Console Digest

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No Matter Who The Gamer Is On Your Shopping List, Natsume Has A Video Game For Them

Natsume Inc., a worldwide developer and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that the company’s full videogame lineup for 2008 is now available at retail, including the most recent release of Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the Nintendo DS. Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon joins Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, Princess Debut and Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge (all for DS) and Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (for Wii) to complete its 2008 holiday lineup.

“This has been a great year for Natsume as we continued our Harvest Moon series with three brand new Harvest Moon adventures this fall.

Add to that some adorable educational fun with Hi! Hamtaro: Ham Ham Challenge and our hugely popular new original IP, Princess Debut and there is truly something for everyone on your list,” said Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume.

For more information on each of Natsume’s 2008 holiday lineup see the descriptions below. Each title is rated E for everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and are available at retailers nationwide.

Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (DS) $29.99
Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness brings the largest portable Harvest Moon experience ever to the Nintendo DS. Starting off with an abandoned farm, a handful of seeds, and the determination to start a new life, it’s up to the player to develop a mysterious, abandoned island into a bustling tropical paradise. By harvesting crops, raising animals, and mining for precious gems, gamers will help the island grow into a vibrant town filled with people, businesses, and eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. Players can take on the role of a male or a female, and choose who they want to fall in love and start a family with. Gamers can also test their farming skills against each other and compete for prizes via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Harvest Moon:
Island of Happiness is now available for an MSRP of $29.99.

Princess Debut (DS) $29.99
The critics are raving about Natsume’s new IP Princess Debut. GRRLGamer calls Princess Debut a “breath of fresh air”, Cool Moms Rule says the game is “an anime version of Cinderella”, and The Globe and Mail calls it “high quality gaming for girls fascinated by the fantasy princess lifestyle.”

In Princess Debut, players find themselves in a fantasy world where they have 30 days to get ready for the big ball; they’ll have to master their dance moves and win over one of the six handsome princes to be their partner. They’ll meet and woo the princes through the game’s large, branching storyline. Once the player convinces a prince to be their dancing partner, it’s time to go out on the dance floor!
By utilizing the Touch Screen, players guide their character gracefully across the dance floor while matching their partner’s rhythm. All of the dances in the game are taken from motion-captured professional dancers, so the game is just as impressive to watch as it is fun to play. Princess Debut offers four modes of play including Story, Ballroom, Practice, and Movie. With 20 outfits to find, 14 unique endings to experience, and 18 different kinds of music and dance styles to choose from (including Waltz, Latin Dance, Tango, Ballroom, and much more), there’s no shortage of things to see and do!

Princess Debut is now available for an MSRP of $29.99.

Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS) $29.99
Rune Factory 2 is set several years after the first game. The evil Sechs Empire has been defeated, and the Kingdom of Norad is once again at peace. Things may not stay that way for long, however, as dark premonitions foretell of dangers to come. It’s up to the player to uncover the source of these premonitions and bring peace to the kingdom once more. Over the course of the story, players will build and develop a farm, befriend townspeople, raise monsters, take on quests, and find a wife. In a first for the Rune Factory series, the story of Rune Factory 2 is multigenerational. Players begin the game as Kyle, a strange man who comes to Alvarna Village. Eventually, players will take on the role of Kyle’s child, opening up a whole new adventure. It’s an innovative feature that allows players to follow the story of their family and the townsfolk over two generations! Now available for an MSRP of $29.99.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (Wii) ) $49.99
In Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, players find themselves in a troubled island town which once prospered with life and energy, but is now in serious trouble. The mystical Mother Tree that once watched over the island has disappeared, and the Harvest Goddess is nowhere to be found! The island has lost its connection with nature and the inhabitants don’t know what to do - it’s up to the player to save the island! Players will help to rebuild the island by working the land, befriending and raising animals, nurturing friendships, and building a family. When the Mother Tree is reborn, the Harvest Goddess will return and bring prosperity to the island once more. Long-time Harvest Moon fans as well as new players will find an exciting, involving storyline and plenty of activities to experience, including cultivating crops, caring for animals, and participating in festivals.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is now available for an MSRP of $49.99.

Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge (DS) $29.99
Hamtaro and his friends make learning fun in Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge. Children will not only be entertained by the beloved hamster Hamtaro and his adorable cast of friends, they will also develop their memory, word comprehension, math skills, and many other abilities as they play through the twelve engaging interactive games.

The game’s easy-to-learn touch screen controls make the game fun and accessible for children of all ages. Parents can take an active role in their child’s playing and learning with features that let them monitor their child’s progress in each game, adjust the difficulty level to match their child’s skills, monitor and control play time, and even reward their child with special items. Hi! Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Challenge for the Nintendo DS is a brain-training game geared at elementary-aged children. Rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, it is currently available for an MSRP of $29.99.

All of these titles are currently available at various retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.natsume.com or http://www.clevercomm.com/Natsume/

Big Blue Bubble is proud to announce that Hockey Allstar Shootout was released on WiiWare™! The release of Hockey Allstar Shootout marks the first hockey game on the platform and is destined to become an instant fan favorite amongst sports enthusiasts and casual gamers alike.

Use the Wii Remote™ as your stick and take the shot as you compete in 3 exciting hockey skills competitions. Whether you’re competing solo or challenging your friends, Hockey Allstar Shootout will put your hockey skills to the test.

Shoot the lights out in Sharp Shooter, by breaking the targets as quick as you can. Think you have a booming slap shot? Prove it in the Power Shot hardest shot challenge. And last but not least, it’s just you versus the best goalies in the world in the Head to Head 5 puck shootout!

Key Features

• Uses the Wii’s unique controls to mimic the motion of a real slap shot

• 3 unique hockey challenges

• Challenging AI opponents

• Explosive 3D puck physics

• Local 2 player versus mode

With over 30 high profile games in its portfolio, Big Blue Bubble Inc. is one of Canada’s leading video game developers. Each of company’s divisions (Console and Casual) is dedicated to making the best possible games by combining innovative designers with top calibre artists and industry leading programmers. By maintaining a strong focus on the development of technology and showcasing it through award winning games, Big Blue Bubble will continue to lead the way in becoming a cornerstone of the casual gaming world.

For more information on Big Blue Bubble and its ongoing projects, please visit www.bigbluebubble.com.

Experience the Thrill of Team Racing on and off the Track

Electronic Arts Inc. announced that NASCAR® Kart Racing, the first and only NASCAR racing title available for the Wii™, will ship to retailers in North America on February 10, 2009, just in time for the Daytona 500 and the official start of the 2009 NASCAR season.

Designed exclusively for the Wii, NASCAR Kart Racing enables players to grab the steering wheel as a famed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and speed through treacherous landscapes, wind around rocky cliffs, jump rivers and dodge falling boulders. Up to four players can go head-to-head, via split screen, in a mad dash to the checkered flag, making NASCAR Kart Racing an ideal game to play with family and friends.

Enjoy the thrill of racing as three-time consecutive Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson or choose from 13 additional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Players can also compete as one of 10 original animated characters. Each driver has personal attributes that will determine how the kart will perform on a course, so strategy is key when choosing a driver and a teammate. Teams that work together win championships!

• Dale Earnhardt, Jr. • Kasey Kahne

• Carl Edwards  • Matt Kenseth

• Jeff Gordon • Elliot Sadler

• Denny Hamlin • Tony Stewart

• *Two Unlockable Mystery Drivers*

The courses in NASCAR Kart Racing feature a vast range of exhilarating terrain. Experience 24 entertaining race layouts that wrap through deserts, freeways, back roads, canyons, junkyards and more. Drivers will also push the pedal to the metal in areas surrounding four popular NASCAR tracks: Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Dover International Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. Each track in NASCAR Kart Racing can be reversed to provide two unique racing experiences.

Your journey to become a champion in NASCAR Kart Racing begins by competing in 13 series against featured drivers from different racing backgrounds. Defeat the rivals of each series to unlock new courses, drivers, game modes and the next series. Beat all of the events at a track and you will receive a track sponsorship complete with billboards featuring your driver’s face—an obvious statement to your family and friends that you are the top competitor. Race throughout the series, to earn the championship title that affords stunning trophies and the glory of being recognized as the ultimate NASCAR driver!

NASCAR Kart Racing, developed exclusively for the Wii™, will ship to retailers on February 10, 2009. The game has been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB with a descriptor for “Cartoon Mischief”. For more information, please visit www.easports.com/kartracing.