a point that everyone keeps making, and one that I fail to understand.

Now, it seems that the sword will in fact be controlled by swinging the Wii controller. The B button, now that it is free, was changed to control firing the bow and arrow. As far as we know, the parrying moves, downward thrusts, and backwards dodges are all still controlled by moving the Nunchuk forward, downward, and backward respectively, as it was at E3.

In regards to playing the game by swinging the Wii-mote as a sword, Miyamoto says, "Upon actually playing it, it's more interesting this way."

GameCube remakes on Wii!

2006-08-22T07:47:00.000-04:00

While speaking to Nintendo Dream Magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed some new details about games on the Wii. It seems that some GC games will be remade on Wii, and they will take full advantage of the Wii controller.

"The machine is based on GC," said Miyamoto. "We'll be upgrading the development tools, but GameCube code can be used for the most part as is. In that sense, I believe that it would be good to remake GameCube games for Wii, and that some titles would become better with the change to the Wii remote controller."

GC to Wii remakes will be sold at a very low price, much lower than retail price of GC games now. Miyamoto even hopes that third party developers will make new games for the Cube while using the Wii controller. "Even now," continued Miyamoto, " GameCube titles are sold at used shops, so we don't feel we could sell them for full price. However, development costs have been taken care of, so we could probably sell them at a more accessible price. If we make it so that such GC to Wii remakes can be produced quickly, it's possible that many titles will also be released from third parties."

The first game that was remade on Wii from GC was Zelda: Twilight Princess. The only thing changed about Zelda in the transition from GC to Wii were the controls. Developers of the game felt that the Wii version of Zelda should have more polished graphics than the original GC version, however Miyamoto, who knows that the Wii is certainly capable of kicking up the graphics, disagreed.

"At one point," he explained, "even members of our staff said 'the Wii is more powerful than the GC, so we'd like to polish the graphics.' However, Zelda players don't look forward to this polish, they look forward to an enjoyable game."

Miyamoto did state that not all titles will have the same graphics in their Wii versions, and that games that demand strong visuals will have to be made accordingly.

No new remake titles were announced at this time, but I think it is a given that we will see both Metroid Primes sometime soon. Metroid Prime Trilogy Box Set for Wii anyone?

Problems Galore

2006-08-19T21:50:00.000-04:00

We are having so many hosting problems right now that I think I may have to change the name of the podcast to Super Sony Radio. Coop, who is by FAR the most technical member of the crew, has been working for literally hours today trying to find a host that is both functional, and suits our needs. We were forced to switch from the Apple hosting due to KZero's lack of intelligence/laziness/unwillingness of being in the podcast/etc. and now everything is difficult. We've switched between several hosts right now, and at the moment we are still looking for one that we can use. We think that we have a host that will work, but there were several others that we thought would work as well, so who knows...

I'll post as soon as we know for sure that we have a host and that everything is alright. Sorry for all of the inconveniance, but Coop is doing everything he can, plus a little more to try and straighten this out.

Episode 8 is finally up! And the new podcast source...

2006-08-18T19:51:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, Coop here with some good news- Episode 8 is finally up!

Due to some issues with our old podcast hosting, we had to switch sources of the feed.

What does this mean for you? You'll need to resubscribe in your podcast client:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/BigNRadioPodcast

If you use iTunes, open the link here:
Big N Radio iTunes link

Why did we move? With KZero out of the picture ("doesn't want to do it anymore"), we needed to be in greater control of our podcasting. So, we made a new source. We realize that it is an inconvenience to our listeners, but the new source should allow us to update more easily and conveniently.

Enjoy!

LGC is almost here...

2006-08-13T08:42:00.000-04:00

LGC isn't too far away now, but as we get closer to the 23rd, the more I can't wait! We already know that Nintendo has a conference entitled, "Wii keep our promise" as well as another conference together with EA.We have also just learned that the Wii will be playable at the event, but only for members of the press, as they need to get a chance to go hands on with the new generation console. The members of the IGN Nintendo teams are also saying that there will be many new secrets revealed at LGC. Game journalists and members of the press recieved an invitation to the event recently, and it seems to include some kind of agenda, or a list of things to expect from the conference. They read:

8/23/06 Games Convention / Messe Leipzig
10:15, Nintendo Booth, Hall 5, F01
Be there when a new chapter is turned in the history of gaming. Dive into the world of Wii and make yourself a picture of the animated future of gaming.
Games that will touch generations.
Wii and where?
At the press show of the Games Convention, to which we hereby invite you cordially.

Link

IGN Wii Podcast reveals new secrets

2006-08-13T08:31:00.000-04:00

IGN posted a podast yesterday done by both Matt Cassamassina and Mark Bozon. The podcast discusses many things about Ubisoft and THQ, and the launch games for Wii from thse companies. They also reveal some new secrets about some of the games for Wii, as well as a couple of dissapointing details. The podcast is only about a half hour long and it is worth a listen.

Notable Details from the Podcast:

- Metroid Prime 3 may be delayed!
- Games that were thought to be coming out on other systems will in fact be made for the Wii (Matt sounded very sure of this statement and also sounded as if he wasn't trying to give away too much information. He must know more about this, but is unable to say anything at this time) - Lucas Arts will be making a Star Wars light saber game for Wii
- LGC will be very interesting

Direct Link to the Podcast

Phoenix Wright 2 for DS dated in Japan

2006-08-13T08:22:00.000-04:00

The second Phoenix Wright game for the DS will be coming out in Japan on October 26th of this year. Hopefully this means that the game will be coming out very soon over here. The first game was great and has been completely sold out in stores for the last couple of months. Re-releases of the game sold out almost immediately too, so people who were not able to pick up the first one will be able to check out the sequel. Let's hope that Capcom learned from all the sell-outs that the U.S. fans love the series and that there had better be enough copies of the game this time around!

Wii Release Date Rumors and More

2006-08-10T22:32:00.000-04:00

IGN posted an article that dicusses some more rumors about the Wii launch date based on info from "insiders." The price, launch colors, and other specs are mentioned and most of them seem very likely. The article is worth reading and you can find it by clicking right here.

Big N Radio - Ep. 8 is Up!

2006-07-31T22:54:00.000-04:00

You'll find a ton of news in this episode of Big N Radio, including breaking stories about the future of E3, DS game release date info, upcoming Japanese releases, bit Generation game talk, the DS headset, info about Animal Crossing at Toys R Us, and a few more surprises. We also pack in talk about the famous "N64 kid" selling his N64 on ebay, and a strange countdown we found. Best of all, we discuss the Wii and a couple of more official announcements, as well as a few rumors. We speculate as to what Nintendo will announce at the upcoming LGC event on August 23rd. To finish things up, we call in guest, Dan's Mom, to review Big Brain Academy; the latest entry into the rapidly expanding touch generation series. Make sure you tune in to Big N Radio - Ep.8 with A-Zar, ill_masta, Scopidisca, and Dan's Mom!

*Update - 8/4*
Unfortunately, we are experiencing many difficult problems when it comes to editing and submitting our finished episodes. Whenever we believe that we have found a solution, a new problem arises, more difficult to handle than the last. We currently have not yet submitted episodes 7 or 8, due to editing problems as well as RSS feed troubles that we are encountering. It is very frustrating for us to not be able to submit what we have worked so very hard on, until sometimes, weeks after they are completed. Ill_Masta and mysef are giving our best effort to solve these problems, and for the last couple of nights we have been working very late to ensure our listeners' satisfaction. We believe that we have almost solved our most challenging problems, and that we will be moving forward from now on. We are very sorry for not being able to give you our latest episodes on time, but we are working very hard and we appreciate all of your support. Hopefully episodes 7 and 8 will be available in a matter of days.

The Fate of E3?

2006-07-31T21:40:00.000-04:00

Many people are discussing the possibility that E3 will be cancelled from now on or that it will radically shrink. It is almost definate right now that E3 will be much smaller and that it will be held at a place smaller than the Los Angeles Convention Center. Developers have to shell out he big bucks when E3 rolls around every May, and they are tired of spending millions on developing E3 demos and booths. They figure that they will be overshadowed by the Big 3(Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony) and that not many people will be interested in what they have to show.

Not too much of what is being said is confirmed, and now sites are reporting that E3 will definately see a drop in size, but it will still one of the biggest events of the year, and instead of taking place in May, it will be held in July.

*Update*

The ESA has now confirmed that E3 will be a more intimate event and will focus on press events and small meetings. ESA president Doug Lowenstein has now confirmed that the event has been moved to July, renamed, and severely reduced in size. Lowenstein expects around 5,000 people to be in attendance next year. That is a major reduction from this years 60,000 attendees.

More information will be posted as it is confirmed. For now, check out these links:

The latest from IGN.

Gamespot

Gamespot Update

Nintendo at LGC

2006-07-31T21:27:00.000-04:00

Nintendo will make an appearance at the Leipzig Game Conference(LGC) on August 23rd. They have reserved an hour to make a presentation entitled, "Wii keep our promise." Nintendo has stated that they will anounce the release date and price of the Wii by September or in September. Since LGC is just before September, it seems likely that Nintendo will make some sort of announcement in regards to the price/launch date of the console. Since the presentation was given the name, "Wii keep our promise," many people believe that the Big N will finally release the last couple of secrets about the Wii and the one big secret that they have been keeping for so long.

The official Nintendo magazine of France recently confirmed that Nintendo will be announcing 5 new games at LGC for the Wii. It is not yet known if the games are first party or third party.

Possible topics:
-Wii online
-New Games
-New functions of the Wiimote/Console
-Price
-Launch Date
-Small details

DS Headset

2006-07-31T21:18:00.000-04:00

On September 14, a headset will be available in Japan for what is close to the U.S. price of $9. This will most likely be used in the upcoming Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games which are coming out on September 28th in Japan.

R.I.P. PSP!

2006-07-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

I found a great article which takes an unbiased look at the PSP and why it's finished.

Their main points:
-It's expensive to develop games for the PSP.
-Load time is slow.
-No good games.
-UMD is dead.
-It's pricey.

Chek it out here:
http://www.gwn.com/articles/article.php/id/747/

12 New Games for Japan that Are not Really Games

2006-07-18T07:40:00.000-04:00

A new update over at IGN shows that Japan is getting 12 new simple games that are similar to Brain Age in that they are not really games. Most likely almost none of them will ever come to America. Click the link below to see what they are all about and read they're excesively long names!

12 New Japan Only "Games"

"Raw Potential"

2006-07-17T15:38:00.000-04:00

See how Sony fans feel.

Wii-mote details

2006-07-17T07:49:00.000-04:00

IGN posted an article that names some new specifics about the wii-mote. They aquired their information from official Nintendo documentation. The article explains that the Wii controller will run on 2 AA batteries and the batteries will last from 30 - 60 hours, depending on which controllers you are using. The 4 LED lights at the bott0m of the controller will serve a second purpose. In addition to saying if you are player 1, 2, 3, or 4, when you first turn the system on the lights will turn on depending on how much batttery power is left. 4 lights will turn on if there is between 75-100% power, 3 lights when there is between 50-75% power, 2 lights when there is between 25-50% power, and 1 light when there is less than 25% power. The button underneath the front flap pf the Wii was said to be used when you want to connect a controller to the system. This can be done by first, pressing the button on the system, and then pressing either the 1 and 2 buttons on the Wii-mote, or a button located in the battery pack. New details about the sensor bar were posted in the article, stating that the bar must be placed either above or below the TV and that there are 2 sensors: one on each side of the bar. The sensor bar is approximately 20 cm. in length.

Check out the full article here.

Smashing things is good - especially Nintendo things!

2006-07-16T23:30:00.000-04:00

Witness the high quality of Nintendo products:

Can the Cube go the Distance?

DS lite Strength Test

Animal Crossing Anime Movie

2006-07-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

Japan will be getting an Animal Crossing movie done in anime style sometime in December. It will tell a tale of a youth moving into a new town all by his lonesome, and as the movie plays out, he will grow just as Tom Nook's store does. Can't wait to download this one!

DS headset

2006-07-16T23:23:00.000-04:00

Japanese retailers have revealed that a DS headset is on the way and will be compatible in wifi games that use voice chat. It is expected to be heavily utilized in the upcoming Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games. It will retail in Japan for the equivalent of a measly $10!

More DS lites for Japan

2006-07-16T23:12:00.000-04:00

As if they didn't already have enough DS lite colors, several more versions of the system were announced for Japan. The new versions include a special Pokemon DS lite which is the White DS lite with several Pichu faces on the cover, a special edition Final Fantasy III DS lite, which is also white with final fantasy characters on the cover, and a black DS lite, which was formerly exclusive to Europe. For those of you that were wondering, the United States only has one version of the DS lite: Polar White.

EA Exclusives

2006-07-16T23:05:00.000-04:00

EA announced recently that they will release 6 games for the Wii and all 6 of the titles will be tailer made for the concole and it's unique controller. EA also stated that it has several other games in development for the Wii, but it can not announce them at this time.

The 6 games include Madden, Harry Potter, SSX, The Godfather, Need for Speed, and Tiger Woods. They will all utilize the Wii-mote and include features exclusive to the Wii.

“Once we started to experiment with Madden on Wii, there was an explosion of innovation. Everyone in the studio is energized by the creative opportunity afforded by both the hardware and controller. By reaching into our catalogue, we are able to bring a fresh and distinctive experience to some of EA’s most popular franchises. Creatively, the game play possibilities are staggering and endless,” said John Schappert, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EA.

Big N Radio - Ep.7

2006-07-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

In this episode you'll see why 7 is our lucky number: It took us 7 shows to figure out the formula for the perfect podcast, and in this segment we finally nailed it! We were finally able to hit the 1 hour mark, and it is time very well spent as we talk about the DS lite's crazy sales figures, some games that are on the way, new flavors of DS lite in Japan, Wii-mote news, speculation/rumors, and a general overview of things to come. Newcomer Scopidasca joins us midway, and is a little nervous, but she warms up towards the end. Join her, ill_masta, and A-Zar as Big N Radio - Ep. 7 blasts in your ears!

KZero's troubles...

2006-07-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a relaxing vacation in the wilderness and when I finally sat down to my computer and went to download Episode 6 of Big N Radio(which was supposed to be up last week on iTunes) I was devestated to discover that it wasn't there. KZero wasn't able to submit episode 6 for some reason for the last week. Because we can only submit the podcast to iTunes on his computer(I don't understand all that technical jargin) it causes a problem whenever we do it somewhere else. Unfortunately, I can't contact him and neither can anyone else right now, but as soon as we do, Episode 6 will be up and running.

*EDIT*
I just spoke to KZero and he is submitting the podcast right now.

Technical Difficulties are Over!

2006-07-08T08:48:00.000-04:00

Finally, after about 2 weeks of suffering, Episode 5 of Big N Radio is up on iTunes and Episode 6 should be up later today, or tomorrow. Sorry for the wait, but you will find out that it was well worth it when you hear our latest installments, so make sure you check them out!

2006-07-04T18:58:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th!

2006-07-04T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hello all. There's not much going on right now, so I thought I'd wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. The fireworks have been going off since last Thursday here, and it's really helping to get everyone into the patriotic mood. There's nothing better than playing Phoenix Wright and fighting for justice while listening to Firecrackers at the same time... Take That!

The mysterious front flap

2006-06-30T07:52:00.000-04:00

What exactly is under the front flap on the Wii? A button that says SYNC and an input of somesort. See for yourself.

More Weird Wii trademarks

2006-06-30T07:44:00.000-04:00

In addition to WiiCulture, WiiPointer, WiiConnect24, and !!M, Nintendo has purchased another load of interesting names to go with it's new console. It seems like the Wii will be doing much more than playing games...

-WiiCan
-WiiClub
-WiiCommunication
-WiiDiary
-WiiHappy
-WiiHealth
-WiiHome
-WiiKids
-WiiMap
-WiiOnline
-WiiSenior
-WiiWords
-WWWii

DS lite Rumble Pack!

2006-06-30T07:36:00.000-04:00

My prayers are answered! One of the first things I said when I got my lite was, "ohhhh, now I can't use my rumble pack..." but now the problem is solved. Japan is releasing a DS lite rumble pack, that will hopefully work as well as, or better than the original. I only wish that it came with a game like the original, but at the price of 1,200 Yen, ($10.30) I'm not going to complain that much.

　

Big N Radio - Ep.6!

2006-06-30T07:22:00.000-04:00

Big N Radio - Ep.6 is currently in the books. Due to the lack of substantial news, we take a different approach in this episode. A-Zar, ill_masta, and darksinner start by talking about a couple of things that were in the headlines, such as games moving to the Wii, and how the Nintendo DS will become the ultimate spy gadget. Then we move to our newest segment entitled, Big N Roundtable. It's something that we have been wanting to do for a while and our first topic is controllers. We discuss every Nintendo controller, it's good points and bad points, as well as the PlayStation controllers and Xbox controllers. Then we talk about the different interfaces of the Game Boys and DS, what works, and what doesn't.

-Edit-
This episode will be posted to iTunes as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we are still undergoing technical problems and we hope that they will be solved soon, as we are now 2 episodes behind, but as soon as we are able to post the podcast, we will.

Japan gets a Pink DS lite

2006-06-30T07:11:00.000-04:00

On July 20th, yet another flavor of Nintendo DS lite will be made available to Japan. Noble Pink will join Crystal White, Ice Blue, and Enamel Navy as the newest color in the DS lite family. Noble Pink will launch at 16,800 yen($144.16) so importers will find a hefty price tag on the Noble Pink DS lite together with shipping costs.

Well excuuuse me, princess!

2006-06-25T00:12:00.000-04:00

After watching the animated Zelda series at A-Zar's house the other day, I found this video hilarious. The words "excuse me, princess" lose all meaning after watching this! Almost as bad as BELIEVE IT!

Big N Radio Episode 5!!

2006-06-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

In what proves to be our longest and funniest episode yet, ill_masta and A-Zar talk about DS and Wii games, the Opera browser for DS/ DS Lite, Phoenix Wright and how it has sold yet again, and how the Red Steel controls were revamped. A new member, who goes by the name Dan's_Mom is also added to the crew when we interview her about Animal Crossing and Brain Age. We also talk about the Super Mario Bros. movie from 1989, as well as other classic Nintendo shows, such as The Legend of Zelda, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, and more. This episode focuses on what's most important: the games. Listen to us discuss the future, as well as the past, while we reminisce and predict.

-EDIT-
Due to "technical difficulties," Ep. 5 of Big N Radio will be delayed from hitting up iTunes for a couple of days. We will submit it as soon as possible.

Great footage of Wii

2006-06-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

This site has a ton of great videos that consist of footage from E3 of the Wii. It shows both the game on the screen, and the way the controller is used. The videos are also of decent quality too.
http://consoles.gwn.com/articles/article.php/id/719/

So that's what they say...

2006-06-20T21:32:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered what they were saying in the Super Smash Bros. Brawl song? Many believe that the lyrics were in Latin, but it has recently been made clear that they are indeed in English. Check it out:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Video with Subtitles.

Episode 4!

2006-06-16T16:19:00.000-04:00

We are in the process of making Episode 4 of Big N Radio! We discuss DS lite, NSMB, DDR Mario Mix, and more!

DS lite now available!

2006-06-12T11:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, DS lite was made available to everyone in the U.S. Or at least everyone with a pre-order. I was the very first person in line yesterday at my local EB Games, and I arrived about an hour before they opened. About 2 minutes after I got there, another person got in line, and by the time the store finally opened, the line was down the hall of the mall. Some people who had waited were turned away because they didn't reserve it in advance. I, however, walked away happily with my new baby, anxious to open it. EB was giving out free inhalers so that when people with asthma saw how small and sleek the lite was, they didn't have asthma attacks. I managed to pick one up.(I didn't need it, thankfully)

As soon as I got to the car, I carefully opened the box and looked at what was packed inside. Aside from the system, there was just an extra stylus, a charger, and the GBA slot protector. I was immediately amazed at the size of the system because it was so tiny! I was most impressed with the way the buttons loked and felt. Nintendo finally moved away from the clicky buttons that were found on the GBA SP and the original DS. The buttons on the lite are much softer and more comfortable. The only thing that I found strange with the buttons was the start and select buttons. They are extremely tiny and are very clicky, unlike the A, B, X, and Y buttons. Next, I noticed that the bottom screen looks a lot more durable and hopefully it won't be a scratch magnet. The system is surrounded by a thin layer of plastic and that is what goves it it's sleek look and smooth feel. Having brought my old DS with me, I whipped it out and began to make comparisons.

The shape of the lite is different, and more simmilar to that of the SP. The lite is also much lighter, easier to hold, and more comfortable. The fat bottom part of the original DS where the Game Boy slot and the microphone are is completely gone in the lite. Also, on the DS lite the bottom screen is slightly rasied so that when the system is closed, the 2 screens touch, preventing anything from getting caught between them and scratching them to death.

Overall, the system looks fabulous, and it now rivals the PSP, as far as how sleek and beautiful it is.

Now, aside from the way the way it looks, how does the DS lite operate? Just by turning the system on and looking at the screen where you choose DS game, GBA game, Pictochat, etc. the change from the DS to the lite is immediately noticable. Everything is so much brighter and much clearer. There are four levels of brightness for the lite and I think it would have been fine with just three because level four actually hurts my eyes.

The first game I played on it was New Super Mario Bros. and when I reached the menu screen, I was amazed. The colors are absoloutely amazing. Everything looks so much better and clearer on the lite that I don't want to ever look at a normal DS again. The better colors make all of the games look so much better and the screens actually improve the graphics to a certain extent. There is a new level of detail in games, such as Metroid Prime Hunters and New Super Mario Bros. that makes the games even more fun to play. Having played through most of NSMB on the old DS, I am definately going to go through on the lite and see what the levels truly were designed to look like.

The DS lite does everything that it was designed to do. It is much smaller, more comfortable, it looks better, it has amazing colors, the screens are beyond bright, and it is lighter. There are really only two downsides that I have found after playing with it for about 5 hours. What I think is the biggest problem with it is that there seems to be a slight downgrade in the quality of the speakers. It is hardly noticeable and if you are not an audiophile like me, you may not notice it at all. They just seem like they aren't quite as clear as the ones in the original DS. Another problem is that if I want to make the system brighter or dimmer, I have to shut it down and go to the main menu. There should have been a button on the face of the system for that. Aside from these two little things, though, the system is really great and is definately worth the $130. The color and look matches that of the Wii, so when it finally comes out, we can place the two side by side and name them Shiggy and Reggie!! I have also heard that if you buy the system at Best Buy or Circuit City, you get a free copy of Brain Age. Check out all of these pictures that I took of the DS lite so you can get an idea of the size.
My wish came true!

DS to Wii Connectivity

2006-06-12T11:30:00.000-04:00

Remember connecting your GBA to the Gamecube? It was pretty cool with Crystal Chronicles and Zelda: Four Swords, but it was too annoying to have to hook everything up and buy the extra adapter. Well, DS to Wii connectivity will certainly be much easier and more fun. Nintendo has said that you will be able to use the DS as a touch screen controller for the Wii, DS software can be expanded using the Wii, and the DS can access DS Station services via the Wii and get demos. Games such as Pokemon Battle Revolution can connect with Pokemon Diamond and Pearl on the DS, and you can see your Pokemon on the TV with Wii graphics.

Price and Date by September

2006-06-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

Satoru Iwata recently stated that Nintendo will anounce the price and release date of the Wii by September. So far all we know is that it will be $250 or lower and that it will be released in Q4 of 2006.

Theme music up!

2006-06-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

The intro tune to Big N Radio (made by yours truly) is now up for download!

Check it!
http://rapidshare.de/files/22194340/Big_N_Radio_-_Intro.mp3.html

Wii - $250 or lower...

2006-05-31T16:03:00.000-04:00

In the past, Nintendo has said that the Wii would be $300 or less, but last week they anounced that the system would now be $250 or less. Many had speculated that the Wii would launch for $200 or $150. The increase of $50 may not sound like too much for some of us, but Nintendo is trying to attract new customers with the Wii. If the system is only $50 cheaper than the core Xbox 360 package, it may be difficult for consumers to choose which path to take for the next gen. At $250, I don't think that people who have never played games before will pick it up.

Why would Nintendo even anounce that the system would be $250 or lower? Many speculated that the system would launch at $200 or even $150, and although the price of $250 was not confirmed, it looks like $200 or lower is out. If the Wii is priced at $250 at launch it will most likely include several things, while if the system launched at let's say $150, it would be only the console and the controller. At $250 it is much more likely that we will see a game packed in and maybe even an extra controller and an SD card. If it launches at $230 maybe it will only include the console, the controller, and a game(Wii sports?).

From a business standpoint, this anouncement makes plenty of sense. 99% of the people who purchase the system right at launch will be the hardcore, and hardcore gamers would be willing to pay a little extra for a brand new system. Even though Nintendo said they are aiming to expand the number of people who play video games, it will take time to market the system, and make people aware of the new style of gameplay. By the time the system starts making some noise and getting people interested, the hardcore will already have their systems and bundle. Then Nintendo will have their chance to lower the price and sell the Wii for $200 or maybe even $150, with only the console and the controller.

This is only one possibility though. Nintendo may be following the path set by Apple, Microsoft, and Sony by offering 2 versions of the system: one to appeal to the hardcore, and one to appeal to new gamers. In this case, they have one box set at $250, and it will include several things that the hardcore gamer would be interested in, such as an extra controller, a game, and a memory card. The other box would be set at $150 dollars, and would include the console and a controller. The latter is the package that the new consumer would most likely choose.

Either way, this is all speculation. The bottom line is that if there is a more expensive system, you better believe that it will include much more than what a cheaper package would include and that Nintendo has a huge job in trying to attract new customers to the industry. They will certaintly have a hard time convincing people who have never played or payed attention to a video game to go to their local EB and shell out $200 for a new system.

Episode 3 is now up!

2006-05-31T16:02:00.000-04:00

Episode 3 and our outtakes episode entitled: 3.14 are now up! Check out iTunes for these episodes to listen to them. Only ill_masta, KZ, and Darksinner talk it up in this episode, but they still think that it is one of the best yet!

Extra plug for Sensor Bar

2006-05-24T10:22:00.000-04:00

An extra input is now available on the back of the hardware for the Wii. The new input is a place for the sensor bar to plug into. The sensor bar will plug right into the back of the system just as the A/V cables and power cord do. This probabaly rules out the possability of the sensor bar being wireless, but it wasn't expected to be wireless anyway.

Wii don't get Dolby Digital

2006-05-24T10:17:00.000-04:00

According to official documentation that was made available todeveloper studios, the Wii will not be able to utilize Dolby Digital sound output. It is not because of hardware limitations, but because of a single audio/visual jack that will not support Dolby Digital. Instead, Dolby Pro Logic II will be used to simulate 5.1 surround sound, as it was on the Gamecube. There may still be time to add Dolby Digital to the system's capabilities, but I wouldn't expect it.

Internet Browser for Wii

2006-05-24T10:11:00.000-04:00

News about a web browser for the Wii has surfaced recently, and it seems that Nintendo is teaming up with Opera to create the browser. The Opera browser was selected because of its simplicity and because it is relatively easy to use. There won't be much of a change from surfing the web on your PC, to using the browser on WIii. Instead of using a keyboard, the browser will take advantage of the Wii remote. Nintendo hasn't commented on how the browser will utilize the controller or what features will be available as far as media playback goes, but it will most likely be revealed soon. The Opera browser is the same browser that is used on the Nintendo DS lite.

Black Nintendo DS lite

2006-05-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

Nintendo anounced that a black Nintendo DS lite will be avalable when it launches in Europe on June 23rd. For those of you who are dying for a different color, such as ill_masta, it may be worth the extra wait and the import price.

The Wii-Mote

2006-05-17T16:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest version of the Wii controller and the nunchuck attachement. The pointer can sense all of your movements from left to right, up and down, and even if you move forwards or backwards(great for fighting games...)It also contains a speaker for sounds such as gunshots when you fire and this will help to immerse you in the game. On the face of the controller you will see the A button and a D-pad, which will be used in Wii games. The 1 and 2 buttons will be used when you hold the controller vertically. There are 3 buttons in the center. One marked, "home," and the other two have a plus and a minus sign which are most likely used to regulate the volume of the built in speaker. The underside of the pointer has a B button trigger and a built in rumble pack. The Nunchuck unit can sense movement as well, and it has an analog stick and two triggers marked C and Z underneath. The controllers communicate with the system through bluetooth technology.

The next controller is what will be used when playing downloaded games from the virtual console. For those of you who don't know what the virtual console is, I'll explain it. The virtual console is an online service that is built into the Wii, and it allows you to download classic games from the original Nintendo Entertainment System(NES), the Super Nintendo Emtertainment System(SNES) the Nintendo 64, the Sega Genesis, and the TurboGrafx systems.

On the left is a picture of the pointer(right) and the virtual console controller(left).
It is very likely that the pointer and the nunchuck attachement will be included in the packaging of the Wii because they are the main controllers that you use, but the virtual console controller will most likely be sold separately. All of the controllers have a very slick look and feel to them that is similar to that of the new Nintendo DS lite which is coming on June 11th.

For those of you...

2006-05-13T13:09:00.000-04:00

For those of you who love trailers, here is one that will not dissapoint. With all of the great games that we saw at E3, there are will be many more to come.

Super Smash Bros. BRAWL

Episode 2 is now up!

2006-05-12T18:51:00.000-04:00

Episode 2 of Big N Radio is now available on iTunes. In this episode, we discuss Nintendo's Press Conference at E3 and our impressions. We then talk about the Wii and the videos that revealed many new games for the innobative console, especially Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3:Corruption. Then we discuss the DS and the games that were unveiled, such as Star Fox DS and Yoshi's Island 2. After analyzing the complete Press Conference, we talk about our reactions, how we feel about the games, and what we were surprised about. We also talk about some disappointments and our predictions. Keep it here for all Nintendo news all the time about the Wii, the DS, and the games that make Nintendo great. Fortunately, the birds can no longer be heard in this episode!
Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Live-Nintendo. Big N Radio.

Big N Radio Episode 2!

2006-05-12T12:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight we will be recording the second episode of our new, but very well known podcast, Big N Radio. It will immediately be put up on iTunes after we finish so stay tuned. This episode will contain all of the news about E3, as well as our impressions on the Wii, it's games, the DS, and our in-depth analysis of Nintendo's Press Conference. Keep it here for all Nintendo news, all the time.

No more Game Boy

2006-05-12T07:01:00.000-04:00

Last week in our podcast, we discussed the future of the Game Boy and the role it plays as one of Nintendo's pillars. It seems that some of us were correct in guessing that there would not be future Game Boy and that the only two systems that we will see are Wii and DS. Iwata seems to have confirmed these feelings when he was asked about the Game Boy and responded by saying, "I would have a second thought about using our resources on what would be the next generation of Game Boy Advance, considering the strong support DS is now enjoying," Iwata said. "The Japanese game market is now evolving around DS. We don't need to do something that will pour cold water on the situation." Although this isn't really a surprise, it is a little dissapointing, but I guess two systems are enough anyway.

I said, "Wow."

2006-05-11T06:32:00.000-04:00

Well, Nintendo really surprised me just now, in an amazing way. My biggest dissapointment about the Big N's conference was that we didn't get to see any Smash Bros. However, Shigeru Miyamoto himself has just revealed that tere indeed will be a Wii Smash Bros. title named, "Super Smash Bros. Brawl." There will be several new characters, such as Pit, Wario, Metaknight, the zero suit samus(samus in her blue suit from zero mission), and Solid Snake. Miyamoto also said that the Wii remote may get in the way of the traditional Smash Bros. style of gameplay and, "The Wii hardware has sockets for the GameCube controller, too. So I'll just say now that you may not want to throw away your GCN controller yet." There are also going to be tons f new items to use, such as puppies from Nintendogs. Also, the game looks like it is going to be Wi-Fi compatable. "My plan is to include Wi-Fi connection compatibility and online functionality. One of the primary reasons Super Smash Bros. Brawl was created was that Nintendo, when taking Wii online, wanted to have Smash Bros. to do that," Unfortunately, the game will not be released as a launch title, but it will be available in 2007. Good things come to those who wait, right?

Playing=Believing

Yet Another Wii Peripheral

2006-05-10T19:37:00.000-04:00

Today at E3 Nintendo released yet another peripheral for the Wii-mote. This attachment is a light gun shell that the remote slides into. It looks great and just as slick as the remote and the system. Duck Hunt Wii anyone?

Our first podcast is FINALLY up on iTunes(it only took 5 days!) and our second episode will be recorded in a couple of days. Keep it here and check back frequently for more E3 reports and hot news as it develops.
Playing=Believing

E3 Update

2006-05-09T22:51:00.000-04:00

Shortly after their Press Conference, Nintendo released a picture of what the Classic Wii controller, that is used to play the games on the virtual system, would look like. It looks kind of like an odly shaped Super NES controller with 2 analog sticks and a home button.

Also, Nintendo anounced a new Gamecube game that is worth mentioning.
Super Paper Mario. It's an all new platformer that has both 2D and 3D aspects to it, that are similar to New Super Mario Bros. The video shows that Mario, Peach, and Bowser are playable characters. Remember the amazing bonus level in Paper Mario 2 where you could play as Bowser? Oh, yes.

Oh yeah, I have one thing I forgot to mention for the E3 report. Where is Super Smash Bros. Wii? Supposedly it was going to be a launch title, but judging by the fact that there was no video for it and that Nintendo didn't mention it, it most likely will not be.

All you need to know about E3

2006-05-09T17:54:00.000-04:00

Now that the Nintendo Press Conference is over, we all know a lot more about the Nintendo Wii and also about the DS. Nintendo focused the conference mainly on the software, while at the same time, they revealed, what appears to be, the final information on the innovative controller.

To start things off, Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage and conducted an orchestra with the Wii remote. Then, after a video that contained highlights of many new games(more on this later), Reggie stated what they were going to talk about for next hour, and this included several things. First, he explained why Nintendo decided to make the system so different. Then he mentioned that in regards to the cost and release date of the system, "it is in our best interest to keep it a secret for a little longer." However, Reggie did state that Wii will be available in the fourth quarter of 2006. Then, he spoke about the name Wii, and why they chose it. He also made it a point to thank everyone online and in the audience for their support for the name. "Both of you." Next, Nintendo moved on to their main focus of the day: The support. Reggie reiterated that seeing the games will make an impression on you, but playing them, will make you believe. Nintendo stated several times that,
"Playing = Believing."

Next up was a demo of Twilight Princess using the Wii controller, with several several anouncements thrown in. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be launched day and date with the new console in two versions; one for the Gamecube, and one for the Wii. After watching the demo, I know that I am definately going with the Wii version. To start things off, the Wii remote's D-pad serves as Link's inventory, and it can be assigned several different weapons. The B button underneath the controller is used for sword slashes. The Z button on the Nunchuk unit is used for the patented Zelda targetting system. To do Link's spin move, you simply spin the Nunchuk device. To hit an enemy and push him back with Link's shield, you thrust the Nunchuk unit forward. To do Link's downward sword thrust as a finishing move, you thrust the Nunchuk down. Although Nintendo did not state this during the presentation, it looks like you are able to do a backflip by thrusting the controller backwards.

All of the long range weapons, such as the boomarang and the bow and arrow, will be used with the pointing function of the Wii controller. Now for some new information. During the demonstration of the bow and arrow, it was announced that there is a speaker built into the Wii controller, and when you do actions, such as pulling back the arrow for the bow, you will hear it out of the controller and then when you release, the sound moves to the screen. Also, the Wii controller will feature a rumble pack that will respond to all impacts seen on screen. For example, when you push an enemy away with the shield by thrusting the Nunchuk forward, you feel the impact. Both the rumble feature and the speaker help to immerse you in the game and make it more of a realistic experience. The graphics were simply stunning and the gameplay looked intense. Nintendo stated several times that this will be the greatest Zelda game of all time.

Next, a video of several games was shown, and this revealed some new games that looked fantastic, as well as some games we have been expecting for quite some time now. There were far too many shown to go into great detail for every single one, but I will mention a little about certain games. Here is a list of all the games that were shown in the videos.

Nintendo Wii
Super Mario Galaxy
Metroid Prime Hunters 3: Corruption
Fire Emblem
Red Steel
Sonic Wild Fire
Dragon Ball Z: Sparkling 2
Wario Ware
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles-The Crystal Bearers
Excite Truck
Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
Disaster: Day of Crisis
Tony Hawk: Downhill Jam
Rayman
Dragon Quest Swords
Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Crusty Crab
Madden NFL '07
Racing Game from THQ
SG Gundam G Breaker
Sengoku Action
Necro-Nesia
Elebits
Super Swing Golf Pangya
Finalfurlong revoultion(tentative title)
One Piece:Unlimited Adventure
Wii Sports(Tennis, Golf, and Baseball in one package)

Nintendo also anounced that 27 games will be playable at the booth tomorrow.

Following the clips of videos, two representitives from Ubisoft of France showed a Red Steel demo. The video looks great, and Red Steel completely takes advantage of the Wii's controller. The environments were completely destructable, the weapons look great,(Can't wait for the Katana)and the enemies were very intelligent. What I mean by that is, they did not just stand there and wait to die. They actually cared for their lives, and tried to hide from you in the confrontation. All of the physics were realistic and the game looks simply breathtaking when you are playing. It is very intense and the action moves at a fast pace.

After the Red Steel demo, George Harrison took the stage to talk about Nintendo DS. He spoke of how Nintendo has truly disrupted the market and he rattled off some astounding numbers. Over 16 million units have been sold since the release 18 months ago, and he said that PSP sales are at millions less. 1.3 million different users have logged onto the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and there have been over 40 million matches. In Japan, the 3 Brain Games have sold over 5 million copies, and since it's release here three weeks ago, Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day has sold over 120,000 copies. One third of all the Brain training games have been sold to people over 35 years old. Nintendo wants to continue to push the games in its Touch Generation Series, that consists of Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, Club House Games, and Sudoku-Gridmaster.

Next, Nintendo said that they have no plans of letting up on the DS and they announced some more titles for the system.

Nintendo DS
Star Fox Ds
Yoshi's Island 2
The Legend of Zelda:Phantom Hourglass
Donkey Kong Racing
Pokemon Red and Blue Mystery Dungeon
Final Fantasy 3 (with all new 3D graphics, but same great story)
Mario Hoops 3 on 3
Elite Beat Agents (This looked strikingly like Os Tatoki Ouendan!!)
Mario vs. DK: March of the Minis

Over 100 DS games will be released from now until the end of the year.

Satoru Iwata took the stage and moved back towards Wii. He said that the load times in games turn players off so on the Wii, there will be extremely short load times and that the system will always be on. There will be something called,
Wii Connect 24. Wii Connect 24 is what makes sure that your system is constantly connected to the internet and when you are not there to reduce load times. This standby mode will only use the energy of a small light. So, Mr. Iwata gave the example of someone visiting your town in Animal Crossing when you are not there and leaving you a note or a present.

Next, an example of Wii Sports was shown. Wii Sports includes tennis, baseball and golf. The winner of Nintendo's contest to be the first person to play Wii was then called to the stage to play a tennis match with Mr. Miyamoto, Mr. Iwata, and Reggie, who all had customized characters that looked like them. Before beginning the match, Reggie said to Mr. Iwata, "Mr. Iwata, maybe this year I can just take the names and you can kick the... you know..." and Mr. Iwata responded, "Yes, that is my job."

The event was then brought to a close and the statement Playing = Believeing was repeated and that evryone will get the oppurtunity to feel the new way to play games tomorrw. Reggie finished by saying that the DS and the Wii allow for risk. "Risk allows progress." "Nintendo is not a company that runs from risk, but one that runs to it." Change is good and Nintendo is the disrupter. "Seeing is just an impression. Playing is believing."

Nintendo Press Conference

2006-05-09T12:31:00.000-04:00

The Nintendo Press Conference will be starting in just a couple of minutes now, so keep it here for all the breaking news and the secrets about the Nintendo Wii!

E3 tomorrow!

2006-05-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow with the start of E3 we will most likely find out everything there is to know about the Wii. Satoru Iwata will be taking the stage once again for Nintendo to reveal all of the secrets behind the companies, "New Generation," console. Be sure to check back for all the news and frequent updates about the event. Only one day left!

Weekly poll

2006-05-06T00:05:00.000-04:00

From now on, every week we are going to do a poll on a diffrent topic. I will run this poll and I will moniter the results. The topics will vary so, on that note, happy voting! ^_^

I have to apologize

2006-05-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

I would like to apologize about our first podcast in regards to my pet birds. Unfortunately the mic we used picked them up so they can be heard at certain times. Once again, apologize for the inconvenience.

Episode 1 is Up!!

2006-05-05T22:01:00.000-04:00

Hey this is A-Zar. We just finished Episode 1 of Big N Radio and it is available on iTunes right now so make sure you check it out.

In our debut episode, we introduce ourselves and our motive behind creating a podcast that revolves around Nintendo. We talk about the Nintendo Wii, it’s games, and the name change. We also discuss the DS Lite, it’s American release, and some upcoming games. Then we move into thoughts about E3, our hopes, and our expectations. Later, we review Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes A Day and Lostmagic. Join us for tons of news and info about Nintendo and experience hardcore gaming like never before.

It can be found right here: http://web.mac.com/louisrgigante/iWeb/Site/Podcast/922AEDDB-DB63-4400-A785-09BF0B1C9EBF_files/BigNRadio.m4a

Eat. Sleep. Breathe. Live-Nintendo. Big N Radio

Hello and Welcome

2006-05-05T15:43:00.000-04:00

Hey this is A-zar. Welcome to Big N Radio. This is the place where you can find up to date Nintendo news about the DS, the Wii, and the games that makes Nintendo great. The podcast will be availale in a day or so, so stick with us to see what we have to offer.

yo

2006-05-04T19:48:00.000-04:00

KZERO HERE JUST WANA SAY WELCOME TO BIG N RADIO

Welcome!

2006-05-04T19:28:00.000-04:00

This is ILL_MASTA, and welcome to the site! We plan to have our first podcast up in a couple of days so stay tuned!