Nintendo's Tomodachi Connection features Miis in a big way

Nintendo’s Tomodachi Connection (a kind of cross between Nintendogs and The Sims) is comfortably number one in Japan this week, selling three times as many copies as its nearest rival, with over 100,000 units shifted. Not bad for a brand new IP.

Given the long tail of Nintendo’s more mainstream-friendly output, I’d expect it to hang around the top ten for quite a while longer. Let’s hope it continues to sell, as it would certainly make a western release more likely - like labelmate Style Savvy, it’ll require a big localisation effort, but I wouldn’t bet against this arriving in the west at some point in 2010.

Elsewhere, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days creeps towards half a million sales, while Level 5 continues to have success with its increasing range of puzzle games - though Sloane and McHale is no Layton, it looks like it could well have legs. Meanwhile, Miles Edgeworth hangs on in there, making it a good week for Capcom, with two further entries in the top ten on PSP, including the imperious Monster Hunter Portable 2 G. Sad to see Platinum Games’ Infinite Space plummet from top spot to number 18 - hopefully this won’t deter Sega from bringing it to the west, even though there’s no sniff of a launch date over here.

The full top ten follows…

01./00. [NDS] Tomodachi Collection (Friend Collection) (Nintendo) - 102,000 / NEW
02./00. [PSP] Fate/Unlimited Codes Portable (Capcom) - 34,000 / NEW
03./02. [NDS] Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (Square Enix) - 27,000 / 457,000
04./03. [NDS] Sloane and MacHale’s Mysterious Story (Level 5) - 15,000 / 144,000
05./06. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2 G (BEST) (Capcom) - 14,000 / 749,000
06./04. [NDS] Gyakuten Kenji (Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth) (Capcom) - 11,000 / 244,000
07./00. [NDS] Akira Tago’s Mind Exercises (Atama no Taisou) Vol. 1: Puzzle Solving Journey Around the World (Level 5) - 10,000 / NEW
08./08. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 10,000 / 3,463,000
09./05. [PS3] Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Empires (Koei) - 9,000 / 125,000
10./18. [NDS] Pokemon Platinum (Pokemon Co.) - 7,000 / 2,447,000

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(Let’s unwrap. Future unwrapping game.)

So I bought the EU version of Let’s Tap today, which might just be the most fun I’ve ever had opening a videogame before. And yes, I know I should probably get out more. Anyway, it starts with an almost-but-not-quite-A4-sized box like this.

Slide the lovely, colourful slipcase off and you get this…

…one of the tap boxes required to control the game (in case you don’t know, you control Let’s Tap by resting the Wii remote upside down on one of these and tap the box, with the vibrations registered as control inputs). Open that up and you get…

…another tap box! And finally, inside that box…

…you get a cardboard insert keeping the game itself all warm and snug. Aww. It’s like a solo game of pass-the-parcel.

Anyway, fantastic stuff, and almost worth buying Let’s Tap for alone, especially at the rather bargainous RRP of £24.99 (though a quick shuftie online should net you the game for over a fiver less). As you may recall, I rather enjoyed the Japanese version of Let’s Tap, and am looking forward to reacquainting myself with this altogether unique Wii game.

There’s an additional surprise, too. If you have save data for Prope’s WiiWare title Let’s Catch (which launched on the service yesterday for 1000 points) you can unlock bonuses for three of Let’s Tap’s five main game modes.

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The Wii Vitality Sensor could have more uses than you realise

Okay, perhaps ‘brilliant’ is pushing it. But Satoru Iwata’s surprise E3 peripheral doesn’t deserve its overwhelmingly negative post-E3 buzz.

Of course, it’s not intended as a traditional game application - Iwata spoke once again of the need to expand the gaming audience further, inviting new players to the fold. With the Wii increasingly being used in health research, this seems to be the logical next step.

I’ve been speaking to Tim Goodchild, who is a senior lecturer at University Campus, Suffolk, who agrees that despite something of a half-hearted introduction by Iwata - what, no software, Satoru? - it could be the next big thing for Wii.

“[there's] a general keeness on the part of healthcare and academia to support simple human computer interfaces and use current tech to support lifestyle. There is an huge amount of money being put forward to fund research into lifestyle and tech solutions - for example we are putting together a bid for to explore encouraging children to walk and measure how far they walk and link this to a virtual reward system/game.”

It’s obviously not too much of a stretch to think how Nintendo could use this sort of approach - indeed, with current DS title Walk With Me, it’s already exploring the idea of offering virtual rewards for physical activities, while the forthcoming Japanese versions of Pokémon Silver and Gold will come with a Pokéball-themed pedometer which allows players to level up their ‘Mon by running around.

So can the Wii market be expanded even further by positioning it as a genuinely useful healthcare tool? Goodchild certainly thinks so. “If you consider how popular Wii Fit is and the feeling from people that gaming may actually improve their lives, and then link in biometric readings, you have an actual ‘Wii Care’ system,” he explains, sorely tempting me to register said name. “By this I mean healthcare providers can monitor an individual as they try and improve their lifestyle by fun games, which we know are effective, and better their health - this could lead to health education/promotion programmes being linked to Wii.”

“This is a massive area,” Goodchild continues. “From cancer care to post surgery to coronary care - and especialy elderly care - these all require programmes to support individuals in recovery and maintenance. Also, the fact that we can monitor people through the vitality sensor makes this simple evidence-based research, and therefore has huge potential for further development.”

Ah, but what of more traditional game applications? Well, obviously there’s the possibility of relaxation improving in-game performance - the lower your pulse, the faster you run or the higher you fly - but I can definitely see some ideas in games which purposely try to raise your heart rate. Think of how effective the forthcoming Ju-On game could be if you were rewarded for how calm you remained during the scariest bits? Or a game which featured a lie detector test where you have to remain cool and collected in the face of interrogation? Or a stock-market sim like Capcom’s Kabu Trader Shun where you have to keep your pulse low while rapidly buying and selling in the pressure-cooker environment of the trading floor? And assuming the peripheral is a success, then a Wario Ware game where you have to regulate your pulse to prevent the games from reaching impossible speeds surely wouldn’t be too far off.

So while its primary uses would almost certainly be for non-gaming applications, perhaps the Wii Vitality Sensor shouldn’t be written off just yet. It’s a big ask, but if Nintendo can find the right piece of software to bundle with it, there’s no reason this can’t be the next Wii Fit.

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Struggling with that pixel-perfect leap? Help is at hand...

It’s been mooted for a while, but Nintendo has finally confirmed it will be introducing a new help system to assist gamers when they’re stuck on a particularly difficult bit.

Rather than video-based hints or walkthroughs or a DVD-style chapter-skip, however, players will simply be able to pause the action and select an option which sees the game play itself - completing any tough sections and allowing the player to regain control at any time thereafter.

This generation, Nintendo’s mantra has been all about reducing the barriers of entry for non-gamers and less experienced players, and so this is a sensible and logical next step. And as the tentatively-named “demo play” is merely optional, it’s only the weak-willed whose play experience is going to suffer.

The feature will be introduced in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and will likely be used in all future first-party titles. Should Galaxy 2 have any challenges rivalling Luigi’s Purple Coins in the difficulty stakes, temptation might just be too great for me to resist pressing pause for a computer-controlled leg-up.

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An inflatable Yoshi and a drill bit - will Galaxy 2 have more puzzle-orientated stages?

Wired.com’s excellent Game | Life blog features a fascinating interview as Chris Kohler talks to Shigeru Miyamoto about Nintendo’s forthcoming software and its rivals’ ventures into motion-control territory.

Apparently, Mario Galaxy 2 came about because the development team had so many unused ideas left over that a straight sequel simply made sense - Miyamoto points to Mario’s new drill item as something which could potentially have a dramatic impact upon gameplay, while it seems Yoshi will also play a major part in differentiating the sequel from its wonderful predecessor.

He also suggests that Galaxy 2 will not feature as significant a story as the original, stating that plot is less important a consideration for a game as action-orientated as Mario games traditionally are, and more key for the Zelda series. Talking of which, he reveals that the Zelda announcement wasn’t made on stage at E3 for two reasons - one, he’s not keen on the industry’s habit of talking about games long before their release; and two, “we thought it was just more valuable to continue have the team focus their energies on creating what will be a very entertaining gameplay system, rather than have them waste their energies creating a trailer to announce a game at E3 very far in advance.”

While elsewhere it has been suggested that Miyamoto was privately impressed with what he saw of Project Natal, he hints to Kohler that he feels the controller-free approach isn’t necessarily the right way forward, talking of how important feedback from the remote - from the speaker and the rumble - is to enhancing immersion. He also talks of the “precision” of Wii MotionPlus - and accuracy is no doubt going to be one of Nintendo’s watchwords as Natal’s release approaches. “Looking at what the other companies have shown here at E3, it feels like they have finally obtained the very basic technology for doing motion control, but perhaps they still have to learn how to use that and take advantage of it in an interactive experience,” Miyamoto adds.

He also discusses New Super Mario Bros. Wii and the troubles facing the Japanese games industry. But I’ve pilfered enough highlights from Kohler’s excellent Q+A for now - to read more (and you really should), click here.

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The DS remains buoyant, despite choppy economic waters

The games industry continues to suffer in the face of the global recession, with all consoles bar DS significantly down on 2008’s figures.

No doubt buoyed by the recent release of the DSi, Nintendo’s handheld was comfortably on top, selling 633,000 units, more than twice as many as the Wii in second place on 289,000. Wii was still comfortably ahead of the 360 and PS3 (on 175,000 and 131,000 respectively), but Nintendo will still be concerned at the year-on-year drop.

In software, UFC ruled the roost, but Electronic Arts will undoubtedly be pleased with the sales of their Wii Fit rival EA Sports Active, which was the third-biggest seller of the month, just a few thousand short of Nintendo’s evergreen effort. Elsewhere, Punch-Out!! performed much better Stateside than in Europe, reaching seventh place with a little over 150,000 copies sold. Not up there with the likes of Mario Kart and Smash Bros, but still decent for what is considered a more hardcore-friendly title.

Below is the full rundown…

Hardware
DS = 633.5K
Wii = 289.5K
360 = 175K
PS3 = 131K
PS2 = 117K
PSP = 100.4K

Top 10 Software
1. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED - 360 - 679.6K
2. Wii FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD - Wii - 352.8K
3. EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE - Wii - 345.8K
4. UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED - PS3 - 334.4K
5. INFAMOUS - PS3 - 175.9K
6. POKEMON PLATINUM - DS - 168.9K
7. MARIO KART W/ WHEEL - Wii - 158.3K
8. PUNCH OUT!! - Wii - 156.9K
9. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE UNCAGED ED - 360 - 120.7K
10. Wii PLAY W/ REMOTE - Wii - 109.8K

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New Super Mario Bros. Wii is currently getting rave previews

After a conference that all but alienated core gamers last year, E3 2009 was a much more exciting one for Nintendo’s loyal fans. A series of core-focused announcements - admittedly almost entirely concentrated on established franchises - made for a more interesting conference, though a rather aloof and curiously flat presentation sucked a little bit of the life out of some of the major reveals. Not helped by an oddly muted audience - compare and contrast with the whooping and hollering at Sony’s briefing two hours later - the likes of New Super Mario Bros. Wii were greeted with silent interest rather than wide-eyed excitement, while even Super Mario Galaxy 2 got a polite rather than rapturous reception. It wasn’t until the ‘wow, really?’ surprise of a new Metroid from Team Ninja that the attendees finally started cheering and clapping to any significant degree.

Yet take Cammie, Reggie and Iwata out of the equation, and the line-up of games shown was pretty impressive. Two brand new Mario games on Wii, both of which look great, and both of which will be here before mid-2010 (Miyamoto confirming that Galaxy might be a Christmas 2009 release were it not for NSMB Wii). A thrillingly different take on a popular franchise in Metroid: Other M. What look to be two vastly improved sequels to two of the console’s biggest games in Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus - both offering more to core gamers than their predecessors. And plenty of interesting DS titles - WarioWare DIY could well be the handheld’s LittleBigPlanet, while Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is a welcome return for one of Nintendo’s most unfairly underappreciated franchises. Golden Sun DS was arguably the most warmly-received announcement for the handheld, and we got a brief reminder that we’re getting another portable Zelda by the end of the year. Then there’s Flip Notes Studio - the DSi killer-app you don’t know you want yet. Believe me when I say it’s one of the most significant pieces of software Nintendo announced at the show - the non-game formerly known as Moving Memo is a masterful app which will give creative types hours upon hours of fun.

Endless Ocean 2 - sharks and crocs add a dose of danger

But E3 is about more than just the conferences, and it was interesting to note what Nintendo didn’t show, with plenty of assets on the company’s press site for games which the big N chose not to reveal. On DS alone, we had role-player Glory of Heracles, Picross 3D (née Rittai Picross), The Legendary Starfy and - why didn’t they mention this? - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. The latter’s predecessor might not have been the unbridled success in the US that it was in Europe and Japan, but ignoring Layton completely is still a bit of a baffler. Then on Wii, we have - hurrah! - Endless Ocean 2, Sin and Punishment 2 (sadly pushed back to early 2010, but looking tremendous on the show floor) and a triumvirate of games about which little is known. Monado: The Beginning of the World is an RPG from Baten Kaitos creator Monolith, looking not unlike Final Fantasy XII, while Artoon’s Span Smasher is a platformer-cum-pinball game as you swat a rotund hero about the screen, obliterating barriers for points. Meanwhile Line Attack Heroes is apparently a  ‘fast-paced melee action game’ for up to four players. A few shots and a brief press sheet suggests that the games aren’t high on Nintendo’s priority list, and while both could be fun, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see them sneak out at a budget price.

Taking third-party titles out of the equation for the time being - I’ll be analysing the line-up for DS and Wii in more detail very soon - Nintendo has plenty of interesting titles coming out over the next year or so. The non-appearance of Pikmin 3 and franchise favourites like F-Zero and Starfox was a little disappointing - and we’re still waiting for some really groundbreaking new IP that I’m sure Nintendo is more than capable of - but overall, us Wii and DS owners have much to look forward to.

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The game's Power Cruising mode looks to have a couple of variations.

A little unenthused about Wii Sports Resort after Nintendo’s lacklustre onstage presentation at E3? This here video could well change your mind.

If you can cope with the frequent pauses (it seems Nintendo of Japan hasn’t quite got the hang of how to make a video buffer effectively), then you’ll see a game with much more to it than the original - a fact which was hardly made clear by the game’s E3 showing. Twelve events, some of which appear to have multiple modes, and from the looks of things there are certain individual challenges (that basketball clip near the end as some sort of certificate is awarded is surely evidence of that).

I’m also really keen on the resort hub. While Wii Sports was fun, the events felt disconnected. There’s much more charm to an island environment filled with Miis, and I’m hoping that during the aeroplane sections you’ll be able to swoop down and see characters from your Mii Plaza duking it out with swords, shooting hoops, or wakeboarding in the surf.

The clip instantly shot the game to the very top of my wanted list for this year, and the thrilling news that I’ll likely be getting my hands on it in three weeks (when the Japanese version launches) has me very excited indeed.

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Nintendo of Japan has been busy trying to arrest sliding Wii sales in Japan by announcing the release of a new black-coloured version of its slightly-less-popular-than-it-used-to-be console.

Launching in Japan on 1st August, there will also be a special Monster Hunter Tri bundle featuring the new console, the game and a black Classic Controller Pro. Which will undoubtedly be HUGE.

A new red DSi will be released on 11th July, while Nintendo has also launched the official site for Wii Sports Resort, which eastern gamers are getting a month early - it arrives in Japan in just three weeks (25th June for those whose maths isn’t too hot). The site’s a little sparse at the moment, but you can get a glimpse of the (excellent) box art.

Finally, it seems that Chibi-Robo will be making a handheld return, with a new DS game set for release on 23rd July.

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