New Games and Stuff for Nintendo DS

Madden NFL 2005 and Spider-Man 2 are among the dozen video games Nintendo Co. says it plans to offer for its new DS hand-held system within a month of the product's November launch.

Nintendo said it expects about 25 games for the dual-screen player by early next year. About 120 games are in development.

The DS version of the Madden games will show 22 players on the field on one screen, with the other showing key action. People will be able to compete against each other using the system's built-in wireless capability.

EA, the world's largest game maker, also will have Tiger Woods PGA Golf Tour and The Urbz: Sims in the City, which puts characters from the Sims in an urban setting.

The DS debuts in the United States on Nov. 21 and in Japan 10 days later.

The device will come preloaded with demo version of the sci-fi shooter Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt to “whet gamer's appetites,” said Nintendo of America spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan.

Two other remakes of popular Nintendo titles that will see new life on the DS are Super Mario 64 DS and the racing game Mario Kart.

The $149.99 DS has a chat and messaging program.

Prices for the games will be in the $30 range, Kaplan said. Additionally, it can play more than 550 older Game Boy Advance games.

A handful of games already have been announced for rival Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable, including the racer Need for Speed Underground Rivals and Tiger Woods, both from EA.

The PSP arrives in the United States next year. Source (requires free sign up)

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Mattel Launches Personal Media Player

Mattel's new Juice Box media player is set to hit stores Oct. 17. The Juice Box delivers full-color video and stereo sound, MP3 music and digital photo viewing capabilities.

Arriving at retail nationwide on Oct. 17, Juice Box, a personal media player from Mattel, Inc., will feature category exclusive, full-color video content from some of today's hottest music, television and action sports personalities; play MP3 music files; and enable viewing of digital photos.

Juice Box is the first personal media player designed to meet the lifestyle and entertainment interests of today's tweens. More

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New Nintendo console analysts' choice

The PlayStation Portable is the talk of the town, after basking in the limelight at a recent game show.

But despite all the hoopla, Sony Computer Entertainment Co.'s soon-to-debut portable game console is unlikely to loosen Nintendo Co.'s grip on the global market, according to game industry analysts. They say there is no compelling reason for gamers to buy the PSP. Its rival, the Nintendo DS, they say, offers eye-opening novelty. More

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I Was A Teenage Half-Orc
D&D lives on, after all these years.

I remember exactly how it started: When I was a fifth grader, my mother encouraged me to read The Hobbit. So I did, and J. R. R. Tolkien's book filled my head with visions of wizards and warriors and dwarves and elves and goblins. A little while later, Mom drove me and a friend to a local toy store, where some guy was teaching kids to play a new game. It was called Dungeons & Dragons. More

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Gamers celebrate 30 years of D&D
Fantasy role-playing game has staying power with fans

Dungeons & Dragons players gathered in game stores around the country Saturday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the grandfather of fantasy role-playing games -- a pop culture phenomenon that has influenced myriad video games, books and movies.

An estimated 25,000 fans in 1,200 stores celebrated the anniversary Saturday, said Charles Ryan, brand manager for role-playing games at Wizards of the Coast, a Renton company that owns Dungeons & Dragons. More

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UK Charts: FIFA 2005 goes in at number one, Fable takes second place

Triumph for long-awaited RPG title as it tops the Xbox ranking in style

EA's latest update to the FIFA Football franchise has gone in at number one in the UK all-formats chart, as expected - but all eyes are on Big Blue Box' Fable, which tops the Xbox ranking and becomes the fastest-selling Xbox game ever. More

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Playboy game release pulled back

Ubisoft sends word that Playboy: The Mansion, its forthcoming management sim that puts you in the role of a virtual Hugh Hefner, has been delayed until the first few months of 2005 in order to avoid disappointment. More

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FORGOTTEN REALMS: DEMON STONE - PS2 Review

Demon Stone is a third person hack 'n' slash adventure game set in the Forgotten Realms world, Demon Stone tells the story of three warriors brought together by some unexplained mysterious force which is where the adventure begins.

After the usual hello's and who the hell are you introductions through the cut scenes, the three warriors join forces to ultimately defeat the not so nice goblins, beasts and dragons. More

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Thrustmaster Unveils Its New Gamepads for PC and PS2
The New Generation of Gamepads

If you thought there was nothing new left to discover in the world of gamepads, Thrustmaster is about to prove you wrong. The accessory specialist is proud to unveil its four latest gamepads for PC and PlayStation 2 grouped together in the exciting new Dual Trigger series.

Thrustmaster is releasing 2 new gamepads for PlayStation 2 the Advance Wireless Dual Trigger Gamepad and Wireless Dual Trigger Gamepad as well as the new Wireless Dual Trigger for PC, and the Dual Trigger 2-in-1 which is compatible with both PC and PS2. More

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Nintendo confirms DS wireless downloads, more

Having witnessed the lid blown on its bubbling saucepan of Nintendo DS announcements yesterday afternoon, Nintendo has subsequently confirmed the reports - with president Satoru Iwata telling the press about the wireless download "Game Sharing" functionality, downloadable demos, and plans for Pokémon movie integration. More

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Medal of Honor: Dogs of War Announced
Coming to a home console near you in the Spring of 2005.

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) is proud to announce Medal of Honor: Dogs of War. Slated for release in the Spring of 2005, Dogs of War is the latest game from EA's acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise which has been credited with pioneering the First Person Shooter WWII genre when it debuted in 1999. More

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Shonen Jump Teams With AOL to Offer Dragin Ball Flash Manga

VIZ and America Online Announce Alliance to Add Exclusive Content and Features to the RED Service for Teens

VIZ, LLC, one of the leading publishers and distributors of manga and anime for North American audiences, and America Online, the world’s leading interactive services company, today announced a collaboration that will give teens on AOL’s RED service access to thirteen flash manga episodes of SHONEN JUMP’S popular DRAGON BALL manga series. More

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