Previews: July 2007 Archives

Detn8 Games has released a video of Ultimate Duck Hunting for the Wii which we'll be featuring shortly in the videos section. Set for release in August 2007, Ultimate Duck Hunting is a realistic hunting simulation that features both shooting and retrieving wild ducks, along with help from faithful doggy friends. Graphically, it falls under the 'realistic' banner with selectable camo fatigues, different hunters and a totally non cartoony display of forrests, hills and lakes - all filled with fowl awaiting their watery end!

When you think about it, this is a hunting game on the Wii. Hmm ... the more you think about it, the more odd it is. The UK has recently banned hunting with dogs, and it's generally seen as a bloodsport by most city folk. Yet here we are, in army gear and wades, handing out some pump action shotgun feed to mallards in their droves.

NES Duck Hunt this ain't. But whether it's a geeky hunting sim or a meaty FPS to get your adult gaming teeth into, remains to be seen. In the meantime, check out the video as soon as we slap it up there.

Oh Nintendo. They've gone mad at E3 this year, bringing more big (and new) guns to the table and well and truely aiming their cannons at the everyday new or non gamer; which is a market that owns far more money than the traditional gaming market, by the way. New money could wipe out the former competition, and this is how they plan to do it:

The zapper is back! At least a white shell is, anyway. Housing the nunchuk and Wii remote, the Zapper add-on will sell with Nintendo-developed software demonstrating the zapper's abilities, which is yet to be announced. Think what Wii Play did for the Wii remote, and you're probably on the right track. Ninty hope this will make the Wii the first port of call for first person shooters and other targetting games.

The 'not-quite-named-yet' Balance Board is set to come packaged with Wii Fitness (we'll be telling you all about that shortly) on the shelf and basically is a pressure sensitive aerobic step that goes on the floor. This can act as a dance mat (we've seen footage of players stepping on and off it time to dance music) as well as a point for measuring if you're following certain, set training moves to get fit to. We're hoping Nintendo will develop some sort of snowboarding title for the Balance Board, but frankly EA would probably do a better job of that, so bring it awn, EA!

There's also a Nintendo wheel coming out to house the Wii remote, but such a device already exists so we're still waiting for more news on what if anything, is going to change with this newer mould.

So now, it appears you can measure your fitness fears on the Wii. The everyday concerns of Jane Doe may well have been met in the form of a small white box. Only time will tell, but if it's true?

Nintendo have done very, very well. While everyone else is thinking 'techo', 'HD/BluRay' and 'frag' they are thinking 'everybody', 'fun' and 'health'. It's an exciting time to watch and see what happens, that's for sure.

With E3 in full swing, the info is literally pouring out of the games world and into our laps. And today? We get this ...

Launching in 2007, the new (and free) 'Check Mii Out' channel builds on Wii owners creating caricatures of themselves, their friends and celebrities. The two main components of the channel are an area where users can post Miis they have created to let others vote on their artistic abilities, and a competition element that lets users test their skills to create the most accurate likeness of individuals or other themes. The Check Mii Out Channel will appear alongside the Everybody Votes and Weather channels, etc. on your main Wii menu screen.

Perhaps Nintendo have noticed that certain sites are doing wuite well off the back of users posting their Miis and Mii creating ideas (such as Star Wars Miis, etc.)? It never hurts to give the people what they want, and if it is for free as they say, then fair play to them. For that's exactly what it'll be.

Of course, it won't do their general ratings any harm, either. After all, give people a place to express themselves, and they inevitably will do so. Just ask any blogger.

Gaming giant EA have announced the complete soundtrack for their Boogie game on the Wii, releasing August 31st 2007 in Europe & the UK. Boogie is a title exclusive to the Wii, so you can't play it anywhere else. Oooh!

The game features more than 35 songs including Celebration, Dancing Machine, Groove Is In The Heart, and We Are Family. The game ships with a packed-in karaoke microphone peripheral and includes new versions of tracks made popular by the hit bands listed below.

Pretty much in the same pidgeon hole as Guitar Hero, then. It will be interesting to see if the game majors on singing or dancing ... or somehow, both. Originally it was said that Boogie would only involve you controlling a dancing and singing game character, but it would certainly seem that now you're able to sing.

Keep your eyes open for further news on this potential Singstar challenger ...

(Check out the preview section for the FULL song list!)

Song List for Boogie:

ABC - The Jackson 5
Baila Me - Gypsy Kings
Boogie Oogie Oogie - Taste Of Honey
Brick House - The Commodores
Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
Dancing in the Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Dancing Machine - Jackson 5
Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls / Busta Rhymes
Fergalicious - Fergi
Get Right - Jennifer Lope
Get The Party Started - Pink
Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Groove Is In The Heart - Dee-Lite
I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
I’m A Slave 4 U - Britney Spears
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas
Le Freak - Chic
Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
Love Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Love Shack - The B-52's
Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…) - Lou Bega
Milkshake - Kelis
One More Time - Daft Punk
One Way Or Another - Blondie
Oops I Did It Again - Britney Spears
Pop Muzik - M
S.O.S. - Rihanna
Stars - Simply Red
That's The Way (I Like It) - KC And The Sunshine
Tu Y Yo - Thalia
U Can't Touch This M.C. - Hammer
Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
We Are Family - Sister Sledge
Y.M.C.A. - The Village People