In a recent article (though not recent enough; thanks new job! (no, really, thanks.)) I listed off a few titles that I would love to see released. Among them, I mentioned Dotstream. At the media summit on Wednesday, Nintendo announced the upcoming title Light Trax, a part of their Art Style banner that is clearly one of the original 6 Bit Generations stepping up to the plate.
 
The original Dotstream was about racing your colored light on a track against other lights, dodging obstacles along the way. It had a somewhatF-Zero, but simplified, style to the gameplay. I'm not sure if it ever had a multi-player, but that seems like it would have been a perfect fit for the GBA, where each player has their own screen.
 
Light Trax continues that tradition, but throws in some three-dimensional aspects, in what I assume to be another mode, with the original style of gameplay remaining intact. The goal is to drive around and hit boosts and avoid areas that drag you down, and to win the race. The new perspective of shifting into in new directions, dodging three-dimensional objects, and even doing a little Audiosurf-style tunnel-running is much more in the vain of F-Zero: GX.
 
I'm really glad to see this game, but I can't help but be a little disappointed in the back of my head that this won't be the original Dotstream on DSiWare, as I was sure that's where we would see it. The new 3D stuff is great, but I'm not sure how it will play, and if it will be enough to justify taking up my big screen. Also, being on DSiWare would have afforded the game some great local multi-player races, whereas the Wii version, I assume, will contain none of that.
 
So the overall lesson here is that it's good to see Nintendo continuing to localize and import some titles from it's overseas branch. Along similar lines they've also announced X-Scape, a remake of an old GameBoy title simply named X (which leaves me unable to decide whether or not the new name is clever). They've also announced that some exclusive Club.Nintendo merchandise will be coming soon, a previously japan-only title and another small Game and Watch Collection.
 
There's been a lot of other Nintendo news, but I think everybody will be soaking up the Mario and the Metroid stuff, so it's of no surprise. What do you think of these upcoming re-releases? Anything you're excited for, or still pining for? Love to hear from you in the comments section.
 
Also, you can follow my occasional rants and updates on Twitter!

In a recent article (though not recent enough; thanks new job! (no, really, thanks.)) I listed off a few titles that I would love to see released. Among them, I mentioned Dotstream. At the media summit on Wednesday, Nintendo announced the upcoming title Light Trax, a part of their Art Style banner that is clearly one of the original 6 Bit Generations stepping up to the plate.
 
The original Dotstream was about racing your colored light on a track against other lights, dodging obstacles along the way. It had a somewhatF-Zero, but simplified, style to the gameplay. I'm not sure if it ever had a multi-player, but that seems like it would have been a perfect fit for the GBA, where each player has their own screen.
 
Light Trax continues that tradition, but throws in some three-dimensional aspects, in what I assume to be another mode, with the original style of gameplay remaining intact. The goal is to drive around and hit boosts and avoid areas that drag you down, and to win the race. The new perspective of shifting into in new directions, dodging three-dimensional objects, and even doing a little Audiosurf-style tunnel-running is much more in the vain of F-Zero: GX.
 
I'm really glad to see this game, but I can't help but be a little disappointed in the back of my head that this won't be the original Dotstream on DSiWare, as I was sure that's where we would see it. The new 3D stuff is great, but I'm not sure how it will play, and if it will be enough to justify taking up my big screen. Also, being on DSiWare would have afforded the game some great local multi-player races, whereas the Wii version, I assume, will contain none of that.
 
So the overall lesson here is that it's good to see Nintendo continuing to localize and import some titles from it's overseas branch. Along similar lines they've also announced X-Scape, a remake of an old GameBoy title simply named X (which leaves me unable to decide whether or not the new name is clever). They've also announced that some exclusive Club.Nintendo merchandise will be coming soon, a previously japan-only title and another small Game and Watch Collection.
 
There's been a lot of other Nintendo news, but I think everybody will be soaking up the Mario and the Metroid stuff, so it's of no surprise. What do you think of these upcoming re-releases? Anything you're excited for, or still pining for? Love to hear from you in the comments section.
 
Also, you can follow my occasional rants and updates on Twitter!