Nintendo announced that its ever popular Wii has been tapped by Norwegian Cruise Lines, as the company has become the first cruise line to offer guests a chance to play the Wii on board its ships.
Wii consoles are currently on NCL’s newest ship — Norwegian Pearl — and all NCL America ships. The Wii will be rolled out on the rest of the NCL fleet by next month. The systems are equipped with the console’s popular pack in game Wii Sports, while Wii Play, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Excite Truck will also be available.
On each ship, Wii systems/setups will be located in the atrium and other public rooms allowing guests to gather and play against each other while viewing the game on large video screens. Each ship’s Kid’s Crew facility will also feature two Wii kiosks providing kids-only fun. The ships will also host tournaments and other activities around the games.
This sounds like the the absolute perfect captured audience for the Wii, and given the brevity of most cruises, patrons are almost guaranteed not to get board. And guess what they are likely to go out and guy once the dock ashore? Given that they can find a Wii in stock.
I’m dating myself here, but one of my favorite games for the PC (and early Genesis) was New World Computing’s King’s Bounty. The predecessor to what would later become Heroes of Might & Magic, King’s Bounty offered the essence of those later games with a fraction of the complication. It was easy to dive into and amass an army, and I cannot count the number of hours spent alone or with friends spent conquering the countryside.
Now publisher 1C Company has announced that the previously announced game Battle Lord has been renamed as King’s Bounty: The Legend. The game will feature real-time RPG elements as well as battles that unfold in classic King’s Bounty style with “a strong emphasis on turn-based tactical elements”, says Ivan Magazinnikov, project lead designer. The game, which is being developed by Katauri Interactive (Space Rangers), is set for release in the fourth quarter.
According to a statement announcing the name change, the upcoming title is being developed by fans of the original King’s Bounty, and is described as “not just a spiritual successor for the critically acclaimed series, but its true rejuvenation.”
“Our aim was to create a game that would preserve the traditions of the classic PC title,” adds Nikolay Baryshnikov, international sales director of 1C Company. “King’s Bounty was a founder of a new and very popular genre. There are still people that remember and love this game throughout the world. I’m sure that together with Katauri Interactive, the creators of the successful Space Rangers series, we will able to deliver a game worthy of its famous predecessor.”
The days of the arcade parlor might be dead, but the folks at Crave plan to bring at least a bit of the past into our homes with the newly announced Pinball Hall of Fame – The Williams Collection for the Wii, with versions also slated for the PS2 and PSP.
The game is the follow up to the previously released Pinball Hall of Fame – The Gottlieb Collection. The collection will come packed with eight classic pinball games, including Gorgar, the first-ever talking pinball machine, Black Knight, which introduced “Magna-Save” and bonus ball, and 1984 classic Space Shuttle.
The title will feature four tables initially available, with the remaining four unlocked through play. Single player arcade and challenge modes will be available, as well as a multiplayer mode that will let players compete head on. lets players face each other head-on. I think it’s time to reacquaint myself with Tommy while I wait.
THQ sent word that they put together this video highlighting a virtual wresting match between uber moneybags Donald Trump and WWE front man Vince McMahon. The real thing is set to go down this Sunday during the Battle of The Billionaires at Wrestlemania 23.
After a rather stressful morning, I found myself open to anything that could cheer me up. That ‘something’ came care of Konami and a rather large box filled with all manner of goodies promoting the recently shipped Lost in Blue 2 for the Nintendo DS. Konami has always had a knack for weird and wonderful swag, from Silent Hill 4: The Room’s gelatinous eyeball submerged in red jelly, to the overly sexed wall calendar packed in with the original Rumble Roses’ press kit.
Today’s offerings were perhaps more tame, but no less fun. Besides the customary video game t-shirt, the package contained a feux leather Lost in Blue 2 branded journal, a stylus made to look like a piece of wood, and yes, even a ‘Worst Case Scenerio’ survival guide (which promises not only to teach me how to survive a shark attack, but also how to ‘take a blow to the head’). Useful!
