Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently said the iPod was the best portable device for gaming. Looks like Nintendo took offense to that. The typically tight-lipped company had a plethora of new announcements today at its simultaneous fall conferences in Japan and the U.S., not the least of which was the introduction of the Nintendo DSi, a remodled version of its DS handheld that features MP3 and camera playback.
The new model hits Japanese stores Nov. 1 but won't come out in the States until late 2009. Priced for the rough equivalent of $180, the new DS will be 12% smaller, and feature slightly larger screens, music playback with an SD card slot for storage, and two 3.0 megapixel digital cameras with the ability to edit pictures using the handheld's signature touch screen. Full compatibility with the older DS games was a given, but missing is the Game Boy Advance slot (which spells trouble for a game like Guitar Hero: On Tour, which uses the GBA slot to connect its guitar peripheral).
Recently named the top game developer in the business, Nintendo seems hellbent on proving itself after only debuting Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii Music and Wii Sports Resort at its widely-panned E3 conference this past summer. Here's a brief rundown of the top three most significant new Wii and DS game announcements:
1. Punch-Out!!: A Wii incarnation of the venerable NES and SNES classic. It's high time the Wii was treated to a high-quality boxing title (Wii Sports doesn't count), the type of game that should perfectly integrate motion controls. Punch-Out!! is due sometime in the first half of 2009. Now how about a Mario Tennis title?
2. Sin and Punishment 2: A definite surprise, but perhaps it shouldn't have been because the N64 original was the first game Nintendo took the effort to localize for the Wii's Virtual Console. Sin easily fills a niche (shooter games) Nintendo is missing on the Wii...at least until the new Star Fox hits.
3. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time: The Nintendo-only Crystal Chronicles series continues with its fourth installment, this time a sort of DS/Wii hybrid game. Many of its specifics are still unknown, but the game will allow up to four players to play on the DS and Wii at the same time (online, to boot). Sounds interesting, but what about The Crystal Bearers? Is it dead?
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