Kotaku broke a major rumor Monday claiming Platinum Games, the studio founded by renowned developers Shinji Mikami and Hideki Kamiya, is working on a mature project entitled Mad World exclusively for Wii.

A supposed gameplay trailer has also surfaced this week showcasing the game’s seemingly gorgeous visual presentation. The footage suggests Mad World will utilize a crisp black-and-white graphical style with striking blood-red contrasts to create a very mature, pseudo-Sin City visual aesthetic.

According to Kotaku’s rumor, Platinum Games has struck a deal with SEGA to publish Mad World and two other titles, including a science-fiction RPG for the Nintendo DS entitled Infinite Line. Mad World has not been confirmed by either company at this time.

Platinum Games was created in 2006 from the ashes of Clover Studios, the respected development studio responsible for games such as Viewtiful Joe, PS2’s God Hand and the original Okami.

Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that WiiWare is coming to Europe on May 20th.  The launch list isn’t entirely clear yet, but a lot of the same games that just came out in North America are sure to be there.

Any European friends of Infendo salivating for some WiiWare goodness?

Defend Your Castle is a WiiWare title based on the Flash game of the same name. Since I just linked you to the original free game, why should you pay 500 Wii Points for the same game? This game was meant for the Wii. The simple point click control for the original game gets even better with the Wii Remote since it really feels like you’re tossing the characters up in the air.

The Wii version of the game also adds an amazing found object art style which creates a sense of sitting in the back of study hall, goofing off with your friends. The difficulty level is extremely well balanced. Playing the game for the first time, you really can go pretty far before it gets too hectic. The new, hilarious powers you gain tend to come along just in time for the increasingly tougher enemies you face. The game plays like a round-based RTS for beginners, but the frenetic pace that builds up will definitely be a challenge for seasoned players.  Another bonus over the web version is that you can play with up to four people co-operatively.

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Wii has been out for over 18 months now.  Some truly incredible games have been released on the system since it debuted in November 2006.  We want to know:

If you think it’s neither, do you think the best is yet to come?

The latest issue of GameInformer (June 2008) contains the first details on this fall’s, Guitar Hero IV for PS3, 360, Wii, PS2. Neversoft mentioned that they would continue the Guitar Hero franchise regardless of rival game, Rock Band, but would incorporate new features into instruments. Early details below…

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In case you haven’t checked, Grand Theft Auto IV has taken the top two ranks away from Ocarina of Time, and Super Mario Galaxy on Gameranking’s master list. GTA IV has nabbed near perfect reviews for its open-ended sandbox gameplay, and violently mature storytelling. GTA…blah! 

As I’m sure you’ve heard, WiiWare launched in North America today with six games. The only one, and I do mean only, that I wouldn’t spend money on is VIP Blackjack. I’ve already purchased and played both My Life as a King and Lost Winds (impressions coming soon, but they are both beautifully looking and sounding games), and am already eying TV Show King, Defend Your Castle, and Pop in that order. Buying them all would set you back $54, not a bad deal me thinks.

But you’re not going to buy them all, are you? That being the case, please offer your thoughtful recommendations in the below comments: which games should everyone buy, why/why not, what’s good, what’s not, what has impressed you the most about WiiWare so far? Let’s hear it, folks!

FnbyDstryr over in the Forums noticed that the DS download demos from the Nintendo Channel have changed.  The following titles have been added:

Brain Age
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
Eco Creatures: Save the Forest
My Word Coach
Iron Man

All of the others, except for Flash Focus and Crosswords DS were removed from the original batch.  Hopefully you were able to check out the awesome demo for Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword before it disappeared.

SANTA MONICA, CA – MAY 12, 2008 – Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today “Pitfall: The Big Adventure” for Wii™ is in development at Edge of Reality and will swing onto shelves this Fall. With more than 10 million Pitfall titles sold to date, Pitfall: The Big Adventure will introduce the franchise to a new generation of gamers while bringing a fresh Pitfall experience to long time fans.

“Pitfall is one of the most legendary franchises in the history of videogames, so we look forward to releasing a new version exclusively for Wii,” said Dave Oxford, Activision Publishing. “What could be more fun than using the Wii Remote™ to swing on a vine over blood thirsty crocodiles as retro-cool Pitfall Harry?!”

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Nintendo’s Wii console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games - and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.
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Due to the launch of WiiWare today, nothing will be released for Virtual Console this week.  If I’m not mistaken, this is the first week where absolutely nothing came out for the VC since the Wii launched nearly 19 months ago.  So, to make up for it, which game do you think Nintendo should release on the Wii Shop Channel next week?

I realize this recommendation may fall on deaf ears — Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto IV are already sucking up gamers’ attention, and The World Ends With You and WiiWare most likely will be soon. Okami is equally phenomenal I’m told.

But you’d be doing yourself a disservice as a lover of single player addictive gameplay to overloook Boom Blox. Don’t just put it at the top of your to-play list — get it now! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it over the past week, even more than Kart.

This week presents a smattering of genres and also a new way to get games for Wii:

Wii
Castle of Shikigami III
Deca Sports
We Ski
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

DS
Drone Tactics
Myst
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

WiiWare
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life As A King
LostWinds
Defend Your Castle
Pop
V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack
TV Show King

I’m looking forward to downloading Defend Your Castle.  Anything here you plan to pick up?

[Image from WiiWii]

Throwing in Balance Board support with a waggle fest should make for some hilarious stuff.

Question: When will Rayman be taken out of the title?

With WiiWare launching right around the corner. Most of you must be wondering what titles will be launching and how many points each title will cost. To find out, come inside and have a look.
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