Labor Day Weekend Draws People of All Ages to Los Angeles for Final Round of First-Ever Nationwide Wii Tournament

Summer wasn't the only thing drawing to a close over Labor Day weekend as Nintendo hosted the final championship of its Wii Games: Summer 2010 nationwide competition. Approximately 200 finalists from around the country - joined by family, friends and spectators of all ages - gathered in Redondo Beach, Calif., to get up and get playing with motion-controlled video games for the Wii™ system. Tournament play included games such as Wii Sports Resort™, Wii Fit™ Plus, New Super Mario Bros. ™ Wii and Mario Kart™ Wii.

In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, 200 Wii Games: Summer 2010 finalists gather to warm up for the Wii Games: Summer 2010 National Championship at the Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach, Calif. over Labor Day weekend on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. The nationwide tournament challenged consumers to get active with Nintendo's motion-controlled video games. (Casey Rodgers / AP Images for Nintendo of America)

To mark the start of the National Championship event on Sept. 3, Olympic gold medalist and Wii Games: Summer 2010 Ambassador Shawn Johnson led finalists in a special warm-up session with the Hula Hoop® activity from Wii Fit Plus.

In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Olympic gold medalist and Wii Games: Summer 2010 ambassador Shawn Johnson leads 200 Wii Games: Summer 2010 finalists in a Wii Fit Plus warm-up, on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, in Redondo Beach, Calif. The event celebrates the culmination of the first-ever, nationwide Wii video game tournament that encourages fun, active play. (Casey Rodgers / AP Images for Nintendo of America)

During a special award ceremony on Sept. 5, winning teams received prizes, including customized trophies fashioned after the iconic Wii Remote™ controller, Nintendo entertainment packages and a family cruise for the first-place team. First-place winners by category were as follows: Michael C. (Dad, 41), Amy C. (Mom, 40), Amanda C. (Daughter, 13) and Sean C. (Son, 6) of St. Louis, MO (Family); TJ H. (25) of St. John, Ind. and Chris M. (26) of Highland, Ind. (Adult); Bill M. (Husband, 66) and Bonnie M. (Wife, 58) of Westlake Village, Calif. (Super Adult); Frank N. (16) of Wheeling, Ill. and Zach H. (16) of Belvidere, Ill. (Teen); Doug H. (Dad, 43) and Connor H. (Son, 12) of St. Louis, MO (Adult and Child); and Mike K. (25) and Sam K. (16), Brothers, of Winnetka, Ill. (Adult and Teen).

In this photograph taken by AP Images for Nintendo of America, Super Adult category winners, Bonnie, center left, 58, and Bill, center right, 66, of Westlake Village, Calif., take the stage to congratulate the second and third place finalists at the Wii Games: Summer 2010 National Championship during a Labor Day weekend awards ceremony in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. As a leader in promoting physically active play, Nintendo hosted the fun, nationwide tournament to encourage consumers to get up and get playing with the company's groundbreaking motion-controlled video games. (Casey Rodgers / AP Images for Nintendo of America)

In this photograph taken by AP Images for Nintendo of America, Adult and Child category fourth place finalists, Jessica, 10, and her dad, Keith, 41, of Charlotte, N.C., celebrate after first place winners Doug, 43, and his son, Connor, 12, off screen, of St. Louis, Mo., forfeit their Wii console prize to Jessica in honor of good sportsmanship at the Wii Games: Summer 2010 National Championship in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. The first-ever nationwide Wii tournament encouraged people of all ages to have fun while enjoying active-play video games this summer. (Casey Rodgers / AP Images for Nintendo of America)

In this photograph taken by AP Images for Nintendo of America, Wii Games: Summer 2010 National Championship first place winners of the family category, the Crawford family, ages 40, 41, 6, and 13, of St. Louis, Mo., accept their trophies at a Labor Day weekend awards ceremony in Redondo Beach, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. The event celebrated the culmination of the nationwide Wii video game tournament that encourages fun, active play. (Casey Rodgers/ AP Images for Nintendo of America)

Wii Games: Summer 2010 marked Nintendo's first-ever nationwide Wii tournament, created as a celebration of the active, inclusive spirit of Wii. In total, this year's Wii Games: Summer 2010 events brought together nearly 9,000 competitors in 24 markets across the country. More information about Wii Games: Summer 2010 can be found at http://www.wiigames2010.com.

Sept. 6, 2010 - You've earned a day off. No matter what kind of labor keeps you busy on most Mondays, today is the perfect day to just relax and enjoy yourself. To help put you in the leisurely spirit, this week's new downloadable games for Wii™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems offer welcome diversions for everyone under the sun. Mosey into an atypical Old-West adventure with Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner" for the WiiWare™ service. Live out your secret samurai fantasies with the NEOGEO classic SAMURAI SHOWDOWN III, now available on the Virtual Console™ service. For some fun on the go, the Nintendo DSiWare™ service now lets you test your tile-matching skills with Simply Mahjong, interact with rare birds in My Exotic Farm, or get your six-string kicks with Music on: Acoustic Guitar.

WiiWare

Fenimore Fillmore "The Westerner"
Publisher: Revistronic
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) - Cartoon Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Welcome to the West! Come and see the fastest cowboy in action. Visit a typical Western town with a grand saloon, a sheriff's office and a bank. Meet the classic doctor, the powerful "master of the land," an industrious pioneer and men and women who raised a great nation with their blood, sweat and tears. But there are things that cannot be helped, and one of them - very typical in the West - is the continuous fighting between farmers and cattle ranchers. While farmers used to win the sympathy of most people, cattle ranchers had more money, more men and more power. Only a cowboy as peculiar as Fenimore Fillmore could side with the farmers when the rest of the cowboys are paid by the merciless and sinister cattle rancher.

Virtual Console

SAMURAI SHODOWN III
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) - Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: This is a fighting game released in 1995 as a sequel to the previous year's release of SAMURAI SHOWDOWN II. Though this is the third installment in the series, the story takes place between the first and second installments. Players can choose from 12 samurai seeking to defeat Zankuro Minazuki. Along with minor upgrades from the last version - such as the ability to press buttons to fill your rage gauge and the ability to defend in midair - you can also select from slash and bust personality types for each character. Each type has its own set of special moves you can take advantage of, effectively doubling the amount of characters you can play.

Nintendo DSiWare

Simply Mahjong
Publisher: Engine Software
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Simply Mahjong gives you exactly what you want: pure mahjong on your Nintendo DSi system. Mahjong is a Chinese tile-matching game. The tiles are arranged in a special pattern with their faces upward. A tile is said to be open if it can be moved either left or right without disturbing other tiles. The goal is to match pairs of identical tiles. The game is finished when all pairs of tiles have been removed from the board or there are no exposed pairs remaining. The simple game design and easy, intuitive controls make it a game that the whole family can enjoy. The game features 50 puzzles in each level to provide hours of fun.

My Exotic Farm
Publisher: BiP Media
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: My Exotic Farm is an exotic farm simulation game. In the beginning, all you own is an empty field, a few pennies and a single parrot. If you feed and take care of it, the parrot will make feathers that can be sold. With this money, you can buy new animals at the Farmers' Market and purchase equipment from the shopkeeper. Little by little, as your farm builds up, you will unlock bonuses including a well, a great green macaw, a guard dog and a 4x4. You can also exchange animals with your friends who play My Farm or My Exotic Farm.

Music on: Acoustic Guitar
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: It's like having an acoustic guitar in your pocket! Play your favorite songs easily with the predefined chord option and enjoy the high sound quality. Hear the fingers on the frets and the nails while strumming. A directory of more than 900 chords shows you how to place your fingers on a real guitar and lets you listen to them when selected.

Five different styles will accompany you to set the mood: Pop Rock, Soft Rock, Country, Ballad and Blues. Other features include a palm mute function, a metronome and the ability to save up to 10 sessions.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com or http://www.nintendodsi.com.

Written Fri, Sep 3, 2010 by Just Push Start

After almost two decades since the release of Super Metroid on the Nintendo Entertainment System, the true sequel to the long forgotten Super Metroid is finally here. After the long wait, Metroid fans can finally find out what happens to
the infamous Samus Aran after the defeat of Motherbrain. Metroid: Other M is nothing like the Super Metroid but instead, it reinvents the game compeltely by taking the features from the past three Metroid games that were released on the Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii. Don’t worry, the Metroid experience is still intact.

Full review after the break.. read on.

Classic Game Play, Immersive Graphics and Revealing Storyline Power New Metroid Game for Wii

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 31, 2010 - Samus Aran, protagonist of Nintendo's Metroid™ series, is already known as one of the most iconic heroines in video game history. Now, with the launch of Metroid™: Other M for the Wii™ system today, players are about to discover more about this enigmatic bounty hunter than ever before. Combining crisp action, immersive graphics and multifaceted controls, this latest entry in the legendary Metroid franchise marks a return to classic form that will captivate fans and newcomers alike.

The result of a collaboration between Yoshio Sakamoto - the director of Super Metroid™ - and acclaimed development studio Team NINJA, Metroid: Other M thrusts players deep into an extraordinary science fiction adventure. While much of the game is played from a third-person perspective that is reminiscent of 2D side-scrollers, with the Wii Remote™ held horizontally, Metroid: Other M is a fully-rendered 3D world where players can also point at the screen to switch to first-person view. Allowing for intense action, precise shooting and detailed exploration of the game's richly atmospheric environments, this control scheme combines classic elements with original mechanics to give players a new way to experience Samus' latest adventure.

Metroid: Other M thrusts players deep into an extraordinary science fiction adventure

Throughout Metroid: Other M, players are treated to cinematic interludes that reveal new details about Samus and her largely unknown past. The story picks up just after the events of 1994's Super Metroid. As Samus, one of the first female protagonists in video game history, embarks on an action-packed mission aboard a derelict spacecraft, players will learn more about this iconic character while uncovering the truth behind a mystery that puts the entire galaxy in peril.

"Immersive action and storytelling go hand-in-hand in Metroid: Other M," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "The combination of Mr. Sakamoto's Metroid expertise and Team NINJA's high-octane approach has yielded truly amazing results. Whether you're new to the series or a die-hard fan, this new chapter is an absolute must-play."

For more information about Metroid: Other M, visit http://metroid.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™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, 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, please visit the company's website at http://www.nintendo.com.

Latest Versions of Best-Selling Portable Video Game System in History to be Priced at $149.99 and $169.99

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 30, 2010 - Nintendo is dropping the suggested retail price of its Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ video game systems. Effective Sept. 12, the new suggested retail price of the Nintendo DSi system will be $149.99, while the new suggested retail price for the Nintendo DSi XL system will be $169.99. The Nintendo DS™ Lite model will remain at a suggested retail price of $129.99. The Nintendo DS family of video game systems is the best-selling in the history of the U.S. and worldwide. The new prices offer consumers tremendous value for their money while providing access to the best portable video game experiences possible.

Effective Sept. 12, 2010, the new suggested retail price of the Nintendo DSi system will be $149.99, while the new suggested retail price for the Nintendo DSi XL system will be $169.99.
The Nintendo DS™ Lite model will remain at a suggested retail price of $129.99.

"We know shoppers want to get the maximum value out of every dollar they spend," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Our new Nintendo DSi prices make it easier than ever for consumers to access the tremendous variety of games, applications and social tools on the Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems."

The Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL systems offer consumers access to more than 1,300 packaged games and more than 200 downloadable games. Both systems feature two built-in cameras and photo- and sound-manipulation software that provide for a more social experience. Users can wirelessly upload photos to Facebook with the touch of a button (wireless broadband Internet access required). The Nintendo DSi XL system, which features a screen that is 93 percent larger than that of the Nintendo DS Lite, comes pre-loaded with software like Brain Age™ Express: Math, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Flipnote Studio™, Photo Clock and the Nintendo DSi Browser.

Through the end of July, total Nintendo DS family hardware sales are more than 42.3 million in the United States alone, according to the NPD Group. Recent and upcoming software releases for the Nintendo DS family of systems include DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™ (now available), Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™ (Sept. 12), Pokémon™ Ranger: Guardian Signs (Oct. 4), Art Academy™ (Oct. 25), Mario vs. Donkey Kong™: Mini-Land Mayhem! (Nov. 14) and Golden Sun™: Dark Dawn (Nov. 29).

Remember that Nintendo DSi features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendodsi.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™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, 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, please visit the company's website at www.nintendo.com.

August 30, 2010 - The dawn of a new entry in the renowned Golden Sun™ video game series has nearly arrived in North America. Nintendo has announced that Golden Sun: Dark Dawn for the top-selling Nintendo DS™ family of portable game systems will launch on Nov. 29, 2010.

Offering a planet-sized world of adventure to explore and conquer, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn puts the raw power of the elements in players' hands. Each of the game's playable characters is capable of carrying Djinn, spirits that imbue their owner with unique and powerful abilities. Players can collect more than 70 unique Djinn, granting them the ability to summon mighty deities who unleash devastating attacks that fill both Nintendo DS screens. Djinn powers can also be used to navigate puzzling dungeons and overworld environments that will have players flinging fireballs to burn away obstacles, freezing water to raise platforms, or summoning whirlwinds to create bridges out of floating objects.

Taking place 30 years after the events of Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age for the Game Boy™ Advance system, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn introduces a new generation of heroes that are struggling to survive in a radically changed world. What begins as a simple journey to rescue a lost friend turns into a dramatic quest to save the land from catastrophe as players are drawn into a world full of magical energy.

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

August 30, 2010 - Newly available on the WiiWare™ service, Tales of Elastic Boy – Mission 1 truly stretches the possibilities for console adventure. On the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, you'll discover epic space battles in Cosmos X2, create customized notes with myNotebook: Pearl™, and learn to play timeless melodies with Music on: Learning Piano. Whether you're headed back to school or simply flipping another calendar page, these new offerings will help freshen up your gaming regimen as you head into fall.

WiiWare

Tales of Elastic Boy – Mission 1
Publisher: Lexis Numerique
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 600 Wii Points™
Description: Tales of Elastic Boy offers a totally innovative and unique style of game play that takes full advantage of the Wii Remote™ controller. To fulfill your quest and save your planet, you'll have to travel through many lands, defeat various enemies, meet unexpected friends and solve tricky puzzles. Play in single-player mode or with your friends and discover funny games. Use your stretching arms to swing and punch, roll as fast as you can or jump onto your enemies. Based on a powerful physics engine, Tales of Elastic Boy offers a truly original and entertaining gaming experience that's easy to learn but challenging to master.

Nintendo DSiWare

Cosmos X2
Publisher: Saturnine Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Pilot the Cosmos X2 to defend your planet against an alien invasion. Battle your way through the solar system to the alien home world to defeat their army. Equip your ship with two weapons of your choice and switch between them at any time during battle. Your active weapon takes damage when your ship gets hit. Defeating enemies regenerates energy in your inactive weapon. The key to your survival lies in finding a balance in your weapon usage. Battle your way through six levels of action and test your skills with three difficulty levels. Three bonus modes provide additional challenges.

myNotebook: Pearl
Publisher: Nnooo
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: myNotebook allows you to take notes wherever you go. Just pop open your Nintendo DSi system and jot down your thoughts. Make a list and cross it off, or play your favorite pen-and-paper games (games not included). You can even personalize your notebook by drawing on the cover and changing the paper type with 24 different unlockable paper styles. Use the pen or pencil to make your notes or doodles and then erase the bits you don't like. With five ink colors, you'll always be able to make your notes and doodles look stylish. myNotebook also includes 128 pages to write on and the ability to export your pages to your Nintendo DSi Photo Album.

Music on: Learning Piano
Publisher: Abylight
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: An entire orchestra follows your performance of 15 great classics. By playing each day, your ability may increase. Earn the bronze, silver and gold medals for each song, completing each different level. A simplified music score is shown on the upper screen and a full piano keyboard appears on the touch screen, guiding beginners note by note on their first steps. Learn works by famous composers including Beethoven, Pachelbel, Bach, Strauss and Verdi.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://wii.com or http://www.nintendodsi.com.

Kids, Teens, Adults and Seniors from Coast to Coast Get Up and Get Playing in Final Round of First-Ever Nationwide Wii Tournament

WHAT:
Participants and spectators from across the United States will come together in Los Angeles Sept. 3-5 for the Wii Games: Summer 2010 national championship. As many as 90 winning teams from dozens of qualifying events held throughout the country will join six sweepstakes winners to participate in this first-of-its-kind tournament event. Players of all ages will enjoy the fun of Nintendo's groundbreaking motion-controlled video games as they compete for prizes and celebrate the active, inclusive spirit of the Wii console. Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Shawn Johnson, the official Wii Games: Summer 2010 Ambassador, will make a special appearance to lead participants in a Wii warm-up session on Sept. 3, 2010.

Winning teams representing the categories featured in the competition, such as Teen, Adult and Super Adult, will receive prizes like custom Wii Remote™ controller-styled trophies, a Royal Caribbean family cruise, Netflix memberships, Wii prize packs and Panasonic entertainment systems during a special awards presentation on Sept. 5. Throughout the tournament, families, fans and spectators will also be able to enjoy activities such as noncompetitive game demos. Full details, rules and regulations can be found at http://www.wiigames2010.com.

Since launching in 2006, the Wii console has expanded the global audience for video games, getting people of all ages and backgrounds off the couch and into the action with a wide variety of inclusive, easy-to-learn motion-controlled activities. To date, 30 million Wii consoles have been sold in the United States alone.

WHO:
Wii Games Ambassador Shawn Johnson, kids, adults, teens, seniors and video game fans of all kinds

WHEN:
Friday, Sept. 3, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE:
Redondo Beach Marina North Lot
181 North Harbor Drive
(near Ruby's and the intersection of Beryl Street and North Harbor Drive)
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Redondo Beach has More to SeaSM on every level. Under blue skies, splendid ocean vistas and surfing seaside cool, the city has a stunning array of vacation opportunities. For information, contact the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau at (800) 282-0333, or visit www.VisitRedondo.com.