Apparently in the latest version of Guitar Hero, you can download content from Jimi Hendrix to strum and drum along to. The bad news is however that this isn’t going to happen for the Wii, as a PR rep from Blizzard-Activision told MTV:

“Due to technical or licensing restrictions, the DLC offerings will not be the same for every console platform. For example, certain artists prefer to keep the integrity of the track pack rather than releasing singles and the Wii’s infrastructure only allows us the ability to release single songs as DLC.”

That’s bad news for Guitar Hero and Wii fans alike, although I don’t believe that it is the artists who are expressing their concern when it comes to the Wii’s single download structure for Guitar Hero.

‘Guitar Hero’ Wii Not Getting Jimi Hendrix DLC Due To Wii Limitations [MTV]

Those of you who have got your Wii connected to the internet might have noticed a little blue blinking light this morning. Upon futher inspection you’ll have found a message from Nintendo letting you know that a new update is ready and waiting to be installed, upgrading your Wii software to version 3.4.

This version doesn’t see anything updated that will affect most users, as it is aimed at trying to prevent homebrew applications from being run on the Wii. The update, together with updating the Terms of Service, will “check for and automatically remove” all “unauthorized modifications to save files”, which were often used to allow home developers to run their own code on the Wii, including the famous Homebrew Channel.

I give it 3 days before the clever boffins find another way to get their homebrew working on Nintendo’s little white box!

Nintendo unleashes Wii Menu 3.4, updates ToS and removes save files [Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Meet Pikabellechu, the 32 year-old Pikachu obsessed collector who just can’t get enough of the electric mouse! With a collection which boasts over 8,000 collectables of Pikachu, including a car, this lady is one die hard fan who has gotten me slightly worried.

However, collecting all of the trinkets of the little yellow icon just isn’t enough, as she also likes to cosplay as Pokemon characters such as Ash as she can do his voice very well!

“I am a Pika-Holic, I have over 8,000 collectables of the little guy and even owning one of the official Pokemon Pikachu Cars, I named PikaBug..I love to cosplay as different characters and most well known for my Poke’Womon Princess Creations of which are copyrighted..Based like the Disney Princesses only with Pokemon…I attend many anime conventions, car shows and do lots of events for children..Official Pokemon Events,Birthday parties, School events and so on mostly as the Pokemon Character Ash cause I can do his voice dead on..I am also a cartoonist and paint many murals around my town and teach children art classes at a local craft store…I am also a big Disney nut and attend the parks whenever I can, I used to work for Disney playing the roles of Belle and Jasmine in the parks in the shows and other events in the parks..Now I do alot of promotional things with Pokemon as there characters and my Poke’Womon Princesses…..and one day I shall Catch Em’ All…”

Worried as I might be, I have to admit I’m quite jealous of her collections, especially the VW Beetle Pokemon car she has. Maybe I should start my own collection of Mario-related merchandise and give my car a quick paint job!

pikabellechu [Guinness World Records Profile]

As you might be able to see in the above video, this is a time-lapse of a crazy Japanese modder Nico1 making his DS lite into a portable disco machine! All that seems to be missing is the GBA-slot smoke machine and glow stick stylus and I think this guy would be all set.

This you’ve found a video to top the one above? Let us know by leaving a comment or dropping us a line, and you just might find your video on our site!

nico1 [blip.tv]

Another strong week of releases in the run up to Christmas with nine Wii titles and 12 DS titles making themselves available from today in all good game stockists.

This week’s pick is the reason things are a little behind on the site, and that is down to Wii Music. The game is so simple, and yet very involving and fun to play, especially if you’ve got some people to jam with! Check back this week for our review of Wii Music, and why not let us know what you’re planning on picked up this week in the comment section below.

Wii

• Call of Duty: World at War
• Wii Music
• Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip
• Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
• All Star Cheerleader
• Facebreaker KO Party
• Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
• Rubik’s Puzzle World
• WSC Real 08 - World Championship Snooker

DS

• Call of Duty: World at War 
• TrackMania DS
• Shaun White Snowboarding 
• Star Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance
• All Star Cheerleader
• Dungeon Maker
• Flower, Sun and Rain
• My Farm Around the World
• Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
• Rubik’s Puzzle World
• Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
• My Health Coach: Stop Smoking with Allen Carr

This week is the turn of the Virtual Console to get some Nintendo loving, although there’s only two new pieces of love available, in the form of a NES and Sega Mega Drive classics.

Mega Man 3 – NES

The ‘Blue Bomber’ series continues on Virtual Console with the acclaimed Mega Man 3, featuring the debuts of Proto Man and canine companion Rush, and introducing eight new Robot Masters to defeat!

Phantasy Star IV – SEGA MEGA DRIVE

Return to the Algol solar system to battle ‘biomonsters’ and prevent an evil new force from destroying civilisation, in the favourite fourth instalment of the long-running RPG saga.

Now on Virtual Console [Nintendo]

We’re currently seeking some help with keeping the site up-to-date with the latest Nintendo news, reviews and gossip. If you think you’ve got what it takes, and would like the chance to work for one of the UK’s top Nintendo news resources, get in touch!

We currently have the following positions available:

News Reporter

As a news reporter for WiiDS.co.uk, you will be expected to post regular news updates from the wonderful world of Nintendo. You will rely on official press releases and media sources, news tips from our readers together with various other gaming websites via browsing and RSS feeds.

You will be posting on a multitude of topics including gaming industry, culture and gaming media, together with being involved with writing original feature articles whenever possible.

Game Reviewer

Reviewers for WiiDS.co.uk will be expected to write reviews for the current releases on the Wii and DS platforms, including WiiWare and Virtual Console titles. Reviewers will be provided with review copies of various titles and expected to play through the game and write up a review to a strict time frame.

Together with reviewing the games provided by us and games sourced by themselves, reviewers will be expected to keep the site up-to-date with game release news and construct meta-reviews by piecing together game reviews from other sources.

To apply for any of the above position, you must meet the following requirements:

• Must demonstrate at least a high-level writing ability.
• Basic photo editing skills are necessary, such as cropping. Advanced photo editing skills are a plus.
• Be able to post at least 1 news article, 5 days a week, Monday to Friday.
• Basic HTML knowledge is helpful, but not essential.

Applicants who meet these requirements will be expected to submit at least two writing samples to help us gauge their ability. All samples must be written in Microsoft Word, HTML or already be available on the web. Samples must also be related to the position you are applying for, so if you’re planning on applying to be a game reviewer, an essay about the life cycle of a frog isn’t going to help us!

To apply, send your details and writing samples to writers@wiids.co.uk.

We hope that we can find some like minded Nintendo fans to help keep the site alive and current, and are looking forward to reading all applications that we receive!

According to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, speaking at today’s BMO Capital Markets 16th Annual Interactive Entertainment Conference in New York City, GTA Chinatown Wars might appear in the shops a little later than originally thought.

“Chinatown Wars we’ve decided to move out of the first quarter in order to fill out a better launch and marketing window. The title will ship in the first half of our fiscal year and we will provide more information on release dates by the time we report our earnings next month.”

So it seems that we’ll have to wait at least 3 months longer than we had previously been told, which is kind of a bummer. Lets hope that they take the extra time to prepare a worldwide launch instead of Europe having to wait even longer, and that they take some extra time to put some extra Rockstar magic into the little DS cart.

‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ DLC And ‘Chinatown Wars’ Delayed? [MTV Multiplayer]

Nintendo, like most companies around the world, like to protect their products the best they can. One way of doing this is taking the name of your product, combining it with every possible word that could be associated with it, and registering it as a branded trademark.

That’s exactly what Nintendo have done with the DS + DSi in Japan, with this huge list appearing on the Japanese Trademark Database:

Trademarks filed on September 30, 2008
DSiChannel
DSiStation
DSiNews
DSiMovie
DSiMusic

Trademarks filed on October 1, 2008
DSiMail
DSiMode
DSiVision
DSiTsuushin (DSiCommunication)
DSArcade
DSBook
DSCreator
DSClub
DSCommunity
DSCooking
DSDiary
DSeye
DSFamily
DSFriend
DSLife
DSLive
DSLibrary
DSmobile
DSMap
DSNavi
DSNet
DSPhone
DSPlus
DSPoint
DSSchool
DSSpeak
DSShop
DSShopping
DSTrainer
DSTime
DSWalk
DSZone
MyDS
CatchDS
ShotDS

It seems that they haven’t missed much, although there’s an obvious DSiFit and DSiWare thats missing, but I’m sure they’ll turn up soon enough if they haven’t already been registered in the past!

Can you think of any other names Nintendo might be interested in? Why not let us know in the comments section below!

Nintendo Trademarks DSi and DS… Well Everything [Siliconera]

The full list of reported features of the update are:

• Buttons are new
• Compatible with Wii Speak
• Can have six tabs open at once (can be made invisible)
• View Wii mail from the browser
• Available in December for 500 points
• Owners of the browser do not have to pay for the upgrade

However, Nintendo Everything have now realised that the image they originally posted and possibly based the article on was indeed Photoshopped, meaning that it was not a valid shot of the updated Internet Channel. This could mean that the above information is nothing but a rumour, but it all seems to make sense so here’s hoping we can expect to see the update in December, just in time for Xmas!

Wii Opera Browser getting an update [Nintendo Everything]

World of Goo is a game by 2D Boy, which has already been released in other parts of the world via the WiiWare service. However, Europe we told that we wouldn’t be getting it on WiiWare, and that we’d have to cough up a bit more money to buy the retail release of the game, offering a bonus chapter of the game in an attempt to sweeten the deal.

Today, via their blog, 2D Boy have confirmed that World of Goo will be coming to the European WiiWare collection sometime in December for around 1500 Wii Points.

This is great news as it means that the game will actually stand a much better chance, as the cheaper price point over the retail version, and the ease of downloading games from WiiWare should make the game get the credit (and the sales) it deserves!

world of goo coming to wiiware in europe! [2D Boy]

Nyko Technologies, creators of many different accessories especially for the Wii, have today released the WingT. This fancy device is an unofficial wireless classic controller, runs off AAA batteries and works by plugging in a wireless module into the bottom of your Wii remote.

It certainly looks funky enough, and its definitely something that is missing from the shops. I’ve always wondered why Nintendo haven’t yet released the fabled clip or shell which holds the Wii remote and classic controller together, but I guess there’s no need now!

Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies had this to say about the new controller:

“The Wing is a great example of what we at Nyko aim to do: improve the gamer’s experience with a quality made product. There have been very few options for classic gaming control designed specifically for the Wii until now, and the Wing provides a comfortable and affordable wireless alternative that fans of Virtual Console games will enjoy using.”

Is this the new must-have for Wii and Virtual Console fans alike, along side the Wii remote charging station and controller grips? Time will tell…

Wireless Wii Classic Controller Glides Into Stores [Kotaku]

Hudson Entertainment have announced that they need help.. well, sort of! Help Wanted is a game we can expect in Summer 2009, and is yet another collection of mini-games but this time with a twist.

The player must complete the 50 different odd-jobs to save the world from impending extinction. The jobs themselves vary greatly, and include Haunted House Monster, Clown, Make-up Artist, Pinch Hitter, Pizza Chef, Stunt Car Driver, Sumo Referee, Action Hero and Sushi Master to name just a few.

Completing each job also earns the player credits which can be used to buy ingame items such as defensive goods and keepsakes to display in their virtual collectors room.

It sounds fun, it looks fun and for all we know at the moment it might actually be fun, however I can’t help thinking that the Wii might already have enough mini-game based games. Can this one really improve on an already over-used format? Guess we’ll find out next summer!

SAVING THE WORLD ONE JOB AT A TIME! HUDSON ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES HELP WANTED FOR Wii

Coming Summer 2009—The First Job Simulation Compilation For Nintendo Wii Centered Around Fifty Odd and Quirky Jobs!

REDWOOD CITY, CA - November 11th, 2008 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for HUDSON SOFT, announced today they will bring Help Wanted, a fun, slap-stick new life simulation game for Wii in Summer 2009. In Help Wanted, players are sent on a mission to save the world from impending extinction by completing fifty different jobs. Help Wanted is developed by Hudson Soft and published by Hudson Entertainment for North and South America.

Help Wanted allows players to choose from completing over fifty odd jobs, including: Haunted House Monster, Clown, Make-up Artist, Pinch Hitter, Pizza Chef, Stunt Car Driver, Sumo Referee, Action Hero and Sushi Master to name just a few. The game includes multiple difficulty levels that change up the game play elements and a multiplayer feature that allows for head-to-head play on up to fifteen different jobs.

After completing each job, players can then shop for fun and unique items using the money they’ve earned from their daily grind. In addition, gamers can also buy special defensive goods that will help to save the planet or delay it’s extinction from a meteor. After making purchases, players can also add keepsakes to their displayable collections in the collector’s room.

“Help Wanted is out-of-this-world fun for the entire family” said Sabine Duvall, Vice President of Product Development at Hudson Entertainment. “If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to be a Sushi Master, a Boat Captain, a Body Builder and save the world all in one day - this is the game for you!”

Help Wanted will be available exclusively for Wii in summer of 2009. For more information on Help Wanted, please visit www.Hudsonent.com.

Nintendo are proud of their WiiWare service; not only does it give smaller development teams a chance of getting their software out to the masses, but it also lets Nintendo publish some games that aren’t quite enough to release on their own cart/disc.

Today Nintendo have announced that three of those types of titles will be coming to exclusively to WiiWare very soon, under the umbrella of Art Style. The games Cubello, Rotohex and Orbient will feature clever visuals and audio to create an experience designed especially for the Wii and its very special control system.

To celebrate the forthcoming series, Nintendo have launched a mini-site showing them off, which can be found at artstyle.nintendo.co.uk. From looking at the videos of the games presented on the site, I have to admit that my excitement is pretty high, as all three look like those type of puzzle games that will keep you glued for hours.

Check out the site for yourself, and take a look at the press release below for more details:

Wii GETS SOME “ART STYLE” WITH LAUNCH OF NEW SERIES

10th November, 2008 – Starting 21st November 2008, a stylish new series of unique Wii games will begin launching exclusively via WiiWare. Nintendo’s Art Style series combines simple yet highly playable new game concepts with striking audio-visuals. And to celebrate the release of the upcoming series, a new online site has now been launched: artstyle.nintendo.co.uk providing game information as well as an exclusive interview with the creators, and much more!

The games – Cubello, Rotohex and Orbient – represent compelling new concepts that have been created to take advantage of the unique Wii controls. With only the Wii Remote, players can enjoy new challenges that go beyond traditional action or puzzle games. Each game will be available to download from the Wii Shop Channel for 600 Wii Points each.

The release of the Art Style series is another demonstration of WiiWare’s ability to provide a platform for new creative opportunities. Developers are seizing the opportunity offered by WiiWare to create experimental games, as well as test ideas and re-make and revive classic titles for Wii.

Two of the three Art Style titles – Rotohex and Orbient – have been redesigned for Wii with updated graphics and other improvements, after having first been released in Japan as part of the bit Generations series. Cubello is an entirely new addition for the Art Style series on Wii. All three games have been designed with the aim of delivering enormously satisfying gameplay, utilising the unique functionality of the Wii Remote.

While the games have been totally remodelled for the console, it is the design of the sound in the games that players will really notice – as the atmospheric soundtrack for each title adds depth and tension to the gameplay experience.

Laurent Fischer, Managing Director for European Marketing and PR for Nintendo of Europe said: “When creating the Art Style games, developers have taken their inspiration from a huge range of sources as they wanted to give the designers the chance to express themselves and the opportunity to experiment with these games. The result is a series that is fiendishly addictive and will keep players hooked as they challenge themselves and their friends to solve the puzzles the games create.”

The three titles in the Art Style series will launch consecutively in the coming weeks, beginning with Cubello on 21st November 2008:

Cubello
Cubello challenges players to eliminate cubes from a rotating “cluster” by launching matching coloured cubes, fired with the Wii Remote. Levels are completed as players clear all of the cubes without the cluster becoming too big.

Cubello calls on two skills often seen in games – shooting and puzzle-solving – but combines them in a whole new way that will test players’ brains and trigger fingers in equal measure. In conjunction with the eyecatching visuals and ear-pleasing sounds, Cubello will put players in a spin!

Rotohex
Rotohex brings colourful multiplayer puzzle action to the Art Style series. As triangular panels fall into a grid, players must build coloured hexagons as fast as possible by rotating them into position, to clear them from the grid. Once six have been joined together, they disappear. If the player fails to match the colours quickly enough, the grid fills up - making for a frantic race against time that requires fast thinking and reactions.

In multiplayer mode, players compete across two grids simultaneously, to create hexes faster than their opponent. To make things even harder, “block panels” are created in an opponent’s grid if their opponent successfully makes a hex, reducing the space available to play in.

Orbient
In Orbient, take control of gravity itself and guide a rogue star through the galaxy, using the magnetic force of other stars and planets to reach your goal, while avoiding deadly obstacles like asteroids and black holes.

Using the Wii Remote, players control gravity and anti-gravity to pilot their small star towards blue stars; absorbing them will increase their own planet’s size. After reaching a certain size, players can capture the sun within each level and move on to the next challenge.

With the WiiWare pipeline constantly being updated with exciting and refreshing games, make sure you keep checking www.nintendo-europe.com and the Nintendo Channel for all the latest WiiWare news and releases.

We’ve teamed up with the lovely guys over at Oxygen games to offer you lucky girls the chance to win a copy of their My Games series for Nintendo DS. We’ve got one copy of My Make-Up, My Dress-Up and My Secret Diary to give away, which should help some girl gamers get one step closer towards completing their DS games collection!

My Make-Up

Makeover, Pamper or Face Paint yourself and your friends, or check your messages to see whose makeover dreams you can make come true!

My Dress-Up

Dressing-Up, Fashion and Design for you and your friends.  With over 600 customisable items to choose from, you can style yourself and your friends over and over again!

My Secret Diary

Store your secrets, keep a journal and have fun with mini-games, or send secret messages and event invitations to keep in touch with your friends.

Entry to this competition is very simple and can be done by leaving a comment answering the following question:

“Which of the My Games titles are you most excited about, and why?”

Please make sure that you chose your game carefully as your selection may be used to determine which game you could win, although if you are unable to make your mind up between the three, let us know and we’ll choose one for you if you win!

Our standard rules apply, and the competition will close on Friday 21st November at 4pm, when we’ll hold a raffle and the first 3 names out of the hat will find themselves the new owners of one of these great games. Don’t forget to leave a correct email address when submitting your comment as if you win we will need to get hold of you!

Good luck everybody, and let the competition commence!