Today we learn that we can do four different types of special attacks by simply using the special attack button and tilting the control stick in various directions! …although, we sort of knew that. Meta Knight is our demonstrator today, showing off his four special moves.

The standard special attack is executed by simply pressing the special attack button without any tilting of the control stick. For many characters, this is a basic special attack for things like firing a weapon. In Meta Knight’s case, it’s the Mach Tornado. The side special attack is a bold attack that shoots you left or right, called Triple Dash for Meta Knight. Shuttle Loop is his up special attack, and like many up special attacks is used as a high jump attack that can be used as a third jump for recovery when falling off the stage. The final, down special attack can vary significantly from character to character, but many are used to scatter the enemies around you. Meta Knight’s final special attack is called Dimensional Cape.

As usual, you’ll be able to alter the attacks by pressing the attack button rapidly, holding it down to charge an attack, tilting the control stick during the execution of an attack, and using it in midair.

Smash Bros. DOJO!!

Most every Nintendo fan who’s been on the internet lately, or even any gamer that’s checked up on news in the last few weeks knows that today marks the launch of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. The highly anticipated finale to the Metroid Prime series from Retro is poised to reinvent console shooters for a new generation. Nintendo’s official press release celebrating the game’s release can be read below.

NINTENDO’S EPIC TRILOGY CONCLUDES WITH METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION

First-Person Controls Immerse Players Like Never Before

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 27, 2007 – Today’s launch of Metroid® Prime 3: Corruption for Wii™ marks the end of a trilogy – and the start of the most active and dynamic Metroid adventure yet.  With the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, you become one with heroine Samus Aran’s powerful arm cannon, while the Nunchuk can literally yank armor off enemies.

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The press release is a bit late today, but the important thing is that it’s here. It’s a nice selection this week on the North American Virtual Console. Read on to find out about this week’s releases!

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Aug. 27, 2007

It’s Sequel Week on the Virtual Console™. You won’t have much time to reminisce though, as each of these three titles adds a scintillating chapter and new elements to their storied franchises. Whether you’re into run-and-gun, role-playing or action, this is the week for you.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

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Four games this week for the Virtual Console in Japan! This week’s games are:

• Spelunker (Famicom, 500 Wii Points)
• Otogirisô (Super Famicom, 800 Wii Points)
• ESWAT: City Under Siege (Mega Drive, 600 Wii Points)
• Drop Rock Hora Hora (PC-Engine, 600 Wii Points)

Square Enix and Nintendo dropped a megaton when they announced that the highly anticipated Dragon Quest IX would be hitting the Nintendo DS rather than the Wii. Unfortunately, fans won’t be playing it this year as previously promised; Square Enix has officially delayed the game into the 2008 calendar year.

Square Enix cited the need for more time to improve the game’s overall quality, which is usually the reason we get for game delays. There’s no doubt that the game will be massive as it is an entry into DQ’s main series, so expect Square Enix to take their time until the game is perfect.

Keep in mind, remakes of Dragon Quest IV, V, and VI are also on the way.

Kotaku

Nothing huge this week in North America, though Europe gets a decent selection after a blank slate for the Wii releases last week. Japan doesn’t getting anything on the Wii though, so bummer. I guess if you’re bored this week in North America, you could pick up that new Carnival Games and see how it is.

North American releases are listed below. Check after the break for European and Japanese releases! Still looking for an Australian source, so if you know a good one, let me know.

North American Releases
Nintendo Wii:
Carnival Games
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Nintendo DS:
Garfield’s Nightmare
Professional Fisherman’s Tour: Northern Hemisphere
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Virtual Console:
TBA

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My schedule’s finally starting to clear up, and I’m steadily starting to get around to making sure posts show up on the front page. Actually, I’m starting to free up my schedule enough that I’m feeling ambitious. Let’s do another mailbag!

Submit your questions about Nintendo, The Tanooki, or any of the games you might have or are looking forward to by clicking the link below and filling out the form. We’ve actually got a small amount of mailbag submissions that we’ve been sitting on before this hectic month, so we only need a few more before we get around to posting the next mailbag. Send us your questions, thoughts, or anything else you’d like to share!

Write the Mailbag!

Hungry? Gobble up all the food items that find their way onto the battlefield…they’ll usually lower your damage percentage. This time, however, one entrée is proving to be more useful than the others.

The Superspicy Curry is an item that is, well, super spicy. You can eat it, but it’s so hot that you’ll instantly start shooting flames out of your mouth! Unlike the Fire Flower item, the Superspicy Curry is useful in that you’ll continue shooting flames and damaging your opponents even as you perform normal attacks. Who knows, maybe the attack and flame duo will result in new combos too hot to handle!

Smash Bros. DOJO!!

According to new information coming in from retailers like GameStop and EB Games, the Nintendo DS Browser is being discontinued by Nintendo of America. If your local stores have any copies of the Nintendo DS Browser for the DS Lite left, expect them to be the last ones sold by that retailer. Once remaining stock runs out, that will be it for Opera on the Nintendo DS - you’ll have to check the used rack or eBay to obtain a copy afterwards.

No official word has come from Nintendo and it seems that the browser will go down quietly. It’s very likely that the product is being discontinued due to lackluster sales and low returns. These things happen when you spend next to nothing advertising a new product.

Thanks to Hax0rz for the tip.

That’s what Julian Eggebrecht thinks, at least. At last week’s convention in Leipzig, the Factor 5 president spoke in the Best Selling Games panel and had the following to say:

“Let’s say the Wii takes over the world. Just naturally, the traditional magazines — if they stick to their current position of slightly dissing it — will simply go out of business.

“If on the other hand the market stays as diverse as it is right now, which is actually quite exciting I think, then there just might be room for a more hardcore press which will potentially drift further away from the casual side, and a casual press which appreciates what companies like Nintendo are doing.”

Everyone who criticized the Revolution early on is looking dumbfounded right now, so it’s not so bad for them as individuals. But with the Wii surpassing worldwide 360 sales within half the time, anyone still saying the Wii won’t work out is just showing ignorance. That’s basically what Eggebrecht is saying. Being critical about the system is fine and healthy for gaming journalism, but writing it off is just unprofessional.

GamePro