N +

Wario Land: Shake It! I can't stop thinking about it. This has turned me into a Wario fanatic--looking for any game with Wario written on it to satiate my garlic chomping urges. Wario is my main in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (everyone fears DA CLAP), Mario Kart Wii, and all the other Mario spin-offs. But I needed MORE. I've beaten nearly every WarioWare to 100%--it's still not enough. Then lo and behold, sitting on the shelves of my local Video Entertainment Facility, Wario World for the Nintendo Gamecube called out to me. It said, "HAVE A ROTTEN DAY, Nyah-HEH-HEH!"

I had to have this game.

"Gamekeep! How much of your Earth moneys will it take to acquire this game?!" Alas! The Wario World was a rental copy. In denial, I threw a wad of money at the guy's face and ran off with the game. I later had to return to get the security lock removed. When the game came out in 2003, I was a bit hesitant because all of the reviewers trashed it for being so short. Fifty bucks for what was exaggerated to be a five hour game doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Because it's a video game and not a cup of tea--Short story long: I passed. Well, now that Wario World generally retails for 14.99 at most used game emporiums, shortness is no longer an issue. So, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a review on Wario World. Click past the break to give it a read. Otherwise, you can "Get outta here, you losars! Nyeaaagh!"

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Have you ever wanted to do some sweet Nintendo Fan-Art but couldn't get the letters to look "just right"? Or did you want to print your own T-Shirt that said something like Nintendork? Well, N+ went out looking for a few fonts that will allow you to create the perfect Nintendo themed birthday invitation cards! or anything else that you want to do using the fonts!

This font pack includes:

Continuum: Comes with three different versions, a heavy, light, and medium build. Use Heavy to get the best effect, and grey in color for an even better match of the official Wii logo.

Gamecuben: Captital letters mimic the "GAMECUBE" portion of the logo, while lowercase letters emulate the "NINTENDO" part of the logo. Type ~ to get the Gamecube icon (like in the banner)

Pretendo: This is version 2! Pretendo has been floating around the net for a long time as the best traditional Nintendo Logo font, and many of you probably have it. DELETE the old file and get this one, its a re-edit and looks much nicer! this guy claims to have made it.

All fonts will work with PC and MAC. Just un-zip the pack and take all the ".ttf" files to your font folder in the computer! For more video game fonts visit GameFonts.com (oddly enough i found this site AFTER i compiled these fonts for you)

Seems like Nintendo's gold standard wireless controller, the Wavebird, is going to be a cash cow for online retailers for some time. As Nintendo's manufacturing costs for the device have no doubt decreased significantly from the peripheral's initial release period over 5 years ago, the retail price has dropped from $34.99 to as low as $24.99, and even $19.99 when on sale. But because the controller works seamlessly with Wii, the demand has risen again.

Currently the device retails for $34.99 at most US locations, IF you can find one. Because of this, most retailers have taken the device off of their store's websites because they can not keep them stocked for walk in customers at all (which is preferable to web sales). To top it all off, the Wavebird has now risen to $39.99 at most import shops. In other searches I found it as high as $50-$60 but nothing ever lower than $27 (plus $14 shipping).

After reading this, what are your thoughts? Do you even use a Wavebird that often anymore? And which controller do your prefer, the Wavebird or the new Classic Controller?

What happens when Dustin gets bored at work? He makes a Gamecube Wavebird receiver fit in a pack of gum...

Resident Evil 4 was one of the best games released on the GameCube. I'd even go so far as to say it's one of the best games ever made. It's got a great balance of frantic action, thought-provoking puzzles, an epic story, and chilling moments.

Not chilling enough, according to Capcom. After the break is video footage of an early version of the game. It still has the perspective of the older games, but certainly feels like Resi 4. There are a few elements that failed to make it into the final version. Destructoid state that "These concepts were dropped from the final game because it was "too paranormal" to mesh with the game's ultimate storyline". I can see their point, and the clip is definitely darker than the final version.

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This is the last side by side comparison you'll ever care about.
Wii looks great.

Animal Crossing. That appears to be the most popular Nintendo game out at the moment. If the level of activity in the forum is anything to go by, 97.82% of the population of the universe own a copy*, and are happily going about planting fruit, fishing, catching bugs, and talking to strange animals. What about the other fantastic games out there? There has been a distinct lack of exchanging friend codes on other Wi-Fi titles, along with a lack of chat about these games. This may well be that nobody has these titles, but it just seems odd to me.

So in a way of encouraging activity around these games, I give you

The N Challenge Arena

(cue fireworks, and a fanfare that John Williams would be proud of).

And what is the point of The N Challenge Arena, I hear you ask. Well that is up to you. I see it as a place to encourage competitive gaming. Whether it be arranging a lunchtime grand prix of Mario Kart or a late-night tag battle in Metroid, it can all be arranged in this part of the forum. Fancy a brick-off in Tetris, or a dog-fight in StarFox, make your interest known, and throw down the gauntlet. You can even use it to play Stuff Teh Weasel, if you wish.

If you fancy yourself as a particular master of a game, challenge others to beat you. Post a fastest lap time for a MarioKart circuit, and demand proof if someone claims they can beat it. What's your highest number of lines in Tetris? Do you think it can't be beaten - post a pic of proof, and find out.

I've mentioned DS games so far, but The N Challenge Arena covers any game. Do you kill psycho villagers better than anyone in Resident Evil 4 Mercenary mode? Tell us about it, and maybe someone can do better, or maybe they will bow down in front of your awesomeness. F-Zero king, or Tiger Woods Pro - there maybe someone out there willing to rob you of your title. With the advent of Wii, and the ever-growing library of DS games, the possibilities will be endless.

From time to time, there may be challenges laid down by N, with the victorious few being honoured in the Hall of Fame. Not just gaming challenges, either. The competitions will cover a variety of areas and media.

I'll start you off with a Tetris Challenge. I could lie at this point and tell you I am awesome at this game. I am not. In fact I'm not very good at all, and to make this challenge a bit of a...challenge, I call upon the services of my fiancé. Behold her high score on Tetris for the DS.

701 lines. That is a ridiculous score. The blocks move so fast my eyes melt just watching them. Can you do better? Post a picture of your top score in this thread and show off your wicked skillz.

*This statistic may not be true

The following is an interview between Nintendo-Europe.com, and Dr. Bernd Fakesch, the General Manager of Nintendo Germany. In it he discusses Nintendo's outlook to the future.

Nintendo is once again making a big splash at this year’s Games Convention. Is this the biggest show that you've ever had, in terms of the number of games demonstrated and the size of the stand?

"Nintendo presents a fantastic event every year, but this isn't defined solely by the square footage of space, it also depends on the strength of what is communicated. As far as that is concerned, every visitor to the Games Convention 2006 can experience a show that demonstrates true greatness."

Last year, the Nintendo DS was presented at the Games Convention for the first time. Now, DS seems to dominate the Nintendo stand. Just how successful was the system in the last 12 months?

"I’ll say one thing first: it is true that the Nintendo DS has been incredibly successful. However, I wouldn’t necessarily claim that it dominates the stand - even just the design of the stand, with its curve in shape of the Wii, shows that our new TV-associated console is also present. Of course the Nintendo DS plays the starring role, in that you are correct. After all, it has earned that place honestly, thanks to its worldwide success so far. Since its launch, more than 5 million Nintendo DS have been sold in Europe. And sales figures have also risen sharply thanks to numerous innovations, such as the introduction of the Nintendo DS Lite and the innovative Touch! Generations software series."

One year ago, no one in Europe had heard of Touch! Generations or Dr. Kawashima. Today their games are enjoying huge success. What do you think are the reasons for this?

"At first, acceptance of the Nintendo DS, with its intriguing novel features such as touch screen, speech recognition, or even the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, rose dramatically after many people were rather skeptical about these new features in the beginning. Because of this, many video gamers up to that point were even more open to innovative gaming ideas after a brief phase of getting used to things - such as with Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? Or just in general with the Touch! Generations series. However, many non-gamers were also persuaded because this type of product simply appeals to their attitude towards life or their circumstances in life. One glance at today's news shows, for example, that 'mental fitness' is a very significant subject at the moment."

What is planned for the 'next generation' of Touch! Generations software? For instance, English Training has just been shown at Games Convention. Can we expect more products of this nature? For instance, in Japan there is now a cooking game.

"Our Touch! Generations series has only just begun. We are absolutely delighted with this concept, and video gamers have confirmed to us that we’re correct. The current sales figures also prove that we are right. As for the English Training you mentioned: learning English as a game is a great example; this is another way that Nintendo is going down new routes, tying in learning a foreign language with the ease of playing a game. With regard to the cooking game, I believe you’re talking about Cooking DS. This cooking aid is actually very successful in Japan, and after many exciting products have managed to successfully navigate the course from the Far East to Europe, we would of course be very happy to be able to offer persuasive cooking techniques in the near future under the guidance of the Nintendo DS. I think it’s fair to say that we should be excited about what the future has in store."

Apart from the Touch! Generations titles, what other, more traditional, DS games can our fans look forward to this year?

"It goes without saying that even apart from the Touch! Generations series, gamers can also look forward to titles that stem from the more classic genres such as adventure or platformer. Even Super Mario is going to be putting in his time again; he can be found either as the main figure in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, as a sports star in Mario Slam Basketball, or as a baby in Yoshi’s Island 2. Anyone who now considers Pikachu to be a real friend will be particularly excited about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. This is the first time that gamers themselves become Pokémon and discover their world from an exciting new perspective. These are just a few examples of the new features that await Nintendo DS owners."

At the press conference, you introduced the new Nintendo DS Lite Pink. What else does Nintendo have up its sleeve to get female players excited?

"It’s already been shown that the Nintendo DS is especially appealing to female players. This has been successful in no small part due to innovative ideas such as Nintendogs. We will be able to increase the enthusiasm of girls and young women even more with the help of new games - especially those from the Touch! Generations series. However, we are also counting on our new Wii console, which, thanks to its intuitive operation, will pave the way for many non-gamers - be they girls or boys - into a new world of video gaming."

The GameCube is not being shown at this year’s Games Convention. Does that mean that no more games are going to come out for this console?

"No, that’s not what it means at all, because after all, the Games Convention is first and foremost about presenting our new products and features to the public and the press. Those who own a Nintendo GameCube have no reason to think that they’ll soon be empty-handed - we still have lots of great games for them."

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is planned both for Wii and for the GameCube. Will gamers have the choice of buying the GameCube or the Wii version, or will both versions be available in a combined package?

"The game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be coming out in two versions that can each be purchased separately. The games are for the most part identical, but the Wii version will have additional appealing functions developed with the new Wii controllers (Wii Remote and Nunchuk Controller) in mind, increasing the fun of playing even more."

At Games Convention you showed two new Wii games: Mario Strikers Charged and Battalion Wars II. Will these be released for the Wii launch? If not, when can we expect to see them?

"We will be announcing the exact release date for Wii games at a later date. Mario Strikers Charged and Battalion Wars II at the Games Convention marked the premier presentation to the world public of two exciting Wii titles that all Nintendo fans can look forward to."

Wii was certainly a hot topic at the press conference, but you didn't name the release date. When can our readers expect this significant date to be announced?

"That’s not exactly right: the release date was actually announced at the press conference, even if it wasn't the exact day. What I can tell you today is that Wii will be released in the fourth quarter of 2006."

Wii was playable at Games Convention but only by representatives from retail and press. When will our readers get to try their hands at this innovative new console?

"Although an exact launch date hasn’t been announced, I can assure you that, thanks to the extensive promotional activities, everyone will soon have a chance to try out Wii and that is definitely something to look forward to."

Some interesting points there, but he manages to say a lot, without really saying anything, the crafty fellow. The original interview can be found here.