console

Wii virtual console releases for this week--I hear crickets

Not every week can be a great week for Wii virtual console gaming. Unfortunately, this is one of those weeks. Here are the less than spectacular Wii virtual console releases for the week of July 30.

Star Soldier (1988, NES, 500 Wii points)--A game that set the bar for vertically scrolling shooters, Star Soldier was the first in the Soldier series. Dynamite Headdy (1994, Sega Genesis, 800 Wii points)--Dynamite Headdy is a comic action game that will surely attract the attention of fans of classic platformers. Drop Off (1990, Turbografx 16, 600 Wii points)--Drop Off is an … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Nothing whetting your gaming appetite this week? Well, it's good to know that you can play the back nine with Kirby, attack hordes of monsters with a pinball, or conquer the forces of darkness with this week's three new virtual console releases for the Wii.

Kirby's Dream Course (1994, Super Nintendo, 800 Wii points)--This Kirby adventure has you hitting the links on a number of golf courses inspired from the series. Devil's Crush (1990, Turbografx 16, 600 Wii points)--Devil's Crush is an action pinball game and the sequel to Alien Crush. Instead of … Read more

Wii Virtual Console releases for this week

E3 has come and gone, but at least you can count on Mondays to deliver three new Virtual Console games ready for download on your Wii.

Paper Mario (2001, N64, 1000 Wii points)--A game that completely reinvented the Mario franchise, Paper Mario made way for games like the acclaimed GameCube title Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and the more recent gem, Super Paper Mario on the Wii. Balloon Fight (1986, NES, 500 Wii points)--One of the most recognizable games in the history of the industry is now available for download. Few titles have been resurrected as many … Read more

The 'Wii Party Station' is our kind of gaming

We've never been into games all that much, so we've felt a bit left out with all that's going on at E3 this week. Then we saw it--the Nyko "Wii Party Station" (cue the angels' choir).

This heavenly contraption may not save you from the killer zombies of Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, but it may well help dull the pain from their undead doings. The reason: It has four cupholders that will keep your beers cool, as well as a fan to do the same with your hands, according to Technabob. It's kind of … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Here are the virtual console releases for the week of July 9.

Yoshi (1992, NES, 500 Wii points) - Yoshi marks the first game solely devoted to Mario's dino friend. It's strictly a puzzle game, where you must match like objects in order to release Yoshi from his egg prison. Mach Rider (1985, NES, 500 Wii points) - Come visit the year 2112 as envisioned by a 1980s video game developer! Mach Rider drops you in the middle of an intergalactic battle for Earth and all you've got is your motorcycle. Air Zonk (1992, TurboGrafx 16, 600 … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

As it does every Monday, Nintendo has released three new virtual console games to download via the Wii shop channel. They are:

Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, NES, 500 Wii points) - Revisit this 1988 classic and play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, or the Princess, through seven different worlds. Dragon Spirit (1989, TurboGrafx 16, 600 Wii points) - This classic vertically scrolling shooter (they sure don't make 'em like they used to) takes you through eight levels on your mission to save Princess Alicia. Ecco: The Tides of Time (1994, Genesis, 800 Wii points) - The Tides of Time … Read more

PS3 DVD upscaling: A big improvement

Before yesterday's firmware update, the PlayStation 3 couldn't upscale standard-definition DVDs to high-def resolutions--a once high-end feature that's now built-in to nearly all DVD players with HDMI outputs. But what's the real benefit of upscaling (or upconverting, as it's also known)? Despite some of the marketing hype claiming that upscaling will make your DVDs appear in true high-def quality, the increase in picture quality will never come close to matching that of native HD material (HDTV broadcasts, HD DVD, and Blu-ray). Moreover, the video quality improvement is completely dependent on how good the upscaling and … Read more

PS3 1.80 firmware upgrade adds media streaming, DVD upscaling

Slowly but surely, Sony's beginning to unlock more and more of that multimedia horsepower under the hood of the PlayStation 3. The 1.80 firmware upgrade--available as an automatic download to PS3s everywhere--adds a variety of features to the console, most of which bolster the system's AV prowess. The main upgrades are as follows:

upscaling of games and DVDs: DVD movies, PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 games can now be upscaled to HD resolutions up to 1080p (games can upscale via component or HDMI, while DVDs are only upconverted via HDMI). streaming of digital media to PS3 via … Read more

Will U.S. get 80GB version of PlayStation 3?

Sony said Wednesday that it is considering putting out a new version of its struggling PlayStation 3 game console in the United States with an 80GB hard drive. That's the storage capacity that will come on the South Korean version of the PS3.

To date, the PS3 has come with a 60GB hard drive. A 20GB version was discontinued in the United States but still sells in Japan.

According to the Associated Press, Sony Computer Entertainment representative Satoshi Fukuoka said that the company is thinking about adapting the storage capacities of the PS3 for different regions.

"Increasing capacity … Read more