September 29th, 2008 by Banjo-Conker

September 26th, 2008 by Banjo-Conker

Yesterday, Rare updated their official site to remind everyone that pre-ordering Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts will allow you to purchase the original Banjo-Kazooie on the Xbox Live Acrade two weeks early/for free. Below are the details of participating retailers, straight from Rare’s News page:

"UK: Amazon, Play.com, Game and Gamestation 

USA: Amazon, EBGames, GameStop and GameCrazy

FRANCE: Micromania and Game

SPAIN:Game

ITALY: GameStop

SCANDINAVIA: Game and GameStop

Other countries known to be running the promotion but with no specific retailer info as yet: CANADA, JAPAN, IRELAND, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BENELUX, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND, probably not Uzbekistan or Narnia."

September 24th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

September 9th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

Official Press Release below…from yesterday (oops!)…

September 8, 2008 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is now available exclusively for Nintendo DS at major retail outlets worldwide. Based on the critically acclaimed original Viva Piñata game from Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the game will allow players to utilize their creativity to develop the ultimate piñata paradise with the swipe of a stylus. Developed by Rare Ltd., the creators of the original and highly-acclaimed Viva Piñata game, Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is rated "E" for Everyone and is now available for the suggested retail price of $29.99.

"With the continually growing market share of the Nintendo DS, THQ is pleased to bring the cherished Viva Piñata series to the system for the first time," said Terri Schiek, vice president, North American sales and distribution, THQ. "The intuitive interface of the Nintendo DS is perfectly suited for the open-ended and customizable gameplay in Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise. We expect the title to be a great addition to the handheld market as we head into the holiday season."

Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise will allow players to inherit a neglected garden on Piñata Island and turn it into paradise through a number of activities including garden cleaning and decorating, vegetation growth and management, as well as piñata caretaking. As players watch their gardens grow, they will attract new piñatas, including seven brand new piñata species. A new Playground Mode will allow players to quickly create a fertile garden full of exciting and exotic piñatas, while numerous items may be shared among friends using the Nintendo DS local wireless connection. Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise will also include 12 playable levels based on actual episodes from the hit TV show. These garden scene environments are played through with guidance from some of the popular TV series characters such as Hudson Horstachio, Fergy Fudgehog and Paulie Pretztail.

September 9th, 2008 by Daniel Duncan

Portion of the interview below…

Were you worried about the reaction from Banjo fans?

EM: There are always concerns. We wanted to make a game that was innovative, basically. We just thought with the old games, platforming had hit its peak. If we had rehashed and done another platformer, people would have moaned at us for doing that. So we thought we’d do something innovative and something pushing gaming. We’re hoping old Banjo fans will really enjoy it and we think they will.

NH: I’m pretty confident they will when they play it. They just have to give it a chance.

EM: People are always resistant to change. I think like Neill says, once you pick it up and have a play around with it, you’ll realise why we made those changes and we actually needed to make the changes to the Banjo franchise.

Full interview here