Thanks, Indeed!

Good day, friends.  This cold November evening, I would like to treat you to a warm and touching retrospective on the many reasons I am thankful to be a gamer.  Make yourself a nice cup of hot cider, grab a cookie, and let’s celebrate our most joyous moments.

I am thankful for Nintendo.  They have given me the best games, the most lovable characters, and some of the best times of my entire life.  Their attention to detail and ability to create fun video games without the need to make them violent or gross is unsurpassed.  The premises of their games would sound silly on paper (let’s make a game where you control an Italian plumber who stomps on turtles and walking mushrooms), but they add the necessary magic to make them unforgettable.  Nintendo, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for Mario.  I just started New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I must say that it is an impressive feat.  The game itself is fantastic.  It looks great, it plays great, it is great.  But that’s not even the most impressive thing.  Nintendo has taken a 25-year-old franchise, kept the same basic gameplay elements, added some new powers and new characters, and thrown in a few retro themes for good measure.  The result is a game that’s just as magical for new players as the original was for us on Christmas Day of 1987.  Mario is the sincere definition of excellent gaming.  Mario, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the internet.  And not in the reasons you might be thinking.  You see, when I was young, my siblings and I would spend long hours during the holidays playing games for as long as our parents would allow (and then some).  These days, it is much more difficult to get together, much less have time to play games.  The internet has provided a conduit whereby we can still play games during the holidays, even if we’re not in the same geographic location.  This year, we may not even be in the same state, but we will still be playing the same track on Mariokart.  Internet, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the DS.  It has provided me with consistently fun games since day one.  Nowhere else can you help Professor Layton solve intricate puzzles, or break down witnesses with Phoenix Wright, or save the day with the Elite Beat Agents.  Its portability makes it playable at any moment, and its connectability makes it easy to play with friends.  Wherever I am, (school, work, home, in the car, on the can), it is there with me.  DS, I am thankful for you.

I’m thankful for the Wii.  My love for the Wii grows with each new game.  I played Wii Sports until my arms hurt.  I played Smash Bros. until my thumbs bled.  Tonight, I will play New Super Mario Bros. Wii until I’m too tired to stay awake.  Its codename, Revolution, was an understatement.  The Wii has quite literally changed the face of video gaming forever.  Motion control is the wave of the future.  Who would have thought 10 years ago that games like Wii Fit and Wii Sports would be some of the most popular games of all time?  Wii, I am thankful for you.

I’m thankful for past systems.  My love of Nintendo is far-reaching.  I have adored every console they have ever made, including the severely underrated Virtual Boy.  Kirby Air Ride for GameCube has been the bane of my college homework.  Metroid Zero Mission for GBA is still my favorite Metroid game of all time.  The original Smash Bros. for N64 consumed nearly the entirety of my free time in high school.  Mario Golf for Game Boy Color was with me on every school bus ride for years.  Super Mariokart and Looney Tunes B-Ball for SNES are still some of the best multiplayer games that have ever been made.  Wario Land for Virtual Boy is a fantastic 3-D adventure.  Mario Land 2 for Game Boy is, even today, a near-perfect platformer by any standard.  And of course, Super Mario Bros. for NES, a game which took me months to beat the first time, and about 10 minutes nowadays, is still one of my favorite games to revisit now and again.  Past systems, I’m thankful for you.

I’m thankful for friends who played with me.  I am fortunate to be married to someone who loves to play almost as much as I do, and supports my gaming habits.  Before marriage, I was (usually) blessed with roommates who were willing to play, too, even if they got beat a lot of the time.  My siblings have always been happy to Smash it up or play a few rounds of Perfect Dark.  My best friends have always been happy to take a few swings in Mario Golf.  Friends, you see, make gaming that much better.  With the few exceptions of fantastic single-player adventures, playing with friends is almost always a lot more fun.  Friends, I am thankful for you.

And most importantly…

I’m thankful I’m not a Sony gamer.  There are few things I am more thankful of than this.  Honestly, why would you even own a system that does not have Mario, Zelda, Kirby, F-Zero, or Metroid games?  You can’t play Mariokart on a Playstation.  You can’t play Ocarina of Time on a PSP.  And I’m thoroughly convinced you can’t be happy with a system whose creators believe you will buy even if it doesn’t have any good games.  And trust me: it doesn’t.  This is a free country, and I’m thankful for that.  People can buy whatever they want.  But if I ever bought a PS3, I think I’d kill myself.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Scribblenauts, TMNT Smash-Up!

What in the shredded wheat?

What's this? A new post? Yeah, right!

So, here's the poop: There are some cool new games coming out.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii: This one is actually already out. And it looks amazing! I cannot wait for to play it! It's like the DS one, but you can play with four-players simultaneously. Plus, the best part is, you can play as Toad! Woo-hoo! Sounds great and I can't wait. Thanksgiving break is the perfect time play the heck out of this game.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks: This one looks fun, too. It's like Phantom Hourglass, but instead of a ship, you control a train. Sounds amazing! It'll be all-stylus controlled like last time, but I think it will be ok. Besides, you can shoot animals with a train cannon. All aboard for me!

Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll: A new Monkey Ball for Wii! And you can use the Balance Board! Granted, it's probably really hard to control and monkey in a ball by tilting the world via a weight-sensor based peripheral, but I still can't wait. It comes out early next year.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Finally, a new Ace Attorney game! This time, you control Miles Edgeworth, the Prosecutor with an attitude. The game is focused more on the investigation than the trials, but it still looks like good fun. Can't wait!

Ok, so that's all I can think of right now. Plus, I have to go eat lunch. It's cold out, so soup I shall eat. Away!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Scribblenauts (NDS), TMNT Smash-Up (Wii), Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (NDS)

Exciting Robots that do Tricks while Racing!

The Excite series is one that, in my opinion, has always been treated with very high quality. The original Excitebike was extremely fun, quite challenging, and a great 2-player game. Excitebike 64 was easily one of the best games of the N64 era, with a level editor, crazy minigames, and 4-player action. The launch of the Wii saw Excite Truck, which changed bikes to trucks, but kept the exciting high-octane action of the previous versions. And now, a mere 2.5 years later, we have yet another great Excite game: ExciteBots: Trick Racing.

ExciteBots is an interesting game. Instead of racing bikes or trucks, you race various robots shaped like small animals or insects. For example, you can be a tree frog, a ladybug, or my personal favorite, a bat. The controls are basically the same as Excite Truck: you turn the Wii Remote like a steering wheel to drive. This makes it harder and easier at the same time. While almost everyone is already used to steering to drive something, the controls are very accurate, so for some areas, you have to be extremely precise in your movements. But that’s not a bad thing.

You may start the game and feel that it’s essentially ExciteTruck with new vehicles, but it’s much more than that. You see, ExciteBots is a video game that knows it’s a video game. What I mean is that it never tries to be something that could be done in real life. Granted that ExciteTruck was never exactly physics-accurate, but at least it had real trucks with 4 wheels and such. ExciteBots doesn’t care that you can drive a giant centipede over a hill, grab a red bar with a mechanical arm, spin around it while gaining speed, launch off of it at insane speeds, and then do a 1080 before you hit the ground again.

Sounds insane, but really, that’s the whole appeal. You see, the Wii Excite games work a little different than normal racing games. Rather than win, you have to have enough Stars at the end of the race to unlock the next one, so technically you could lose the race, but still move on. Strange, but it can be fun, especially considering some of the things you do in the race. For example, pick up an item block and a set of bowling pins will appear ahead of you. You get one star for each one you knock down. Another one might be a giant football in the middle of the road. Kick it through the uprights for a field goal (3 stars, of course). And don’t forget my favorite: Find a piece of bread. If you get it, a sandwich fixing appears further ahead. Get all the pieces together and get a Super Sandwich! Seriously! How can you not own a game that lets you get a Super Sandwich?

There are also plenty of mini-games to keep you entertained. You can play an entire game of bowling, kick soccer balls into goals, hit clowns in the face with pies, go fishing (all while driving, of course)… it’s just plain crazy. There’s even a Poker Race. You start with a set of cards, and you can exchange them for other cards if you can find them on the track. Get more points for better hands! Plus, you can send replays to friends and award them some of your stars if they can beat your score. Or, play local multiplayer, of course.

Excitebots is a crazy game, to be sure. But that’s not a bad thing. It’s a very fun game, almost as much for single player as it is for multiplayer. It’s also a little easier to unlock everything that the last one (which is nice). Plus, it’s only $40 new (probably less, now), so it’s definitely worth buying. Get out there! Race! NOW!

Pros:

• Insane and crazy racing
• Hilarious and awesome bonuses and minigames
• Very affordable and very fun

Cons:

• Some of the motion controls are a little repetitive at times

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:

Mondownloaday!

Hello, all you friendly peoples! What do you mean it’s been three weeks since the last update?! YOU’RE CRAZY!!

So, from this day forward, I have decided to make Monday a special day. After all, Monday is the day that new downloads are available for WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare. It’s Mondownloaday! So, what do we have this week?…

VIRTUAL CONSOLE

Super Star Wars (SNES) – 800 Wii Points

Risk your life as a Jedi Knight. Join Luke, Han and Chewbacca in their fierce war against the Evil Empire. Battle treacherous aliens. Pilot two vehicles in high-speed, first-person 3-D sequences. Rip through the desert in Luke’s landspeeder. Clash with aliens in the Mos Eisley Cantina. Blast menacing boss monsters and Imperial stormtroopers. Attack TIE fighters in the trenches of the Death Star. Fight your way through the wastelands of Tatooine to the hostile streets of Mos Eisley and beyond. Grab your blaster, strap on your lightsaber and take on the fight for galactic freedom.

WiiWARE

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits – 1,000 Wii Points

Experience the awesome story of Nyx, an enigmatic winged girl who must descend from heaven in search of her missing friend, Icarus. Fly over the ruins of ancient Greece and avoid falling into blazing sands or perishing in the claws of cruel harpies and hydras. You will need the help of Zeus and other benevolent gods from Olympus to summon their powers. They will let you cast rays, modify the scenery and control winds as you wish. By making your own wrist movements and pointing to the game screen, you will be able to achieve these and many other feats. Fly, aim and shoot using your Wii Remote controller. Play with a friend and maximize your abilities: While one controls Nyx, the other will control the powers from the gods.

Rock n’ Roll Climber – 800 Wii Points

Prepare to “rock out” like never before in Rock N’ Roll Climber. Climb rocks using the innovative control scheme, which has you controlling your character’s movement using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. If you want an even more immersive experience, optional support for the Wii Balance Board is also available. Make your way up an array of courses, ranging from the Pop level’s indoor rock wall to the Heavy Metal level’s waterfalls (watch out for those moss-covered rocks – they’re slick). In addition to the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel upon reaching the top, you might just be rewarded with your own guitar.

DSiWARE

Brain Age Express: Arts and Letters – 800 DSi Points

This edition of the popular Brain Age series offers players a mix of new and familiar exercises, all with an artistic focus. Test your spelling in Word Attack, enjoy literary classics in Reading Aloud and tune your musical skills in Piano Player. A new Themes mode challenges you in drawing, photography and voice acting and lets you share your creativity with friends and family. And if you need a break, the always-enjoyable Virus Buster makes its return. Prepare for another round of training your brain in minutes a day.

So, there you have it. A buncha games that you probably won’t buy. Or, if you don’t have a Wii or DSi, games you definitely won’t buy. Unless you’re using someone else’s system… and they have a bunch of Nintendo points already loaded… and you buy these games for them… to surprise them… or spite them. Just whatever.

And by the way, the games are available at 10am Mountain Time every Monday, so get outside and play some games that are on the TV!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Sonic Unleashed (Wii), The Legendary Starfy (NDS), Boom Blox Bash Party (Wii)

Awesome Video Games A-Z, pt. 5

Holy crap! I totally forgot that I never published this last post! I’m sure you’ve all been on the edges of your respective seats, waiting for the madness to end! Well, truth be told, school has been insane lately, so yeah. But there’s still hope! Only a couple more weeks until the semester is over, and then I’ll have to think of some other excuse not to write.

In any case, here we are at the last part of the A-Z game list thingy. Should be easy to decide since these last letters don’t have many games to choose from. So, here we go!

V! This one is an interesting one. I don’t many V games, but the few I do have are pretty good. And after a short deliberation, I’ve decided that the winner is Volleyball (NES). Just volleyball. Yup. It’s a game I got at KMart a long time when they used to sell repackaged used games. It doesn’t work very well, so you have to blow on the cartridge to be able to play. But it’s a pretty fun game. Kinda hard. But fun. You can be USA. Or Japan. Or BRA(zil). You can spike the ball. Just like real volleyball. And you can set it. Bump it. Whatever you want. It’s your game. Just make sure to win. Also, you can play 2-player, which is awesome. Oh, and it’s available on Virtual Console. So yeah. Um… go play it? Now?

Runner-Up: Viewtiful Joe (GCN)

W! Ok, this one was hard. Mostly because there are a bunch of Wario and Wii labeled games. But I have a winner. It starts with W. Its name is Worms 2 (PC). The worms games are very fun. It’s a turn-based artillery-style game. You take turns firing rockets, grenades, or exploding sheep at each other. You have to judge the trajectory and power of the weapon to be able to do well. But, there are plenty of weapons that don’t need a lot of skill. Like the Super Sheep, easily one of the best weapons of the video game world. It’s a flying sheep that you can control. So make it fly to your opponent and make them explode. Awesome. The game is exceptional is every way and is certainly worthy of this honor. It was my favorite game of all time before Kirby 64 came around. So it’s super-awesome. This one may be hard to come by nowadays, but if you can find Worms World Party, that can be a reasonable substitute. Either way, it’s totally worth it. Play it! Now!

Runner-Up: Worms World Party (PC)

X! This is a funny letter. It’s always used for extreme things. And exceptional things. And xylophones. But on this blog, it almost always means X-Men. Now, I’m no comic nerd, so I don’t have much X-Men stuff. But X-Men Mutant Apocalypse (SNES) is a great game. You play as Wolverine, Cyclops, Beast, Gambit, and the slutty Psylocke. Each character has some levels that only they can complete, and there are levels where you can choose any of the characters to complete it. It’s a cool concept, but it’s also a great game. The controls are great, the powers are fun, and of course, it’s just plain cool to see Beast and Wolverine beat the crap out of people. I mean, it’s not a perfect game (it’s insanely hard at times), but it’s a fun diversion. It’s not available on Virtual Console, but it’s probably not too hard to find in used game stores. So, if you’re an X-Men fan, you need this game. If you’re not, then… I don’t care. Whatever.

Runner-Up: XIII (GCN)

Y! All four of my Y games have to do with Yoshi, but Yoshi’s Island isn’t one of them, since its official title is Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. So I’ll go with the next best thing: Yoshi’s Island DS. It’s a direct sequel to the first Yoshi’s Island, only this time, you have two screens to work with. Plus, there are more babies than just Mario & Luigi. That’s right, baby Peach and baby DK join in the fun this time. For those who don’t know, Yoshi’s Island games are fun! You play as Yoshi, and the objective is to get the babies to the end without letting them get captured. If Yoshi gets hit, the baby he’s carrying floats around in a bubble for a short time and if you don’t pop that bubble and get him back, the evil Toadies come and steal him away. Then they eat him. Just kidding! They don’t eat baby. That’d be gross. Anyways, the game is really cool. If you liked the first Yoshi’s Island and you have a DS (which by now, should be about 97% of the world), you need to play this game. Play! Now! Go!

Runner-Up: Yoshi’s Story (N64)

Z! So, after four previous posts and some insanely long gaps, the end is finally here. That’s right, we’ve reached the end of the alphabet! So without further ado, the best Z game: Zack & Wiki: The Quest for Barbaro’s Treasure. This is an adventure/puzzle game sort of like Zelda but not really. The game is very puzzle intensive, so I guess you could call it some kind of a Zelda/Professor Layton halfsy. But these aren’t just simple push-blocks-over-a-switch puzzles. These are insanely inventive and fairly difficult ones. In fact, if you go here, you can play a flash demo of the first level of the game! This will let you see how cool it is. This game may be difficult to find, but I would recommend it to everyone. It didn’t sell well, either, so I wouldn’t expect a sequel, so I would double recommend it. Plus, I think it’s awesome, which should be a recommendation in and of itself. So there you go. Three reasons to pick it up. I don’t need to tell you what to do next.

But I will. Go buy it now!

Runner-Up: Zoo Keeper (NDS)

So there you go. All done now. Now, you just need to wait another 300 years for a new post! How awesome is that?!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Boom Blox Bash Party, Excitebots Trick Racing, Guitar Hero World Tour (Wii)

An Update! Hark! An update!

Hello, all you beautiful people!  Just a quick update here.  I just started a Twitter account.  So now you can know what games I’m playing.  Truly, this is what technology was invented for.

My username is @blatant_bias.  Enjoy!

-benjamines

Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 4

Ok, well, I was just gonna shirk my responsabilities and not post anything, but then I decided that I better. Cause you’re lucky!!

P! Alright, so moving right along… Some might predict a Pokemon game here. And while Pokemon is a cool idea, it’s not my favorite thing in the world. But Mario games are one of my favorite things in the world. And one of the best ideas in the history of Mario games was Paper Mario. It sounds weird, and it kind of is. You play as Mario, but he’s made of paper. So, when you want to turn around, he literally flips over. But all the backgrounds and worlds are in 3-D. So basically, it all adds up to a really cool art style. And it’s not your standard Mario game. It’s an RPG. So, you get experience points, add members to your party, and go on a huge and grand adventure to once again save the princess from Bowser. It’s a brilliant game, and easily one of the best games available for the N64, or for any Nintendo system for that matter. It’s funny, it’s imaginative, it’s exciting, and most importantly, it’s fun! If you don’t own this game, then you’re in luck! You can download it right now for Virtual Console. And for $10, it’s truly an amazing deal. Go buy it! Now!

Runner-Up: Professor Layton and the Curious Village (NDS)

Q! This one is easy. I only have 1 game that starts with Q. Its name is Quantum of Solace, based on the 007 movie. But I haven’t played it yet. I should play it sometime.

Runner-Up: Quincy Douglas’ Underground Railroad Adventure (Commodore 64)

R! Anyone who knows me knows that I love me some racing games. Especially ones that are unrealistic, and where you can explode. F-Zero is a good example of this. But there are other great racing games, like the one here where they actually made a stunt track with the express purpose of letting you wreck your car for points. Naturally, I’m talking about Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA. It’s simply a fantastic game. You pick one of many cars, color it how you want, and then go out for a race. And, if you’re like me, you’ll really enjoy the stunt track. It’s filled with ramps and bumps and giant butts (once you play it , you’ll understand). Plus, you can play tag! Seriously! One person starts as it, and you have to ram the other car to tag them. If someone wrecks, they become it. It’s pretty hard, but it’s super-fun. Unfortunately, this game is not yet available for the Virtual Console. Maybe it will be someday. If not, come to my house and we’ll play it.

Runner-Up: Rhythm Heaven (NDS)

S! This was a hard one. After all, most major Mario games start with Super. Plus, many SNES games also begin with Super. Plus, don’t get forget Sonic, Starfox, San Francisco Rush… but in the end, the winner is Super Mario Bros. It is probably the most important video game of all time. After all, it basically saved the ailing video game industry of the early 80s. Plus, it spawned countless other games and series that we all know and love. Mario is the most recognizable and influential video game character of time, and will more than likely continue to be so for a very long time. Super Mario Bros. is an amazing game, even now. The controls are tight, the difficulty is perfect, the enemies and many and varied, the level design is inspired… I could go on forever. We’ve all played this game and know how freaking amazing it is. If you don’t currently own a copy, shell out the $5 for a Virtual Console copy and enjoy it forever. I know I will.

Runner-Up: Super Smash Bros. (N64)

T! Thankfully, I don’t have to try so hard to decide on this one. As we all know, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles starts with T. And if you don’t know how awesome TMNT: The Arcade Game is, this it’s time for you to find out. It’s a fantastic side-scrolling beat-em-up featuring everyone’s favorite amphibians. It’s a simple, but extremely effective formula, and one that is difficult to copy. You pick your favorite turtle (Mikey, of course) and you run around beating the crap out of foot soldiers and other enemies (but mostly foot soldiers). Once you clear the enemies in an area, you can move on. At the end of most of the levels is a boss, such as Baxter Stockman (as the fly), or General Kragg (the rock guy). Plus, it has coop multiplayer, which works really well, and is the main reason the game is so fun. The game is not yet available for Virtual Console, but when it comes, get it and play it. So, go grab a Raphael and beat some foot ninjas up!

Runner-Up: Tetris DS (NDS)

U! So since there was no Q game, I’ll fit U in right here. And since U is an uncommon letter (especially for Video Game titles), this choice is easy. I have 2 U games. One gets the top spot. The other gets runner-up. So yeah. The better one is Ultimate Mortal Kombat for the DS. It’s like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, but ported to the DS, with added WiFi functionality. I like UMK3 because you can play as Raiden (who was strangely missing from the original MK3). Also, the game comes with Puzzle Kombat, which is a Kirby’s Avalanche-type match-2-colors-to-break-them puzzle game. And in the background, the players beat each other up based on who gets better combos. Kinda cool. This was one of those games that I always wanted, but waited until it went on sale. I think it was $10. Well worth it. I’m not gonna say go buy it, because not everyone is a Mortal Kombat fan. So, go play Mortal Kombat until you like it. Ready? Ok, now go buy it.

Runner-Up: Urban Champion (NES)

So, there you are. Awesome games. And, if you’re really lucky (and you just might be this time), then I’ll post the last entry sometime in the next century. Honest.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (NDS), Soul Bubbles (NDS), Excitebots: Trick Racing

Secret Hidden E3 Press Conference?

Today?... a secret hidden E3 press conference with some hidden and unrecognizable Nintendo reps produced some news that we were expecting, but hadn't heard up to this point? The news is as follows?:

• A new Kirby game will be released soon*?
• Mario Party 9 is on its way?
• The DSi will get its own Virtual Console of sorts?
• Strong Bad Season 2 (or equivalent) is under production?
• A new Mario Golf game for the Wii?
• A new Elite Beat Agents(-esque) game?
• Super Monkey Ball will roll again?
• A new F-Zero will (finally) return?!
• More New Play Control games in the pipeline?
• Paper Mario will return eventually?
• New Starfox?

So there you have it? Plenty of new news to keep us video gamers entertained? I wonder what this does to my bingo card...?

Well, would you look at that? It's all full? How exciting?! I guess you all owe me 12,000 points? What a good day for me? Don't you just love secret hidden E3 press conference 2009's? Me too?!

Well, I guess I'll go relax and wait for my points to roll in? Thanks for reading everyone? Have a nice day?

-benjamines?

Currently Playing: Mighty Flip Champs? Excitebots: Trick Racing? Wii Fit?

















*Soon means sometime in the next 50 years.

E3 Bingo Day 4

Friends, I ask you now to retrieve your pocketbooks. It is time to purchase Nintendo Points for benjamines. You see, this morning, Nintendo revealed even more new information. First, that Japan will be getting a black-colored Wii next year sometime. Second, Nintendo is making a new RPG franchise called Monado, and third, there is a new Chibi-Robo being made that will also be released next year. Therefore, I now have BINGO!!!

So, you have two choices: 1) Buy me Nintendo points now, 2) Wait and see if I get more bingo's later, or 3) don't do either. If you choose 1 or 2, thank you dear readers. If you choose 3, then I will go home and throw a tantrum. Choose wisely.

Here's hoping Mario Golf, Strong Bad, and Mario Party all make an appearance real soon...

-benjamines

E3 Bingo Day 3 UPDATE

So, after scouring the interwebs, I have stumbled across some new information. It's not super solid information, but it's good enough for me.

When asked about Trace Memory 2, Reggie Fils-Aime (President of Nintendo of America) said that E3 is simply not big enough to accomodate all of the games they are working on, but that some conferences in the fall would likely have information on that title. Awesome!

When asked about Pikmin 3, Shigeru Miyamoto said that they are working on it, although the team is small, so it may take some time yet. Boom!

So, although the games weren't shown in their full glory, they were mentioned at E3, so that counts, dangit. Not that it really helps my bingo card much. Oh well.

Alright, so stay tuned for the verdict on how many points you all owe me! (I love this job!*).

-benjamines











*I don't get paid for this (except when readers send Nintendo Points, which is never), so it's not really a job.

E3 Bingo Day 3

Well, not much has changed, but I did get one more square today. Specifically, the new 3D Picross currently in development. It's like regular picross, but it's in 3-D. Plus, it still has a level editor, so you can share levels with friends or people online. Should be amazing!

In any case, you kids sure as heck better hope Nintendo doesn't show New Play Control: Chibi-Robo, or else you're all going to owe me 2,000 Nintendo Points. As for me, I'm hoping it does show up. I needs more pointses!!

-benjamines

E3 Bingo Day 1 UPDATE

Turns out there were a couple more games I didn't catch until later. They are Ace Attorney Investigations, which stars Miles Edgeworth, and is more of an investigation game than it is a courtroom game. The other is the greatly anticipated and absolutely wet-pants worthy Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. They come out in November and August, respectively.

Look how close I am to TWO bingos! Here's hoping Nintendo forget to mention some more New Play Control or Chibi-Robo games!

-benjamines

E3 Bingo Update

Well, here's what we have so far. We're close on a couple of bingo's. To be honest, there probably aren't too many more boxes that will get filled. But, there are still a couple more days of shows and demos, so I guess we'll see. Come on, Chibi-Robo!

-benjamines

Nintendo's E3 Press Conference!

Well, it got over just a few minutes ago, but there plenty of new games to announce. Talk about loads of Mario!

First, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. It's like New Super Mario Bros. DS, but you can play with four people at the same time! It comes out around Christmas!

Next, we have Mario vs. Donkey: Minis March Again. It's a DSi-ware downloadable title available THIS MONDAY!! You can create levels and upload them for others to play. I actually mentioned this in an older post, but didn't expect it to show up today.

Third, we have Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story for the DS. It's the 3rd in the series and it comes out this fall! Wahoo!!

Fourth, and most importantly, is Super Mario Galaxy 2. You heard me right. Another Mario Galaxy! That's freaking amazing! There was no release date, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't come out until next year.

Oh, and that's not all. The new Zelda (Spirit Tracks) comes out this year, there is a new Wii Fit coming out this fall, and there is a new Metroid Wii game in the works. Wow!

Oh, we're not done yet. Moving memo is on its way (it's an animation tool for the DSi), plus a new WarioWare that lets you make your own levels! How awesome is that?!

Lemme see if I missed anything... Oh! Wii Sports Resort, which has 10 games (including basketball, archery, and frisbee) comes out in July. There's a new Final Fantasy (Wii), a new Kingdom Hearts (DS), and a new Golden Sun (DS), all exclusives.

Also, they're making something called the "Wii Vitality Sensor." It's one of those things you put your fingers in and it tells you your blood pressure and what not. Should be interesting to see how that can be put to use. Trauma Center, anyone?

Also, I forgot to mention that the new TMNT: Smash-Up is scheduled for September 22nd. Hooray! Let's hope the TMNT IV remake makes it to Wii as well.

In any case, that's what we have so far. So far, I haven't quite gotten any bingos, but I'm really close. I'll update it with a picture shortly.

So yeah... GREAT NEWS!!!

-benjamines

E3 starts today!

Greetings, all! Today is the big day! Even though Microsoft had their press conference last night, the show we've all been waiting for officially starts today. Nintendo's press conference starts about 2 and a half hours from right now. So stay tuned and I'll try and update every now and again with news. Hoo-hah!

As for my bingo card, I have 1 mark so far. They officially announced the TMNT IV remake yesterday. The only problem is that they haven't said if it's for Wii or not. It was announced at the Microsoft press conference, so we know it's for Xbox 360. But then again, they didn't say it was exclusive, and I think it would be stupid of Konami to not make for the Wii (and I suppose, that other system out there). In any case, the TMNT remake falls in line with the free space on my bingo card, so I need there to be Professor Layton, a new Wii Fit, and more New Play Control games, and I get at least 1 BINGO. And that means 1,000 Nintendo Points from all of you! Man, life is good.

-benjamines

E3 Bingo!

Well, folks, it's (finally) that time of year again. No, not Christmas (though that is also a good time of year). I mean E3! It's one of the biggest video gaming shows in the world, and there are almost always huge announcements about new games, new hardware, new everything. Some of the fun lies in trying to guess what new things will be shown. So, without further adieu, I present to you the Blatant Bias E3 2009 Bingo Card!

This card has 24 of my best predictions about new things. Behold its splendor! So, all you have to do it save it or print it (click for a larger version), then keep an eye on E3 and see what new announcements appear. Then, mark off the boxes that I got right.

By the way, for every BINGO you get, you all owe me 1,000 Nintendo Points each. This should be a good year...

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Punch-Out!!, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Art Style: PictoBits

Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 3

And here we go with part three!

K! This one is super easy, because not only is it a great game, but in my opinion, it's the best game ever made. Naturally I mean Kirby 64. Kirby games are almost always awesome. Kirby 64 is still a classic-style side-scrolling Kirby game. But all the characters and backgrounds and enemies are rendered in 3-D, much like New Super Mario Bros. As always, you can suck up enemies and steal their powers. But this one, just like its SNES counterpart, lets you combine powers. For example, you can take snow power and add it to electric power. BOOM! You turn into a fridge. You can launch out food, which you can then eat to replenish health. Plus, the flying drumsticks and sandwiches kill enemies. How cool is that? I could go on for hours about this game. It's a perfect mix of great platforming, ingenious level design, excellent music, a nice story, and most importantly, loads of fun. Lucky for all of us, it's available on Virtual Console, so seriously, there's no reason you shouldn't own this game. If you don't have it, go buy it. Then come back. I'll wait...

Fun, huh? I knew you'd love it!

Runner-Up: Kirby Air Ride (GCN)

L! This choice was kind of hard, but not really. There are two L games that are far-and-away the best ever. The best one is the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. It is one of the few games that I have given a perfect rating. It's a Zelda game, so naturally the quality level is very high. Not only that, it's easily the best and most engaging story of all Zelda games. Link wrecks his ship and washes up on the shore of a small island one day. He is found by a girl named Maryll, who nurses him back to health. He must then find his way off of the island to get home. That's all I'm gonna say, because the game is way too good to ruin. To give you an idea of how much I like it, I've completely played through it at least 5 times. It's got everything a great game needs: an excellent story, fantastic gameplay, imaginitive dungeons and bosses, and nice music and graphics (for its time). Do not surprised if this game shows up on Virtual Console for DSi someday. So get ready for it!

Runner-Up: Looney Tunes B-Ball (SNES)

M! Now this was truly a hard decision. I have nearly 100 M games. Think Mario, Metroid, Megaman, etc. But after a short brainstorm I have found the winner. Naturally, it's a Mario game. But it's not the kind of Mario game you might have been thinking. It is Mario Golf (GBC). There have been four Mario Golf games so far, but this one is the best. It's golf, but it's also an RPG. You run around, play golf, build up your stats, buy new equipment, and finally, get good enough to beat Mario himself. It's a brilliant idea, honestly. I put nearly 80 hours into the game before I finally beat everything, too. And that's definitely not a bad thing. It's an exciting game, and it has lots of extra features. For example, when you get a great shot, it saves it for you so you can watch it later. It also has a nice glossary, so you can look up all sorts of golf terms. In short, it's the best golf game ever made, and one of the best Mario games ever made as well. Again, when Gameboy games show up on Virtual Console, go get it!

Runner-Up: Mario Party 3 (N64)

N! N has significantly fewer games than M, so the decision was a little easier. And of course, why stop talking about great sports games? This one is one of the best. It's basketball, but it's arcade style, so you can push and shove and jump 30 feet in the air and run 90 mph. Of course I mean NBA Jam Tournament Edition (SNES). NBA Jam used to be the de-facto standard for arcade basketball games. This version improves on the original by adding special rules, such as Juice Mode (which makes your player run up to 4x faster than normal) and Hot Spots (where numbered circles appear on the court that give you up to 8 points for a single shot. It's insane, but that makes it insanely fun. Plus, there's practice mode, so you can play HORSE or other silly games. It's a good time, I tell ya whut. Strangely, it's not available on Virtual Console yet. but keep a watchful eye. It's worth buying.

Runner-Up: New Super Mario Bros. (NDS)

O! And finally, let's talk about O. This one's easy since I only have 2 O games I've played (and 1 I haven't yet). It's Okami. Okami is a story about Amaterasu, who is the Japanese sun god. Okami comes back after a 100-year slumber to help the people of Japan destroy one of the dark gods. It has a very cool cel-shaded (think cartoony) style. And it's a great story. It has a lot of accurate Japanese history as a backstory, which makes it fun to play. Plus, the controls work quite well. Amaterasu (at least in this game) has a magic paintbrush which can be used to slice things, draw items, etc. The goal of the game is to restore the greenery and peace to Japan, and of course that means destroying some of the annoying imps and monsters that appear. I haven't yet completed it, but I have played enough to know that it's a lot of fun, and a very polished game. It was made by Clover Studios, who also made Viewtiful Joe. Sadly, they are now defunct. Oh well. In any case, Okami is one of the most underrated and undersold games of this generation. Go buy it now!

Runner-Up: Operation Wolf (NES)

Well, that should do it for today. If you're lucky (and you're not), I'll be back tomorrow to bring part 4! Muhahaha!!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Art Style PictoBits, Animal Crossing City Folk, Okami

Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 2

Hello again, friends! I think this is some kind of recent record. I've posted consistently for like 3 days. Hoo-hah! So let's see what awesome games there are today!

F! This one is an easy one. Everyone knows (or should know) that F-Zero is one of the best franchises on any console, so naturally F-Zero X is my choice for F. Even though I give it an A+. For those who don't know, F-Zero is a futuristic racing game. Not only can you race, you can destroy other cars (somewhat like Excite Truck). Speeds of some levels can reach insanely high levels, which can make even staying on the track difficult. But it's loads of fun. And F-Zero X (N64) has tons to offer. One of the best parts is the X Cup. It's a Grand Prix, but every track is random each time. Sometimes they're easy, sometimes they're hard, sometimes they're freaking impossible. Either way, it's amazing fun. Now we just need an F-Zero for Wii and for DS. Come on, already!

Runner-Up: F-Zero GX

G! Today must be an easy day, because G is a super-easy choice. You've probably all guessed that naturally, Goldeneye 007 (N64) is the best G game ever. It's not the first FPS ever, but it was one of the most groundbreaking. Not only that, it was just plain fun. Because the N64 had 4 controller ports, it was easy to do local split-screen multiplayer. And it was amazing. I must say, the people I played with normally had no problem kicking the crap out of me in this game. But it's one of those games where you can consitently lose and it's still a load of fun. In fact, my longest video game spree to date was playing this game. I played it with a friend and my brother from 4pm one afternoon until 10 am the next morning. Without stopping. 18 hours. Beat that. In short, it's one of the best games ever made. Unfortunately, it will likely never be released on the Virtual Console because of licensing issues. So, naturally the best thing would be to run out and buy a used N64 and a copy of the game. It's worth it. Trust me.

Runner-Up: Galactic Pinball (VB)

H! This choice is also easy, not just because it's a great game, but because I only own 3 games that start with H. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a point-and-click style adventure game for the DS. It's made by the same people who made the awesome Trace Memory way back when. You play as Kyle Hyde, a washed-up detective who's searching for his traitor partner. You wind up in a dumpy hotel called Hotel Dusk, which has a history of strange happenings and such. The game design is ingenious, really. You use the stylus to pick up objects, rub dirt off of something, flip switches, etc, etc. Plus it a has a pretty good story to go with it. Plus, the game is only $20, so you all should really go buy it right now. There's no reason not to.

Runner-Up: Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure

I! Today is obviously not Monday, because these game are super easy to pick. The best I game ever is clearly Ice Climbers. Ok, so most of you have probably only heard of or played them in Smash Bros. But long before that, they were clubbing sheep and smashing through mountains on the NES. It's a brilliant concept, really. One or two players can simultaneously play. You use your hammers to jump through the floor above you. Some floors are moving clouds, which means you have to time your jumps correctly. Plus, even when you break through a floor, the sheep will sometimes come and cover the hole up again. So speed is essential at times. Once you clear the bottom half of mountain, you get to scale a series of non-breakable platforms. If you can get to the top and hitch a ride on the pterodactyl, you win! Sounds extremely weird, but remember this game was invented in Japan in the 1980s. So yeah. Makes perfect sense.

Runner-Up: International Superstar Soccer (N64)

J! Oi vey! Again with the easy choices! But this game is pretty good. It's Jazz Jackrabbit! For the GBA! It's loosely based on the Jazz Jackrabbit for DOS from oh-so-long ago. You run, jump, and blow the crap outta stuff. What else do you need for a great game? Nothing, I tell you! While it doesn't have all the charm of the original, it is still an amusing game. Plus, it's not too easy, not too hard. And the story is quite amusing, to boot. So yeah. That's about all I have to say on the matter.

Runner-Up: Jordan vs. Bird One on One

Well, there you are. We're about 40% done with the best games A-Z. We'll continue this journey later! (maybe)

-benjamines

Currently Playing: ArtStyle - PictoBits, Animal Crossing City Folk, Okami

Awesome Games A-Z, pt. 1

Good Monday to you, reader(s)! (That's the oxymoron of the year, eh?) Today I'd like to post the first in a short series of articles: The Best Games from A-Z. Basically, I pick the best game I have that starts with A, then go to B, etc. Naturally, this won't give you the 26 best games ever, since there is only 1 Q game. In any case, it should be interesting. So here we go!

A! This one was a tough one, actually. But, after a short deliberation, I have decided that it is Animal Crossing: Wild World for the DS. For those who don't know, Animal Crossing is an amusing life sim. Basically, you move to a small town where anthropomorphic animals live. You get a house, catch and sell bugs and fish to pay our debts, make friends, plants flowers and trees, and buy cool things for your house. Sounds odd, to be sure, but it's actually very engaging. Plus, you can play online and visit friends' towns, which makes it easier to get good items, since you can trade. In case you were wondering about the different versions, here's a short comparison:

Animal Crossing (GCN): Playable NES games, town divided into acres, animals rarely leave
Animal Crossing Wild World (NDS): Online play, no acres, animals leave regularly, it's portable
Animal Crossing City Folk (Wii): Nearly the same as the DS version, can visit the city, WiiSpeak compatible

Runner-up: Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright

B! Surprisingly, I have 25 games that start with B, which I thought was weird, since it seems like a less common letter. In fact, I picked a game with TWO B's, so yeah. Double awesome. Naturally, it didn't take much to convince me that Bubble Bobble (NES) was the best one. In Bubble Bobble, you play as tiny dinosaurs Bub and Bob, who have the interesting ability to capture monsters in the bubbles they can shoot from their mouths. Sounds odd, of course, but it's one of the best NES games ever made (and that's saying something). Plus, it's one of the great NES multiplayer games. There have been countless sequels (which are decent), but the original is the best. By the way, it's available on Virtual Console (and there's a new WiiWare version in the works). So go buy it now!

Runner-up: Boom Blox (Wii)

C! This game is easily one of the most under-played games of all time. Of course I mean Chibi-Robo, the story of a tiny robot who helps a family keep their house clean. In the process, he helps sort out some of the more serious problems the family is having. As always, sounds odd, but it is one of the more adorable and engaging games the world has ever known. Basically, you walk around, pick up garbage and clean floors, which earns you happy points. Enough happy points and you can buy new gear, such as the ability to float, or a longer-lasting battery. Once you get enough gear, you can traverss the entire house and backyard, giving you plenty of opportunities to meet the toys and animals of the house and help them with their problems as well. If you don't have this game, you're in luck! The New Play Control! version (for Wii, of course) is on its way and may be here sometime this year. Wait until it comes out, and then... Go buy it now!

Runner-up: Chibi-Robo Park Patrol (NDS)

D! There are a number of good D-flavored games, so it was a tough decision. At last I decided that the winner should be Ducktales, the classic NES game. If I remember correctly (and I usually do), it was the first NES game that was my very own. I got it for my birthday or Christmas and loved it then, and I love it now. It has tight controls, excellent music, a great story, and is just a fantastic play all-around. It's not a hard game, but as the Kirby games have proven, that's not a bad thing. You play as Scrooge McDuck on his quest to get the biggest and best treasures in the world. Prepare to pogo-stick off of monkeys and hit rocks into giant spiders to get to the end. Unfortunately, this game is not yet available on Virtual Console, but don't be surprised if and when it shows up. And then, go get it. Cause it's awesome. And amazing. Awesomazing.

Runner-up: Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix

E! The final game of the day is a classic. Excitebike 64 is the sequel to the really cool Excitebike for NES. The N64 version took everything great about the original and nitro-charged it to the super-extreme! Admittedly, it's one of the hardest games to learn, but once you get it, you've got it for good. It's a work of art, really. Not only are there races and tournaments, but there are other crazy things to do, like soccer. On motorbikes? Yes! You hit a giant soccer ball across a giant field. Super fun! Plus, there's time trials, a hill climb, a never-ending desert with never-ending jumps. Not only that, it has a very intuitive level editor. In short, it has limitless replay value. Sadly, it is not yet available on Virtual Console. Perhaps soon, dear friends, perhaps soon. And when it does... well, you know the drill.

Runner-up: Elite Beat Agents (NDS)

Well, that's enough for today, friends. Stay tuned in the coming days (maybe weeks) to see the rest of the best games the alphabet has to offer! Peace!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Okami, Animal Crossing City Folk, World of Goo

Tell Me A Tale...

Hello All! In lieu of Flash Game Friday, I'd like to tell you about a nice deal going on right now at Telltale Games. For those who don't know, Telltale Games is a company that makes episodic adventure games. You, the readers, are likely most familiar with Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. They also make Sam & Max, games based on the comic book Bone, and the new Wallace & Gromit Grand Adventures. Typically, each episode of a game would run about $10. Well, for a short time, every single title is only $5 That's right, you can get the entire Strong Bad season for $25! Or, get Sam & Max for $25 a season. Even better, get the new Wallace & Gromit games for a paltry $5 apiece. Honestly, it costs more to drive to work in the morning. But them now!

So, what do you have to do to get this amazing offer? Almost nothing! Simply use this coupon code when you check out. Then you'll get every episode for only FIVE FREAKIN' DOLLLARS!!

9ZN-2B8-GLQ-E7K

So, just use this handy dandy coupon code when you checkout and you'll get any or all Telltale Game episodes for $5. Do it! Do it right now!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Animal Crossing City Folk, Okami, Soul Bubbles

TMNT Fiesta!!

Hello Readers (both of you)! I know I haven't blogged much lately, but there's a reason for that.

Anyways, today I just wanted to inform you of some really cool and exciting news in the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This year marks the 25th Anniversary since the original comic book was published, and to celebrate, there are a bunch of new and awesome items releasing this year. First off, as I've talked about previously, is the new TMNT Smash-Up game, coming this fall to Wii. It's like Smash Bros, but with TMNT. Awesome! Plus, they're remaking the TMNT: Turtles in Time (SNES) game, with 3-D graphics, kinda like how New Super Mario Bros. has 3-D characters, but it plays like a 2-D game (shown at left). Amazing! Plus, that's not all! They are re-releasing the 4 full-length movies on DVD with (supposedly) new bonus content! Still not done! There is a new, live-action TMNT movie being made which will release in two years. INCREDIBLE!!

So yeah, I get a little excited about these things. TMNT is like, one of the coolest things ever, so yeah. Not as cool as Nintendo, but dang close. What would be REALLY awesome is if they re-released TMNT 2 as a 3-D/2-D game. I don't think it will happen, but it would be awesome and amazing. Awesomazing.

Alrighty then. So, I'm gonna try and start putting up more posts in the next little while. School is already getting insane, but I'll see what I can do to keep my fans' palettes whetted.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Animal Crossing City Folk (Wii), Okami (Wii), Soul Bubbles (NDS)

Update: 50 by 4-19

Ah, yes! Much time has passed since the inception of my latest goal: to beat 50 games or more by the time April 19th is over. It is now April 20th, and what is there to show for my efforts? Let's find out!

As you can see, there were many games that I played in this time. The picture at left (which can be enlarged if you click on it) shows just some of the characters featured in the games I played over the last few months. See if you can guess who they are and what game they are from (the answers are listed below).

I started off really well at the start of the year. In fact, by January 4th, I'd already beaten 4 games, which put me a few days ahead of schedule. And then, oddly, I did not beat another game until January 18th. This may have been due to school, my own laziness, or because I started several games in this time and it took a few weeks to finish them. I don't remember which, so take you pick. In any case, once I did start beating games again, I was already a week and a half behind schedule, so I had to really focus on video games (what a hard life, right?) Then, finally, a month later, I caught up to where I needed to be. And I never looked back. Or did I?

There were two parts to my goal, both of which had to be completed if I wanted to consider the matter ended:

1. Beat 50 games (for any system) by April 19th.
2. Beat half of the unbeaten games for any system that had at least 10 unbeaten games.

To clarify, the second part of that goal was to put extra effort into beating games for systems with lots of unbeaten games. For example, at the start of the year, I had something like 22 unbeaten Gamecube games. Therefore, my goal was to beat 11 Gamecube games. The Wii had a similarly high number of unbeaten games, as did the N64 and NES. (My theory is that my console games get less attention simply because I can play DS or GBA games anywhere, but I can only play the Wii or other consoles at home.) So, I wanted to beat 12 Wii games, 11 Gamecube games, 7 N64 games, and 6 NES games. That makes 36 between those, so that gave me some room to throw in games from any other system, such as the insanely awesome DS, or the vastly underrated Virtual Boy. If that makes sense, continue reading. If it doesn't... that's not my problem.

So, in an attempt to seem like a valiant blogger and not a lazy turd, here is a list of some of the games I beat:

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
• Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal
• Wario Land: Shake It!
• Mega Man 9
• Metal Slug 7
• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
• Strong Bad: Episodes 3-5
• Pikmin
• Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
• MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero
• Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
• We Love Golf!
• Mario Party 6
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
• Sega Superstars Tennis
• Pilotwings 64

These are just some of the games I beat since the end of last year. Also, as a note, for me to call a game "beaten", it can be a few different things:

• Typically, a game is beaten when I get to the end, such as in an adventure game. This is often signified by the end-credits roll.
  
• "Beaten" can be different for a puzzle game. For example, there are still hundreds of puzzles in CrossWorDS, but I count it as beaten because I made some good progress and know exactly how fun the game is.
• If a game is too hard, I'll try some cheat codes. If there are no cheat codes and/or the game is still too hard, I call it beaten anyways. After all, the point of a game is to be fun. When it ceases to be fun, I cease playing it.

So there you go. And with that, a revelation:

I did it!

That's right, I beat 50 games in a few short months. In fact, I beat 54, so I went a little beyond the goal, and that's ok. That averages out to about one game every 2 days. Considering many of these games can take 40+ hours to beat, this can be difficult. But I balanced it out with shorter games, puzzle games, and a few NES beat-it-in-10-minutes games.

And now, for your reading pleasure, some random trivia and facts about 50 by 4-19.

• Longest time without beating a game: 16 days (Jan. 4-20)
• Most games beaten in one day: 4 (Feb. 5 [Nightmare Creatures, Shadow Man, Episode 1 Racer, TMNT 3])
• Number of Mario games beaten: 2
• Number of Strong Bad games beaten: 3
• Number of pinball games beaten: 2

Games beaten per system:

• DS: 15
  
• Wii: 12
• GCN: 11
• N64: 7
• NES: 6
• PC: 2
• VB: 1

Top 5 best games of 50 by 4-19 (in no particular order):

• Rhythm Heaven
• Mega Man 9
• Wario Land: Shake It!
• Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
• Strong Bad's Cool Game 4 Attractive People

Top 5 least best games of 50 by 4-19 (in no particular order):

• Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
• WWF Wrestlemania Challenge
• Sonic Riders
• Milon's Secret Castle
• Sonic Heroes

Most underrated games of 50 by 4-19:

• Sega Superstars Tennis
• Wario Land (virtual boy)
• We Love Golf!
• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams
  
• WarioWare Snapped!

Hardest games of 50 by 4-19:

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
• Pilotwings 64
  
• MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero
• Mercury Meltdown Revolution

And now, the list of the characters in the above picture and which game they came from (top to bottom, left to right):

• Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi (Mario & Luigi, Partners in Time)
• Strong Bad (SBCG4AP)
• Link (Zelda: Phantom Hourglass)
• Marco Rossi (Metal Slug 7)
• Mega Man (Mega Man 9)
• Samus Aran (Metroid Prime 2)
• Trucy Wright, Apollo Justice (Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney)
• Captain Olimar, blue Pikmin (Pikmin)
• Shanoa (Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia)
• NiGHTS (NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams)
• Boulder (Excite Truck)
• Sub-Zero (MK Mythologies: Sub-Zero)

There you are, friends: just more proof of how awesome I am. And in case you were wondering, I have not set another goal yet, and I may not for awhile, since school starts today and I will have considerably less time to play. But I will (probably) post some information here on games I've played and other crap. Oy maybe I'll be lazy. Hard to tell, really.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Animal Crossing: City Folk, Okami, Wii Music

100th post!

Hello all! After several months of playing games and telling you how awesome/crappy they were, I have reached my 100th post. To be honest, I wasn't sure the blog would last this long, but here I am, alive and kicking. Hopefully in the coming weeks and months, I can find some time to write. That way, I can keep you, my readers, informed about the latest and greatest Nintendo has to offer. And I mean that for all three of you.

But do you wanna know the coolest part about this post? I'm writing it on my new DSi. No joke! It may not be the fastest computer I've ever used, but it's by far the funnest.

To us! To Nintendo! To life! Long live Blatant Bias!

-benjamines

A new addition to the family!

Hello all! It has indeed been a very long time since my last post, for many reasons. School... and other things. But yeah. I has returned! With a new friend, too!

You see, something came out in the last few days. And I decided I needed it. So I now have it.

Behold! The DSi! The new and awesome iteration of the best-selling handheld video gaming super device! It has (almost) everything the DS Lite had, but now with a billion* new features! The only thing it left out is the GBA slot (which I don't care about since I have a GB Micro).

You'll notice that the main screen is significantly different than the DS and DS Lite. This is to accomodate all the new features. First, there is the DSi camera, which lets you take pictures of yourself, or other people (since there are two cameras; one on the inside hinge, and one of the outside shell). And it's no normal camera. You can distort faces, use mirror effects, add stickers, and all kinds of other fun things.

Next, there is DSi Sound. This lets you play music, or you can record sound bites which can then be distorted in funny ways. You can speed it up, slow it down, make the voice deeper or higher... even make it sound like a trumpet. Sounds bizarre, and it is, but it's great fun.

Some of the new features are physical, such as the screens, which are about .25 inches larger. Doesn't sound like much, but it does make a difference. Also, the volume is controlled by buttons (now located on the left side) instead of a slider. Likewise, the screen brightness is changeable by holding SELECT and hitting the volume buttons. This lets you change the brightness at any time, without having to quit first (which is extremely convenient). Another great new feature is the ability to soft reset. If you hit the power button (now located under the D-pad), it returns you to the DSi menu. If you hold it, it turns the system off. Also great is the ability to 'hot-swap' cartridges. That means you can change games on the DSi menu without turning the system off. Also extremely convenient.

These are all very cool and very nice features, but we haven't even got to the best part yet. But before we get to the best part, let's talk about some of the really good new parts. Like the built-in web browser. You can surf the web. On your DS. Without a separate cartridge. AWESOME!!! Yeah, it's not gonna load web pages real fast, but it is nice to be able to check your e-mail or bank statement without finding a computer. Very cool. Also, the DSi comes with an SD card slot, so you can store music, photos, or whatever on it.

And now, for the best part. The DSi Shop. It's essentially the Wii Shop Channel, but for the DSi. And it's awesome. Like the Wii Shop Channel, you can download new and original games and store them on your system (which has about 256 MB of memory) or on an SD card. Plus, there are rumors that Game Boy games may soon come to the DSi just like NES and other games can be played on the Wii. AMAZING!! Also, if you buy a DSi and logon to the DSi Shop between now and October 5th (6 months), you get 1,000 points free! That's $10 worth. I bought WarioWare Snapped! (which uses the camera for insane mini-games) and Bird & Beans (a couple of puzzle games based on Pyoro, a mini-game included in the original WarioWare). And I still have 300 points left. Very, very, very cool.

So, that's about it, really. People who say the DSi offers nothing new have obviously never used one. It's great fun, and it adds small, but entertaining things to the already insanely fun DS Lite. I would recommend buying one right now. I traded in my old old white DS Lite (I still have my Blue DS Lite) and got $70 off the DSi. So it was $100. Heck of a deal, my friends. Heck of a deal.

GO BUY IT NOW!!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: WarioWare Snapped!, Bird & Beans, other DSi toys

* Technically, since you can get new games via the DSi Shop, a billion new features could potentially be true. If the DSi stays on the market for like a thousand years. And considering sales, I wouldn't be surprised.

BIG NEWS!!

The annual Game Developer's Conference just ended, and they finished on a big note. New Zelda! In fact, it's for the DS, which is crazy, since I just finished the last one! But also awesome, since Zelda games are always awesome! This time, instead of being out on the high seas, you drive a train. Seriously! The tentative title is Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which seems a little strange, but as always, when it's released it will blow everyone away with how original and awesome it is. Can't wait!

Also, there were some other fairly big announcements. The Wii can now load games straight from the SD card, so you don't have to transfer your VC or WiiWare games over first to be able to play them. Very nice! Plus, they now have arcade games available in the Virtual Console. Also cool.

So there you go. Some crazy new stuff! And even though the new Zelda game has a very strange theme, it looks really fun. Here's hoping! Check out the trailer below.



-benjamines

Currently Playing: Mario Party 6, TMNT 3: Mutant Nightmare, Animal Crossing: City Folk

The Myth of Zelda: Ghost Timer

Well, it's been awhile since I've written here, let alone a review, so here's one: this Zelda game is cool. The End.

Just kidding!

So there's this Zelda game for the DS and its name is the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. It has Link in it. Also, I'm feeling really lazy right now, so here's a brief summary:

• It's designed just like Wind Waker, but with some improvements, like how the ocean isn't so huge.
• The game is entirely stylus-controlled, which takes some getting used to, but all things considered, is one of the best all-stylus DS games out there.
• The stylus has some great benefits, such as writing on maps and drawing paths to sail.
  
• It's one of the more difficult Zelda games, but that may be due to the all-stylus controls.
• Like most Zelda games, there are plenty of sidequests to keep you busy for a long time.
• The graphics are amazing for a DS game.
• All-around fun and a must-have for DS owners.

So there you go. And now, some bullets:

Pros:

• A fun and addictive Zelda adventure
• Very similar in some ways to the excellent Wind Waker
• Lots of side quests and hidden treasures

Cons:

• None of the hilarious voice clips from the characters (not even Salvatore [kersploosh!])
• Some of the controls (such as while fishing) are difficult and not explained very well

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased: