Episode 7 is delayed so I can tweak the storyline a little…

o^-^o: Don’t close that browser! Here’s what’s coming up this week on “Pokemon: A Mage’s Tale”…

BEGIN PREVIEW

“Heaven’s light, shine down and heal this weary land! Cleansing Light!” With that, Dawn beings singing something in a language Ash and Brock don’t appear to understand at first. The song conjures a bright flash of light and shimmering gold dust, healing any people it lands on and fixing any buildings or objects.

It isn’t until Ash hears Dawn sing E’un concerto d’amore per, vivere e sperare una grande emozione… that he knows the song! “Is that the original Italian version of ‘Concert of Love’?”

“What I want to know is how Dawn suddenly knows how to speak, much less sing, in Italian.” Brock notes as some of the gold dust lands on a scratch he sustained in the battle, healing it.

“Song Magic comes from your heart’s power, and if your heart is expecially joyful, you may find yourself singing in another language.” Raina explains.

It dawns on Ash that he remembers Arran doing this in the show and the comic. “Dawn must be pretty happy to be singing in a language she doesn’t even know…”

“Loras sings in another language because of your victory over the serpent horse.” Raina replies. “But I can also guide you to where the Temple of the Ruby and Vatradaina lie…”

END PREVIEW

o^-^o: So where is the temple? Stop by tomorrow and see?

When we last left our heroes…

“What was that?” Ash asks as he studies the rainbow colored “water” dripping from him.

Brock draws his blade and walks outside, only pausing to take his harp case from the closet at the entrance. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t look friendly!” (more…)

o^-^o: Don’t close that browser! Here’s what’s coming up this week on “Pokemon: A Mage’s Tale”…

BEGIN PREVIEW

“It’s no use…” Ash sighs as his Flame Tail fizzles out without the serpent horse batting an eye.

“We’ve tried everything we know that defeats a serpent horse in the canon….” Brock agrees.

“Maybe not…” Dawn interjects, a wry smile crossing her face.

“You mean…you’re actually going to try Song Magic?” Ash gasps.

“You can’t! Not at your skill level!” Raina protests. “You’ll tire yourself to the point of exhaustion!”

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take if it means saving my friends!” Dawn assures Raina as she stares down the serpent horse…

END PREVIEW

o^-^o: So will Dawn successfully sing a spell, if at all? Stop in tomorrow and see!

While taking a break from a Wii session, I saw earthbounding had a new video…

February Recap

What we learn:

–Iwata has been dropping hints about AAA title’s releases. He confirmed that Super Mario Galaxy 2 will release this year, and New Zelda Wii will be shown this year at E3. However, he did not mention New Zelda Wii’s release day.

–On the other hand, Nintendo of Europe’s Nintendo Channel reports that New Zelda Wii will come this year–even if the hint dropped was only shown for a split second.

–The video caused quite a bit of controversy, enough to merit an interview with the host to clarify what he had said. In that interview, the host said that if his statements were incorrect, Nintendo would have said something, which did not happen. It turns out that the host did base his claim on Iwata’s announcement last year.

–Since Nintendo didn’t correct the host’s statements, this means either A. New Zelda Wii really will come this year, or B. Nintendo’s Japan branch ignored the claim.

–That said, the odds of New Zelda Wii do not look good when you consider Nintendo’s launch schedule for this year: Mario and Samus are both coming to the US and Japan this year, but Link is not to be seen. The fact that the 2010 date is temporary and it is not on the US half of the schedule further complicates the matter. If New Zelda Wii does come this year, it will likely just be in Japan and not the US.

–In an interview with Famitsu, Aonuma reiterated that New Zelda Wii will be at E3, and also added other info: He wants it playable at E3, the team is working to get it in our hands this year, the game is pretty far along in development and the final version is in sight, and confirmed that Wii Motion Plus will play a big role (including Link’s sword).

–Link’s attacks will not be patterned (eg. he will not use the attack most similar to your movement), but fully recreate your movement and direction in real time. This means combat will likely be an evolved form of the Wii Sports Resort swordfighting minigame, and allow one on one swordplay. The way you fight may also be used as a puzzle at some point in the game, and would make finding weak spots a more complex affair.

–In another interview, Aonuma said that some fan’s theories were correct. Specifically, he confirmed that the Master Sword girl theory is likely correct. There is a chance that the girl is the Queen of the Fairies from Wind Waker, but this is unlikely given this information.

–Supposed New Zelda Wii pictures were leaked a few days ago, but it turns out they were fake.

–The Fab Four for Nintendo’s E3 conference are Mario, Samus, a Vitality Sensor app, and Link, IGN reports. Link’s appearance could be anything from a trailer, to a canned speech from Reggie and co., to possibly a demo.

–Last month, Nintendo boosted R&D by 22% The reason for this boost could be New Zelda Wii or a number of other reasons (New Console, New Zelda Wii, or Vitality Sensor cost are three possible explanations)

–Miyamoto has gone on record as saying New Console is in fact in the works. Supposedly, Ubisoft said that New Console would appear at GDC 2010–so does Ubisoft have a hand in New Console? Ubisoft isn’t the only one to claim this, an anonymous source has as well

–It is not known whether New Console is the Wii’s or the DS’ successor, but we will find out at Nintendo’s media summit this year.

–Nintendo is planning a worldwide summit this month, and in this summit, they will be announcing something huge. Since Mario and Samus have already been announced and confirmed, the huge surprise is either New Zelda Wii, New Console, or some other AAA title. We’ll find out on the 24th, when the summit takes place.

Stay tuned for more info as I find it.

Happy gaming,
SparklingBlue

On my online rambles today, I saw earthbounding had new information…

Breaking News

What we learn:

–Preorders for New Zelda Wii are already underway on the heels of Iwata saying the game will come this year
–Nintendo is staying mum on the exact day, but Reggie has told Joystiq that the game will not be released until it is “perfect”.
–However, Aonuma is the one that told Reggie to give this answer–so did Nintendo jump the gun?
–It is possible that New Zelda Wii could release this year, but the odds are slim when you account for delays (Every AAA title has had them in some form or another, Twilight Princess included).
–A more realistic date appears to be Q1 2011–we would have to get lucky for it to appear this year
–Reggie has confirmed the Wii will still be here–Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid guarantee big sales (New Zelda Wii wasn’t mentioned)
–The rumor of Netflix being supported on New Console has been debunked, as has the rumor of New Handheld having motion controls (bummer) The possibility for those two things is still there, however.
–On the handheld front, given Spirit Tracks’ sales, Nintendo is feeling a little hesitant about future handheld titles. Aonuma has said he is solely focused on New Zelda Wii–so is Toon Link finished? (more…)

The Newswire will be on vacation this weekend, and will resume on July 6.

From one American to the rest of our American fans: Happy Independence Day. To all our other readers, enjoy the weekend.

Until then, happy gaming,
SparklingBlue

As you’ve read my daily newswires (and the stories within), no doubt you’ve seen some of them marked with “SB’s pick!” and wondered how I decide which stories to mark as such.

The short answer: “SB’s pick!” means that I found this story/video interesting, cool, funny, and/or weird, and so I really, really want you to read it!

The long answer: Stories marked as a pick mean one of many things:

–The story is interesting and contains well researched information, or comes from an influential figure in the gaming world.
–The story has interesting info about what happened behind the scenes of your favorite game, how a console was made, what goes into planning a gaming con or show, how a console or periphreal works, or a similar topic.
–The story/video is a look into what happened at an event, or the things we do because we love gaming
–The story is a discussion about one of the gaming world’s issues and what you need to know about it.
–The story showcases one of the stranger pieces of merchandise a game has spawned, or a cool item someone has made that is gaming related.

So in short, I pick the interesting stories that make the gaming community what it is, and hope they make your dose of news more than just release dates, screens, scans, and rumors.

Untill next time, happy gaming,
SparklingBlue