Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.
Rumor: Nintensects! Use your virtual insect pins to secure your virtual collection! Gotta catch 'em all!
Imagine an alternate universe where the Atari Lynx, with its awesome color screen and arcade Ninja Gaiden port obliterated the original Game Boy in sales. Then Nintendo tried to come back with a color system, only to be humiliated by the Neo Geo Pocket Color. That is the the situation for which this rumor makes sense.
Noheat.com speculates that Nintendo will release "a limited amount of content" for Apple's iPhone, in the form of downloadable $29 games. There is so much wrong with this idea. First, and most obvious, Nintendo kind of has their own handheld system with a touch screen. Second, Nintendo does not release games for non-Nintendo consoles. They licensed Mario and Zelda out to Philips for CD-I games, but they didn't make those games (and it didn't really work out.) The last time Nintendo made a game for someone else's system was pre-NES, with stuff like Donkey Kong and Popeye. And back then, they didn't have a console out to compete with Coleco, Mattel, and Atari.
Here's the weirdest part of all: Noheat claims that "The logic is that because the licensed games will be exclusive and cater to an older audience they should not intrude into Nintendo's existing markets." Brain Age says hello! Of course, having said all that, now we're quite certain Nintendo will make the announcement later today, just to make us look foolish!
It's almost (min)E3 time, and you know what that means -- wanton speculation. That's right, game fans, it's time to hop on the rumor train. So what's the story? You won't believe it. No, really.
An all new DS. And no, we don't mean a new color. We here in America, we don't get new colors, because we apparently don't buy enough Brain Age.
As rumors go, the idea of yet another DS redesign is not terribly un-possible. We saw several versions of the GBA, after all. But seriously, how small can we really go? Sometimes we already confuse it with the checkbook -- and our pals with larger hands occasionally complain of a little cramping as it is. And are bigger screens or a streamlined design necessary? Do we need a different (better?) DS? You decide.
We'll admit we haven't been in Target for awhile, so this news comes as kind of a surprise to us. Sure, we like to use our DS Lite to play GBA games (even if they stick out some), but sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of pulling a GBA SP out of your pocket, flipping it open and playing some Omega Factor. Apparently, the GBA SP's time on this Earth is limited.
Of course, we can understand why Nintendo would discontinue the handheld, but it doesn't mean we're not a tad bit hurt to see the handheld leave our life so quickly.
A GoNintendo reader was scouring the GameStop product listings and found a couple of interesting, items. Front Mission 1st, previously sort of confirmed for a US release, is marked as releasing on October 2nd.
Assassin's Creed, which was spotted on the leaked GameStop release list, now has a listing on the GameStop site, with a September 25th release date and the completely final boxart seen here. As our copy of Superman for the Playstation will attest, the GameStop computer system is completely accurate and infallible, and once something has a listed release date, it's definitely coming out for real.
In an interview with NIS America, RPGamer extracted some information that should have SRPG lovers choosing "Dance Happily" from their action menus, if they have the AP for it. When asked what the chances were for a Disgaea game on the Nintendo DS, NIS's Nao Zook responded "Let me just say this... you can look forward to it!"
So either NIS is planning a Disgaea game for the DS or Nao Zook is kind of mean. We hope it's the former. We personally aren't the most ardent of strategy game players, but we recognize that the strategy genre is underrepresented on the DS. And the touch screen is great for that sort of game.
Don't object to our speculation, but Capcom has registered a trademark that sounds like it may have relevance in our daily lives. "Apollo Justice" ... hmm. The first name is taken from a mythological figure, one associated with law and truth, and the last name is also legal-themed. Oh, we got it-- this is the name of the next Resident Evil game.
Oh, or Ace Attorney. "Apollo Justice" would be a pretty good name for Odoroki Housuke, the protagonist of Gyakuten Saiban 4. And if that's what the trademark is for, then it's a good sign for those of us hoping for a localized version.
We were convinced that Square Enix would never bring Front Mission 1st stateside, leaving us to languish with only fantasy-based SRPGs for the duration of our handheld's life. Front Mission's "marketing blog" says that won't be the case, and if we're to believe the sweet whispers they've murmured into our ears when the lights are out and everyone's asleep, the localization process is already well underway.
The team hasn't show much beyond a single English-translated screenshot from one of the futuristic mecha game's cutscenes, but we expect to be hit with more media once the North American version is officially announced. As of now, the only bit of information we've heard is that the US title won't be suffixed with the 1st numbering, shortening it down to just Front Mission.
Not content with releasing eighty remakes of popular Final Fantasy titles and making an obscene profit from said actions, a recent online interview with CEO Yoichi Wada revealed that the company has plans to remake an unknown number of their other mega-popular franchise, Dragon Quest (also known, for earlier iterations, as Dragon Warrior here in the states).
Which titles and how many are as of yet unknown ... the information seemed to just slip right out of Wada-san's vocal cords ... but we'd imagine a compilation similar to Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls. Also, while not officially confirmed for the DS, we can't really imagine these titles going anywhere else. Does this news excite you guys, or are the old-school DQ titles just a bit too old-school?
Word is that we're looking at the end of an era. IGN's Matt Casamassina reports that Nintendo Power is in its last days, at least, as we know it today. While it may just be that a restructure is in the cards for the magazine, rumor has it that the employees are being told that they need to find new jobs by September.
Nintendo Power's been churning out the fanboy news for nineteen years now, but these last few have been a rough time for all sorts of print media, with the rise of the blogosphere and instant information. We wouldn't be surprised to see Nintendo Power shut its doors ... but we would be a little sad.
Put on your sleuthing caps, ladies and gents, we have a bonafide mystery on our hands. Surely you remember, with chagrin and unfulfilled longing, the news of the canceled Halo DS project, reported by IGN editor-in-chief Matt Casamassina. He even went so far as to say that he played the title, and love him or hate him, Matt tends to speak verily.
Enter: last night's San Francisco Halo 3 beta event. The Bungie team, responsible for the development of all things Halo, were interviewed by numerous gaming outlets and media sources, including one Rumor Reporter. When asked about the ill-fated Halo DS, Bungie's Brian Gerrard, Director of Franchise and Community Affairs, commented, "Wow, I have never heard or seen such a project, nor do we have plans for any DS Halo title."
We doubt either of these two respected news sources were lying or mistaken, which leaves the question: who made the mysterious Halo DS, the one Matt C. played? There's only one obvious answer, of course.
Relations between the US and Europe have been strained enough over uncompromising war policies and disparate diplomats, but Nintendo's decision to localize Picross DS for our Atlantic opposites while ignoring North America's pleas threatens to escalate the conflict even further. Already, protesters are rallying on embassy steps, stomping on french fries and singing hymns of freedom.
Hoping to avert an international crisis, GameStop has put up a Picross title on its site for $19.99, announcing a July 31st stateside release for the logic puzzler. For some, that distant date is unacceptable. Others refuse to even believe that it's the same game and not a generic product. To appease their ire, online shop SendIt has agreed to offer the UK version of the game at a discount. Picross DS has a £14.89 (approximately $30.00) listing on the site, and CAG forumers have reported paying $32.87 after US shipping and handling charges. As far as import prices go, that's quite a deal!
Certainly, Japan's Golden Week is a triumphant one for Nintendo. The top nineteen titles in software belong to the House That Mario Built, as well as 82% of combined hardware sales. Still, one incredible milestone stands out among the fanfare: according to unofficial numbers, the DS has now officially outsold the powerhouse Game Boy Advance in Japan, 16,913,437 to 16,682,376.
It's important to note that these numbers differ slightly from our standard Media Create sales figures used in our regular edition posts. Furthermore, if the news is indeed true, we're sure Nintendo will send out a press release soon enough, touting their own brilliance and humanitarianism. They just love those things.
Well, if you weren't quite convinced that Final Fantasy III DS was worth getting excited over, then try this on for size: rumor has it that the same team has taken on an update of Final Fantasy IV -- one of three Final Fantasy titles heralded as a contender for the title of best game ever.
Whereas the original FFIII was passed over for a U.S. release and featured, prior to update, a nameless band of warriors, the next entry in the series originated many of the qualities that turned the franchise into a global powerhouse. The game debuted the Active Time Battle system and featured an epic storyline that's still held dear in the hearts of RPG gamers everywhere. It's been remade several times -- most recently (and we mean recently) for the GBA -- but a remake using the FFIII engine could give the game new life and improve the only thing that needs to be improved, which is the graphics.
If this is true (and it wouldn't surprise us), we'll most likely hear confirmation on it soon, since the Square Enix Party is this weekend in Japan. According to the rumor, the game is nearly finished as well, so if it's coming, we won't have long to wait.
Rumours are going around the internet that Alone in the Dark 5: Near Death Investigation will be heading to the DS, along with versions for the home consoles and PC. The latest entry in the survival horror series sees Edward Carnby fighting for his life in Central Park. We'll get an episodic story and the chance to hot-wire a car in a minigame.
Atari is also bringing at least five other titles to the DS: Tabaluga 2, Lucky Luke: Go West, Asterix Olympic Games, Cooking and Fashion Academy. Something for everyone then, and a real treat for image conscious chefs who like French cartoons.
It's almost (min)E3 time, and you know what that means -- wanton speculation. That's right, game fans, it's time to hop on the rumor train. So what's the story? You won't believe it. No, really.
We'll admit we haven't been in Target for awhile, so this news comes as kind of a surprise to us. Sure, we like to use our DS Lite to play GBA games (even if they stick out some), but sometimes you just can't beat the feeling of pulling a GBA SP out of your pocket, flipping it open and playing some Omega Factor. Apparently, the GBA SP's time on this Earth is limited.
A GoNintendo reader was scouring the 
We were convinced that 
Not content with releasing 
Word is that we're looking at the end of an era. IGN's Matt Casamassina reports that Nintendo Power is in its last days, at least, as we know it today. While it may just be that a restructure is in the cards for the magazine, rumor has it that the employees are being told that they need to find new jobs by September.
Put on your sleuthing caps, ladies and gents, we have a bonafide mystery on our hands. Surely you remember, with chagrin and unfulfilled longing, the 
Relations between the US and 
Rumours are going around the internet that Alone in the Dark 5: Near Death Investigation will be heading to the DS, along with versions for the home consoles and PC. The latest entry in the survival horror series sees Edward Carnby fighting for his life in Central Park. We'll get an episodic story and the chance to hot-wire a car in a minigame.
