Last week’s big news was the official announcement from Nintendo that they would be releasing a new DS on November 1. The Nintendo DSi will be thinner, have bigger screens, 2 built-in cameras, MP3 player, web browser, and an SD card slot. More signifcantly though, is the DS Store that will launch with the DSi. You will now be able to download games directly to your DS via a WiFI connection using Nintendo points and save it via the SD card slot or increased on-board memory.
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October 6, 2008 / Games, Nintendo DS, Wii
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Apparently, some people preferred the first part of the Animal March Puppet Show over the part 2. So here it is. I couldn’t understand some of the dialogue, but you’ll get it anyway. And it was quite long, so I didn’t spend too much time on it. So, here it is!
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I’ve been away from Miro for several days; this week’s been pretty busy. So when I went online with Miro, lo and behold a nice truckload of new videos were awaiting my perusal. And among them, were some very creative and interesting game trailers, courtesy of GameTrailers.com. Read the rest of this entry »
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Consider this: would you rather execute a Force Push with B (XBox360) or Triangle (PS3) or would you rather just literally push your enemy? That’s exactly what the Wii version empowers you to do. And if that’s what gets your Star Wars fantasies excited, the Wii version is for you. I just got my copy of TFU for the Wii from Play-Asia, and it plays great!
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I’m still waiting for my copy of The Force Unleashed to arrive. Meanwhile, I found some rather insteresting stuff like this old preview of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Wii by Australian Gamer.
Another thing worth mentioning is that I found out today that unlike the PS3 and XBox versions, the Wii version will have a duel mode. I’m gonna have some fun slicing someone I know. Hehe. Aside from that Wii also gets a few more levels. Yes! On the other hand if you have a PS3 or XBox 360, you get great graphics and…<cough! crappy controls! cough!> and…great graphics!:D Seriously though, you get to have Digital Molecular Matter and Havoc which means…yep, you get great graphics!:)If you want a bit more of an overview of what each system’s differences are, from the Sony PS3 down to the Nintendo DS, you can check out this Behind-the-Scenes video I found a couple of months ago:
You could continue watching with this part 2 of the Behind-The-Scenes look into Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. This time around, it details the “Force Wrecking Ball” as well as the characters that surround and shape the Secret Apprentice:
This Star Wars Force Unleashed Wikipedia article talks about the characters of the game, the game engine, and most other aspects of the development of the game. If your interested about some more insider details on the Wii version of the game though, this hands-on Interview with the developer of Wii version, Krome studies will be right up your alley.
Lastly, if you’re like me, you can’t wait to read up more about the story of The Force Unleashed. Basically, it happens between Star Wars Episode III and IV and details many of the important events that transpired during that time, including the establishment of the Rebel Alliance. If you want more details on the story, check out this wiki on Galen Marek from Wookiepedia.
If you haven’t already bought one, order online now through Play-Asia. But if you’re not yet totally convinced about the Wii version, check out our previous post on the Wii Version Producer Walkthrough.
Enjoy!
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September 12, 2008 / Games, Photography
Geekmadness has now moved to its own private server! What does this mean? Well, for one we can have more control over how the blog shows up, and we can put in more stuff like different plugins and themes. It’s all about improving the audience’s experience. In celebration of our server shift, we have TWO awesome posts, instead of the usual once in a month, hehe. I really need to post more often…anyway, just read on!
LucasArts is once again giving us a treat with a new game from the Star Wars franchise. This time though, you’ll be able to wield a really powerful Sith/Jedi. As opposed to the wimpy neophyte Kyle Katarn in Jedi Knight, the improved but still a bit weak Kyle Katarn in Jedi Knight II, or even any of the Jedis you’ve played it from Jedy Academy up to the present, none will be able to compare to Vader’s secret apprentice (although the jury’s still out if he’s stronger than the pre-Episode-3-mutilation-Anakin; we think he is). And what better way to wield all these force than none other than…wielding them. Forget about mashing buttons and thumb-dexterity, you’ll be swinging your Wiimote as if it were a real lightsaber, and force-pushing your opponents THROUGH WALLS quite literally with your nunchuck. Seeing is believing, so you better just watch the video yourself. (Note: for those of you who are behind a proxy, and YouTube is blocked, here’s the link to the GameTrailers video)
Alternatively, you could go to Miro Guide and search for “gametrailers wii” and add the GameTrailers Wii channel and look for the video through Miro. If you have no idea what I just said, read up on our introduction to Miro
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed comes out this Tuesday, September 16 so be sure to head on over to your local game retailer or order online now through Play-Asia. Play Asia offers free delivery to most Asian countries. So if you’re stuck with a US Wii in Japan, you no longer have to contend with the exorbitant import prices. If you don’t have a Wii, you should get one. But if you’re content of pushing buttons, Force Unleashed is also available for Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, and the DS.
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June 24, 2008 / Games, Tutorials and Guides, Ubuntu, Wine
Are you one of those people who would almost like to switch over to Ubuntu but just couldn’t because you don’t quite like great open source games such as Glest, Sauerbraten and Tremulous? In today’s post, here’s one more reason for you to do so: Now you can play Warcraft III, Frozen Throne, and also Defense of the Ancients, or more commonly known as DOTA! Ok, so that’s 3 reasons…but since DOTA is just a custom map for Frozen Throne maybe 2 and a half…anyway…let’s get started. Read the rest of this entry » -
November 4, 2007 / Lifestyle, Nintendo DS, Tech Stuff, Tools
I recently had to go to Japan, and as as consequence forego the luxuries of having my meals cooked for me, which meant that I had to eat out for all my meals, which isn’t exactly cheap here, or learn to cook. And I had no experience with the latter. Ok, maybe I know how to boil an egg and fry some bacon. For those of you with the same opportunity that I have, Shaberu DS Oryouri Nabi (しゃべる DS お料理ナビ) comes to our rescue. Armed with a knife, a pot, and my DS in one hand (Ok, maybe not. You’ll find out why), I set out to try if I can really learn how to cook with this software.
“Shaberu” has a total of 200 dishes, ranging from snacks to complete meals, Western or Oriental, and can even be filtered of ingredients you have to avoid, say, due to allergy or your doctor’s advice. And among the different dishes, Shaberu offers you different ways to search for a recipe. Of course, you have the basic option to browse the entire list, but you can also specify what ingredients you have, by set menus, keyword search, or by filters. 
Personally, I found the filter feature useful; I filtered for dishes that were easy to prepare and can be done in 10 minutes, but you can filter it for other criteria like calories as well. I decided I wanted seafood and picking one from the results, chose Clams Steamed In Wine.There are 3 basic steps to do when cooking:
Prepare the ingredients and tools
In this step, you can choose how many people you’re cooking for, which automatically adjusts the shown amount of ingredients you will need. And you can also check off items you already have, like in a checklist, and Shaberu saves this data so when you turn on your Shaberu the next time you’re in the groceries, you’ll know exactly what to buy. Shaberu also tells you what tools are needed.Go over the cooking process
Of course, before any cooking actually begins, you have to make sure you’re ready by reviewing each step of the cooking process, from preparation to finishing touches. You can of course skip this part if you wish.Guided cooking
Here’s where the real fun begins, and where Shaberu, as well as the capabilities of the DS, shines. First of all, Shaberu means to chat in Japanese. Naturally, you can’t be holding your DS in one hand will you’re holding your pan and vigorously stirring with your spatula! Shaberu talks you through the dish so you don’t need to hold it. Just place it somewhere in the kitchen, preferably on a location where you won’t accidentally cook your DS, and listen to the instructions while you cook.Although you can set the speed of the synthesized voice, for inexperienced cooks like me, I need a way to sort of pause it without having to touch my DS (specially not my touch screen) with my potentially dirty-from-handling-raw-food hands. Here’s where Shaberu’s show-stealer function comes in. Like I said, Shaberu means to chat, and chatting is a two-way thing. Using the DS’s mic, you talk to your DS to tell it to go to the next step, go back a step, repeat the step, and even to ask it for more details (Err, so how exactly do I clean these clams?). Of course, you can still navigate it with the touch screen if you so wish.
After cooking the dish, Shaberu confirms if you were abe to successfully make it and celebrates with you with confetti while showing you how your dish should turn out. It also takes note of the dish that you cooked in its calendar, so you have a record of the dishes you’ve made so far.Ok, now onto the Cons. As you might have probably guessed, Shaberu is a Japanese title. Naturally, it speaks Japanese and you can’t change languages. And even though Shaberu uses simple language, unless you’re well-versed in Japanese kitchen and food terms, or you have another DS running Rakubiki Jiten, you’re gonna have a bit of difficulty following the steps.
Overall, Shaberu makes full use of the multimedia capabilities of the DS to deliver a really effective cooking guide for both beginners and intermediate cooks alike. For expert cooks, I suggest going for the sequel of Shaberu, where you’ll be instructed by no less than 7 hotel chefs.
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July 26, 2007 / Lifestyle, Nintendo DS, Tech Stuff
I found this cute little Speaker Cube from Eiden, an electronics store in Japan, for Y2,980. It’s small and fits right in my palm (ok maybe a bit bigger). You turn it on via the top power button. It’s powered by USB, but you can also put in 4AA batteries. It can connect to any device with an audio jack, say your laptop or your Nintendo DS. 
However, I have to loosen the plug on my DS for it sound properly as in the picture. But I think this is more of a problem with the plug than anything else. Works perfectly on my laptop though. Also, the 2W stereo speakers don’t give enough oomph. It’s perfect when you just need decent, portable speakers. If you don’t have a laptop or PC nearby, you can also buy a wallplug to USB converter, perfect for plugging in your DS USB charger, and of course the speaker cube. With Wallplug USB, Nintendo DS, and Os Speaker @cube, you can take your music anywhere for picnics, hanging out, or other such social gathering.
[Edit] I later found out that it plugs fine on my Nintendo DS. The problem, actually, was that I didn’t plug it all the way in at the back of the speaker cube, nevertheless it still sounded fine on my laptop where I first tested it so I didn’t notice. Stupid!
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April 13, 2007 / Lifestyle, Nintendo DS
Sony may have taken the crown from Nintendo with their PlayStation consoles, when Megaman and the Final Fantasy series jumped platforms. But Nintendo, seeing that outflanking is better than outgunning, is once again trying to prove that they’re king with the Wii and DS in terms of unique gameplay. Nunchucks, touchscreens, and and a wide variety of applications seem to have done just that.
But Nintendo did more than just that with the DS. This time, pervasiveness is another thing they brought to the table.
People are bringing their DS along with them everywhere–on the bus, FX, taxis, trains, the bathroom, the office, you name it! A quick look in the “Where do you play your GBA/DS/Micro” thread in www.pinoy-n.com will tell you other places people have taken their DS to. And I’m sure you would too.
This is all thanks to the wide variety of games and applications available for the DS. While you can definitely play your favorite games anywhere (you should definitely try shouting “Objection” with Phoenix Wright, blowing DS with Mario Kart’s Balloon Battle Mode, or training your Nintendogs inside the train, although ambient noise can give the DS some difficulty with voice recognition), the DS deserves recognition for everything else not gaming as well.
Like when you’re out at Starbucks, sipping your favorite cup of coffee, reading that new book you’ve got. But wait, it’s a Japanese book, and you’re not Japanese. No need to buy those expensive Casio dictionaries, just run Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten and you’re set. Expecting another boring commute? Don’t bother bringing out your mp4-capable phone with its teensie-weensie screen, just load up your memory card with your favorite movie and sit back. Jogging in the park? Plug in your earphones, rev up the mp3 player, and play music with Moonshell. There’s even an iPod-looking mp3 player called Licks Media Player, complete of course with the ClickWheel dial. If you’re going out for a picnic, maybe you can stop near a WiFi hotspot and browse the ‘net for travel info with the Opera for DS. Oh, and best check live weather forecasts with DSLiveWeather as well.
On a recent 9-hour bus trip from Baguio, I couldn’t have been more thankful that I had my well-stocked and well-charged DS with me, though I just alternated between playing Ouendan, Animal Crossing, listening to music, and feeding my dogs. On another occasion, I have played balloon battle in the waiting area of Let’s Face It facial center while waiting for my SO. I tell you, the look of people’s faces as I’m blowing at my DS is priceless.Social Bookmarks:
