Eidos has just taken the wraps off Monster Lab, a new RPG action game headed to the Wii and Nintendo DS. Developed by Backbone Vancouver, Monster Lab will be scaring Wii and DS owners in 2008.

Set in Uncanny Valley, Monster Lab introduces you to the evil ruler Baron Mharti. Players will step into the shoes of an apprentice scientist, performing experiments to create a monster. There are more than 100 million possible monster part variations so you can experiment to your heart’s content!

Once your monster is created you can take control of him and explore, scouring the land for ingredients that you can use to make more monster parts, hunting monsters to face in combat, discovering quests or participating in various mini-games. As you create monsters and build an army you will seek to conquer the environments, set the villagers free and ultimately face the Baron! You will also be able to challenge other players in online multiplayer combat and trade monsters parts.

“Monster Lab will offer a wealth of fresh ideas to both Wii and DS players,” said Fabien Rossini, Global Brand Controller, Eidos. “These include gesture based combat, a compelling on-line fighting and trading system and total customization of the player’s monster.”

SouthPeak Games has been given the green light to publish Things on Wheels for Xbox Live Arcade. This arcade racer sees players careening around tracks within a huge house in radio-controlled vehicles.

Radio-controlled racing mayhem

The game features a non-linear track design and as you move between rooms you will notice that the courses are assembled from routes which include hazards and obstacles in the form of everyday items. Developed by Load Inc, Things on Wheels will roar on to XBLA in summer 2008.

“We’ve been looking to move into Xbox LIVE Arcade titles and Load Inc. wanted to do something brand new with the racing genre. This really appealed to us,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games.

“Competing with real life remote control cars is great fun, so why not do it in a videogame? Things on Wheels will deliver the same reckless thrill and as such, is a perfect candidate for us to announce as our first Xbox LIVE Arcade game.”

Kuju Entertainment has opened its first non-UK studio in San Francisco. Kuju America will be headed by John Kavanagh and has its sights set on the casual games sector.

Kuju Entertainment currently has 5 existing game development studios with the newest addition to the fold already working on its first title. Kuju America is set to develop games for the Wii and other platforms and will be at GDC 2008.

“This is an exciting and significant step for the Kuju group of studios. The US, and San Francisco in particular, is a natural choice for our first non-UK studio” commented Jonathan Newth, Corporate Development Officer of Kuju Entertainment.

“It’s a hotbed of development talent, home to many leading publishers and some of the leading US games press. We’re delighted to have John on board, with his wealth of experience and contacts, to maximize the potential of the business in the area.”

John Kavanagh, Studio Head for Kuju America, added “It’s great to be working with Kuju to start this new enterprise. I’ve known Kuju and the management team for many years and I really approve of their model of multiple autonomous studios. I’m looking forward to making Kuju America the next successful Kuju studio.”

The handling, graphics, sound, car damage and every little detail of this game have been overhauled to such an extent that I find it difficult to see how any rally game will ever better it in the future.

Hit the DiRT with Colin McRae.

The numbers are in from Media Create and show Nintendo’s Wii Fit keeping the pace for another week on the Japanese software chart. Although just over half of the Top 10 titles are for Nintendo platforms, Sony’s PSP makes a comeback with three titles and the PS2 grabs a spot too.

Wii Fit sold 90 000 copies for the week ending the 27th of January to secure the number 1 position with Konami’s World Soccer Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 for the PSP debuting in second place with 77 000 copies. Kadokawa Shoten’s Lucky Star: Misasagi Sakura Gakuen Sakura Fuji Festival for the PS2 enters the chart at number 3 with 72 000 copies.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Nintendo DS drops two places to number 4 with 50 000 copies and Nintendo’s Wii Sports moves down one to number 5 with 26 000 copies. Nintendo’s Mario Party DS falls three places to number 6 with 22 000 copies while Capcom’s Monster Hunter Portable 2nd drops from last week’s number 5 to seventh place with 21 000 copies.

Namco Bandai’s Doraemon Baseball: Dramatic Stadium for the Nintendo DS settles into eighth place with 21 000 copies and Sting’s Yggdra Union for the PSP debuts at number 9 with 17 000. Prof. Layton and Pandora’s Box from Level 5 drops from last week’s number 6 to round off the top ten in last place with 15 000 copies.

Let’s have a look at what dropped out of the top ten this week. Two Nintendo DS titles from Square Enix got the boot, Final Fantasy IV dropped from number 7 last week to eleventh place while Dragon Quest IV fell from number 9 to number 13. Two of Nintendo’s popular Wii titles shared the same fate with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games falling from last week’s number 8 to number 14 and Super Mario Galaxy plummeting from tenth place to number 17.

Source: Media Create

For the ultimate Wii party game WarioWare: Smooth Moves is here to blow your hair back.

Get ready to squat, insert false teeth and pick your way to victory.

Sign up here to learn the secrets of the Form Baton.

When it launched, Twilight Princess had a lot on its shoulders. Being the latest entry in the long running, critically acclaimed Zelda series it had the burden of living up to its name, and as Nintendo’s launch title for the Wii console alongside Wii Sports it had to carry the console for its first Christmas. I can attest that Twilight Princess has broad enough shoulders; it lives up to its heritage and then some and is still one of the best reasons to own a Wii.

Head over to our review of the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and be sure to compare it to our review of the GameCube version if you are a fan of the Zelda series.

Settle into the driver’s seat in Motorstorm, a muddy racer that brings a new vibe to the racing genre and incorporates great online multiplayer racing.

If a God-of-War type game appeals to you more, step into the shoes of Nariko in the beautiful and engaging Heavenly Sword.

If you have a free Saturday night, a couple of eager friends and a Wii get ready for a wicked cool time with two party mini-games that have just hit the South African gaming circuit. Step aside for Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and WarioWare: Smooth Moves.

After introducing you to Wario and Rayman, we take a brief look at these games.

Ex-Naughty Dogs’ Jason Hughes and Andres Gilmour formed Steel Penny Games in 1997. Now this independent Austen-based developer has announced that it will be developing games for Nintendo’s WiiWare. In fact it is currently hard at work on an original IP set to be released in mid-2008, a puzzle game with fantasy environments.

Steel Penny Games president Jason Hughes described their strategy as “the modern equivalent of the garage method for an independent to gain a foothold in the industry-a unique opportunity WiiWare presents that we appreciate.”

Over the past year Steel Penny Games have built a “proprietary engine geared toward the Wii platform’s capabilities” for which they have been “creating a new intellectual property to span a series of games.”

Hughes commented “I am impressed with the egalitarian approach Nintendo has taken toward WiiWare developers. It allows the risk burden to shift back onto the creative developers.”

For those still in the dark, WiiWare is similar to Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, allowing designers of small games to distribute their games digitally.

Tomorrow two new exclusive titles will launch on Xbox Live Arcade, Rez HD and Chessmaster Live. Both games will cost 800 Microsoft Points each.

Developed by Q Entertainment and created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Rez HD is a HD update of the original shooter that features new visuals and sound effects. Rez HD is set in a cyberworld and sees players targeting enemies while hacking the system to create beats.

Each of the game’s five levels features a unique visual theme, style, musical track and boss battle. The game includes various modes including Easy, Main and Score Attack but also keep an eye out for unlockables. Players can play through the five levels in regular or Score Attack mode or try their hand at Beyond mode which features Direct Assault, Lost mode, free play Trance mission or if you are feeling brave you can attempt Boss Rush, where you face up against all the bosses in a row.

Choose from six 3D and three traditional sets, each featuring their own sound effects, pieces and board design in Chessmaster Live. Step up to test your chess skills against AI (virtual characters) or opponents on Xbox Live. The game features five original chess variants including a Message Chess option whereby gamers can participate in matches over several days, weeks or months. It will appeal to both beginners and experts.

The game also features puzzles including ‘Find the Fork’ and ‘Mate in One’ as well as different variations of the classic chess game including Dark Chess, Losing Chess, Extinction Chess and Progressive Chess.

EA’s Burnout Paradise has debuted at the top of the UK’s All Formats Charts with a bang. It claims the number 1 spot convincingly with the largest week 4 All Formats number 1 since Gran Turismo 2 hit the top 8 years ago.

Released on both the Xbox 360 and PS3, this popular racing franchise topped both these charts with the Xbox 360 claiming 53% of the sales and the PS3 47%.

Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games drops to number 2, while Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare falls one spot to number 3 despite both titles experiencing a sales increase of 7% and 5% respectively.

Nintendo again stakes its claim on the UK charts with Wii Play moving up six places to number 4 and Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training losing one place to number 5 with the sequel dropping five spots to number 10.

EA’s The Simpsons Game drops from last week’s number 3 to number 6 while Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed slides into seventh, down one place from last week’s number 6. FIFA 08 from EA settles into number 8 (7 last week) while THQ’s Ratatouille re-enters the Top 10 at number 9 thanks to retailer promotions.

Elsewhere on the chart, the movers and the shakers include Link’s Crossbow Training (including Wii Zapper) from Nintendo, which leaps into fifteenth place and scores its best week of the year while the only other new release to make the Top 40 is Nintendo’s Donkey Kong’s Jet Race at number 33. Both Super Mario Galaxy and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock drop out of the top ten to finish in eighteenth and thirteenth respectively.

According to Chart Track, this week the All Formats Top 40 features 17 games that are exclusive to Nintendo platforms. Nintendo also dominated the Top 8 games in the All Formats Budget Chart with games released only on either the Wii or Nintendo DS.

All Formats Top 10

1. Burnout Paradise (EA)

2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)

3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)

4. Wii Play (Nintendo)

5. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (Nintendo)

6. The Simpsons Game (EA)

7. Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft)

8. FIFA 08 (EA)

9. Ratatouille (THQ)

10. More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima (Nintendo)

Source: Chart Track

Nintendo of America added 1080° SNOWBOARDING to the Wii Shop Channel this week. This N64 classic will cost you 1000 Wii Points.

Here is a description of the game (as per Nintendo):

Hit the slopes for some serious shredding in one of the first truly realistic snowboarding games ever created! Start in the lodge and select from five characters, each with his/her own particular attributes and special tricks. Then take a look at the wide assortment of available boards and choose one that best suits your rider and style. Once you’ve got the gear, six different modes of play, including Match Race, Trick Attack, and 2-Player Versus, await.

Pick a course and get ready to experience a sensation of speed that’ll make you forget all about the cold—but it might just send a shiver down your spine. Throw in hidden characters and boards, varying weather and snow conditions, multiple paths through each course, and a variety of tricks to master—topped off with rock-solid play control—and you’ve got a recipe for winter fun that you can enjoy any time of the year. It’s all the fun and excitement of the sport, without the bruises and frostbite!

Check out the first screenshots for Resistance 2 right here!

Like its predecessor, Resistance 2 will be a PS3 exclusive and will feature a single player campaign as well as a multiplayer campaign, either for two player co-op or 8 player online co-op, and support for 60 player matches.

The Chimera invasion is expected to begin in fall 2008.

More Resistance 2 screenshots here.

A pre-order page on CircuitCity.com may have let the cat out of the bag about a new Cobalt blue and black DS. The listing has now been removed so you will have to content yourself with the picture below. Rumour has it that the new DS colour will arrive in North America in early February for $130.

Source: GoNintendo