When asked about this, Activision said:

Due to technical or licensing restrictions, the DLC offerings will not be the same for every console platform. For example, certain artists prefer to keep the integrity of the track pack rather than releasing singles and the Wii’s infrastructure only allows us the ability to release single songs as DLC.

The main question here is why can’t Wii have track packs? While we wait for an answer, Wii gamers will just have to miss out on jamming with these classic Hendrix songs.

So the expo was divided into different areas, with new and unreleased games available for playing, as well as PC hardware stands, university stands giving information on games development-related courses, as well as areas for games tourneys. The afternoon started off enjoyably enough, and we were just getting set to take part in a Gears of War 2 multiplayer bash when the fire alarm went off and we had to evacuate the building. Not the best start, even despite some of the exhibitor’s attempts to err… ‘excite’ the crowd by singing a rendition of Livin’ on a Prayer.

Back inside, I made my way to the Nintendo area to scope out any new Wii/DS games that were on show. The new Animal Crossing for the Wii was on display. Now, I’ve never played an AC game before and my time with the Wii version didn’t exactly convert me. Basically, it seems like the same old AC, but casting with the fishing rod (or swinging the bug catching net) is now tied to a Wiimote gesture, which is quite intuitive. The game seems to still retain its charm, but it also seems to retain its graphics – looking more like an N64 game than a Wii game.

Wii Music was being played on a lot of machines, however I didn’t get a chance to play it and all the noise around the expo would have made it very difficult anyway. I did notice little kids seem to enjoy it, but it appears too simplistic for older gamers.

Disaster: Day of Crisis was on show, and appears to be a series of minigames that form part of a greater whole (I.e. surviving the ‘disaster’ in question). While a good idea in theory, a lot of these minigames were either too simplistic (point and shoot with a fire extinguisher to put out a series of fires) or too frustrating (driving a vehicle towards the screen, away from an oncoming tsunami, and you are unable to see what is in front of you). Hopefully other minigames are better executed, as the game definitely has potential.

The two games I had the most fun with, however, were two that involved the Wii Balance Board. Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip uses the Balance Board like a snowboard, and this works really well. It takes some getting used to, and it isn’t as precise as a standard controller, but it just feels so much more realistic and natural. Only the tutorial course was available to play, but if the courses are designed around this new control method and accommodate it appropriately, this game could be a real winner. Stay tuned for a review on TNB soon. Skate It on the Wii uses the Balance Board to represent a hotdog…wait, no, a skateboard is what I meant. You press A on the Wiimote to gather speed, then lean and move your feet to steer and do tricks. It was a bit difficult to get to grips with, but with some fine tuning and practice, the Balance Board could work really well.

There weren’t many DS games at the expo, and those that were there were pretty old (Brain Training and Nintendogs, for example). There was, however, a section of classic Nintendo systems, with a working NES set up and a nice collection of Game and Watches, which pumped up the nostalgia.

In non-Nintendo related areas, Resident Evil 5 is looking gorgeous and the new Prince of Persia game looks like a lot of fun. I also got to meet Ben ‘Yahtzee’ Croshaw, who I tried to start a conversation with. Unfortunately, he was a bit stand-offish and kinda just walked away – I didn’t think I smelt that bad. Or maybe it was my hair…

Competitions and tourneys were running throughout the day (Guitar Hero and FIFA were the main ones), and there was even a chance to kick a real life goal on the small soccer field set up in the FIFA area! It was hard not to notice that a large amount of demonstrators / paper hander-outerers (or whatever they are) were attractive females in short skirts, which was an added bonus.

Overall the expo was quite well done, and there were a surprisingly large number of people in attendance. This is exactly the type of thing we need to see more of in Australia, so hopefully the expo continues to grow for years to come.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows immerse players in an all-new action-adventure saga that gives them unprecedented control, never before seen in a Spider-Man game. Armed throughout the battle and confronted by an unrecognizable New York City, players choose to play as a heroic web-slinger or a volatile, destructive anti-hero, fighting with or against a vast number of fan-favorite Marvel heroes and villains, switching instantly between sides, and deciding which missions to undertake to save mankind. An all-new combat system combines web slinging and customizable superpowers to give gamers the freedom to fight and explore in a free-roaming, open-ended environment. Battles blend Spider-Man’s speed and agility with the landscape, challenging players to master fast moving acrobatic combat, powerful new web-slinging moves and destructive combo attacks, as they take the fight from the streets, up the sides of buildings and onto rooftops.

For more information, check out the official website at http://seizecontrol.marvel.com. It was officially released in Australia on October 29th.

To win yourself a copy, all you have to do is answer in 50 words or less:

If you were Spiderman, what would be the first thing you would do with any of your powers and why.

Send your entries to spiderman@thenintendobasement.com as well as your preferred version of the game (Wii or DS).

Entries close 1st of December, so get those entries in and good luck!

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

- This competition commences immediately, and will conclude on the 1st of December. One entry is allowed per person. Four (4) main prize winners will chosen with the most humorous and/or inventive entries, and will be notified via email. Winners will receive a copy of the Wii or DS version of the game, depending on their request in their entry (though what they ask for is not guaranteed).

- The competition is open to all residents of Australia, except where prohibited by local law. The games are in PAL Format and cannot be traded for NTSC.

- TNB staff members are ineligible to win, TNB Community Team members are eligible to win. TNB is not responsible for lost or damaged mail and the prizes are not redeemable for cash.

- We reserve the right to substitute any of the prizes but will always do so for a prize of equal value. TNB reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of this competition at any time.

Wednesday the 12th of November

Wii:

Guinness World Records: The Video Game
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Guitar Hero: World Tour Guitar Bundle
Guitar Hero: World Tour Super Bundle

DS:

Guinness World Records: The Video Game

Thursday the 13th of November

Wii:

All Star Cheerleader
Disaster: Day of Crisis
FaceBreaker K.O. Party
Olympigs Party Games
Planet Rescue: Wildlife Vet
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Shaun  White Snowboarding
Urban Extreme: Street Rage
Wii Music

DS:

All Star Cheerleader
Dream Pinball
Dungeon Maker
More TouchMaster
My Dress Up
My Games: My Make-up
My Games: My Secret diary
My Health Coach: Quit Smoking With Allen Carr
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Planet Rescue: Ocean Control
Shaun White Snowboarding

A recent interview with Greg Arthurton, Director of Marketing at Nintendo Australia has revealed an official Nintendo magazine is in the making for Australia and New Zealand.

Whilst fans have been without an official magazine for many years now since the demise of NMS, it seems Nintendo Australia has established a partnership with Future Publishing Australia to produce an official magazine.

Arthurton made the following comments about the upcoming official Nintendo magazine;

“We are really excited about the new agreement. By establishing a partnership with Future Publishing Australia, we are able to extend the Nintendo brand into a new environment with a locally produced magazine on the news stands.”

“We will also benefit from the well established relationship which already exists between the companies in other territories, and we will integrate that into the way we work together here too. We definitely see the magazine as being an important part of our evolving communications strategy in this region, not least to ensure our customers can get the best out of their consoles with a complementary offering.”

The first issue of Official Nintendo Magazine – Australia and New Zealand goes onsale in December 2008. The title will be published monthly with a cover price of $8.95. The magazine will be distributed nationally in both Australia and New Zealand, with the first issue packaged as a Special Edition.

Super Street Fighter II: Chapmionship Edition hails from the SEGA Mega Drive and as such costs 800 Wii points. The Mega Drive’s edition of this highly editioned game came with its own modes and had a six button controller made for it, of which eventually became the Mega Drive’s standard controller.

The website updates include a new interface, a Touch! Generations section, an enhanced search engine and seven new competitions including the chance to win Disaster: Day of Crisis and Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Hopefully the Nintendo Australia website update is a sign that Club Nintendo is on its way.

Check out the updated Nintendo Australia website here.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata told buyers that 200,000 units were shipped out for the launch. The extra approx. 30,000 copies are in rollovers of stock for the third day of sales after the main release or waiting to be picked up by people that pre-ordered them. It has been reported that the whole Tokyo area is almost completely sold out of units.

Nintendo plans on having another 100,000 units out about a week after the launch. It is expected to be released in Australia sometime in 2009.

Yes, we have all seen big stylus’ on Play Asia but not all of us can be bothered importing, especially when you’re paying over $10 just for a stylus!

But now we have our own pens, available at most good toy retailers (I picked mine up at K-Mart).

These pens come in different colours, each with a unique Nintendo iconic figurine on the head, for looks of course. Although they don’t slide in to your DS, they come with a strap to attach it to it making losing it almost impossible.

Good luck picking the one you want, they come in a little egg that isn’t see through, kinda like a lucky dip.

Developed by Taito, “Space Invaders Get Even” is just what the title implies, you control Space Invaders and you attack Earth. This title will set you back 500 Wii Points and 500 for each of its three expansions.

“Alien Crush Returns” is the stunning Wii-make of “Alien Crush” (available on Virtual Console for 600 points). The game is a widely loved pinball game with an Alien theme. The price of this game with its new graphics and features will set you back 800 points.

Finally “Brain Challenge” is a game similar to Brain Training where you undertake a series of mental exercises to improve your brain. It game will set you back 1000 Wii Points.