Technofranki's blog

GamePark Holdings announced on August 26, 2008, that they will release GP2X Wiz in October. GP2X Wiz is the successor to GP2X, both are open source systems. The new GP2X Wiz will have a OLED touchscreen and will be able to play Flash 7.

Specifications (taken from Wikipedia.org):

• Chipset: MagicEyes Pollux System-on-a-Chip
• CPU: 533MHz ARM9 3D Accelerator
• NAND Flash ROM: 1 GB
• RAM: SDRAM 64 MB
• Operating System: GNU/Linux-based OS
• Storage: SD Card
• Connection to PC: USB 2.0 High Speed
• USB Host: USB 2.0
• Power: Internal 2000mAh Lithium Polymer Battery
• Display: 320×240 2.8 inch OLED Touch Screen
• Microphone Input
• Physical size: 121 mm wide, 61 mm high, 18 mm deep
• Weight: 98 g (without battery), 136 g (with battery)

GP2X Wiz Game System can be pre-ordered from Play-Asia.com for US$ 179.90. Release date is Ocotber 9, 2008.

The Wiz brochure

Today, Wednesday August 27, Amazon.com’s Deal of Day is Gran Turismo 5 Prologue at $22.99.

But that is not all. Through the day, Amazon will have PS3 Lightning Deals, and this is what you can get:

• 6AM PDT Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
• 10AM PDT Playstation 3 Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel
• 12PM PDT Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
• 2PM PDT Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
• 4PM PDT Devil May Cry 4
• 6PM PDT Haze

So be sure to check in on Amazon from time to time during the day.

Norway is getting its first HD channel starting October 3, 2008. TV Norge HD will be available from the provider Canal Digital, on both cable and satellite. We have foreign HD channels like Eurosport HD, National Geographic HD and Discovery HD. But TV Norge HD will be the first in Norwegian. TV Norge and TV Norge HD will send in parallel.

HD content will be available in primetime in the beginning. This fall we can watch CSI, Rome, The Closer, Nigel Marven’s Artic Exposure, Big Bang Theory og Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles in HD. Norwegian produced program will come in 2009.

The big surprise is that the channel starts in beginning of October, and that it’s not coming from Norway’s biggest broadcasters; NRK or TV2. At the time, they have no plans for HD channels in the near future, as I know of.

Source: TVNorge.no (Google translated to English)

Castle Crashers is this weeks Xbox Live Arcade game, available from Wednesday August 27th, 2008 for 1200 points.

Castle Crashers

Hack, slash, and smash your way to victory in this red-hot arcade adventure from the award-winning development studio, The Behemoth! Featuring hand-drawn characters, Castle Crashers® delivers unique hi-res illustrated visuals like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Play with up to three friends locally or over Xbox LIVE® and discover the mind-boggling magic and mystery in the amazing world we have created just for you. Save your princess, defend your kingdom, and crash some castles! Play with more than 20 unlockable characters, 40 weapons to customize your hero, and an arsenal of combos and magical attacks to choose from.

• Intuitive combo and magic system: Unlock new combos and magical attacks as your character progresses through the game. You have an almost limitless amount of combos to perform alone, or with a group of friends.
• Arena mode: This mode allows players to battle each other head-on with four unique modes to choose from!
• Experience system: As you fight your way through the various levels of Castle Crashers, your character gains more experience points that will in return give you the option to adjust your four main stats — Strength, Magic, Defense, and Agility.
• Weapons weapons weapons! Each player has the ability to unlock more than 40 weapons.
• Animal orbs: These little companions add enhancements to your attributes. Each pet has different abilities to benefit you, with various ways of unlocking each one. Defeat a boss and steal his companion, dig them up, or buy them at a store.
• Treasure hunt: Unlockable items, weapons, pet companions, and characters are buried throughout the various levels of Castle Crashers.
• Stores: Spread across the various worlds of Castle Crashers, every store has specific items to sell. Collect gold from killing enemies, finding treasures, or opening chests, then take your collected gold to these stores for some weapons, items, character unlocks, and more!

Here are some videoes of Tomb Raider Underworld, taken from IGN.com.

Nintendo continues with its Hanabi Festival. This week, Friday August 22nd, 2008, Europe got two new Virtual Console games; Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and never released in Europe Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. For more about this Hanabi Festival, look at the bottom of this post.

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
NES – 1986 – Nintendo – platformer – 1 player – 600 points – age 3+

It’s time for a blast from the past! Now, on virtual Console, you can once again experience the original sequel to the best-selling vide game of all time!

Super Mario.: The Lost Levels, originally available only for the Famicom Disk System in Japan, expands on the first game with challenging new level designs, trickier enemies and obstacles, and many secret worlds to discover.

Please note that this Virtual Console version was originaly available for a limited time only during a preview Hanabi festival. However, now it is available permanently for everyone to enjoy!

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Nintendo – 1996 – Nintendo – RPG – 1 player – 900 points – age 3+

This legendary role-playing game comes to PAL regions for the first time! Designed by the RPG experts at Square (now Square Enix), Super Mario RPG is satisfyingly deep yet easy to pick up and play.

Join Mario and friends (and even Bowser!) on a huge quest to defeat an all-new villain, Smithy, who threatens the entire Mushroom Kingdom!

Fight enemies, conjure magic spellss and use items to advance your quest. Plus – look out for apperances from many other Nintendo characters along your way!

In-game text will be in English.

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Hanabi festival 3 is here!

retro gamers rejoice! It’s time for another round of classic games that wre never released in Europe before!

This, the third Hanabi Festival (named after the Japanese fireworks season), once again brings you previously unseen treats from Japan and the U.S. to enjoy via Virtual Console.

We’ve got something for everyone; from big names such as Super Mario RPG to cult hits like DoRemi Fantasy. And, if you missed it during the first Hanabi Festival, you can also download the all-time great Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. And the good news is: this and all Hanabi Festival titles will remain in the Wii Shop Channel even after the Festival has ended.

The following Hanabi Festival games are available now:
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars – SNES
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels – NES

And in the weeks ahead you can look forward to:
Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa – NES
Dig Dug – NES
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon’s DokiDoki Adventure – SNES
Spelunker – SNES

Please note that some Hanabi Festival games include a small amount of Japanese text but can be enjoyed without knowledge in the langauge.

Wii For Dummies (Paperback) is now available for pre-order on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Topics covered include:

• Using the Wii with your broadband Internet connection
• Using the Wii controllers
• Wii channels
• Creating a Mii character
• Surfing the Internet
• Uploading photos
• Party games, family-friendly games, new games for 2008
• Accessories
• Hacks

Amazon.com – US$14.95 – release: September 29, 2008

Amazon.co.uk – £10.49 – release: October 10, 2008