To celebrate his 30th birthday, Namco Bandai has recently release screenshots and trailer for a new type of PAC-MAN game for the Nintendo Wii. This game seems to be highly similar to “Mario Party,” and is fun nonetheless and the minigames look mindblowing and “hellafun”. There seems to be enough characters to choose from, perhaps 8 in all…it’s quite hard to tell at this point. With over 45 minigames, many level varieties, and a full cast PAC-MAN Party is sure to be fun for the whole family.

PAC-MAN Party is scheduled to be released throughout North America this fall. For more information on the game, please visit: www.namcobandaigames.com or www.partywithpacman.com

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Today Ubisoft released the first trailer for Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the Wii. Dated to release in the Fall of 2010, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 is a game in which you play the roll of a member of an elite jet-fighter group known as the “High Altitude Warfare eXperimental squadron” or H.A.W.X.

With Jets ranging from the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird to the F22-Raptor, H.A.W.X is all about dog fights, air-to-ground destruction, and a single/multiplayer experience that we wingless mammals only dream of. Coming from the creative mind of Tom Clancy himself, you can be certain that the story lines and plot twist in this game will have you at the edge of your seats, even at Mach 4.

Be on the look out for this title

P.s, air-to-air refueling during crucial missions…thrilling, dangerous, and so much fun!

It was a year ago that Nintendo teased the world that it will be unveiling a new peripheral, one they claimed will expand the appeal of video games. First announced at E3 2009’s Nintendo press conference they called it the Wii Vitality Sensor. Nintendo says it will sense a user’s pulse and other body signals being transmitted, it will then provide information to users about the persons body. With little to no more info on the Wii Vitality Sensor it has since disappeared or has it?

Well while not actually from Nintendo, Ubisoft has emerged with their own sensor and game called Innergy. The game is designed to focus players on their inner being via a number of games played with a special sensor that monitors their breathing and heartbeat. It will provide different methods of exercise to improve heart rate and blood flow. All of this would seem that Ubisoft has beaten Nintendo to the punch? Not really.

This tech has potential to discover new possibilities in the way we play games, regulating fear controlled in a horror? Or perhaps knowing when to slow down the action depending on the heart rate? These ideas sound great however Ubisoft’s focus with this new product is to improve the way you feel and allow you to enjoy life more fully. They also want to make this a portable experience for everyone. Until their is more info on either product we won’t know for sure what the future holds for them but it seems like both parties may have the same thing in mind.

Gameplay Footage of Innergy from Ubisoft’s press conference

With the Nintendo E3 confrence just coming to a close here are the main games and topics that shook up the show.

(Some have release dates)

1. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – 2011
2. Mario Sports Mix – 2011
3. Wii Party
4. Dance Party 2 (8 players)
5. Golden Sun: Dark Dawn (DS) – this holiday season
6. Golden Eye – this holiday season
7. Kirby’s Epic Yarn (2 players) – this fall
8. Dragon Quest 9 (DS) – Mid July 2010
9. Metroid: Other M – 8/31/10
10. Donkey Kong Country (2 players) – this holiday season
11. Nintendo 3DS- with new features: 3D Effect Slider, widescreen, touch screen on bottom panel, motion sensor, gyro sensor, analog control, 2 camera lenses for 3D pictures.
12.  Kid Icuras: Uprising and Nintendogs & Cats are in production for the 3DS along many other third party games like from the Metal Gear, Kingdom Hearts and Resident Evil series.

Mario has had a big presence on the Wii more so than possibly any other Nintendo console, with Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros. Wii Nintendo has shown that they want the plumber to make his presence known not only to Nintendo fans but to the video game industry.

The original Super Mario Galaxy was a great title that is still considered one of the best games for the Wii, combing classic Mario platforming with gravity phyisics the game made a winning combination. However now Nintendo looks to surpass the original in every way, although many gamers were skeptical that the sequel would not be a significant improvement over the orignal however Nintendo has proven them wrong.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is built off the original’s game engine so everything that made the first game great is still here, however the developers have learned from the few mistakes they made the first time and tweaked them all to near perfection and it’s becuase of this fact the game reaches a level in quality few other games reach on any console.

One of the first things gamers will notice is how streamlined the game is, at the very beginning of Galaxy 2 you’re given control of Mario in a 2D format similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, here the game teaches the controls of the game and begins the events of the story. Also the Hub world is now gone, replacing it is the world map style similar to that of Super Mario Bros. 3. These changes might initally seem like the game is being aimed at casual gamers rather than hardcore gamers but the changes are for the better, anything streamlined doesn’t really feel as if the game is only focusing on casual players but instead just helping them to get into the motions of the game.

The basic gameplay is still the same from the original Galaxy, Mario has his usual platform jumping skills and he must get through a variety of levels that and collect stars along the way. Most of the levels have the gravity engine as the focus, players will be jumping from planets and platforms all with their own gravitational pull for those that didn’t play the first Galaxy, this was a big feat in platform gaming and it could take some getting used to.

The graphics in Galaxy 2 are similar to part 1 which is no surprise, the game isn’t HD by any means but it’s still great to look at and probably the best graphics that the Wii has ever delivered. Nintendo obviously added as much polish as it could so that the game would run smoothly as possible while still keeping it’s graphics pleasant to look at.

Sound is also done with care in Galaxy 2, almost all of the musical scores fit in well with the levels and mood of the game. The music really gives an energy to Mario’s adventure maybe even more so than in previous titles. Sound effects are also nice, non of the characters have any actual lines of spoken dialog but that’s expected from a Mario game, however the sounds of all that’s happening around you is enough to give your ears a treat to listen to.

Perhaps what makes Super Mario Galaxy 2 so good is because it appeals to casual gamers and hardcore gamers. Casual gamers will like how easy it is to get into and since the game only requires about half the stars in the game to actually beat it the game becomes very accessible to anyone. However hardcore gamers will enjoy the game too because of the challenges, some levels are almost brutally difficult to complete and will be a real opportunity for gamers to measure up their true skills.

Overall Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the best games for the Wii and probably one of the best platforms in this generation of consoles. Everything about the game is polished, presentation, graphics and sound are all well done. However most important the basic gameplay is a solid foundation that the developers have used to make some of the most creative levels and challenges in any video game. If you have a Wii Super Mario Galaxy 2 is highly recommended.

Overall = 9.0

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Ace Attorney’s Episode 5: Rise from the Ashes is now available for download on WiiWare!

Episode 5: Rise from the Ashes is a special final episode created for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney . This DLC is set two months after the events of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney’s last episode, “Turnabout Goodbyes.”  This special episode is also the longest in the Ace Attorney series to date, spanning ten chapters (three investigations and seven trials). The “Rise from the Ashes” DLC is available in North America for 100 Wii Points.

Dragon Ball: Origins 2 exclusively for Nintendo DS has gone gold and will be available in North America on June 22, 2010. In addition, a free downloadable demo version of the game will be available via the Nintendo Channel on the Wii console starting on May 31, 2010. The new game takes players on an action-packed adventure around the world, as young Goku and his friends battle against the nefarious Red Ribbon Army as they hunt for the legendary Dragon Balls.

Players who download the free demo will get a preview of Goku’s gameplay in Dragon Ball: Origins 2. While traveling on his Flying Nimbus cloud, Goku was attacked by the Red Ribbon Army led by the malevolent Commander Red, causing him to lose his trusted Power Pole weapon. In this single-level demo, players will attempt to retrieve his gear as they solve puzzles, hone their skills, encounter skillful opponents and face off in an ultimate boss battle that provides just a sample of the final gameplay experience.

In Dragon Ball: Origins 2, players battle through the Red Ribbon Army saga and have the chance to play not only as Goku, but also the added variety of his friends from the series along the way including Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha and more, each with their own abilities and power-ups. In addition to an exciting single-player mode, two players can join up for satisfying co-op multiplayer challenges via a local wireless connection. By playing the single-player adventure, special multiplayer stages including challenging boss fights unlock and become available. Players are also able to carry over their saved character from the single-player mode as they battle alongside friends in co-op mode.

A challenging mix of action and exploration awaits, as Goku and friends must use a wide range of skills to solve puzzles, find treasure chests, and defeat armies of baddies. A situation-based camera adapts with the changing gameplay to bring players closer to the action as they jump, swing and charge through forests, underwater areas and more. Meanwhile, key boss battles switch to side-view to emphasize the signature fighting style of the Dragon Ball series. With support for both stylus and button input options, players are free to choose their preferred control style.

Capcom and Zazzle are teaming up to give fans the opportunity to create a plethora of customized and unique products using some of Capcom’s most beloved characters and brands. Starting today, Zazzle , a leader in on-demand retail manufacturing , will open four new Capcom-inspired online shops allowing fans to customize and purchase a variety of goods with their favorite Capcom characters. The community will be able to customize a wide variety of products including hoodies, t-shirts, skateboards, posters, mugs, postage stamps and more.

Here are the four different shops Capcom and Zazzle have to offer:

- Monster Hunter Tri – Bring the world and creatures of Monster Hunter Tri to your own hats, t-shirt, hoodies and more!

- Capcom Classic Arcade – Create your own retro-chic products with designs from more than 20 classic Capcom games!

- Power Stone – The legend of the Power Stone lives on at Zazzle! Create products with your favorite characters from this iconic fighting game!

- Rival Schools – Batsu, Shoma, Tiffany and other characters from Aoharu City unite on your choice of Zazzle products!

So be sure to check out www.zazzle.com/capcom for all these goodies!

• Original platform: Super NES
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Players: 1-2
• ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
• Price: 800 Wii Points