If flinging turds at island invaders hasn’t helped you get out your pent up aggressions, help is on the way. Soon you will be able to use a spiky catapult to fling cows at angry Englishmen in flimsy wooden huts, all on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. This is thanks to the popular physics puzzler, Monty Python Cow Tossing.
The game seems to be loosely based on the popular Angry Birds, but it has several additional features. For example, there are Holy Grail and other power-ups on each of the 80 levels of the game. You can also purchase upgrades for your catapult and use different types of animals for throwing, including the African swallow.
Monty Python Cow Tossing will be available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and select mobile handsets in the next few weeks. No price has yet been released.
GameStop may think that people still like boxes, but that’s not stopping the company from diving into the digital distribution realm. It bought up Flash game purveyor Kongregate last summer and now that anty acquisition just dropped a big egg on Android with the launch of Kongregate Arcade. It’s basically a separate mobile app store from the Android Market, but with a few important differences. Biggest is that these games, numbering over 300, are all free and are all Flash-based. This is said to “solve the game discovery problem” by popping out of the Market but certainly won’t do much to solve revenue problems for devs working on premium mobile games. Of course to get all the games you’ll still need to find this app, but it’s there. Right now. We checked.
Are you interested in and capable of developing “complex, integrated iPhone/iPad applications”? Crytek will want to hear from you, then, as the author of the CryEngine has this week advertised its intention to leap into the Apple orchard known as iOS via a job posting. Sadly, there’s no direct mention of a mobile version of Crysis, though given the limited range of Crytek’s activities, the company is clearly looking to develop either an iOS game or a game companion app. Aside from the job requirements, the “preferences” section is also illuminating as it lists Android and Windows Mobile development expertise — potentially suggesting that whatever developer leads the iOS charge might then transition to bringing Crytek’s goods to the other major mobile platforms. Hey, if the Unreal Engine can be crammed inside an iPhone, why not the CryEngine?
We can’t imagine how this might have slipped your attention, but LG and Motorola used this year’s CES to roll out the smartphone world’s first dual-core devices in the shape of the Atrix 4G and Optimus 2X. Both are built around NVIDIA’s 1GHz Tegra 2 chip, which has been the most popular thing out here in Vegas after the free food and shuttle rides (Moto even has the Droid Bionic, a 4.3-incher bound for Verizon, using it). But what does that extra core matter to you? Well, aside from facilitating 1080p video playback on both phones, it does make them quite formidable mobile gaming stations. NVIDIA took the time to show us a couple of games being handled with ease by the 2X and Atrix before noting that it isn’t leaving it entirely up to Google to provide the compelling content for its hardware. Gaming is, after all, close to the GeForce maker’s heart, and we were told that NVIDIA is working closely with developers to help them exploit the added firepower of Tegra 2 so as to deliver prettier, shinier things on screen. We were also informed of the introduction of a Tegra Zone, an Android app designed to serve as a showcase of Tegra partners’ wares, whether they be video or gaming content, though you shouldn’t fear the specter of fragmentation here — it’s not a separate app store, any purchases will be directed through the Android Market. Anyhow, enough talking, there’s video to be watched after the break.
With Black Friday just around the corner, and plenty of deals and exclusives beginning to pop up here and there, Nintendo is looking to spice things up with a pair of brand new colored DSi portable gaming consoles. The new consoles are a Black Friday exclusive, and they’re being announced by Nintendo directly, which means the new mobile consoles should be arriving in plenty of retail locations.
While the video game retail locations are probably safe bet, as are the larger electronics retailers out there, Sears will also have the new consoles in stock by the time Black Friday rolls around. The orange DSi, along with the green one, will retail for $150, and it includes one free title: Mario Party DS. So if you’ve been waiting to get your hands on a uniquely colored DSi, just wait a couple more days, and your dream could come true.
Press Release
NINTENDO ADDS COLOR TO BLACK FRIDAY WITH ORANGE, GREEN NINTENDO DSI BUNDLES
Nov. 22, 2010
Nintendo is giving Black Friday a splash of color with two new bundles for its hot-selling Nintendo DSi™ system. For the first time, shoppers can choose an orange or green system, which will be bundled with the Mario Party™ DS game. The new colors go on sale on Nov. 26 and will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of $149.99.
These new colors join Nintendo’s other great value bundles for the holidays that are being released in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Super Mario Bros.™ game on the NES™. These include the limited-edition red Nintendo DSi XL™ bundle, which features a red Nintendo DSi XL system with three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics, the Mario Kart™ DS game, and preloaded software titles including Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock at a suggested retail price of $179.99. In addition to those preloaded titles, each Nintendo DSi system comes preloaded with Flipnote Studio™, which lets users create, upload and share their own fun animations.
Nintendo is also offering the limited-edition red Wii™ hardware that includes a new red Wii Remote™ Plus controller, a red Nunchuk™ controller, and games New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and Wii Sports™ at a suggested retail price of $199.99.
Through the end of October, Nintendo has sold more than 43 million systems in the Nintendo DS™ family in the United States alone, according to the independent NPD Group.
For more information about Nintendo DSi, visit http://www.nintendodsi.com.
While, traditionally, leaks of major cell phones, or smartphones, are marred by images taken by one “Mr. Blurrycam,” it looks like that individual may have finally stumbled into another market. Here, supposedly, are the first images of what VG247 is calling the PSP2. And, as we can see from the images, there aren’t a lot of details to be really seen, but we definitely can’t deny those pair of thumbsticks there.
From what we can tell in the images, one of the front (above) and one of the rear (below), the PSP2 will indeed be a slider device, and it will obviously still feature the same PlayStation-famous layout of buttons. But, what’s different, is the addition of another thumbstick, right there on the right side of the device. This is what most users of the original PSP models wanted: a second thumbstick. We can also see the trackpad on the back of the device, a front-facing camera, and a microphone.
But, there’s supposedly already been a few changes made. A few, but big ones. According to an update, it looks like Sony has already scrapped this idea, model design for the PSP2, and decided to go with something other than a sliding form factor, to better help with overheating issues. What’s odd, though, is that this “development kit” doesn’t feature the same segmented D-pad that the PlayStation has been so famous for using over the years. It could be just that it was an early model, and that part didn’t get added yet, but it seems suspicious to us. Either way, it looks like Sony has already moved on to something else, so let’s start getting ready for the next leak, shall we?
Even if Apple has become a major name in mobile gaming, with the likes of the iPod Touch and iPhone hosting some of the most addictive casual games available on the market, there’s still the gamers out there who want nothing more than to have some physical buttons to control their favorite games. The Tactile+Plus Stickers hope to alleviate that situation, and they do it in just about the easiest way we’ve ever seen.
Straight out of Japan, the Tactile+Plus Stickers are exactly what they sound like. You simply put the stickers over where the digital joystick and buttons are, and then you have something to touch while you interact with them. While some may think that the stickers would prevent your touch from interacting with the display, apparently the stickers don’t actually affect that at all. So, you should be able to use them without any worry.
They may not be as good as a physical joystick to actually touch and manipulate, but at least it’s something that’s easily installed, and just as easy to remove. And, considering the price tag of only $7.80, it may not be all that bad to just try it out.
It was early September when Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment President, blamed the pricing of the PSP Go for the abysmal sales of the device. While there were plenty of other factors in his reasoning, like the limited number of games available for download, it looks like pricing may indeed be the real reason why the PSP Go didn’t take off. But, a new leak from an unnamed tipster suggests that Sony is getting ready to drop the price of the mobile gaming platform, and it could happen as soon as Friday.
With no formal announcement to speak of, the leaked image is all we have to go on. According to the tipster, who works at an AAFES-based store that sells video games, the PSP Go is set for a $50 price drop, beginning October 15th. Given the current price points of existing Nintendo DS-based handheld consoles, and even the price of the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, is giving the PSP Go a $200 price tag going to be enough to stimulate sales? What do you think?
Matt Thompson, General Manager for developer and platform evangelism for Microsoft, spoke at the GigaOm Mobilize conference in San Francisco today, and during that speech, he provided the insight as to why he believes Microsoft’s upcoming mobile Operating System, Windows Phone 7, would excel amidst the competition. That one feature, which will push them ahead of the pack, is the integration the platform has with Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE service.
While other companies are simply trying to break into the gaming market, Microsoft’s presence has been felt there for quite some time, and now they’re trying to put that same experience right on your mobile device. While Apple’s Game Center brings players together, Thompson believes that LIVE integration will be the “hook” that brings new customers into the fold, as well as draw the attention of all those Xbox LIVE players out there. The ability to play 2D and 3D games from your device, and continue to play (some of) them right on your console is a novel feature, as well as being able to take your Xbox LIVE Avatar with you everywhere you go.
But, there’s also going to be other games, like the ridiculously popular Farmville, from Zynga. Will the integration with Microsoft’s prodigal online feature be enough to make Windows Phone 7 the most popular name on the block? Or will the combination of all the other features, or lack thereof, make it impossible for Microsoft to jump ahead? Looks like we’ll be finding out soon enough.
If you hadn’t heard, the Nintendo 3DS got an official release date of February 26th in Japan, and it’s going to cost quite a bit. As soon as the announcement broke, revealing the price, gamers in Japan immediately began saving, even if they weren’t consciously aware of it. But now, it looks like there may be something else to buy between then and now: the Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary DSi LL edition. Which means the Wii isn’t getting all the anniversary love.
The brand new Nintendo Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary DSi LL edition was announced last night, but Nintendo officially unveiled an image of the mobile gaming console today. And, just as we should have expected, it’s a bright red version, featuring images from the game right on the front. The DSi LL features the three graphics on the front, while an even more special Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary DSi also broke cover, which is red too, and featuring a little Mario jumping over the camera.
If you’re in Japan, then you’re in luck. The DSi LL (pictured above) will be made available on October 28th, and cost about 18,000 yen (or about $215). The smaller DSi will be available on the same day, cost 14,800 yen ($177), and be available for purchase from 7-Elevens, or its online retailer. You can see the special edition DSi in the gallery below.
