Let the motion gaming battle commence

Motion gaming is hardly a new development. Give Nintendo the credit it deserves. The Wii was very much the Last Chance Saloon for Nintendo, at least as far as releasing full blown consoles go. The company knew that it simply couldn't compete on the same technical level as the other consoles on the market, and Nintendo had to think laterally about where to take their new console.

Behold, one motion controller later and a massive new casual gaming audience tapped into, the rest as they say is history.

Inevitably, Sony and Microsoft have now decided that they fancy a slice of the casual gaming pie. This move will always prompt the familiar fanboy reactions from all camps. Trawling through the numerous gaming forums on the internet shows all of the usual responses to the decision. Wii owners shouting "Sony and Microsoft can't think of anything new", or "they've already chosen which direction to take their console, they should stick with it". The level of anger never ceases to amaze me when gamers try to defend their beloved console.

In truth I find these reactions somewhat bizarre. Why do they feel the need to defend their chosen consoles so vigorously? I can only deduce that it's because they find the other machines as some kind of threat, or are they in denial? On a subconscious level do they actually think that the Wii isn't quite as good as they want to believe? Or maybe it's simply because they've seen the tech that Sony and Microsoft are developing and they're scared that Wii owners are suddenly going to say "wow, Sony have motion controls now and it's in HD!!!! Quick love, get on the internet and bring up eBay, I'm going to sell this bad boy!!". Hardly a realistic assumption is it? On the other hand 360 and PS3 owners alike look down on Wii and try to claim that it's not a real console. It must be hard for these people knowing that the Wii has outsold them all despite it's last generation 480p resolution graphics. Just try claiming to them that graphics aren't everything. WOW!! You'll be shot down in flames in an instant as a "poor, can't afford a real console, casual gaming" moron who doesn't know anything about gaming. Well, I've only been playing for 25 years, what would I know eh?

So what about this new motion controller tech? Well, Sony have the Playstation Move. Initial impressions of the device for me are mixed. Let's make one thing clear, it's a bit of a Wiimote clone. They can spin the details as much as they like, they can claim it's "more than a Wiimote", but sticking a couple of glowing balls on the top doesn't make it brand spanking new. An Ann Summers 'toy' yes, but new? Okay, it does feature some enhancements over the Wiimote such as use of the coloured globes to help track movement and height rather than the Wiimotes old fashioned infra-red method. The globes also change colour depending on player's surroundings to ensure that the PS Move is easily seen. This new technology also means that the movement won't be lost should someone walk in front of the TV. Very nice. And from the demos that have been shown so far it looks as though it does transfer player movements brilliantly, but it IS still a Wiimote with some new technology thrown in. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, the Wiimote works well and is proven. Fair play to Sony for following suit, just don't dress it up as some sort of revolutionary gaming device because the gaming public aren't stupid, they can see through the PR bulls**t.

Microsoft have taken a rather different approach to the motion gaming/family ethos. Project Natal as it is known doesn't feature a controller at all. "You are the controller" the trailer says. Initial impressions are very impressive with a Natal version of Burnout getting a very positive response, Natal seemingly being able to track even the finest movements. So that's it then, Microsoft have managed the holy grail that is full body motion capture. The gaming world has no limits. Freedom in gaming it seems is a reality. Hold on though, let's take a step back for a second and take a long hard look. There are no buttons on Natal and this surely has to cause some issues. Let's take the game of football as an example. The trailer touches on this genre of game with a penalty shootout. Fair enough, but what happens if you want to play a conventional football game? How do you control it? In a third person view? How do you run? Jogging around your lounge can't be right surely, especially as you will need to be looking at the TV at all times. FPS games are another difficult genre. You can point your imaginary gun at the TV, turn on the spot and shoot (ala Wii), but how do you walk? Stamping your feet? No thanks. It seems to me that whilst Natal seems to offer new found freedom, it also seems to be marred by a new found restriction. It's obviously too early to tell how Microsoft are proposing to overcome such issues and I have no doubt they have something planned. Maybe they are choosing to ignore these genres altogether, instead opting for the conventional controller should a player want to indulge in that kind of game.

Those that know me will also know that I am a 360 and Wii owner and don't really have a bias towards any one console. A good game is a good game, a good peripheral is a good peripheral regardless of the system it is on. To me the PS Move is showing the most potential for the new motion controllers. Rip off or no rip off, the PS Move seems to offer the most flexibility with a balance of motion controls if you want to get active, or the buttons for the times when you want to be a couch potato.

Truth is nobody really knows what impact the new motion controllers will have for the future of all three consoles. God knows, the Wii and it's family friendly nature has made it damn difficult to predict. One thing is for certain though, it's certainly going to be interesting watching it all unfold this Autumn at the proposed release dates.

Just please don't let us drown in games like 'Family House Babysitting Party 13'......please!!

DSi Speak Channel?

While searching for information for error 206602 kolma found this reference to a dedicated DSi Speak Channel

To redeem a Nintendo DSi Download Ticket number, such as for the Nintendo DSi Speak Channel, enter the number off the Nintendo DSi Download Ticket in "Settings and Features" off of the main Nintendo DSi Shop page, then select "Nintendo DSi Download Ticket."

It's since been deleted but the proof remains in the google cache.

Gameov3r doesn't need a DSi speak channel to communicate his needs. Gameov3r has the Forum.

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box

Spoiler Alert! The video below shows the completed mini-games found in the Professor's Trunk.




If you are still stumped by the formidable challenges then head over to the Gameov3r Forum for some assistance

one blonde, one brunette and?

Order the t-shirt here

Opoona: First Thoughts

With my £6 credit from trading in NiGHTS burning a hole in my pocket I grabbed Opoona from the shelf of Blockbuster. Not cheap at £30 but I needed another gaming fix. I've played for a couple of hours and my first impressions of this quirky RPG?

Buy it.

It's strange. The graphics for the characters are very stylised and some of the backgrounds are visually rather pretty. The game world is a mix of science fiction technology and untouched nature. The accompanying music is electro-dancey and sets the mood well, encouraging you to progress at pace. The progression is as you would expect from any RPG .. .. .. a bit of story followed by learning the basics and acquiring new weapons, skills, abilities and friends .. .. .. battles to earn money and experience points. It all gels well together into an enjoyable experience that makes you want to see what will happen next.

The game can be controlled purely by using the nunchuk (a feature that was promoted when the game was first announced) and that's what I've been doing. It took me about 20 mins to become comfortable with the controls but at the moment I think they work really well.

The only negative point for me is that the battles are random battles. I'm not a fan. Apart from that though the battles are really rather fun! Once it starts there is no my turn / your turn .. .. .. it's real time action so quick responses are needed. Use the analogue stick to fire your bonbon at the enemies either underhand or overhand, with slice or fade.. .. .. you choose the strength of shot by the length of time you hold the stick before releasing it. You can add powerups to your bonbon to increase it's effectiveness in defeating the enemies as well as increasing your defense.

The objectives within the game are set by your career options. Each career has a license which you must complete before moving to the next grade, from trainee, through 1*, 2* etc. I'm not far enough in to have begun more than the first career path but I'm assuming, from the room where the new licenses are issued, that there's at least 20 different choices. The tasks that I've completed so far are "survive 10 battles" and "collect 5 eggs", my current assignment is to head somewhere and kill all of the baddies there .. .. .. .. I may be some time.

Throw your bonbons around on the Gameov3r Forum

MKWii Battle Tips

I've been discussing with other forum members how to improve their skills in the Mario Kart Wii battles. Sometimes a picture can express a thousand words far more clearly. Hopefully it will make the regular Monday night session even more exciting than it already is.

Want to burst our bubble? Head over to the Gameov3r Forum

Wii Firmware Update 4.0

Finally, after Miyamoto and Reggie hinted at a storage solution around E3 time last year, the expected firmware update has arrived that allows Wii Channels to be stored on an SD card. It integrates well into the existing Wii Menu and once accessed follows a similar format to the data maintenance screens. The new features allow access to channels stored on the SD card, letting you play them without having to copy them first to your Wii memory. Like this



Need help with your storage solutions? Ask us on the Gameov3r Forum

Battalion Wars II

A few nights ago I met up with another forum member for some post work online fun with the Wiiware game Onslaught but it was not to be. It felt like the Nintendo server was making horn shapes with its thumbs in its ears and a loud raspberry emanating from its tongue, not allowing us to connect together for a game. Instead we decided, and I can’t remember whether it was Myrrhman or myself who suggested it, that we should try Battalion Wars 2 instead. We’ve played the game many times together across Nintendo’s Wifi but the last time was over a year ago.


BW2 has three different online options – co-op, assault and skirmish – and as we had been looking forward to the cooperative action in Onslaught that is what we chose.
I think the point that I realised just how rusty we both were came as my units got caught in the crossfire between an enemy light tank and helicopter gunship. I have no idea what my team mate was up to but I assume that it was similar to my pitiful experience.

How do I?

aaarrrggghh

NO I don’t want you to attack

erm

I want to control that unit

what’s the right button?

By the third attempt at the mission the old familiarity was back again and we cruised through, attaining an ‘S’ Rank for a perfect 100% score. On then to the next co-op mission and another ‘S’ rank, this time at the first attempt!


Have you ever assumed that you’ve remembered the controls for a game only to realise too late that you haven’t?



If you need to confess you should visit the Gameov3r Forum

Why Oh Why?

"There are no mistakes, just playing for the pure joy of playing" say Nintendo. I've seen the rather uncomfortable to watch video (see above) of several fully grown adults flailing around randomly and I didn't see or feel much joy.

Creating a music game where you remove all the skills required for playing a real instrument and in fact any skill or point what so ever I don't get. I know some people have similar feelings about Guitar Hero and Rock Band style games but even then you'd have to admit you need decent timing and coordination skills to score well. Wii Music requires none of these. There is no score, there is no skill, there is no point.

Holding a Wii remote to my mouth and randomly mashing buttons is some what unappealing at the age of 35. I certainly can't imagine my friends or family joining me for a run through classic public domain hits like "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "Turkey In The Straw". It reminds me of when I used to go to arcades as a lad and bash the buttons without putting any money in... I've grown out of that now.

Maybe that's it and this is aimed at very, very young kids but I kind of get the feeling that isn't what Nintendo are thinking, are they thinking? From the video I think this turkey should stay in the straw, in a very large field far away from shops and inhabited areas. Coming soon to a bargain bin near you...

Join the GAMEOV3R Forum, no turkeys allowed

Wii Fit: One Man's Journey

An avid fan's wait for the new video game and fitness simulator Wii Fit, and his experience when it finally releases!



Tell us about your journey on the GAMEOV3R Forum

WiiWare Wait Over!

It's Wiiware day folks and what's this? Nintendo are spoiling us with an actual demo of a game as well?! They're really getting the hang of this new fangled interweb online thing aren't they... but hang on, there's some small print... you can only play the demo if one of your online friends has bought the full version! Way to go Nintendo! Which bright spark thought that one up eh? Oh well, we should all be grateful it's actually here and we finally get to see Lost Winds and Final Fantasy Chronicles, after we've deleted some channels, copied a load of VC games on to the SD card to make some room on the 48k of internal memory and then checked the Wii points website to find that once again they won't be adding any more until 3:37am on the 3rd Tuesday of next month.

I jest of course, it's here! What more could you ask for? I mean it's not my birthday or anything... well, actually it is but lets keep that quiet eh ;)

Let us know what you'll be buying on the GAMEOV3R Forum

How Blatent Is Your Patent?

Nintendo has recently been ordered to pay $21 million for an infringement on a patent relating to its Wavebird and Wii Classic controllers. The company known as Anascape also sued Microsoft who chose to settle out of court. Nintendo are set to appeal and they expect the amount to be significantly reduced.

Anascape patented a 'Variable Conductance Sensor' in 1999 as well as others over the past 7 years including…

'Game Controller with Analog Pressure Sensor'
'Remote Controller with Analog Button'
'Variable Sensor with Tactile Feedback'
'Analog Controls Housed with Electronic Displays'
'3D Controller with Vibration'

Of course as usual I have no idea what I’m talking about but some of those do seem very vague… which got me thinking about what strange things I could find that people have patented.

Electrified table cloth - Designed to discourgage bugs from crawling on a table cloth. It says that the most humans would feel would be a slight tiggling sensation but I'm sure you could have some great fun at parties with one of these.

Stud Spectacles - These are glasses that don't need a frame because they attach to body piercings on your face.

Device For Moistening The Adhesive Coating On Postage Stamps - Describes a device containing an applicator to moisten stamps, but reading further it contains the following quote "The applicator may be in the form of a human tongue".

Head bird feeder - See nature up close and personal with your very own cranial bird table. You no longer need to sit in a dark and damp hide to view nature's finest. Simply sit in the middle of the lawn and wait.



That picture is actually in the patent documents believe it or not.

Are you bursting with useless ideas? Then you'd probably make a great member of the GAMEOV3R Forum

They're Watching You

Having launched yesterday for some regions and coming to the UK on the 30th May, the new Nintendo Channel keeps you up to date with upcoming games with access to trailers, mini-documentaries, product demonstrations, gameplay videos and even the ability to download DS demos straight to your DS.

It seems part of this new channel allows Nintendo to collect all kinds of data about you should you let them, but here's the catch... if you don't opt in you lose access to those DS demos.

So what information does Nintendo collect from you each time you use the channel then? Well there's quite a list which you'll find here. Quite a substantial amount of information I think most people would agree, but it's ok, it's all non-personal and completely anonymous... unless you have your Wii linked to your Nintendo account...

Does sharing this information worry you at all? Will you be opting in or bowing out? Come and vote on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Club Nintendo Never So Good

But not in Europe.

We always get the shitty end of the stick. Even after the launch of the new Nintendo website and the arrival of Stars to Wii Points, the Stars Catalogue is still full of crap. If it's not crap, there has been the odd thing worth getting, then it's out of stock. Permanently. We get crap stuff! It's probably the stuff that Club Nintendo Japan laughed at during a board meeting and tossed into the bin only for the cleaner to come along and say, "Hey, why not get rid of this stuff in Europe and America! They'll love it. They love all our stuff." Well we don't. We want the good stuff.

I heard a while back that Nintendo would be releasing Wii compatible SNES Pads. OMG! I remember thinking. I WANT ONE! Finally I could play SFII on the VC just like I used to on my SNES. It's an inspired idea by Nintendo. There can be no SNES playing Wii owner that wouldn't want one. The release date is April 4th 2008 but of course the SNES Pad is only available from Club Nintendo Japan. You can cast a weepy glance at Nintendo of Japan's Club Nintendo site here.

There is a glimmer of hope for the rest of us though. A small chance that you can get yourself your very own SuperWiiNES Pad. Play Asia are going to be taking pre-orders very soon.

If Club Nintendo Japan is The Emperor then Club Nintendo Europe is the beggar. It's not fair [/stamping feet]. Why can't we have this cool stuff over here!? We want it! Envious much? Come and moan on the GameOv3r Forum.

Nintendo Why? Fi

As people should be aware it is illegal to use your mobile phone while driving. That's no talking and certainly no texting at the wheel. Nintendo being the law abiding citizens that they are have implemented this into the forth coming Mario Kart Wii. There will be no texting and most definately no chatting during races, but you can text your friends before the race using either a USB keyboard or the Wii remote. If you opt for the latter the race may well be over before you can type 'I'll pwn your face at this noob!' however.

Nintendo say they did toy with the idea of not only including a plastic wheel with the game but also a small bundle of sticks. Using these, players could rub them together vigorously to create smoke signals to organise online matches and chat to friends in a more reliable way than the Nintendo Wifi connection. The only reason these were removed from the final boxed version was that sending friend codes via this method proved even more time consuming than using the Wii remote. Well, that and the fact that players were winning races in a very real 'blaze' of glory!

So here's a plea to Nintendo. If you really are serious about charging to play certain games online, sort out the basics first. You only have to scan through the forum quickly to see the constant problems people are having trying to play any DS or Wii game online. The Geometry Wars online scoreboard is still an annoyance for me too, being something close to useless. Extensive was the word used on the box I believe, so why can't I choose to see my friends scores? And isn't it called Wii Connect 24? I assumed this meant 24hr and not the average number of times I would have to connect and disconnect from Nintendo Wifi to upload and view the scores. Still a great game though.

Update: Reading through a preview from people who have played the actual game it's said that the chat feature is even more limited than originally thought, consisting of a few preset phrases you can send to each other. The preview rated the game extremely highly but did say the plastic wheel control was rubbish and to stick with the other methods available.

Burning to get something off your chest? Come and tell us on the GAMEOV3R Forum

Nintendo Mantra

It’s easy. Come on and have ago. With me now on 3….2….1...

“Download, Store, Delete, Download. Download, Store, Delete, Download.”

Got it? Simple. Again then and with some gusto this time. “Download, store, delete, download. Download, store, delete, download. DOWNLOAD, STORE, DELETE, DOWNLOAD! DOWNLOAD, STORE, DELETE, DOWNLOAD!”

Ok, that’s enough. I don’t want anyone passing out and cracking their head on the floor. Blood makes an awful mess and it’s a nightmare to clean up.

Not a very hard mantra that, is it? And it’s not meant to be. It’s designed to be completely devoid of any hardness just like the Wii. Don’t believe me? Then go and shout some abuse at your Wii or even shout, “Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!” and watch it run away, clutching it’s little silver base between it’s legs. You’ll find your Wii much later hiding in a small crevice in the most remote corner of your home begging for mercy and some Wii Sports.

The Wii’s lack of hardness is not going to change. The best thing you could do is buy it a stick on tattoo or one of those leather wrist things that has pointy silver studs on it.

Seriously though this is a massive issue for Nintendo, their faithful fans and the rest of the Wii owners out there. The Wii needs a HDD. 512Mb storage just isn’t enough. The worse news I have heard this year so far, and this could be the worse news I’ll hear all year, is that Nintendo are standing their ground and refusing to develop a HDD. I think this is a catastrophic mistake.

But that’s not all. Oh no. I don’t for a minute think that this is the end of the story because you can bet that last packet of chocolate gold coins, you know the ones you hid in your sock drawer away from the rest of the family during the Christmas holidays, that some third party will come along and give us a shiny new 20 or 40 or even 60Gb HDD for the Wii. Nintendo will then very quickly get an official HDD to market, stopping briefly to wipe the egg from their corporate face.

So, eggs then; scrambled, over easy or sunny side up like the Gameov3r Forum

Wii Points - Not Something To Be Sneezed At

Just how frustrating is trying to swap your star points for Wii points?! Even more frustrating than sneezes that never fully develop and just feature that pre-sneeze expression, which is pretty unattractive on most accounts. Sneezes when they do come though, happen at up to 100mph, which is a damn site faster than Nintendo make their online Wii points available.

Near the very beginning I managed to bag a 1000 point card but since then most of the time there's none available at all, and if I am lucky enough to find some you can guarantee it'll be a 100 point one. Coupled with the fact that you're only allowed one card per day, it's taken me 3 weeks to obtain 500 Wii points! These things are getting rarer than rocking horse defecations.

On a side note should you ever feel the need to stifle a sneeze you should consider that it is impossible to sneeze under water. Not always the most practical solution I'll admit. Plunging your face into a bucket of water during an exam for example can be frowned upon. Also we instinctively close our eyes when sneezing and therefore holding your eyelids open will prevent your body from allowing a sneeze to occur. Just remember I never recommended doing that while you're fumbling around on the carpet trying to find your eyeballs.

Where was I again? Oh yes, Wii points. I guess I shouldn't complain really, at least it's finally here.

Pay a visit to the GAMEOV3R Forum or just leave us a comment right here

Nintendo slay fat black turkey

Monster Hunter has seen massive success in Japan on Sony's PSP. The popularity of the game, despite it's short comings, is astounding and we all know that if a game sells like hot cakes it's almost a written rule that it will get a sequel. The originally titled Monster Hunter 2 came along in due course impressing the already loyal following and forcing gamers, that had ignored or missed the original, to sit up, take note and then spend their Yen on it.

Why should you care?

Because Monster Hunter is good. Very good. And there's going to be a third instalment...... and it's going to be on the Wii.

The controls were never really suited to PSP so if this is done properly the mix of team-based dinosaur slaying, character customisation AND massive amounts of selectable equipment will make this series realise it's full potential on Nintendo's baby. Better still, this game will be mammoth, pun intended, if Capcom, as is suspected, make this game online.

Fingers crossed for yet another game that will be a must have for Wii owners.

Here, for your pleasure, is a teaser trailer.....



There's just one little detail I haven't yet mentioned and it's a detail that was the clincher while I was deciding what I would write today. You see, 2 years ago Capcom agreed with Sony that Monster Hunter 3 would be released for the PS3 but because the PS3 has turned into a turkey Capcom have moved the game to the Wii. That's not all either because it's now a Wii exclusive too!!

If you want a definitive definition of videogame irony or you just want to know why you should never share your bath with a toaster come and ask Gameov3r on the FORUM.

The richest Mario in the world

Mario is rich. Rich to the tune of 10,000,000,000,000¥

In the last 12 months Nintendo have become valuable again. Valuable to the sound of 10 trillion Yen. That's TEN TRILLION. It makes Nintendo one of the most valuable companies in Japan and has them rubbing shoulders with huge car manufacturers Toyota and Nissan. Considering Nintendo's relative size this is nothing short of phenomenal. To save you the effort of Googling for a currency converter the amount coverts to a cool £41.7 billion.

This is a massive step for Nintendo and can only bolster their re-established position as number one videogame company in the world, ever.

In other gaming news, Shigeru Miyamoto has apparently been banned from his favourite Tokyo restaurant this week for waving 10,000¥ notes under the nose of Kaz Hirai while he was enjoying his lunchtime sushi. It is alleged that Mr Miyamoto was annoying Mr Hirai by repeatedly asking if he wanted to "borrow a tenner??!"

Want a loan? Get excellent rates on the Gameov3r FORUM.

Tat

I bought NOM last week. It had a picture of Mario on the front cover zooming through a starry galaxy with “World Exclusive Review” in red and white lettering stamped in the left hand corner. I wanted to soak up as much Mario Galaxy goodness as I could so the lure of the magazine was at least as tempting as a worm would be to a rainbow trout. The addition of a free set of Nintendo stickers and a Legend of Zelda Phantom Hour Glass Hylian shield and sword pin badge meant the worm could attract a killer whale.

Normally I’d scoff at NOM and their freebies. If it’s not crappy stickers that you’re supposed to slap onto your Wii remote or DS it’s a crappy toy or a crappy plastic case for your beloved DS.

Many game developers including Nintendo, Capcom and Square Enix authorise use of their IP’s for use as toys, models, key rings etc and more often than not fans of the games absolutely lap these items up. More than that, Japanese gamers can go absolutely bananas to get hold of the latest Final Fantasy figure and even western game fans pour a healthy amount of cash into collecting videogame merchandise. There is tat galore! You can have key rings, sweatbands, CD cases, pens, y-fronts with your favourite game characters on.

While I’m talking about tat, why do gamers want a figure of Street Fighter 2’s Ryu, a plastic Pac-Man, or one of the buxom DOA girls on our PC monitor? Ok, I can understand the DOA girl but it doesn’t explain the rest! And why do they want to stick free stickers from NOM on their Wii Remotes anyway?

Magazines clearly think they can persuade us to buy the latest edition by including any old tat on the front cover. More often than not the free gift does nothing for me and I buy only if there are articles, previews or reviews I want to read. This time however they got the freebie right.

Does it put you off when magazines include freebies or does it sway you to buy? It's never put Gameov3r off. He has a prized collection of video game tat under his stairs. His favourite item is his Samus Aran figure. He often sneaks under the stairs, when he thinks we’re not looking, to polish her helmet. Come on over and give him a hand on his FORUM.