Wii Remote Controlled Laser Pew-Pew! [Nintendo]

Inventor-by-day, DJ-by-night Henry Strange’s latest creation is a laser beam that is controlled by a Nintendo Wii Remote mounted in a white, plastic gun casing.

This is Henry’s walk through. It does have a laser pointer, which probably could put someone’s eye out or blind them or something horrible like that. But do not worry, Henry is a professional! To see it in action in his DJ set, click here.

Henry claims this as the first Wii-mote controlled laser. Sadly, it does not seem to go pew-pew.

Since its release, the Wii Remote has been hacked for various things. Back in 2007, a DJ used his Wii Remote to splice tracks.

Nintendo, however, does not approve, stating, “The Wii Remote was created to play on the Wii system only.” But lasers!

What Does Japan Really Think About Game Consoles? [Japan]

Ask Google. The Japanese language version of the search engine catalogues the most popular searches. Those automatically pop up when searching. So what displays for the Nintendo Wii, the PS3 and the Xbox 360?

The thinking here is that by listing what Japan searches for, this will provide a window into what the country is interested in and even concerned about regarding home video game consoles.

Nintendo Wii
Nintendo club
Nintendo DS
Nintendo repair
Nintendo DS software at a glance
Nintendo home page
Nintendo use
Nintendo DSi
Nintendo Wii software
Nintendo stock price

PS3 software
PS3 price
PS3 new model
PS3 software ranking
PS3 modding
PS3 media server
PS3 mk2
PS3 save data
PS3 HDD swapping
PS3 wiki

Xbox 360
Xbox 360 Elite
Xbox 360 Arcade
Xbox 360 modding
Xbox 360 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition
Xbox 360 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Limitededition
Xbox 360 wireless game adaptor
Xbox 360 wiki
Xbox 360 software
Xbox 360 controller for windows
Xbox 360 hard disk

Since the Japanese language doesn’t have spaces per se (there are dots, though), I tried searching “Xbox360″ and turned up:

Xbox360 software
Xbox360 modding
Xbox360 price
Xbox360 breakdown/failure
Xbox360 wiki
Xbox360 controller
Xbox360 software at a glance wiki
Xbox360 Elite
Xbox360 HDMI
Xbox360 mk2

[Pic]

When Mario Meets Ikea [Mario]

Should you ever wish to graduate from baking cakes or wearing t-shirts of Nintendo’s mascot of mascots, you could always do what this guy and his girlfriend did: fill a room with custom Mario furniture.

It’s the work of Dennis and his lady friend Judith, who as a mechanical engineering student probably did most of the work.

The shelves and wall mounting are the obvious things, but it’s the details that are the killers, including the warp pipe phone charger and an amazing Game Boy clock.

Mario Furniture [neatorama]

WarioWare Papercraft The Easiest DIY Project At GDC [Gdc10]

Nintendo is making a big deal of upcoming Nintendo DS game WarioWare D.I.Y. at this year’s Game Developers Conference, handing out miniature Warios that are not only easy to build, but make a great distraction when people are trying to post.

Curse you, papercraft Wario.

8-Bit NYC Map Turns New York Into Hyrule [Maps]

This draggable, zoomable map of NYC is made from old 8-bit NES elements. It is as awesome as it sounds. [8-Bit NYC via WAXY via Kottke]

Baseball Star Unwinds With A Little Face-Punching [Wii]

Not only is Seattle Mariners’ superstar Ichiro one of Japan’s greatest baseball players, he’s also one of the most talented big leaguers today. He also likes to unwind like the rest of us — by beating up virtual palookas.

In a recent interview, he explained his lack of sleep. The right fielder had spent the previous night playing his Nintendo Wii. “I’m playing Punch-Out!,” he told Nikkan Sports. “I played it until midnight last night.”

The Seattle Mariners is owned by Nintendo of America.

These days many athletes are big gamers, typically playing video game versions of their sports. Not Ichiro!

Ichiro uses Dragon Quest analogies in the past to explain a World Baseball Classic victory as well as a part of his recovery process when getting over an injury.

「やっぱりボクシング」（イチロー語録） [Nikkan Sports] [Pic]

The "10 Minute Solution" to Fitness Now Includes a Wii [Fitness]

What’s the difference between Activision’s 10 Minute Solution fitness game for the Wii and established fitness titles like Wii Fit and EA Sports Active? About $40-80.

With Wii Fit and EA Sports Active selling like reduced-calorie hotcakes, it was only a matter of time before Activision got in on the game, but what can Activision offer that the other two don’t already cover? How about a budget price?

Activision Publishing and Anchor Bay Entertainment have joined forces to create 10 Minute Solution, a casual fitness title based off the popular brand of exercise DVDs, and while the branding might catch the target audience’s eyes, the $19.99 price tag could capture their hearts. After all, the fitness genre is a hop-on point for gaming, and what better way to ease soccer moms into the hobby by giving them a title that costs the same as an exercise DVD? It sure beats spending $99 on Wii Fit Plus with the Balance Board, or $60 for EA Sports Active with accessories.

10 Minute Solution will feature a series of 10 Minute routines, oddly enough, with activities falling into either cardio boxing, mixed games, and aerobics categories. Rather than playing along with an on-screen trainer, 10 Minute Solution plays like a game, and even supports the Wii Balance Board, giving gaming newcomers a cheap way to extend the life of the popular peripheral.

“Our legions of 10 Minute Solution DVD users will tell you these simple 10 minute exercises work,” said Julie Cartwright, SVP Marketing at Anchor Bay Entertainment. “We are ecstatic to be partnering with Activision to do something progressive in the fitness gaming space.”

And I’m sure Activision is ecstatic about partnering with you. We’ll see if the discount gambit pays off when 10 Minute Solution hits stores later this year.

For those of you unfamiliar with the 10 Minute Solution series, here’s a clip from the Knockout Body DVD, in which we see a physically attractive woman exercising in a set made up to look like a house.

Mario and Luigi, Still in Business [Screengrab]

The south side of 386 Claremont Road, Manchester England, as imaged by Google Maps. Seen via Reddit. Note that Mario’s sign is red, Luigi’s green.

The Nintendo Download: Nintendo’s Got Your Final Fantasy Right Here [Downloadables]

Final Fantasy II spearheads this week’s Nintendo Download, which explores the mysterious worlds of fantasy, horror, and learning Spanish.

It might not be Final Fantasy XIII, but Final Fantasy II, or Final Fantasy IV in Japan, makes up for the lack of newness with sheer quality. Lightning, Snow, and Hope have nothing on Cecil, Rydia, and Edward, though the latter might be a bit too spoony for some tastes.

For more fantasy, check out Max & the Magic Marker, Press Play’s WiiWare game about a boy drawing his way through his imagination, or Elemental Masters, a fantasy-based trading card game for DSiWare from lbxgames.

If horror is more to your liking, Chillingo’s Dracula: Undead Awakening appears on WiiWare and DSiWare this week, with early teen horror fans getting another dose of Too Ghoul for School in EA’s Flips: The Bubonic Builders for the DSi.

Check out the gallery for the official descriptions, and remember, if you hate galleries, you’ll love clicking here.

Max & the Magic Marker

Publisher: Press Play
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: One day Max gets a mysterious marker in the mail. Not knowing better, the first thing he draws is a wacky, purple monster. As soon as the marker leaves the paper, the monster comes to life and jumps off the paper and into another drawing. With the monster on the loose and messing with Max’s drawings, Max has no choice but to go after it. Armed with the magic marker, you must help Max track the monster through 15 inventive and challenging levels. You’ll need more than good will and quick reflexes to tackle the challenges ahead. Draw freely inside the game to help Max defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. As you draw stairs, seesaws, balloons, surfboards and whatever else you can think of, your creations will interact with the physical environment, making every session unique.

Dracula – Undead Awakening
Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

FINAL FANTASY II

Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Square Enix
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Follow the dark knight Cecil – Lord Captain of Baron’s elite force, the Red Wings – as he embarks on a fateful journey riddled with trials, betrayals, friendship, loss and self-discovery. Plagued with uncertainty over his monarch’s motives, can Cecil turn away from the path of darkness and destruction?

Elemental Masters

Publisher: lbxgames
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Animated Blood, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: In this fantasy card game, stand your ground in a quest filled with magic and adventure, and experience a thrilling combination of strategy and role-playing. Choose your character, build up your army in your card deck and fight the mystical creatures of Elendior. With thoughtful use of your cards, you’ll obtain the monsters of your enemy and support your attacks by using arcane spells and the rules of dark magic. Dive into this captivating story in the quest mode or duel with your friends in multiplayer mode. More than 100 creatures in numerous maps are waiting for you.

4 TRAVELLERS – Play Spanish

Publisher: AGENIUS Interactive
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Whether played alone or together with friends, 4 TRAVELLERS can teach you new words in Spanish. The game is suitable for both young and old, and no previous knowledge is necessary. The more you play, the more your Spanish vocabulary increases. You can also play and learn with the game’s unique learning mode. The game is perfect to bring on your trip, with more than 240 carefully selected words included specifically for this occasion.

Dracula – Undead Awakening

Publisher: Chillingo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Fantasy Violence
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Are you a vampire hunter? Are you ready to battle legions of undead foes including zombies, ghouls and werewolves? You’ll need to wield an arsenal of powerful weaponry while using your skill and intelligence. Uncover devastating firepower – machine guns, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and more – and choose upgrades for them as well as unique new perks for your character as your enemies increase in number and ferocity. You’re a tough customer, but beware – Lord Dracula is always on the hunt, and you are his prey. Enemies in Dracula have one thing in common: Undead, lycanthrope or mutant, they’re all after your flesh.

[image via NintendoLife]

Flips: The Bubonic Builders

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Flips Interactive Books are the fun new way for kids to read. The builders are in to replace the girls’ toilet block, but they’re more interested in cups of tea and instant noodle snacks than doing any work. James suspects foul play, but Alexander and Lenny are doubtful until a strange accident hammers the truth home. How will the three friends stop St. Sebastian’s from being reduced to rubble?

Nintendo Patent Implies a New DS Cartridge Design [Nintendo]

Siliconera found a patent application from Nintendo that is one of either two things – a new cartridge for existing DS configurations, or a new cartridge for a new DS. Or it could be both, come to think of it.

Although the DS is not named in the application, and the outline of one shown (above) is “for illustrative purposes only,” Siliconera notes that the cartridge has the same number of pins as an existing DS cart.

Nintendo Patent Application Hints At New DS Cartridge Design [Siliconera]