Nikkei – Wii successor features ‘portable game controller’ with six inch touchscreen and ‘camera functions’ June 3, 2011

And so it begins.

This is big news. In fact, it’s such big news that I’m not even afraid to start this post with a conjunction. The Mario Bros. plumbing company must have been busy over the last couple of weeks; despite there only being about 4 days until Nintendo’s E3 Keynote, there hasn’t been a single, notable leak. Until now.

Nikkei – a Japanese publication centred on technology, business and finance – has let slip a few details about the upcoming Project Café. Interestingly, it’s all stuff we’ve heard before, which consequently seems to lend credit to a few other rumours. The publication informed us of Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS features and specifications before their official unveilings, and were spot on both times.

The report claims that the Wii’s successor will feature a controller that doubles as a portable console. The translation is somewhat hazy – it’s unlikely that the controller will be truly portable as this would alienate and potentially eat into the 3DS’ market share. Additionally, the controller would then require its own CPU and other innards, resulting in an insultingly expensive peripheral. The controller will feature a six inch touch panel for ‘tablet-like controls’, a camera and a built-in rechargeable battery.

No other comments were made in relation to the controller’s form-factor, or interestingly, the console itself, which seems to suggest that the emphasis is once again on the innovative controller.

Nintendo will show off the console on Tuesday, June 7th at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

– Rory

Who we want to see in Super Smash Bros. Strife May 25, 2011

No, fear not; you have not accidentally wandered into the list-littered minefield of Kotaku, fortunately for you. However, it is with a certain sense of disappointment and guilt that I present to you, my readers, a list of sorts. Inevitably, a new Smash Bros. game attracts a ridiculous amount of hype, speculation and sheer fanboy-founded fervour, and we couldn’t help but get the train rolling – in no particular order, here is our character wishlist for the rumoured Super Smash Bros. Strife.

Super Smash Bros. is the industry’s best example of pure, unadulterated fan service, and it all starts with the characters. The game works because it’s a miraculous montage of some of the world’s most recognised faces, mixed with a myriad of lesser-known, but still just-as-loved characters, all united by one common interest – kicking the living daylights out of each other. So, who, other than the 35-man-roster from Brawl, would we like to see occupy all that extra disc space? Remember, variety is the spice of life.

Don’t be fooled by his nerdy demeanour; armed with a positively badass katana beam, a badass hairdo and a pair of badass shades, this Otaku badass means business. Badass business. From the brilliant mind of Suda 51, Travis Touchdown of No More Heroes fame is our number one contender. With an awesome art style, Travis would not only look right at home in the frantic free-for-all that is Super Smash Bros., but he’d also give those other pesky swordsmen a run for their money as well.

Did we mention he’s a total badass? We did? Oh. Okay then.

Another one that fits right into the badass category is Jack from MadWorld. Look at him. He’s smoking a cigarette. In black and white. That’s not only cool in France, people; it’s cool everywhere. Do you know where else it’d be cool? In Super Smash Bros. He’s got a chainsaw strapped to his arm. Even Fred Durst wouldn’t mess with this geezer in fear of having his arse skinned raw. Again, this Capcom creation boasts a unique art style that would add a bit of visual splendour to proceedings – if any more was needed – while also bringing something to the table that the series arguably lacks. Brutality.

Did we mention he’s got a chainsaw strapped to his arm? We did? Oh. Okay then.

She’s a Goddess, she’s a wolf and she’s from Okami. Enough said. What? You want more? Tough crowd. Well then, apart from being another aesthetically gorgeous piece from that artistic bunch at Capcom, Amaterasu is at once a gentle and caring soul, a benevolent Goddess and, most importantly, a fearsome warrior. With her inclusion, she would present the opportunity for a genuinely beautiful and creative stage, and some of the best music ever burned to disc.

Did we mention she’s a Goddess? We did? Oh. Okay then.

Another one for fans of brilliant videogame music; Blob, from THQ’s 2008 quirky Wii platformer de Blob, may, at first glance, appear to simply be a blob of paint. Look deeper though, and you’ll find tha-. Okay, no, he really is just a conscious, sentient blob of mastic composition, but he’s still a pretty awesome chap. He has the ability to change the physical appearance – namely, the colour – of anything he touches, which could make for some pretty cool-looking effects.

Did we mention he’s a blob of paint? We did? Well then, I appear to be suffering from some form of anterograde amnesia.

Another character from Capcom, another character from an AAA game – that is, Aesthetically and Artistically Awesome. With this little guy, the clue is in the name. Would you really want to battle against Mega Man? Really? For those of you who are out of the loop, ‘Mega’ falls somewhere between ‘Super’ and ‘Uber’ in the Official Adjectives Rankings 2011. Do you understand what that means? It means Mega Man is more of a badass than Superman. If that isn’t reason enough, then frankly, you’re batshit insane.

That about wraps it up for characters. In hindsight, I guess I’m just a sucker for some quality art design, but after all, Super Smash Bros. is definitely a clash of wildly varying styles, so shaking it up a bit further surely can’t hurt.

And no, we don’t want Cloud fucking Strife.

– Rory

Watch the first Modern Warfare 3 gameplay trailer May 24, 2011

Infinity Ward just posted up your first glimpse at Modern Warfare 3. Luckily for them, all the countries in the trailer just so happen to have an ‘E’ in their name somewhere, which they have oh-so-cleverly exploited, using the titular 3 as that ever-popular vowel/entactogenic drug.

The trailer ominously ends with the logo ‘WW3’ before the former ‘W’ flips on its head, to its final resting place – MW3. It’s coming this year and it’s going to own your soul. Spooky stuff.

– Rory

RUMOUR – Super Smash Bros. Strife to be shown at E3 May 23, 2011

Based on the rather naive assumption that you’re currently viewing this post on a 15.6″ laptop screen as I am, I’d like to ask you to divert your eyes and your attention approximately four inches above this very line, to that word – rumour.

Annoyingly, despite that tag being in capitals on every rumour I post, I see comments flaming the blog for giving ‘teh false inf0z’ pasted all over the web. So, just a heads up – take this with a massive pinch of salt; it’s very likely to be fake, but that’s not going to stop me from sharing it with you all.

A report from Great Gaming Crusade claims that ‘Nintendo will be showing off the next Super Smash Bros. game at this year’s E3′. That’s it. I mean, it’s really basic; anyone with a keyboard could have written that. However, that doesn’t change the fact that every Nintendo console since the 64 has had a Super Smash Bros. game shown before its launch, so it’s entirely feasible. A representative of Great Gaming Crusade assured me that “the rumor is from a reliable source in the industry”.

The game is apparently being developed for ‘the Wii’s successor’. From a completely unrelated source, we see a rather shady looking image of the game’s supposed logo, revealing its somewhat awkward title – Super Smash Bros. Strife. Could that be a reference to the inclusion of a certain spikey-haired emotional swordsman?

– Rory

Director of Resident Evil films has never actually played any of the games May 18, 2011

In a recent interview, zombie-slaying Milla Jovovich let slip that hubby Paul Anderson, the director of the Resident Evil films, has never actually played the source material that his films are based on. Instead, he watches walkthroughs performed by “professional video game players”.

“They play the games for weeks and give Paul the footage. So he’s literally watching days of the most awesome Resident Evil players out there to get inspiration for the next installment of the franchise.”

Well, that’s better than nothing I guess, and there could be a barrier here in that Anderson might not be familiar with actually playing videogames. But seriously, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s ever watched the Resident Evil films; they feel completely detached from the games, almost like a separate franchise.

– Rory

RUMOUR – Nintendo to make ‘major announcement’ this week May 10, 2011

According to Games Maya, four of the industry’s big names will be holding retail meetings this week; Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft and Sony will apparently be accompanied by ‘leaks from attending retailers’, and, in the case of Nintendo, a ‘major announcement’. The dates are as follows:

• 5/11: Sony Computer Entertainment

• 5/12: Nintendo

• 5/13: Microsoft

• 5/13: Sega

Could we finally hear something concrete about Project Café in the weeks running up to E3?

Source – Games Maya via andriasang

– Rory

Skyward Sword’s GDC trailer music holds a little surprise May 4, 2011

The Easter festivities may well be over, and the chocolate eggs all but devoured, but that hasn’t stopped Nintendo from extending their Lent loveliness for another couple of weeks; they’ve given us all another Easter Egg to feast on.

For us, The Legend of Zelda music always manages to strike home that buried sense of nostalgia with its beautiful arrangements and triumphant melodies. The Twilight Princess trailer music in particular pulled at the heartstrings, conjuring up long-buried memories of playing Ocarina of Time as a child. Skyward Sword’s GDC trailer music reminded me of that long-treasured game as well, but for a reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on, until now.

Kevin Cassidy of GoNintendo found time out in his busy blogging schedule and realised something astonishing; we’d all heard the music before. Played backwards, the trailer’s music sounds very familiar. I won’t ruin the surprise for you, but rest assured, it will send you skyward. Sorry.

– Rory