Line Rider 2 Producer Chris Keenan details Wii sequel, set for Sept. 9

Line Rider was one of 2006’s biggest flash games toys. When it exploded on the deviantART site hosting it (and has received over 30 million views in 2007 alone), creator Bostjan Cadez never imagined his school project would turn into the madness you find when typing “Line Rider” into Youtube.

Months after the flash toy exploded, inXile announced the development of a true sequel to the toy and its updated versions.  It is now anticipated for a Sept. 9 release for PC, DS, and Wii.

Producer of Line Rider 2: Unbound, Chris Keenan, clued us in on some of the features we can expect from the Wii version, and how development of the game has progressed as a “dream project” for him and the team. Read more »

Aftershock: Nintendo’s E3 2008 Press Conference

What did you think?  Was it fun?  Was it heart-wrenching and upsetting?

We got a few, exciting additions to the Wii in terms of hardware.  We have the best solution to a parent’s concern over voice chat, being Wii Speak.  We have an enhanced gaming experience in the Wii MotionPlus.

There are some new games to look forward to.  Old IPs were revisited in Animal Crossing and Wii Sports. We have family-friendly fun with Wii Music, a game that takes music games to a whole new level.

Sure, where were the core gamers?  They were in these two, summed up sentences after the jump: Read more »

Shaun White Snowboarding for Wii!

Just in - Nintendo’s first announcement with  E3 2008 in their conference is a new balance board + Wii Remote game called Shaun White Snowboarding.

You lean forward to speed up, crouch, and other such movements on the balance board to control your character and snowboard.  Your Wii Remote controls tricks, jumping, and other movements you can’t make on the balance board.  Mii’s included.

Expect the game by the end of the year.  Stay tuned for gameplay images, it looks nice!

Last second guesses: Mike Suszek

Chris already wrote about the Wii MotionPlus.  So I don’t need to go there.  It is an exciting new perhipheral, and we’re sure to hear about a pack-in game made just for it.

But the biggest hype this year for Nintendo fans has been guessing what IPs will be resurrected.  Will it be Kirby?  A true Donkey Kong?  And ungodly wonderful Metroid game?  That rumored Kid Icarus game?

My guess - we’ll see at least one resurrected IP, and one brand new IP.  Nintendo busting out something new is… extreme, but likely.  Here are some possibilities:

Pikmin 3 - The obvious point-and-click mechanic would work well for a sequel.

Metroid Prime Hunters Wii - Both Echoes for Gamecube and the online multiplayer game for DS convinces me that Retro is okay with bringing the single player adventure series to the multiplayer gaming masses.  And Metroid Prime 3’s shooting mechanic demands that kind of online goodness.  Didn’t they guarantee we’d get online content anyways?

Kid Icarus - Well, his appearance in Brawl became a quick indicator to many that we would see a new game.  Sure, the same can be said of other Brawl characters (is there going to be a new R.O.B.?).  Would the game be good?  Yes, it would.

Star Fox - It comes out on every system.  It will come out for Wii.  Maybe not in this E3, but we could use another use for our Wii Wheels.

Mario - What?  What are you talking about, Mike?  We’ve already got 17,000 Mario games!  Why another?

Here’s why.  Have you ever heard of Super Mario Bros. 4?  Neither have I.  And with the massive success of New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, and the looming presence of Mega Man 9 on Wii Ware, Nintendo has a new avenue to stroll their best franchise down, and it would be memory lane.

This is what could happen.  What are my guesses?  We should see a new Zelda game.  We’re going to see more DS/Wii connectivity.  We’ll see a game specifically for the MotionPlus.  Perhaps a Mario Party 9, that uses practically every crazy perhipheral that attaches to the Wii Remote.

In terms of what is needed on the Wii, we need two things.  We need a true online multiplayer experience.  We need a Goldeneye for the Wii, a game that proves Nintendo is committed to the gamer.  And since they claim they are, we are sure to see an announcement that proves it.

We also need a good RPG.  So my top prediction is… a new Earthbound game.  Man, I hope I’m right.

Stick around for more E3 coverage, Nintendo is due up in about 10 minutes.  Wow, talk about last second guesses!

Nintendo announces newest accessory: Wii MotionPlus!

On Nintendo’s site this morning, an “E3 Sneak Preview” revealed a brilliant accessory for the Wii Remote that no one thought of yet: the Wii MotionPlus.

The MotionPlus accessory takes the initial issues critics found with the Wii Remote, in terms of the actual motion-sensing technology, and shatters them with enhancements that will make any lightsaber-esque game worthwhile, and incredibily realistic.

Nintendo’s announcement below:

Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo’s commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing.

1:1 Response, 3-D space, this is shaping up to be an accessory that ISN’T a headscratcher from Nintendo, but their best addition to the system yet.  And the small device also has a port on the bottom for Nunchuk action.  Tune in tomorrow for more details on this exciting new product.