In addition to revealing a release date for the DSi XL, Nintendo had a slew of software announcements for the upcoming months, including news about some of their most-anticipated titles.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be hitting US store shelves in May, with an official release date of May 23.  That gives everyone (including me) time to finish the first one!

Metroid: Other M, of which we’ve heard very little, will be arriving on June 27.  The game will mix classic 2D gameplay with the newer, 3D first-person perspective and is something fans of the series won’t want to miss.

And there’s good news for Dragon Quest fans, as Nintendo will be publishing Dragon Quest IX in the US this summer.  This is exciting news, because that means it will only have been a year between the momentous Japanese release and having this great title stateside.  In case you were in a coma when the game was released in Japan last summer, it has sold over 4 million copies there alone, and it was questionable at first whether the US would even get a chance to see this title localized, let alone so soon!

Monster Hunter Tri releases April 20, and, as previously announced, will be sold as the game only or in a bundle with the classic controller pro.

Nintendo fans can also look forward to Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, coming June 7, along with MegaMan 10 (March 1) and Cave Story (March 22).  Super Meat Boy and And Yet It Moves and will both be coming to WiiWare, although no release dates were yet given for these titles.

[Source: Nintendo]

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Today, Nintendo finally announced when the Big Daddy of the DS family will be released in the US, along with its price.  In just a little over a month, on March 28, you can take one of these sweet “super-sized” handhelds home for only $189.99 ($20 more than the current DSi).

The DSi XL is 93% larger than the DS Lite, with screens that provide a wider viewing angle so friends and family can spy–er–join in on the fun.  The new system will be available in Bronze and Burgundy, and will be pre-loaded with Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio.

In addition to larger screens, the new handheld comes with a much larger, pen-like stylus, to make using it more ergonomic.

Also, Nintendo will be releasing a book reader of sorts for the DS, 100 Classic Books, which will include books from classic authors such as Twain, Shakespeare, and more.  The software releases June 14 for $19.99, and will enable you to alter the size of the text, create bookmarks, and download new texts via WiFi.  Perhaps Nintendo is trying to give Kindle a run for its money?

[Source: Nintendo]

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The difficulty with reviewing Zelda games is that very few people have never played one.  People who write for gaming websites of any type are particularly likely to have donned the green tights at some time in the past, and more than likely multiple times.  This means that to review a Zelda game is to have preconceptions about the series before one has even begun the game.  From my experience, there are generally three types of Zelda users:  the lovers, the haters, and the lovers turned haters.  Some didn’t appreciate the change to a cartoony Link.  Others can’t stand the adult Link from Twilight Princess.  A few weird malcontents can’t stand either.  Nevertheless, every voice cries out when a new Zelda game is announced, and fortunately for the fans, they usually shout the loudest.

When Spirit Tracks was shown at E3 earlier this year, it was met with many cries of derision.  “Link on a train?  Preposterous!  This is completely out of line with Zelda lore!” said obviously with a posh British accent.  And groans of “No more toon Link!”  I even read forum posts, much to my chagrin, of people musing on the future of Hyrulian technology, as though spiritual trains somehow herald the end of magic and the beginning of Industrial Hyrule.

I suppose the point of all this meandering is simply to point out that this is another Zelda game.  It follows many standards, introduces some fantastic new additions, and rings true to the series as a whole.  It has much in common with Phantom Hourglass, as it should because this is the DS line of Zelda games and the entire toon aesthetic just works on the platform, but also mixes things up in ways that will feel great to the opened minded.  Personally, I am an unabashed Zelda fan, and this review will make that quite obvious.  For me, the series can do no wrong.  But even were I not, the mere technical precision, the wide open world full of depth and humor, and a top-notch presentation that only Nintendo seems capable of delivering at times would make Spirit Tracks a year’s best, and certainly one of the best of the handheld games of 2009.

Link’s means of travel in Spirit Tracks is a Spirit Train.  The game opens with our young hero taking his engineering exam.  He travels to Castle Hyrule, resplendent with green gardens and quaint stone buildings as always, where everything proceeds to go terribly wrong, a grand evil looms its ugly head, and things happen much as players would expect.  If it happened any other way, I think fans might revolt.  The beauty of the Zelda formula is that its charm never loses its luster (to most of us).  Somewhere along the line it transformed from an eye-rolling acceptance to a nostalgic necessity.  Someone messes with Zelda, the dude in green tights gets mad, and the quest begins.

Central to the land, which is divided up into four elemental sectors, is the Spirit Tower.  Early in the game the Spirit Tower is broken up into four floating pieces and Link is required to chug-chug along to each of the world’s sectors to find ways to put it all back together.  The overworld is replete with places to explore, monsters to shoot cannonballs at, and rabbits to hunt (more on that later).  The train aspect does make exploration a slightly more linear affair, but in reality it isn’t as oddball as people might want to believe.  The rails are preset, and while at first I thought it would have been much more interesting to draw one’s own rails around the map, after some thought I realized the impracticality of this.  For one, preset rails cut down on exploration time immensely.  Link has the opportunity to discover new lines for completing side quests in the game.  These new lines often have new stations to venture to.  The rails act as arrows pointing directly where he needs to travel.  Players certainly don’t have to wander over to the new dungeon or cave, but are rewarded for doing so.  Preset rails are also necessary due to the nature of the map.  The advantage that Phantom Hourglass had in its overworld exploration was that everything was on water.  When travelling on water, one could pretty much expect nothing hidden under the waves unless there were a treasure map to go along with it.  If there were an island, Link could sail over and check it out.  He didn’t need to explore lots of unknown territory just to spot the land mass.  If Spirit Tracks had a “draw your own rail” mechanic, players would waste hours and hours traversing these rather large maps in an effort to stumble across the things they needed to find.  It would also make the bunny hunting mini-game insanely more difficult and quite simply not worth doing.

My point is, while the train tracks aspect of the game did feel limiting at times, it was really the only way to play it.  My only critique with that in mind is the warp gates, which were completely inadequate to fast travel.  There are three gates per sector on the overworld map.  Each gate leads to one of the other realms, but Link needs to drive to a gate from wherever he is in order to teleport.  Unfortunately, unless he happens to be right there, driving to a gate is generally not that much quicker than just driving to a destination.  The ability to travel from anywhere on the map, ala Phantom Hourglass, would have been loads more convenient.  I didn’t mind having to find all the gates, I’m always down for such discoveries, but making me travel to each one every time was just a chore.

Link’s quest takes him to five standard dungeons and the Spirit Tower itself which serves as a massive, multi-tiered dungeon (with no frustrating and unnecessary time limitations).  The dungeons are fantastic in a way that both innovates and adheres to tradition.  Many of them do bear the tired old puzzles from every other Zelda game (when will they stop forcing me to push blocks along icy paths?), but there are also new toys to play with that more than make up for old tricks.  The whip in particular is surprisingly fun both in combat and in puzzles, and I found myself enjoying a minigame for the first time in Zelda history as I swung my way around a mountain in a whip-race to the top.  The other new gadget is a whirlwind making fan that requires one to blow in the mic.  This can be slightly wearing after a time, particularly in the first few hours of play, but its novel at first and players aren’t required to use it for most of the game anyway.  My favorite addition to Spirit Tracks is the Spirit Flute.  In true Ocarina of Time tradition, Link is given an instrument to play, and this one takes the shape of six pipes that require players to blow into the DS.  The stylus is used to maneuver which pipe Link is presently blowing into, and it’s truly the most entertaining instrument to play in the series.  It feels like playing an electronic pan flute, if one can imagine that.  My only complaint was the scarcity with which it’s used.  Then again, maybe it was just right and any more would have wore on me.

It certainly would not be a Zelda game without epic boss fights, and several times while playing this game I remember thinking to myself, “these might be the best bosses in Zelda history.”  The boss of the fire temple in particular I found to be immensely fun, and the only one not completely fresh is the first in the game, which oddly enough was the one showcased at E3.  It’s fairly standard Zelda fare itself, but the others are a blast.

The other giant addition that Spirit Tracks introduces is Zelda’s constant companionship and assistance.  Anyone who has seen the trailer knows that Zelda loses her body.  She doesn’t lose her soul, which consequently finds Link and follows him around.  This is the Zelda I’ve always wanted.  After I played 2008’s Prince of Persia, I remember thinking how cool it would be if the Zelda series followed this formula of Link running around together with Zelda in a similar fashion to the Prince and Elika.  Somewhere across the ocean someone must have thought something similar because Spirit Tracks is very reminiscent of that mechanic.  In regular dungeons and on the overworld she is just a “spiritual” guide, talking to Link, giving him advice, et cetera.  However, when in the Spirit Tower she has the ability to jump into these giant suits of armor, who are invincible to all but rats and sand, and help Link mess some bad guys up.  She carries him across lava, assists him with puzzles, and cuts enemies to shreds.  Working in tandem with Zelda has a learning curve, but once mastered is one of the most satisfying aspects of the entire game.  One boss in particular requires a cooperation between the two nothing short of symbiotic.  The Zelda interaction as a whole is easily my favorite part of Spirit Tracks.  It makes Link’s quest less lonely, adds a whole batch of personality to an otherwise mute character, and the cut scenes between the two are hilarious and adorable.

Critics will scoff at a train-riding Link, and fans will play it regardless.  It’s often pointless to review a game like this because opinions are so likely to be formed before touching the thing.  But as a lifelong Zelda nut who both looked forward to Spirit Tracks and feared it would repeat some of the frustrating aspects of Phantom Hourglass, I found myself in love with everything about it.

Doin It RIGHT: - Link and Zelda together at last! - Fantastic dungeons and epic boss fights. - Great mixture of innovation and classic gameplay.	Doin It RONG: - Poor fast travel option. - Side quests can get a little tedious. - No Triforce.
FINAL SCORE: 9.5 / 10

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I’ve used the term “video game crack” to describe three games in my life: Peggle, Oblivion, and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. In 2006, I picked up Animal Crossing: Wild World on a whim, partially intrigued by my brother’s obsession with it and also desperately wanting a game to show my wife that the cash dropped on a new handheld was worth it. By the end of the summer in 2006, my family had three DS Lites, three copies of Animal Crossing: WW, and an enormous debt to a entrepreneurial raccoon. Yes, it was SO worth it.

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You are an icon, Mario.  You have adventured alongside gamers for nearly 20 years now, give or take.  We’ve taken you through dungeons, across race tracks, and even engaged in Mortal Kombat with your friends and family members.  And here we are in 2009 taking you back nearly to the start of it, barrel rolling and all.  Do you retain your luster?  Does controlling your dumpy plumber body still remain engaging and fun?  Short answer:   yes it does, you mustachioed magnificent man. 

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As Astrella reported a couple weeks ago, Nintendo is all set to start offering WiiWare demos for those of us savvy enough to be on this new-fangled internet.  With as short as most WiiWare games are, I don’t think I would have ever expected to try them out before buying.  The list of demos available thus far is fairly short, but offers up some good picks.  They also announced a new Pokémon game, and you Spawn Kill readers know how much we here love Pokémon.  Just listen to our latest podcast for a testament to that love.  Pokémon aside, hit the jump for the full demo list.

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In about a month, Nintendo will grace Zelda fans with the latest in the franchise, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the spiritual sequel to the previous DS title, Phantom Hourglass, on December 7.  However, until now, other than a few new gameplay elements (such as the train and controlling phantoms), very little has been revealed about the new handheld Zelda.

However, as if to celebrate the one month countdown to the release of Spirit Tracks, Nintendo has graced us with a new trailer that reveals that, for the first time in the 23-year history of the franchise, Zelda will be accompanying Link on his journey, helping him out of some tight situations.  In spirit form, she is able to take control of the Phantoms, allowing the player control of both Link and these colossus, enabling you to reach new areas and solve puzzles.

Hit the break for some screens and the new trailer.

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Recently, Nintendo’s CEO, Satoru Iwata, announced that WiiWare will be offering downloadable demos before the end of this month. This will include the online stores for both the Wii and DSi platforms.

Iwata realizes that the overall sales of the WiiWare games are very low while XBLA and PSN sales are very high. He believes offering demos will increase the WiiWare sales, but it may not be the ultimate solution. For now, only a small number of games will be offering a free demo. Nothing was mentioned as to if Nintendo will increase the amount of demos offered in the future.

This could be the beginning of more powerful marketing for the WiiWare store. Perhaps not enough to compete with XBLA and PSN, but it’s a start for sure.

[Source: Gamasutra]

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Last week’s update was great (Lost Winds: Winter of Melodias!) and while this week’s update may not be nearly as exciting, perhaps in some ways it is even more so.  Why?  Because Zombies Ate My Neighbors is finally available via Virtual Console.

Yes, it is a weird game, but you just don’t see stuff like that made anymore.  Back when Zombies were “real,” man.  Now I just have to wait for them to release Duck Tales.

The third episode of Tales of Monkey Island is finally available, and if you haven’t already played it on PC, you OWE it to yourself to get this version.  Trust me.

Check out a video of Zombies Ate My Neighbors and the full list of releases hitting your Little White Box today.

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The reception for Nintendo’s latest DS hardware iteration, the Nintendo DSi, has been somewhat mixed among fans. What generally  garnered praise about the hardware, however, was the increased size for the two screens. For all of its uses, the screen size on the original DS was somewhat limiting for both entertainment and control value, and the DSi aided this cause greatly.

It seems now that Nintendo is looking to increase the size even further, up to an astounding four inch (at least) diagonal size. For reference, the standard DSi has 3.25 inch screens, while the DS and DS Lite have three-inch screens.

The latest version of the DSi is expected to have all of the features of the original DSi, and to be sold in stores alongside the original DSi.

[Source: Report: Nintendo To Launch Larger-Screened DSi This Year]

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Although often out shined by its younger brother, Mario Galaxy, Mario’s first adventure on the Wii is still one of the best games the system has to offer, and one of my all-time favorite games.  While not as graphically amazing or innovative as Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario (SPM) stands out due to its great, entertaining story and enjoyable gameplay.

It starts out as so many Mario games do, with Mario and Luigi setting off to Bowser’s castle to rescue Princess Peach.  However, it isn’t long before you realize this isn’t your typical Mario plotline after all: as you all soon learn that she has actually been kidnapped by the nefarious Count Bleck, the true antagonist of the game.

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Those Europeans have all the fun!  Well, that may not always be true,  especially since our poor PAL friends often get releases far later than North America, but at least in this case they’re the ones with the last laugh.  Remember that sexy black Wii Japan got a while back?  The same one that Nintendo taunted us in the West by only releasing the controllers?  Well, it looks like Europe will be getting a limited edition black Wii bundle in just one month.

Releasing on November 6 in the UK and Ireland and November 20 for the continent, the bundle will include a black Wii console plus matching Wiimote, nunchuck, and Motionplus (with action jacket).  Also included in the package: the original WiiSports and the new WiiSports Resort.  Europe will also receive the newly redesigned black classic controller (available separately) to complete the deal, if desired.

No price has been announced yet for this bundle, and right now it looks like it will be available exclusively in Europe.  However, the fact that the black beauty is making an appearance outside its home country is encouraging that US gamers may see these in stores sooner rather than later.

[Source: Nintendo]

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Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo spoke with Popular Mechanics magazine recently about the future of Nintendo home consoles.

In the interview he said that he believes “video games [are] moving beyond simply entertainment to other aspects of everyday life.” What he means by this is that video games were originally there just to play with, but now they are becoming household items that are capable of a lot more; they are more like computers now. This makes sense since more and more people of all age groups own game systems now, especially the Wii since it appeals to a wide group of people and families.

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Pikachu is getting another spin-off, coming to Japanese retailers on December 5.  Titled Pokepark: Pikachu’s Great Adventure, the game invites you to use the different abilities of various Pokemon in order to clear various attractions, such as a sky race and water slide.

No screens have been released, nor has Nintendo made any mention of a North American release as of yet. However, the style is said to be different from previous Pokemon WiiWare releases.

North American Pokemon fans in the meantime can look forward to the upcoming DS games Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky (out today) as well as SoulSilver and HeartGold (coming early 2010).

[Source: Siliconera]

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Drill Dozer, released in 2006, captured my attention because it had an attractive cover and I found it cheaply priced in a bargain bin. Suffice it to say, Pokemon developer Game Freak’s new franchise attempt was a financial flop despite having generally positive reviews. Drill Dozer is a game that was essentially ignored by its core audience but possessed an interesting game mechanic, attractive graphics, interesting plot, and, who could forget, an included rumble feature!

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