<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?>
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
<channel>
<title><![CDATA[Nintendo DS: News]]></title>
<link><![CDATA[http://kombo.com/news.php]]></link>
<description><![CDATA[Nintendo DS news.]]></description>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright (c) 2008 kombo.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 17:00:01 -0500</pubDate>
<category>News</category>
<atom:link href="http://www.kombo.com/rss/xml/ds_news.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
<image>
<title>Kombo.com</title>
<url>http://www.kombo.com/images/logo.png</url>
<link>http://www.kombo.com</link>
<width>210</width>
<height>92</height>
</image>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Pokémon Diamond/Pearl 1.5: Pokémon Platinum on the Way]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When your franchise is one of the top selling of last year, and the bulk of your audience loves nothing more than to watch re-runs of Spongebob until they've memorized every word that dribbles from the hyperactive cleaning utensil's mouth, moves like this only make sense. According to Coro Coro Magazine, a Japanese publication, Nintendo plans to throw a new installment of its oh so profitable Pokémon series our way in only a few months. 

Well, not "new," exactly -- try "refurbished." Pokémon Platinum will take place in Diamond/Pearl's Poké-paradise, sport the same roster of the little buggers, and even share half a name with its previously-released series cousins. So, what'll be different? A few Pokémon will have access to new forms, a Battle Frontier-like (ala Pokémon Emerald) Battle Island will be accessible, and, apparently Volkner is dropping his gig as Sunyshore City's gym leader to pursue his dream of becoming a Naruto character. 

Most interesting, however, is the tidbit that the Underground, an ad-hoc multiplayer feature in D/P, will be online enabled in Platinum. Setting devious traps and showing off your customizable lair will surely be twice as fun now that people you may not know can spelunk the cavernous depths with you. 

So, when can you expect to hear your children start begging and pleading for you to purchase Pikachu and pals' latest outing? September, but that's only if your child is fairly Internet-savy and reads Japanese fluently. For the rest of us, the release date is unknown. Odds are, though, it's coming. Lord knows Nintendo needs the money.                  ]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6190</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6190</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 16:52:31 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Hands-on: Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A.]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Recently the guys over at The Game Factory were kind enough to ship us a preview build of their upcoming game, Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A.. The game is a sequel of sorts to the first Code Lyoko game that was released for the DS last year. Fall of X.A.N.A. focuses in on the 4th season of the popular animated series, and the gameplay is a mix of RPG and adventure elements that spans through both the real and virtual world. So what else in store for the upcoming release, and what did we think so far? Keep reading to find out.

We were able to spend a good amount of time with the game, and we were pretty impressed by the number of changes made to the overall gameplay formula from the first Code Lyoko title to this one. For starters, combat is now handled via traditional turn-based RPG encounters. Rather than just recycle the work done for the first game's battle system, The Game Factory has decided to really put some serious time and effort into the evolution of the series.
]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6186</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6186</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 17:37:54 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Analyst Says Guitar Hero: On Tour Set to Rock Sales Charts]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Guitar Hero, without a guitar? Madness! Not so, says Signal Hill Capital Group analyst Todd Greenwald. Instead, he says this thing: 

"We think this title, never having been released on any handheld platform, has the potential to sell several million units at launch, at a $49.99 price point. Furthermore, our retail channel checks show that big-box retailers are preparing to support the release very heavily. Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy should all be giving Guitar Hero: On Tour significant shelf space this summer."

Whoa, whoa, Guitar Hero: On Tour costs $49.99? Also, everything else.

Seriously though, Mr. Greenwald certainly takes a few factors into account that the majority hardcore, jaded Guitar Hero junkies may not. With the game's promotional materials serving as Wal-Mart's uncharacteristically colorful wallpaper, people's eyes will have to gaze on it at some point. 

However, there's another side to the story. As I noted earlier, the DS is not a guitar. With the GH:OT attachment, it's more of an accordion. Sure, rockin' out to your favorite riffs is one of Guitar Hero's selling points, but it's only half of the equation. The other half? Big plastic guitar. And, as much fun as I'm sure it'll be to toss on a blonde wig, grab your DS, and jam in crowded public sector, it just won't match the sensation of gliding up and down the fret buttons, and tilting your axe to activate star power. Sadly, the DS does not support the rock 'n' roll dream. 

But who knows? Do you plan to pick up GH:OT in spite of its lack of a large plastic peripheral? Regardless, we'll know whether or not Greenwald is right when the game releases this June.     ]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6184</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6184</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2008 20:20:07 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Review: Nothing New or Exciting in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[What the Game's About
The Mystery Dungeon series isn't anything new. The series has a long history on Nintendo platforms and dates back to the original Game Boy when Chunsoft released Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer GB. The franchise is known for its simple gameplay, randomly generated dungeons, and charming themes. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness, along with Explorers of Time, is the first pair of Mystery Dungeon games to be developed exclusively for the DS; and as a result new features are brought the series that have never been seen before.
]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6179</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6179</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 18:48:57 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Dragon Quest IV DS Remake Headed Stateside?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This sort of treads the line between rumor and news, insofar as the DS remake of Dragon Quest IV coming to the US.  But here are the facts.

Last month, the name "Chapters of the Chosen" was trademarked by Square Enix with the with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Now, the ESRB has added a rating for a Nintendo DS title called Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen.

Draw your own conclusions.]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6180</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6180</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 12:58:20 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The World Ends With You: Gaming's Most Coherent RPG?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[

Darkness gives way to a faint light. You're inside a dank, somewhat spacious cave, its walls glowing with mystical runes and seals. You take a few tentative steps forward, and the ground splish-splashes beneath your feet, but it's reliable enough. Soon, you come upon a fork in the pathway, where an angry looking quadrupedal beast of a thing impedes your progress. The cave's scarce light glints off the monster's black scales as it bounds towards you. Time for a fight. After exchanging a few blows, the creature slumps to the ground. That wasn't so tough. Before you continue onward, however, you're indescribably drawn to the creature's corpse. Through some incredible feat of intuition, and a few leaps of logic that could well take an entire book to chronicle, you decide to search for and find a shimmering suit of armor in the creature's remains. You know, the creature wasn't even that large. How did it…? Eh, never mind. Free armor, right? 

I'm sure you've experienced a nonsensical series of events not unlike the one described above while traversing your favorite JRPG. Why was that tiny bird lugging around a sword the size of a tiny giant? Why won't that shopkeeper who I rescued from certain doom drop his prices for me – the guy who's saving the entire freaking world? These questions are logical, but for a time, we had to put up with them due to technological constraints. Now, however, it's merely a matter of convenience for developers. Why mess with what works? Well, one man dared defy that complacent manner of thinking. His name: Tetsuya Nomura. 

What?]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6178</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6178</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 21:53:34 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Tecmo Bowl Makes a Running Pass to DS, Wii]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Is "running pass" even correct football terminology?  I'll probably never know myself unless Mario picks up the pigskin.

Anyway, it may be time for EA to move Madden over, as Tecmo is back on the gridiron with their eponymous Tecmo Bowl, a football title with roots dating back to the NES.  The original title was a little odd, in the sense that the developers were not able to get the rights to use actual NFL team names, and so they wound up using the names of the cities from which they hailed instead as they built up a roster that saw each team mimmick the real life version.  If my understanding is correct, however, they did have rights to use players from the NFL Players Association, and so guys like Lawrence Taylor were still able to appear.

The more recent Virtual Console version, however, had to forfeit those long-expired rights as EA now pretty much holds the NFL license lock, stock, and barrel.  Fortunately, Tecmo has been able to turn out a solid game before without full use of the NFL license, and can hopefully pull out something similarly endearing to today's fans.

The game was first brought up about a year ago, though the platform it would appear on went unsaid (save for it "not going to be on the platform you're thinking of right now"), until today when Tecmo revealed that the newest iteration would land on the Nintendo DS.  Tecmo Bowl Kickoff, as it's known, will feature an arcade-style approach to the gameplay, with cutscenes that put emphasis on bigger plays.  And despite the NFL handicap, there will be 32 teams to choose from with customizable squads that allow players to choose colors, emblems, names, and more, including their own playbooks.

The DS touchscreen will be used to control the players, while Nintendo WiFi will enable local and online multiplayer games.  Kickoff still lacks a rating, but remains on target for a Fall release.  EGM says there will be a Wii release a short time later, but no further details are given.]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6176</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6176</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2008 15:56:22 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Guitar Hero: On Tour's Track List Wants You to Rock and Roll All Nite (Cover by Line 6)]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Seeing a band on tour is, without a doubt, an amazing experience. Blinding lights flash on the backdrop of a darkened venue and the crowd excitedly claps, cheers, and even lends its own collective voice -- its own sound -- to the already deafening festivities. Throughout it all, however, you come to notice a slight discrepancy between your favorite band's pristine, crystal clear CD recording and their on-stage jam session. The fact is, they don't sound nearly as perfect live as they do on CD. Of course, there are a number of reasons for this: CDs get touched-up before clacking onto shelves, the band is surely exhausted from the rigors of their tour, etc. And like the rockers it strives to help you imitate, Guitar Hero seems to be suffering from a little tour fatigue itself. 

In the latest issue of Nintendo Power, Activision broke the silence regarding Guitar Hero: On Tour's track list and, well, it could be better. Peek the list after the break.     ]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6175</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6175</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:55:44 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Review: The World Ends With You Shows What Square Enix Can Do Outside of Final Fantasy]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[What the Game's About
Drifting away from their usual RPG roots, Square Enix decided to create something entirely fresh and unique for the DS in the form of The Worlds Ends With You. Sure, the game headlines a morbid title, but the game, surprisingly, isn't quite that dark. While most Square Enix titles take place in the distant future in fantasy worlds, The World Ends With You takes place in modern day Tokyo. Players will venture forth through the Shibuya region, the fashion district of Tokyo, and this plays a huge role within the game itself but we'll get to that in a bit. The World Ends With You puts you in control of the young emo-esque Neku, whom believes he is the superior human on the planet and that other people will only hinder his progress. Unfortunately, things change for the worse for our depressed friend when he receives a message on his cell phone stating: Clear this Mission.....or face erasure. Upon receiving the message, Neku is thrusted into a life-or-death Game. After being thrown into the Game by the Reapers-a mysterious organization that controls the Game- Neku must make the choice of opening up to others...or get killed. 
]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6173</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6173</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:39:26 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Media: The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon Screens (DS)]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Spyro continues his new dawn on the DS.  View them all inside. 

[Note: Firefox users may have difficulty viewing these images.  If so, try using Internet Explorer instead.]

  ]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6170</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6170</guid>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:07:58 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[MegaMan Star Force 3 Confirmed]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While not exactly the ideal Mega Man experience for a number of fans, the previously-rumored third game in the Ryuusei no Rockman series, aka "Shooting Star Rockman" or MegaMan Star Force to us, has effectively seen confirmation, at least in Japan.

The Mega Man Network has reported that Capcom of Japan has opened a teaser site for the new title, with the message "The future of this planet is now up to them," followed by Japanese text that reads "2008. Noise will conceal the world," which of course seems to imply that the game will be released in Japan during this year.

The page also features a downloadable wallpaper featuring the protagonists of the series, including the return of Solo/Rogue and a new, unnamed ally as well.

For fans of the more traditional side-scrolling fare of the Mega Man ZX series, it seems that there is little on the horizon right now, save for the upcoming Rockman ZX Soundsketch: ZX Gigamix album, of which you can learn more here, here, and here.]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6166</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6166</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:26:34 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Media: 19 New Final Fantasy IV Screens Accompany News of English Release]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Word on the silicon street is that Final Fantasy IV DS by Square Enix is slated for a Summer 2008 release in English, but unfortunately, just where is in question.  Games Radar states it's for NTSC (unless they change it by the time you read this), while CVG says PAL (ditto).

Or maybe it'll come to both around the same time?

 

The title is a remake of the original, "With improved 3D graphics, fully-voiced dramatic cut-scenes, an inspiring remixed score and additional content never before seen".  This is said to include new episodes, an Event Theater mode that allows replays of any cutscenes already viewed (always handy), and a new minigame which allows you to nurture your own summon and battle a mate over wireless.

"Final Fantasy IV is a benchmark in RPG history. This improved version of Final Fantasy IV is a great opportunity for fans, old and new alike, to experience one of the definitive titles in the Final Fantasy series in an exciting and innovative new way", said President and CEO of Square Enix, John Yamamoto.]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6164</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6164</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:11:24 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Golden Sun Devs Open to DS Golden Sun Sequel]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Gather 'round kids; it's story time. When I was just a wee one, no taller than I am now, but certainly a few years younger, the Gameboy Advance was the portable console. I lugged that gleaming piece of plastic with me everywhere I went, and when the open road couldn't keep me company, the GBA sucked me into its tiny world. But of all the minuscule spaces I traversed, Golden Sun was my favorite. With my adventures nearly at an end, I waged an epic hour-long battle against the game's final boss. Then, when all hope seemed lost -- all but one of my characters were lying in heaps on the ground -- and only one turn laid between me and the game over screen, I struck the final blow. 

You can understand, then, why I'd be more than a little excited about a few recent comments from Hiroyuki and Shugo Takahashi concerning their long absent RPG series. 

 "We want to play that game too, just as much as you. We love Golden Sun!" they exclaimed in an interview with Eurogamer. "We are working on a lot of different things - a lot of different design documents and so on, including some different RPG ideas. Don't worry, we're thinking about RPG stuff!" 

As of late, Camelot Software has been working on one of the Wii's premier golf games, We Love Golf, much to the dismay of many Golden Sun fans. For those people, this news is quite encouraging, although Golden Sun DS is, at best, in a very early stage of development. But hey, Golden Sun 1 and 2 are both 40-hour monsters, and if you try to collect every Djinn, you'll be able to keep occupied for at least a few months of a year-or-two-long wait. That's something, I suppose. ]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6159</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6159</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:46:22 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Nintendo Gives Seattle Mariners Fans Free Access to Nintendo Fan Network]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[If you live in Seattle and are a Mariners fan, then Nintendo has some good news for you.

Today, Nintendo announced that they are giving fans a gift at every home game this year: Free access to the Nintendo Fan Network with their Nintendo DS units.  With it, they can log on and access a wide variety of baseball-related content such as scores from other games in progress, player statistics, current team standings, the ability to chat with other fans, and trivia and other mini-games.

Plus, for those in the cheap seats, they can access the in-stadium broadcast video, plus use the device to order ballpark food and beverages that will be delivered right to their seats, so they never have to miss an inning.

While the network debuted in trial form during the 2007 season, Nintendo promises a wider variety of uses this year, all for free by downloading the program at one of two kiosks or fifteen download stations located throughout the stadium.  Nintendo expects the game to get a thorough workout this week as the Mariners begin a six-game home stand, and advises that they are always adding features, so users may find something new on a subsequent visit that wasn't there before as Nintendo works to further expand the DS's potential applications.

For further information, Nintendo invites fans to visit the Nintendo Fan Network kiosks at Safeco Field.]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6157</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6157</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:47:20 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Dragon Quest IV DS to Establish North American Chapter]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Dragon Quest is monstrously successful. Its cartoony world and traditional RPG gameplay send millions of Japanese gamers into a frenzy each time a new Dragon Quest hits the shelves. But what happens when Square Enix removes some of the sheen from the series by releasing Nintendo DS remakes of older titles? Apparently nothing, because Square Enix made truckloads of yen off Dragon Quest IV DS' Japanese release. 

It only follows, then, that Square Enix would recognize a good thing and, naturally, they'd be forced to milk it relentlessly. But in this case, they've discovered a golden udder of sorts, because this milk stays sweet no matter how many times you partake of it. And now it's coming to America in the form of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of The Chosen. Today, the title received an ESRB rating of E 10+ -- not an official confirmation from Square Enix, but about as close as we can get without their involvement. 

Personally, I'm excited. Between this and Final Fantasy IV, I won't be at a lack for old school RPG remakes. I can't help but wonder, though; when will we ever see Dragon Quest IX? Oh well, Square Enix certainly could've come up with worse ways to keep us distracted.
 

]]></description>
<link>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6153</link>
<guid>http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=6153</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:59:06 -0500</pubDate>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>