November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
GameFly, the online game rental service …. wait, that’s hardly accurate anymore, let’s start over: GameFly, the media company and rental service entity, is now selling new games on its website, including large items like DJ Hero and Tony Hawk Ride. Those expecting to discover the amazing discounts normally found with the service’s used games will be disappointed to note that the new games are full retail price and include shipping costs and applicable taxes.
Example for Massachusetts:
- A new copy of New Super Marios Bros Wii: $50 for the game + $3 tax + $5 for standard shipping = $58
- The “keep it” price for a member whose been with the service over a year: $39 + $3 tax + no shipping cost = $42 (members also receive a $5 coupon every quarter, which would make it $37)
The “new” store isn’t a revelation in retail, but perhaps it’ll make more sense later on. GameFly still has some of the best deals in used games we’ve seen.
[Thanks, Chris S.]
GameFly begins selling new games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
Nintendo must’ve had some luck with its Great Lakes and Wii Sports Resort tours recently, as the company has announced the Nintendo Mall Experience tour. Starting next week through December 20, The Big N will be stopping at shopping centers across the country to get some of its Wii and DS titles in the faces of holiday shoppers.
On the Wii side, Nintendo will show off its top three games for the holiday season: Wii Sports Resort, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Wii Fit Plus. For the handheld crowd, Nintendo will be pushing the new Style Savvy, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Head past the break for the full list of stops on Nintendo’s Mall Experience tour.
Continue reading Nintendo Mall Experience tour heads cross-country next week
Nintendo Mall Experience tour heads cross-country next week originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Hacks & Mods
While Outerspace may not have an extremely useful function, being an art installation, we really enjoyed reading through the build information. Basically, Outerspace is supposed to appear to be curious, exploring it’s surroundings and reacting to your contact. We do enjoy a little bit of personality in robots, so this seems like it could be fun. The head has 5 photo sensors and each piece of the “arm” has capacitive sensors. This allows Outerspace to sense what is going on. The motion itself is controlled by 4 servos in the base pulling cables that run through the body.
The programming seems like it could use a little work to achieve the effect of being “curious”, but we see potential here. You can see a video of it in action here.
[via today and tomorrow]
November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
Last week, Square Enix announced a new entry in Taito’s long-dormant
Lufia(or
Estpolis) series for an unknown platform. As it turns out, it’s not entirely
new, though enough is being changed that it might as well be. The new
Lufia is, in fact, a remake of 1995’s
Lufia II, redone in 3D for the DS.
According to IGN’s summary of a Famitsu article, that’s not the only change. The game is now an action RPG instead of a turn-based game — with combo-based attacks, and the ability to launch enemies into the air, as well as switch party members mid-combo. In addition, it will be fully voice acted. Estpolis will be released in Japan on February 25.
Square Enix’s new Lufia game is a Lufia II remake originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
The Game & Watch Collection is a popular catalog item for Club Nintendo, but this year’s gift for Japanese gamers who reach Platinum status takes the Game & Watch nostalgia even further. It’s a real Game & Watch.
Nintendo is producing a new run of the classic handheld Ball, specifically to give away to Club Nintendo members who accrued 400 points or more in the last year. It’s a replica of the original, with a Club Nintendo logo added. Like the other Platinum awards, this doesn’t cost any points (so Platinum members can still buy Wii de Ultrahand), and will be sent out to everyone who qualifies.
As usual, gold members get a calendar.
[Via Andriasang]
Club Nintendo Japan sending Game & Watches as Platinum gifts originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Hacks & Mods
November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
In a refreshing move, Toys R Us revealed some November video game deals for Sunday, November 22 through Thursday, November 26, available both in-store and online. Therefore, they won’t require you to stand outside in the middle of the night or battle other deal-seekers for possession of a “doorbuster” (which Toys R Us is also reportedly doing). Even better, Toys R Us is the only retailer we know of handing out Cold Stone gift cards with purchases.
Starting on Sunday:
- all DS and PSP games will be buy one, get one half off.
- Wii and Xbox 360 Arcade hardware purchases will be bundled with (seriously) a $15 gift card for Wendy’s, Subway, or Cold Stone Creamery — deal available in-store only
- “Select video games” will be bundled with a $25 iTunes gift card — deal available in-store only
- The Beatles: Rock Band standalone software will be $49.99.
- The Beatles: Rock Band “Special Value Edition” will be $134.99.
- “Select video game storage units” will be $34.99.
From Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22, both TRU stores and Toysrus.com will offer a “Ready to Play DS Lite Pack” for $157.95, containing a DS Lite, a case, various accessories, and two DS games from an “edited assortment.” TRU says that, when purchased as part of this set, the DS comes out to $64.99.
Toys R Us announces pre-Black Friday game deals originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
Tecmo has just
announced a spring release date for
Monster Rancher DS and
Again …
again. But in Europe this time! Last week, Tecmo announced March release dates for the Cing-developed adventure game and monster training game. Tecmo Koei Europe has followed suit, though with a less specific spring release window.
Monster Rancher DS, of course, is a game about creating and training monsters — in this game, monsters are generated either by speaking into the microphone or drawing. Again is an adventure game about an FBI agent who investigates crime scenes in both the past and the present.
Again and Monster Rancher DS also headed to Europe originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
Namco’s just unleashed its first two Dragon Ball games after wrestling the license back away from Atari and we’re looking to gift one of you Super Saiyan wannabes with the above prize pack. The gotta-have-it item is obviously the Instant Anime Character Costume, which features an orange t-shirt, blue wristbands, hair gel and completely ridiculous Namco employee pose cover art. Oh, if only our legal department would let us keep it!
- Leave a comment telling us who your favorite character from the Dragon Ball series is (full list here)
- You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
- Limit 1 entry per person per day
- This entry period ends at 11:59AM ET on Tuesday, November 24
- At that time, we’ll randomly select one winner to receive Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo for Wii ($50 ARV), Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans for DS ($30 ARV) and an Instant Anime Character Costume ($20 ARV)
- For a list of complete rules, click here
Joyswag: Super Saiyan prize pack originally appeared on Joystiq Nintendo on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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November 18th, 2009 — Hacks & Mods
November 18th, 2009 — Hacks & Mods
If you’re marooned on a desert island, you want to have a Professor who can build useful items out of coconuts. [LostMachine] is one of those guys, and he’s currently building a land-loving pirate ship. The wacky vehicle will use the giant wheel above to propel the vessel while the captain sits comfortably in the lofty crow’s nest. A crack-pot concept? Not really, he plans to take this to Burning Man where it will be a fairly useful build compared to the folks who have really gone off the deep end.
The story here is the build quality. Take some time to watch his videos which we’ve embedded after the break. In the first, he details his method for creating a precisely level building surface on top of his uneven driveway. This is accomplished by welding supports in a circle that are level compared to the center point. He goes on to share his liquid-cooling system for cutting the pipe supports with a custom-built jig and an old windshield washer pump from an RV (second video). The final video shows the construction of the wheel which came in with 2000 welds and about 250-300 hours of construction time.
If you hadn’t guessed, [LostMachine] is a structural engineer. Unfortunately he was laid-off this spring which has put a damper in his building schedule. We hope that with a quality project like this in his portfolio a new job is just around the corner for him.
Creating a level surface on an uneven driveway.
Cooling jig to cut fish mouthed joints in pipes.
Building the big wheel.
[Thanks Rebecca]
November 18th, 2009 — Nintendo DS / DS Lite, Nintendo DSi
Toys R Us announced today that its “Big Gift” layaway program will now include video game hardware. TRU CEO Jerry Storch states that it was the “number one” request from customers. For those who don’t know what layaway is: it’s the practice of a company holding onto a “purchased” product until the customer has paid for the item in full. For the TRU program, customers must deposit 20% of the console’s total purchase, including tax, and a “$10 service charge.” Payments can be made at the store in cash, check, credit card … wait, what? If someone has a credit card, then — nevermind. Payment must be made in full before December 6. There will also be a fee for canceled orders and the program is not available in Maryland.
The retailer is also expanding its video game trade-in program, which began in September, to include video game hardware. The program begins this Friday, November 20, and works almost the same way as the software trade-in: customers go to the “guest service desk,” their items are scanned, an offer is made and they receive a gift card if all is approved. We’ve listed all consoles and handhelds available for trade-in after the break.
Continue reading Toys R Us expands layaway to include consoles, adds hardware to trade-in program
Toys R Us expands layaway to include consoles, adds hardware to trade-in program originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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