GeekwithEnvy

Nintendo

Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console

by 1 Comment

WiiU Logo

We’re coming up on the Famicom’s (NES) 30th anniversary!  Yes, July 15, 2013 will make it 30 years since the original Nintendo was launched, feeling old? Wii U is already sporting a trial version of the Virtual Console but in anticipation of the later release of Virtual Console coming to the Wii U sometime this spring, Nintendo is offering a 30 day special for Virtual Console titles every month for just 30 cents.

*Wii owners will be eligible to download Virtual Console games they already own on Wii for the Wii U at a discounted price of $1.00 for NES games and $1.50 for SNES games.

The new Virtual Console includes new features like restore points (for saving games), Miiverse Community, and the addition of Gameboy Advance titles. You will also be able to transfer data from your Wii to your WiiU using special software and a SD card. (Video at bottom of page)

Here is a list of the titles available in Nintendo’s offer.

  • From Wed, 1/23 to Thu, 2/21

  • F-ZERO (SNES)

    From Wed, 2/20 to Thu, 3/21

  • Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (NES)

    From Wed, 3/20 to Thu, 4/18

  • Kirby’s Adventure (NES)

    From Wed, 4/17 to Thu, 5/16

  • Super Metroid (SNES)

    From Wed, 5/15 to Thu, 6/13

  • Yoshi (NES)

    From Wed, 6/12 to Thu, 7/11

  • Donkey Kong (NES)

    From Mon, 7/15 to Tue, 8/13

     

    Here is a video explaining the transfer process.

The Tablet Takeover

by Leave a Comment

We have been taken over! Not by an alien race but a massive movement towards tablet based computing. Tablets are undoubtably becoming the king of the hill and it’s easy to see why. Need proof that tablets are game changers? Windows 8 is a shining example how big these little devices are. What makes them so popular and what will their role become in our lives as technology continues to evolve? WiiU Controller

I have talked to a lot of people, many come from varying backgrounds and from all different age groups and almost all of them own a tablet. The typical scene in today’s modern household consists of a tower style desktop PC collecting dust in the corner of a quiet room, perhaps with a pile of books on it or maybe even some old bills. Next, there’s the tried and true laptop, which is seeing a fair amount of usage despite it starting to show it’s age. Finally, we have the tablet. The tablet PC comes in many different sizes and shapes, some with a logo of fruit on it and others that run software with little green robots firmly in control. These are the devices that are most up-to date and used the most in today’s household.

By analyzing the scenario I just described one could infer that the tablet is on track to replace these other devices, but I would argue (at least for now) that tablets may be taking on a different role. The tablet PC may be better suited as a supplementary device to others, but it will do so while having the added benefit of being able to stand on it’s own. Nintendo’s Wii U is a great example of how tablet technology can merge with others to create a more immersive and rich experience. The Wii U GamePad follows along with the action on the big screen and it feels seamless and engaging. Although you could argue that the Wii U is more of a hybrid, it’s still a tablet at heart.

Nintendo is getting ready to launch it’s new streaming service TVii, which is offering up features that actually resemble a step forward in technology. You will be able to get additional information about what you’re watching on screen, like sports scores and statistics. You will be able to share what you’re watching with friends and family and choose programming right on your tablet device. What about having your interactive programming guide right on your tablet instead of covering up your T.V screen. The possibilities are numerous and we will soon be reaping the benefits.

This idea will translate easily to other devices and you can start to imagine companies like Apple releasing a television product that works perfectly with your iPad. A new version of Apple TV would be pretty slick, but why stop there? The tablet is the swiss army knife of the tech world and it’s only going to get better.

Handheld Gaming and Mobile Quietly Moving In

by 2 Comments

Ever since the mid seventies we have had hand held gaming devices that we could bring with us anywhere and as with anything in technology, these little devices have changed a lot over the years.mobile gaming 3d concept - smart phone with gamepad

When I think back to the first handheld gaming experience I had, I remember playing Frogger on a Tiger electronic handheld gaming device. Not too long after, I got ahold of my first Nintendo GameBoy and it was one of my favorite gaming experiences. I am not alone in my love for the original Gameboy line up which included Tetris, Mario and although it was difficult to play, the original Castlevania. I also had the luxury of owning a Sega Game Gear which was somewhat ahead of it’s time.

Today we have handhelds like the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PSVita, which are great ways to game but another strong competitor has started to move in to the handheld gaming territory, the cell phone. The cell phone over the years -as I have mentioned in earlier posts- has previously never been noted for it’s amazing gaming capabilities. Actually, many graphing calculators had better gaming than most of the cell phones on the market. Most early cell phones featured snake or Tetris which we saw again when the next generation of color LCD screen cell phones came out. These newer games usually ran on java and actually started to look a little better but let’s not kid ourselves,they mostly sucked.

Cell phones weren’t even close to being considered any type of competition for devices like the Gameboy, in fact they weren’t even in the same class, there were strictly handhelds and cell phones (mobile gaming). However, the lines have now basically been erased and the term “mobile” gaming encompasses both cell phones and handhelds.

I have to ask though, when did this happen? Well, most of my personal experience comes from using devices like the original iPod and eventually the iPhone. The gaming  experience on the iPod in later versions, (iPod video) was also done quite well and this is when I began to see a future for gaming on these new devices.

Gaming on devices like the iPod and Samsung Galaxy, is extremely popular these days and it looks like these devices have started to take over mobile gaming. Just look at games like Angry Birds, what device would you say is most likely being used to play this game?

How we know things have changed-

When you look at the latest handheld devices like the Sony PS Vita, we see features that were previously only available on devices like the iPhone. 3G, GPS, front and rear facing cameras, and even motion sensors are all now standard components for handhelds. Another point to consider is that I see many more people with their phones in hand on a daily basis than any “gaming only” device and for good reason, we need the cell phone capability, it’s how we survive these days, so it only makes sense that we would prefer to game on them. An added bonus of developers getting their games on a cell phone OS is that you can reach an audience that would otherwise remain unreachable, a large group of people who would never buy a device like a Nintendo Gameboy but would definitely  own a cell phone. It’s all in the numbers and app purchases are huge, the amount of games sold on the App store is impressive and it shows where consumer attention is.

Mobile gaming has never been better than it is today and it’s largely due to the impact of these new cell phone devices. As history shows us, it takes competition to drive forward innovation and creativity. With the addition of all of these new ways to interact with your applications, like motion control and touch,we have seen changes in gaming that we haven’t seen in years and we can now interact with our games in a way we never would have thought  to be possible in a mobile form factor. Again, the mobile gaming space is not any different than any other in that it’s driven by competition and I would argue that without devices like the iPhone, mobile gaming may look quite different today. There has never been a better time to not only create a gaming app but any app, and it’s all thanks to the latest evolution of the mobile gaming space.

 

 

Get Ready For The WiiU

by Leave a Comment

Nintendo will be releasing the Wii U on November 18th, 2012 and it looks pretty awesome. The Wii U will come with the all new WiiU game pad which has a 6.2″, 16:9 aspect ratio, LCD touch screen which has developers coming up with some pretty unique ways for you to interact with your favorite games. The handheld device also has a front facing camera and motion control. The new gamepad controller is a mini gaming powerhouse on it’s own that will allow Wii U owners to play their favorite games even when you can’t use your TV. With TVii you will be able to watch movies, TV shows and more right on your Wii U gamepad.

WiiU Controller

The Wii U console it self  is similar to the original Wii but with a more rounded look which comes in both black and white. Nintendo also has released a new Wii U Pro controller that looks similar to another well known controller on the market and should be useful when more precise controls are needed. Of course, the new WiiU just wouldn’t feel new unless it was capable of delivering HD graphics, which it does at 720p,1080i,and 1080p. What about your old Wii games? Well most all of your Wii games will work just fine with the new console, though I’m not sure how they will look with an HD output.

WiiUProControlWhite

 

The Wii U will be available in two versions, the Deluxe Set which will have 32GB of internal storage along with a Nintendo Land video game, Wii U Game pad Stand, Wii U Game pad Cradle, and Wii U console stand, Wii U Game pad with stylus and a Digital Promotion that will allow gamers to accumulate points for future downloads on the Nintendo eShop. The Basic Set will include 8GB of internal storage, Wii U Game pad with stylus, sensor bar, and power adapters and both versions will include an HDMI cable.

The Deluxe Set will be priced at $349.99

The Basic Set will be priced at $299.99

I personally am glad to see the return of Pikmin which looks absolutely amazing in HD on the new Wii Console. The new console will really help Nintendo match up with other gaming console features and not only that but I think in many ways, with the new gamepad, I think it should really stand out. The idea of bringing a mobile concept and merging it with the WiiU I think is really smart. The timing of the release feels right too and I think it should sell well in the U.S. Again, the console goes on sale 11-18-2012.

Want the full rundown of WiiU information? Head on over to Nintendo’s official page.

Feeling Nostalgic for DOS games?

by Leave a Comment

Have you ever wanted to play some of your favorite DOS games only to find that your fancy schmancy OS can’t run them?
So, why won’t these titles work ?

DosBox Logo
DosBox Logo

Well, quite simply todays computers just lack the enviroment that older software titles need in order to operate correctly.

 

There are many reasons why these classic titles won’t run but one of the biggest reasons is that todays machines are built around a 64-bit architecture and these old games are not compatible with this type of processing.

No need to worry though! There is a way to to play most of your favorite DOS games.
You will need to download an application called DOSBox. DOSBox is an emulator that simulates the enviroment that these games run in. What makes this even better is that this application is free to download and is has been ported to many different platforms.

DosBox ScreenShot

For complete information on how to download and install this application head to the official site listed here. DOSBox