This Friday, March 19, 2010 the makers of How to Train Your Dragon are giving gamers a chance to win an awesome prize pack! All you have to do is visit the Official Website (http://www.howtotrainyourdragon.com) and enter to get your chance to win. Gamers have a chance to enter once a day until April 7. The best part is that a new winner will be chosen every single day!

Winners will have their chance between the Wii prize pack (A Nintendo Wii and the Wii version of How to Train Your Dragon) or the Nintendo DSi Pack (Nintendo DSi and DSi version of the game).

The official release date for How To Train Your Dragon is on March 23rd. The game will be available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and Nintendo DS/DSi.

Synopsis
How To Train Your Dragon launches gamers into a third-person action-adventure as a Viking hero where they must embark upon an epic quest to become the ultimate dragon trainer. Gamers can play as characters “Hiccup” or Astrid” on the vast Island of Berk, which features expanded locales from the film including Vikings’ Village, Wild Zone, Training Zone and Fight Arena. In this truly larger-than-life adventure, players will train dragons, explore environments and battle in prestigious dragon tournaments as they battle for Viking victory. Plus, gamers can become the Dragon hero of their living room as they square-off with friends and family in endless head-to-head multi-player combat!

You can view Screenshots on our Previous How to Train Your Dragon Post.

Technorati Tags: Contest, Prize Pack, How to Train Your Dragon, Viking, Third Person Action Adventure, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Daily Winner, Game, Video Game

LADY GAGA MAKES HER DEBUT ON ROCK BAND WITH A HOT FOUR PACK!

PLUS A SPECIAL SOUTH PARK TRACK, THE SUBWAYS & MORE

Cambridge, Mass. – March 12, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a four pack of songs from pop sensation Lady Gaga, as well as singles from 3 Doors Down, Mute Math, The Subways, and a special Lady Gaga cover by COMEDY CENTRAL’S South Park’s own Eric Cartman will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

These are among the more than 400 artists currently available through the Rock Band platform. With more than 1,100 songs available, Rock Band is, without question, the industry leader in providing the best selection of interactive musical content, songs and artists.
Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Musical maven and international fashionista Lady Gaga makes her Rock Band debut next week with a four pack of songs from both her Grammy® Award-winning and Diamond-certified album The Fame and her latest release The Fame Monster. Lady Gaga became the first artist in Billboard history to chart four No. 1 singles when her smash single “Paparazzi” reached No. 1 in 2009. Recently named creative director for a specialty line of Polaroid® products, Lady Gaga has proven herself to be an innovative powerhouse outside the music realm as well. “Lady Gaga Pack 01” will include “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Monster” and “Poker Face.” Lady Gaga is touring Europe and the United States this spring and fall, as part of her successful Monster Ball tour. For more information on tour dates, please visit www.ladygaga.com.

Also coming next week are singles from 3 Doors Down (“It’s Not My Time”) and Mute Math (“Control”), as well as two songs from The Subways – “Oh Yeah” and “Rock & Roll Queen.” Additionally, a special version of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” by South Park’s Eric Cartman, will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store next week.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (March 16) and PlayStation 3 system (March 18):
· Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
· Lady Gaga – “Just Dance”
· Lady Gaga – “Monster”
· Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
· 3 Doors Down – “It’s Not My Time”
· Mute Math – “Control”
· South Park – “Poker Face (Cartman version)”
· The Subways – “Oh Yeah”
· The Subways – “Rock & Roll Queen”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Lady Gaga Pack 01”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$6.99, £3.49 UK, €5.29 EU (560 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Lady Gaga Pack 01”
$2.00USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Technorati Tags: Rock Band, Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, Music Game, Video Game, Eric Cartman, Lady Gaga, LEGO, Upcoming Tracks

Nintendo has plenty of things coming out this year that will please some of the pickiest gamers. While we aren’t excited about all of the new editions, we are looking forward to a new Mario title and the DSi XL among other things. A new Prince of Persia title and several options for owners of the DSi or DSi XL that are looking for more than gaming are in the works, too. Soon you will have a chance to read the classics or cook with the masters. It’s obvious that in some respects, Nintendo will be providing an interesting year.

March 28
The new Nintendo DSi XL™ hand-held system launches March 28 at a suggested retail price of $189.99. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL are 93 percent larger than those of the Nintendo DS™ Lite model, providing a more vivid and engaging play experience. The screens of the Nintendo DSi XL also feature a wider viewing angle, letting friends and family members join the fun. The new system launches in both Burgundy and Bronze colors, and comes loaded with pre-installed premium software Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock, as well as two free applications: the Nintendo DSi Browser and Flipnote Studio™. Nintendo DSi XL will also come with a larger pen-like stylus that allows for a more comfortable grip and enhanced ease of use when playing games that use the Nintendo DS touch screen.

America’s Test Kitchen: Let’s Get Cooking Let the experts guide you and your cooking family through 300 delicious recipes from the most watched cooking show on public television! ~ Get cooking in America’s Test Kitchen! America’s beloved cooking show spent hundreds of hours testing 300 recipes that span everything from entrees to delectable desserts, so all you have to do is follow their lead and have fun cooking. Watch technique videos, listen to instructions, and use voice commands as the software walks you through every step of the cooking process. ~ Everyone’s a chef!

WarioWare™: D.I.Y.: Every WarioWare game has featured a frenetic mix of wacky, five-second “microgames,” but WarioWare: D.I.Y. adds the next evolution to the same crazy gameplay: making your own microgames from the ground up. Design your own games! Create your own microgames from scratch, or customize previously existing ones. Create custom graphics, compose music, and design your own gameplay rules, OR borrow any of these elements from other microgames and tweak them as you see fit.

April 20
Capcom’s Monster Hunter® Tri, an epic action game for Wii, launches in the United States on April 20. The game lets players customize their character, armor and weapons in order to protect a town from majestic monsters as that town rebuilds following a devastating earthquake. Online play will be available for all players with broadband Internet access at no additional cost. Online text chat is fully functional and online voice chat is enabled using the Wii Speak™ microphone, which is sold separately. At a suggested retail price of $59.99, limited quantities of Monster Hunter Tri will include the new Black Classic Controller Pro™, while both Black and White versions of the controller will be available separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game will also be available without a controller at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

May 3
Picross 3D is poised to become a puzzle game phenomenon when it launches for the Nintendo DS family of products on May 3. In Picross 3D, players start with a cube and smash away smaller blocks to reveal an object, shape or symbol. Delivering more than 350 unique puzzles and more made available for download on a regular basis after launch via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet access required), the game takes the mind-bending fun of Picross into the next dimension

May 18
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ from Ubisoft will launch May 18 on both the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms. Boasting amazing graphics with fantastic action and puzzle-solving game play, the Wii version will be the first in franchise history to feature a two-player cooperative experience. As an added bonus, the Wii version of the game will exclusively include the 1992 Super NES™ version of the original Prince of Persia game.

May 23
Super Mario Galaxy™ 2, the sequel to the smash-hit galaxy-hopping original game, launches May 23 for the Wii™ console. The game includes the amazing gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge and delight players. On some stages, Mario™ can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi™ and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock.

June 7
Sin and Punishment: Star Successor, the breakthrough shooter game for Wii from legendary developer Treasure, will launch across North America on June 7. The game features nonstop action with two playable characters and international online leaderboards to track high scores. Using the Wii Remote pointer functionality, the game offers unprecedented precision in the shooter genre.

June 14
100 Classic Books transforms the Nintendo DS family of products into a library of timeless literature when it launches on June 14 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, highlighted by 100 works from authors such as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen, Mark Twain and more. Readers can adjust the size of text, place bookmarks and even download new content via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service (broadband Internet connection required).

June 27
Metroid™: Other M, the incredible new Metroid game developed for Wii through a collaboration by Nintendo and the world-renowned Team Ninja, launches June 27. The game looks at the classic franchise from a new perspective: While much of the game is reminiscent of 2-D side-scrollers, players can switch the perspective into 3-D at any time as they explore the twisting passages of a derelict space station and delve deep into a cinematic, never-before-told story of bounty hunter Samus Aran’s past. This new approach uses a new control scheme in which players use the Wii Remote™ controller held sideways to battle enemies and navigate the expansive, gorgeous environments in classic Metroid fashion, then aim at the screen with the Wii Remote pointer to blast foes in first-person and hunt the world for clues and hidden passages.

Summer 2010
In a unique partnership with Square-Enix, Nintendo of America will publish Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies in the Americas when the game arrives in summer 2010. Dragon Quest IX has sold more than 4.15 million copies in the Japanese market. Nintendo and Square-Enix will now work together to bring this title to the Nintendo DS consumer base in the Americas.

Late 2010
Disney Guilty Party is the official title of the highly anticipated first collaboration between Disney Interactive Studios and its recently acquired studio, Wideload Games. The fun and hilarious mystery party game is set for release in the second half of 2010, exclusively for Wii.

Majesco’s Nintendo DSi exclusive Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal uses incredible augmented reality technology through the Nintendo DSi Camera. Launching this October, the game lets players become a ghost hunter as they interact with the paranormal.

For WiiWare:

March 1
Capcom’s Mega Man™ 10 builds upon the huge impact of Mega Man 9, a completely new adventure rendered in classic 8-bit style. This new game looks and sounds as awesomely retro as its predecessor.

March 8
Max & the Magic Marker from Press Play turns the Wii Remote into an orange magic marker that’s literally magic. Players draw lines and objects to help Max reach objects and his ultimate goal.

March 22
The long-awaited indie cult classic Cave Story comes to WiiWare with new game play, artwork and music enhancements. It’s classic gaming reborn for 2010.

March 29
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase is a standalone product exclusive to the WiiWare service and available only from the Wii Shop Channel. The game contains more than 70 new microgames and features interoperability with the WarioWare: D.I.Y. game for the Nintendo DS family of products. Players that own both games can transfer content between the two via a local wireless connection, and can even play user-created microgames on their television using WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.

Spring 2010
Swim and spin through the primordial ooze in Nintendo’s Art Style: Rotozoa™ as you absorb tiny organisms that match the colors of your tentacles. As you absorb more organisms, your tentacles grow. The challenge increases as additional tentacles are gained, but power-ups can help you survive and thrive.

Rage of the Gladiator from Ghostfire Games is an intense fighting game that asks players to perfect their well-timed moves against an array of opponents. The game is compatible with the Wii MotionPlus accessory.

And Yet It Moves from Broken Rules requires players to rotate the world to help their line-drawn protagonist progress. Walls become floors and floors become ceilings in this surreal twist on the platformer genre.

For Nintendo DSiWare:

Spring 2010
Nintendo’s Photo Dojo™ is poised to be the cult hit of 2010 when it launches this spring. The game first asks players to pose for 13 pictures and input 10 sound effects. Once that’s done, the player becomes the main character in a hilarious side-scrolling fighting game. Create up to eight characters and do battle alone or against a friend on a single Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL system.

Nintendo’s Metal Torrent™ delivers a frantic barrage of gunfire that fills the screen. Players try to convert opponents’ bullets into cubes that, when collected, increase their score and fill an energy meter that powers special weapons. Online Leaderboards record scores and movies of top games.

X-Scape™ from Nintendo immerses players in an exploratory adventure involving more than 20 planets. Players will pilot their tank through 3-D tunnels, fire at enemies and even battle ancient weapons that resemble giant robots.

Technorati Tags: Nintendo, Capcom, DSi, Wii, DS, DSi XL, Upcoming Games, Video Games, Spring 2010, Summer 2010

The voters have spoken! Let their voices be heard! GameStop and Rockstar Games announced today the winning pre-order premium in the “Red Dead Referendum” is the Deadly Assassin

This exclusive unlockable outfit for the upcoming release of Red Dead Redemption beat out its worthy adversaries, the Savvy Merchant and the Expert Hunter, by a landslide in a public referendum that’s been underway since Jan. 25.

The Deadly Assassin outfit will allow players to regenerate the “Dead Eye” targeting feature twice as fast throughout gameplay. Pre-order customers will receive a unique code at launch. They will then need to complete the following in-game challenges to unlock this GameStop exclusive outfit:

Win a Duel in Armadillo – Travel to the town of Armadillo, and accept the challenge to fight a duel. Just make sure to win.
Capture or Kill Mo Van Barr – While in Armadillo, find the wanted poster for Mo Van Barr, accept the Bounty Hunting mission and bring this notorious member of the Walton Gang to justice, dead or alive.
Solve the Mystery of the Missing Townsfolk – People have been disappearing for weeks from the outskirts of Armadillo. Track down the clues, solve the mystery and live to tell the tale.
Search Coot’s Chapel – Find the ruins of Coot’s chapel in the wilds of Cholla Springs, and search it for treasure.
Complete the Twin Rocks Hideout – Find the legendary criminal hideout of Twin Rocks, located North of the town of Armadillo, to complete this final challenge.

Red Dead Redemption is available at GameStop stores nationwide on May 18, 2010.

Technorati Tags: Red Dead Redemption, Gamestop, Games, Video Games, Rockstar, Pre-Order, Premium, Rockstar

GAMESTOP AND ROCKSTAR GAMES WANT YOUR VOTE IN THE RED DEAD REFERENDUM

The winning unlockable outfit will be the GameStop pre-order exclusive

GameStop and Rockstar Games present the “Red Dead Referendum,” a public vote to select the pre-order exclusive unlockable outfit for the upcoming title, Red Dead Redemption. Polls are open now through Feb. 15 to choose the outfit you like best for the game’s protagonist, John Marston. Receive the winning in-game outfit and its special gameplay benefits as a pre-order exclusive only through GameStop.

Anyone can vote up to once a day, but ballot box stuffing is encouraged since each vote counts as an entry in a sweepstakes to win a trip to tour the old west on the historic Grand Canyon Railway or daily prizes of $100 GameStop gift cards.

The three outfits to choose from include:

* The Savvy Merchant – buy guns and ammunition from any gunsmith for half the cost
* The Deadly Assassin – regenerate your “Dead Eye” targeting feature twice as fast
* The Expert Hunter – receive double skins and hides when you kill an animal

For more information or to vote, visit www.gamestop.com/RedDead.

Technorati Tags: Red Dead Referendum, Gamestop, Rockstar Games, Grand Canyon Railway, Gift Cards, Pre-Order, Vote

It’s like The Sims meets Sim City in Kingdom form. Build your kingdom and help your settlers thrive in the new sequel to the ever-popular PC game, Settlers: Rise of an Empire. The game, Settlers 7: Path to a Kingdom looks adorable. I am more of the PC-gamer in the family and just by checking out the well made graphics and fun game premise,

Ubisoft has taken great strides to improve upon the gameplay provided in Settlers: Rise of an Empire. With better graphics, more interactivity and the ability to create a stunning kingdom with original characters and different construction scenarios, everything to hope for a sequel and more is available in Settlers 7.

One area that had to be explored when creating this game that I would never have considered was the economy created by your kingdom. The following video discusses how the developers made various ways for game players to develop a thriving community while playing Settlers 7. It is fascinating to hear what into the development process for this game. You can check out the video right here on Gamerrazzi.

To find out more about Settlers 7 and the original Settlers PC game, visit The Settlers Ubisoft website.

Settlers 7 is set to be released by Ubisoft sometime in early 2010.

Technorati Tags: Settlers 7, Path to a Kingdom, Ubisoft, Video, Economy, PC, Gaming, PC Game, Setters: Rise of the Empire

Larian Studios’ Divinity II: Ego Draconis, the sequel to the popular, action RPG game, Divine Divinity, is set for release on January 5, 2010. This video game will be available for PC and Xbox 360. Players of Divinity II will return to Rivellon, the world in which the first game is set. Rivellon, a once beautiful and peaceful land, has been ravaged by a series of devastating wars. You’ll fight as a Dragon Slayer, evolving into various character roles as you fight the forces of the evil Damian.

Players get to learn to read minds, travel to the various dungeons looking for and taking loot and eventually turn into a playable dragon that can be used as the player wishes. This is the first time that you’ll be able to play as both human and dragon. You decide how the story unfolds, based on the choices you make for your character. You also have the ability to make your own creature, to help in your battles, from body parts you collect between and during quests.

You’ll be able to explore interactive, dynamic environments and experience over 60 hours worth of gameplay!

With the upcoming release of Divinity II: Ego Draconis just a little over a month away, Gamestop is offering a special, pre-order gift. If you pre-order while supplies last, you can receive a Blood Echelon Armor and Weapon Set. This is the most elite armor and weapon offering from the game. The set is used by the high ranking Dragon Slayers.

The set includes:

-Blood Echelon Armor: Sturdy as granite and shaped to intimidate, Blood Echelon armors set new standards in the art of war.

-Blood Echelon Weapon: The Claymore, the Frontline Slayers’ mighty weapon of choice, cleaves armor like it was mere flesh.

For more information on Divinity II: Ego Draconis, please visit the game’s official website: http://www.divinity2.com/

To get the Blood Echelon Armor and Weapon Set at Gamestop:
For Xbox For PC

Technorati Tags: Divinity II: Ego Draconis, Larian Studios, Games, RPG, Xbox 360, PC, Action, Dragon, Pre-Order, Gamestop, Video Game

Now, players of Ubisoft games can look forward to Uplay(TM). Assassins Creed II and Splinter Cell: Conviction are the first two games to offer access to this new technology. The beta version of Uplay will be available for Assassin’s Creed II on PS3 and Xbox 360 by connecting directly through the Uplay in-game interface. PC users will also be able to make use of Uplay.

Ubisoft has announced that gamers will have the chance to take advantage of four, key gaming services. These are Uplay Win, Uplay Help, Uplay Share and Uplay Shop. Uplay Win is the primary service that will be released on Uplay Beta. The Uplay Win feature allows those playing games to get rewards through their actions throughout games enabled with Uplay. This is done by collecting units that can be cashed in for rewards.

These rewards include digital items and exclusive, downloadable game content. For example, in Assassin’s Creed II, you can exchange your units for an Altair costume or access to the Auditore Family Crypt. You can also use Uplay Win points in a cross-platform capacity (PS3, Xbox 360, PC). If you do not want to use your units right away, you can also save them up for future Ubisoft game releases.

Additionally, gamers will be able to access Uplay Share, Uplay Shop and Uplay Help from www.uplay.com.

For more information on this service, check out the video Ubisoft has made on Uplay features and functions:

Technorati Tags: Uplay, Ubisoft, Video, Video Games, Downloadable Content, Game Features, Shop, Win, In Game Interface, Rewards

Square Enix sent out a press release confirming the date of the release of SUPREME COMMANDER 2. The strategy game, which will be available for both PC and Xbox 360 is set for release on March 2, 2010 (PC) and March 16, 2010 (Xbox). Supreme Commander 2 has been developed by Gas Powered Games.

Set 25 years after the events of SUPREME COMMANDER, this sequel features online multiplayer options, campaign mode and an original storyline. This continues on with the real time strategy gameplay that is enhanced from the first game. Massive, large scale battles allow players to develop intense, customized armies and original, experimental, war machines that allow for waging war and tipping the balance of power. Each player has the chance to play as one of three, different commanders, and partake in three, unique stories.

The Square Enix Press release contained tidbits about the Square Enix and Gas Powered Games partnership:

“The partnership with Square Enix has been a highlight of my career,” said Chris Taylor, Founder and Creative Director of Gas Powered Games. “I couldn’t be more proud of what the team has accomplished, as the game has continually exceeded all of my expectations throughout its development.”

“Supreme Commander 2 is a shining example of our strategic partnership with Gas Powered Games,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “Square Enix’s expertise in character development and storytelling, combined with the real-time strategy experience of the creative talent at Gas Powered Games, promises to deliver a feature-rich product that we hope gamers from around the globe will enjoy.”

It also provided information on the SUPREME COMMANDER 2 Story:

Set 25 years after the end of the Infinite War, SUPREME COMMANDER 2 starts with the galaxy reeling from the recent assassination of the newly elected president of the fragile Colonial Defense Coalition. The members of the Coalition – the United Earth Federation, The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation –blame each other, and the early rumbles of war can be heard throughout the galaxy.

And the Game Features:

* Take on the role of three enigmatic commanders; former friends from each of the unique factions — The United Earth Federation (UEF), The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation — who get dragged into a conflict of galactic consequences

* Explore a rich, character-driven single-player game which spans over 18 missions and delivers a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre, or take the battle online for an exhilarating multi-player experience

* Fight action-packed battles on a massive scale, waging war with enormous land, air and naval units in visually spectacular environments, brought to life by all-new rendering technology and a true evolution of RTS controls on both platforms

* Upgrade and customize armies with new weapons and technology and deploy them instantly on the battlefield, turning a base-level tank into a high-powered, multi-barreled, anti-aircraft-sporting multipurpose battle unit

* Deploy wild experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment. Experience a streamlined economy and redesigned UI that put the focus squarely on combat, battlefield tactics and high-level strategic decision making, and give improved player feedback in Strategic Zoom view

This game looks to be a vast improvement over the original, Supreme Commander. Of course, to find out for sure, we’ll have to wait until March.

Technorati Tags: Supreme Commander 2, Square Enix, Gas Powered Games, Video Games, Release Date, RTS, Real Time Strategy, Game Announcement, Multiplayer Mode, Campaign Mode

I have been playing Mario games since the original NES. Nothing beats the NES titles. Now, a similar style of game has been released for the Wii. The big difference between New Super Mario Bros Wii is all the pretty bells and whistles the original Super Mario Bros wasn’t able to have…like multiplayer modes, Mario penguin mode, incredibly dynamic worlds and stellar graphics.

Here is the latest press release I received from Nintendo on this title. The game was released on November 15, 2009.

Nintendo Brings Multiplayer Excitement to the Mushroom Kingdom with New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Mario’s Newest Adventure Offers Simultaneous Four-Player Mode, In-Game Guides

EDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– From fans who grew up playing the NES™ console to gamers with a passion for the Wii™ console, generations of Americans have enjoyed the imaginative fun of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros.™ video game series. Now the launch of New Super Mario Bros. Wii heralds the first time in the history of the series that up to four players can compete at the same time, either cooperatively or competitively.

Packed with beloved characters and remarkable new features, New Super Mario Bros. Wii takes the classic side-scrolling adventure of the Super Mario Bros. series and gives it a manic multiplayer boost. Featuring free-form multiplayer action, players can save their companions from danger or literally toss them right into it. While controlling Mario™, Luigi™ or one of two playable Toad™ characters, players can jump in and join a friend’s Story Mode game at the start of any level. The game also features two dedicated multiplayer modes, Coin Battle mode and Free For All mode, that let players easily select their favorite stages and compete across a variety of objectives. Each copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii comes in a red case with a foil-stamped cover.

Among the new features in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is Mario’s ability to transform into Penguin Mario, which allows him to toss snowballs and slide on his belly at breakneck speed. Players also can hop onto a Yoshi™ character and use his tongue to eat enemies, items and fireballs. The game also makes use of the Wii console’s unique motion controls, allowing players to tilt the Wii Remote™ controller to control seesaw platforms or shake it to send Mario skyward in his new Propeller Suit.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii introduces a new feature called Super Guide that offers players optional game-play tips if they are having trouble getting past particular parts of the game. Super Guide lets players watch as a computer-controlled Luigi character makes his way through any stage that the player finds difficult. At any time in the video, the player can take control of Luigi and complete the stage at his or her own pace.

“As the holiday season draws near, it feels especially appropriate to offer consumers a new Mario adventure that they can enjoy together with family and friends, for the first time in the series’ illustrious history,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “New Super Mario Bros. Wii has something special for everyone, and lets players of all abilities explore the imaginative world of the Mushroom Kingdom like never before.”

Since the series’ debut in North America on the NES in 1986, more than 222 million Super Mario Bros. games have been sold worldwide. Mario remains one of the most recognizable characters in the entertainment world, and stands as a symbol of fun worldwide.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

For more information about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, visit www.mariobroswii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.2 billion video games and more than 535 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

Technorati Tags: Mario, Luigi, New Super Mario Bros, Wii, Video Game, Nintendo, Mushroom Kingdom, Super Mario Bros, Toad