Finally, a reason to buy Rock Band

The latest trailer for Rock Band 3 has an interesting teaser at the end.

As you can see, there is an icon for a piano on the right.  What could this mean?  If it means you can use an actual keyboard to play these music games, sign me up right now!  But, considering the “guitars” have a whopping 5 frets, I’m not gonna hold my breath.

But I guess you never know.  I think they could package it with at least a simple keyboard, which would be really fun.

Maybe Jim and Pam were right!  Rock Band Billy Joel does exist!

More Sonic!

For all you hedgehog lovers out there (myself included), Sega has announced a new game for Wii and DS coming out later this year.

It’s called Sonic Colors and it’s just like it sounds.  When Sonic obtains a certain color, it gives him a certain power.  For example, cyan turns him into a laser, letting him shoot right through obstacles.

The Wii version will feature a combination of 2D and 3D gameplay, and the DS will make heavy use of the touch screen.

I know we don’t know much about it yet, but I think it looks pretty good.  Yes, 3D Sonic games have been largely terrible in the past decade, but in recent years, the Wii exclusives have outshined the other console versions.  So I’ll keep my hopes high.

Mondownloaday!

Yet another week with some new games for your favorite Nintendo system(s)!

ArtStyle: light trax (Publisher: Nintendo, Players: 1, Price: 600 Wii Points)

Art Style: light trax takes racing to whole new (and very surreal) levels as you control a white beam of light moving perpetually forward while your viewpoint shifts between 2-D and 3-D perspectives. Start by choosing one of the two main modes of game play, each with its own distinct goal. In light tours mode, you vie with other light beams for the most points in a three-course racing tour. Watch out for obstacles, use items and strategically use your dash ability to finish first. In freeway mode, your objective is to set a high score by traveling the greatest distance within a set amount of time. Mastering the intricacies of each setting is crucial: you'll have to alternate between them in order to progress through the game and unlock all of its modes. With precise controls packed in and a driving techno soundtrack, Art Style: light trax offers an experience unlike any other. Are you ready to compete in a mind-bending race at the speed of light? Games in the Art Style series feature elegant design, polished graphics and pick-up-and-play controls, creating an experience focused purely on fun and engaging game play. For more information about Art Style: light trax and other games in the Art Style series, please visit artstyle.nintendo.com.

Manic Monkey Mayhem (Publisher: The Code Monkeys Ltd., Players: 1-4, Price: 800 Wii Points)

Controlling one of eight monkeys, you will do battle with up to seven others across eight differently themed landscapes. In single player, battle through three increasingly difficult campaigns of missions ranging from survival to coconut fights, or have a one-off battle against the clock as a team or in a standard deathmatch. Connect additional Wii Remote controllers (each sold separately) to battle against up to three additional players or compete against anyone or your friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Connect an optional Wii Balance Board accessory to add more mayhem to the fun.

Viral Survival (Publisher: NIS America, Players: 1, Price: 500 Wii Points)

Viral Survival is an "escape" action game where you control a special DNA unit and dodge through enemy virus attacks. If you save a friendly DNA unit they will connect to you, creating a tail. The more you save, the higher point total you will accumulate. There are also four other game modes, including one where you can shoot the enemy down and compete for number of kills, and a time attack mode to save 128 DNA units in the shortest time possible. For all five game modes your score can be ranked online. Try your best to become number one in the world.

Sorry!  No new Virtual Console games this week!

Metal Torrent (Publisher: Nintendo, Players: 1, Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points)

Prepare for a high level of intensity as you pilot a solo ship deep into enemy space in this vertically scrolling shooter. Battle wave after wave of relentless attackers aiming to do one thing - destroy you! Your goal, beyond mere survival, is simple: Get the highest score possible and earn bragging rights in online leaderboards. Two powerful fighters are at your disposal: the Accipiter and Bateleur, tailored for beginner or expert players. Progress through eight phases of action and take out enemies by tactically using your weapons: an unlimited-fire blaster weapon available to both ships and an energy-consuming special weapon unique to each craft. Absorb energy cubes from destroyed enemies to replenish your energy gauge and increase your score. Collect a series of consecutive cubes to create a chain and boost your score even higher. Choose from pattern or random modes to vary the level of challenge, but the real indication of skill comes from competing with players around the world for the highest score possible. Use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to upload your score to the online leaderboards to see where you stack up or even view replays of top-ranking players' games and study their secrets. Do you have what it takes to be the best?

World Poker Tour Texas Hold 'Em (Publisher: Hands-On Mobile, Players: 1-6, Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points)

Play like the pros in World Poker Tour Texas Hold 'Em on the Nintendo DSiWare service, the official game tested and approved by the experts at the World Poker Tour. Whether you're just learning to play or you're an old-school player wanting to hook some fish, Texas Hold 'Em has tables for all players. Choose to play solo in two unique tournaments designed specifically for the Nintendo DSiWare version or use a local wireless connection and play with your friends and take down monster pots. The action is in your hands in one of the most authentic poker games ever brought to the Nintendo DSi system.

Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper (Publisher: Virtual Playground, Players: 1, Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points)

Real Crimes: Jack the Ripper - the fabulous, chart-topping hidden-object game with amazing graphics is now available on the Nintendo DSiWare service. One of the first and best games of its type, Jack the Ripper features numerous atmospheric 3-D locations and oodles of hidden objects to find. The realism of the scenes and the accuracy of the storyline will fascinate all ages from young teen to adult. Travel back to 1880s London to help Scotland Yard's detectives solve the crime of the century. Visit world-famous landmarks such as Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace. Search crime scenes and solve mini puzzles in your hunt for clues. Was Jack a doctor, a royal prince, a barber or something else? Was he mad? This game will tell you. Enjoy hours and hours of game play in this truly absorbing game. Whether you are an experienced player or a newbie, once you start your investigation, you will be on an adventure you won't want to stop - until you discover Jack the Ripper's true identity, that is.

Advanced Circuits (Publisher: BiP media, Players: 1, Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points)

Whether with a train, a car or a tank, are you ready for a new challenge? This brain-boggling puzzle game will put your powers of deduction to the test. Complete the circuits by connecting squares on the game board with pieces of track. Some pieces of track are already shown on the board at the beginning of the game to give you a head start. There is only one solution to each puzzle. The rules are simple but the challenges are tough.
• Challenge mode features 60 predefined game boards of increasing difficulty.
• Free Play mode lets you select the game board size and practice on any number of randomly generated puzzles.
• 72 awards to be won.
• Also features a tutorial, hints and tips and even the solution if you feel like giving up.

So there you go!  Go buy some new games!

Review: Metroid Prime 3

As you all know, I have a habit of getting around to some games long after they are released (sometimes 10 years or more), so this one should seem new in comparison.  So there!

So, back in the early days of the Gamecube, Nintendo released a somewhat controversial game called Metroid Prime.  It wasn’t full of porn or anything like that, but it was a first-person shooter of sorts, which threw a bunch of Nintendo fans into a hissy fit.  You see, up until that point, Metroid was all about side-scrolling platformers, and good ones at that.  But then those fans played the game.  And then they changed their diapers.

Several years later, the Metroid Prime trilogy comes to a close with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.  As you know (if you played the first two), Samus has spent the last several fighting a band of Space Pirates who use a mysterious and volatile element called Phazon to mutate into super soldiers.  At some point, a certain Phazon being takes on the appearance of Samus and begins to wreak havoc on the universe.  That’s where we come in!

In Metroid Prime 3, you get the same Metroid-style platforming mixed with an immersive first-person view.  In the story, Samus teams up with some of the Federation’s other bounty hunters to defeat the Space Pirates and determine what Dark Samus has to do with the whole thing.  But, the good thing about this game is you can use the Wii remote to point and aim at the screen, and once you’ve spent a couple of minutes with it, it works like a charm.  After I finished the game, I tried to play a FPS with a regular controller, and it seemed so primitive and unintuitive that I may or may not have thrown up.

One thing about the Metroid Prime games is their difficulty.  The first one was very, very difficult.  There were very few save points, a ton of enemies, and huge, obnoxious bosses.  The second game was even harder.  In fact, it seemed like they ramped up the difficulty just because.  Metroid Prime 3 is hard, but for the most point, it’s a fair hard.  By that I mean that the difficulty increases steadily and if you take the time to look around and find all of the hidden items, it’s a highly enjoyable game.

That’s the fun part of the Metroid games, after all.  Look around and try and find all of the hidden items and rooms.  In fact, there is a special room in the game that lets you download maps for the different planets so you know exactly what room all of the goodies are in.  It was exceptionally helpful, and because of it, I was able to finish a Metroid game at 100% for the first time ever.  Awesome!

The game suffers from very few flaws.  Some of the objectives are extremely obscure, and one of the bosses halfway through the game was harder than most of the others.  The game does include a new hint system, but it rarely gives you a hint more helpful than, “Check your map for objectives.”
In short, the game is a fantastic finish to the Prime series.  It’s at least as good as the first one, maybe better.  I love all Metroid games, and to be honest, I’m a little sad to see this series end.  Hopefully they’ll make more somewhere down the line.

Pros:

• Excellent Wii-remote controls
• Extremely fun gameplay
• Several large and beautiful worlds to explore

Cons:

• Somewhat confusing at times
• Slightly unbalanced difficulty

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:




Btw, you can get the entire series on one disc in Metroid Prime Trilogy, where all three games feature Wii-remote controls for the price of one game!  Totally worth it!  But hurry, it’s already becoming hard to find!

What happen?

Hey all!  I’ve been busy beating games and a bunch of other crap, so I haven’t posted much lately.  But stay tuned!  I’m still here!

As a recompense, here’s a cool picture for you!

See you soon!

Happy 30th, Pacman!

That’s right, the wokka-wokka-ing yellow ghost eater turned 30 today!

Did you know that Namco almost called him Puck-man?  Yeah, I don’t see any problem with that at all.

3 D's for Nintendo!

According to website Siliconera, Nintendo recently filed some trademarks in Japan for 3DS, N3DS, 3DSWare, and 3DSPlay.  True, it's not surprising.  Actually, it's a little surprising.

First of all, Nintendo led us to believe that 3DS was not the system's official title.  But if that's true, why did they trademark the name?  I suppose it's possible that they trademarked it so that no one else could use it for another product, to avoid confusion, of course.

The 3DSPlay name is interesting.  Wii Play was fun, plus it was a great deal, since it offered a free Wii Remote with the game (or you could almost say the remote came with a free game).  How would that would on the 3DS?  Free stylus?  There was a Nintendo patent revealed a few months ago that was for a stylus that vibrated when certain things happened on screen.  Maybe that?

In any case, it's something intesting to think about.  Especially N3DS.  If that's the official abbreviation, I'm totally gonna call it the Neds.  The DS can be called D's (like deez), the DSi is deezy, so the 3DS (if that's its real name) would certainly be Neds.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go think of some fun games I can play on my Neds.

-benjamines

Who hearted?

Today, Nintendo and the American Heart Association held a press conference.  We were all hoping that this would be the long-awaited unveiling of the Vitality Sensor.  But alas, we were wrong.

The gist of the conference was that Nintendo’s Wii system makes it easier for families to have healthy lifestyles.  From now on, all copies of Wii Fit, Wii Sports Resort, and the Wii itself will bear the logo of the American Heart Association.

So go play some games and don’t get fat!

Or do, cause I don’t care.

-benjamines

Super Fun!

So, I recently reported on a rumor that the next Scribblenauts would be called Super Scribblenauts.  And while the game is not making the jump to 16-bit graphics, it turns out that rumor was true!

What does this mean for us gamers?  The game’s main new feature is the ability to combine adjectives and nouns (whereas before you only had nouns).  In the first Scribblenauts game, you could create zombies and elephants and everything in between.  In the new one, you’ll be able to make rabid, stinky plumbers, or green, fluffy, chocolate poodles.

That is all well and good, but the main problem with the first one was the controls.  The publisher has promised “upgraded controls”, but we have yet to see for sure what that means.  D-Pad controls, I hope!

-benjamines

Mondownloaday!

This week is a great week for Nintendo owners, with the release of several new and awesome games!  Let’s get to it!

 BIT.TRIP RUNNER  (Publisher: Aksys Games, Players: 1, Price: 800 Wii Points)
Discover the fastest, most exhilarating action-platformer to hit the WiiWare service. Race across the moon, kicking down crystal walls and sliding under chomping moon-slugs. Bound through the Robotic Mines and face off against the MinerMech. Dash through the Big City on a quest to find friends and defeat the final boss together. RUNNER is the fourth entry in the award-winning and critically acclaimed BIT.TRIP series. You control CommanderVideo as he runs, jumps, slides and kicks. With exciting modern and retro challenges, you can move through more than 50 levels of addictive game play. Chiptune supergroup Anamanaguchi makes a guest appearance. Join CommanderVideo on his most epic journey yet!

Blood Beach  (Publisher: Coresoft Inc., Players: 1, Price: 1,000 Wii Points)
You are hopelessly outnumbered and have no choice but to fight and win. Just you, your guns and the thin stretch of Blood Beach stand between you and the entire Japanese Imperial Navy. You have an impressive arsenal of weapons, including the M2 BMG, 40mm M1 and, of course, your Thompson SMG. But the Imperial Japanese Navy will hit you with everything they can muster – "Zeros," "Bettys" and even Takao-class battleships – in their methodical and relentless push to recapture the Solomon Islands. High scores can be saved for Easy, Normal and Hard levels of difficulty.

 

Kirby Super Star  (Original platform: Super NES, Publisher: Nintendo, Players: 1-2, Price: 800 Wii Points)
That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

 

Looksley's Line Up (Publisher: Nintendo, Players: 1, Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points)
Looksley the rabbit needs your assistance to finish the story he's writing. Guide him through a world based on famous fairy tales and folk stories from around the globe, helping him to gather inspiration by finding hidden items along the way. In this unique take on hidden-picture games, you'll move the Nintendo DSi system to change your view of various 3-D dioramas. Peer deeply into the scene as you shift the system, watching as layers within the diorama move to reveal previously unseen letters and objects. As you collect these letters and objects, you'll meet new characters and spell words that will open additional stages with more sets of hidden items to find. Particular stages contain secret pictures, testing your observation skills even further. Scour each scene's incredible depth and detail as you lend Looksley a hand in completing his masterpiece. Players of all ages will love this visual puzzle challenge and be amazed to see that even the same spot can look different from another angle.

Frogger Returns (Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Players: 1, Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points)
Frogger is coming to a Nintendo DSi system near you! Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups to dodge and use. Four stages take the original journey of Frogger from highway to home through a new adventure. Use multiple modes to attack your top scores, race against the clock or just get Frogger to his home pad.

A Topsy Turvy Life: Turvy Drops (Publisher: TECMO KOEI GAMES, Players: 1, Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points)
Description: Turn the Nintendo DSi system upside down and draw blocks on the touch screen to fill spaces in this topsy-turvy take on puzzle games. Play "Endless Mode" to see just how many points you can get as the blocks on the bottom screen fill faster and faster. The more blocks you clear at once, the higher your score. Play "Puzzle Mode" to test your brain against 30 mind-bending puzzles. Clear all the blocks within the specified time and turn limits. Can you solve the puzzles before time is up?

Flips: More Bloody Horowitz (Publisher: Electronic Arts, Players: 1, Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points)
Anthony Horowitz, the best-selling creator of Alex Rider, gives horror a whole new look in this mischievous collection of macabre tales, exclusive to the Flips series. Including three new stories – each with its own unique feature, such as illustrations and sound effects – Flips: More Bloody Horowitz finds Horowitz at his most wicked. The Flips series brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service, allowing readers to collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through the various stories and challenges.

And in case you weren’t sure you wanted at least one of these games, here’s a clip from Looksley Line-Up:

So get out there and buy some crap!

-benjamines

Natal News

I know that pretty much all of you are extremely interested in the XBox 360, so I just knew you'd want to hear this news.

Project Natal, Microsoft's answer to the Wii's motion control, may have just had its price leaked.  For those who don't know, Microsoft has developed and will (probably) soon release a camera peripheral that will let XBox 360 users have a certain level of motion control, without the use of a controller. 

For the most part, Microsoft has been mum on details, especially the price.  But luckily for us, people make mistakes.  At least 3 Swedish retailers have listed the device on their websites for 1499 SEK, which works out to about $200.  Ouch.

A few weeks ago, a UK website mentioned that the device could be as low as $80, and perhaps even lower than that.  So maybe these people are really bad at math, 'cause as far as I can figure, $200 seems somewhat higher than $80.

It is possible that the price is simply a placeholder, and will be updated once Natal is officially revealed (probably at E3).  But if it's not, I'll laugh.  Cause that's hilarious.

As for the technology itself, I'm not so sure it'll be as effective as the Wii.  You don't have a controller at all (the system uses a series of cameras), so there are many types of games that would literally be impossible to play.  Another issue I see is people getting tired too fast.  You can't expect people to always play standing up or by moving around for every little action.

One of the biggest potential problems in my mind is how the camera will be able to differentiate between different people and the background.  What if you're in a poorly lit room and you're wearing a red shirt and your couch is red, too?  I guess we won't know for sure until it's released.

In any case, we need more details before we can make a fair assessment.  But here's a prediciton for you: I won't buy one.  When Wal-Mart had XBox 360s for $100, I bought one and I hardly ever play it.  But here's a prediction I can almost guarantee: I honestly can't see myself buying a peripheral that costs twice as much as the system.

-benjamines

Nintendo News: May 14, 2010

According to the NPD (they keep track of video game sales and all that stuff), the Nintendo DS will soon pass the PS2 as the best-selling video game system of all time.  Despite having been released 5 years later, Nintendo’s dual-screen wonder will take the top spot from Sony’s once-popular brand.  As of March 31, the DS had sold 129 million units.  Go Nintendo!

Speaking of numbers, the big three of video game companies (Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft, of course) have all released their sales number from the past year.  As is not surprising the Wii has a secure lead, selling 70.9 million units worldwide in the last year.  Microsoft is still in second, but just barely, which does not bode well for them, since they released the XBox 360 a year before the other two.  They sell well in the US, but not so much in Japan or Europe.   Maybe they should consider making something besides FPSs.  They sold 40.3 million units compared to Sony’s 35.9.

A rumor is circulating that the next Scribblenauts game will be called Super Scribblenauts.  A now-dead link on Amazon seemed to confirm the announced sequel.  The name would fit, since WB Games has stated that the game will have adjectives.  The real question?  How in the world will typing “repugnant” help anything.  In any case, as long as they fix the controls, the game sounds like a lot of fun.

-benjamines

Heart-Stopping News!

No, not really.  But maybe news about your heart.  And the Wii.

Last year at E3, Nintendo unveiled the Wii Vitality Sensor.  It fits over your finger like a heart monitor, and somehow translates that data into video game input.  No other information has been revealed, but I think the wait is short now.  On Monday, Nintendo will be holding a press conference alongside the American Heart Association.  And it has something to do with the Wii.  And that’s all we know.

The obvious guess would be that Nintendo is finally taking the cover off the long-unrevealed Vitality Sensor, but no one knows for sure.  Maybe they’ll be revealing a new game that’s good for your heart?  Wii Fit Plus Plus.

In any case, I’m excited to see what they’ll be showing.  If anyone could make checking your blood pressure fun, it’s Nintendo.

-benjamines

Flash Game Friday!

Good weekend-eve to all of ye!  This week, we have a family friendly game!

Ok, I lied.  So, you’re a Japanese Salaryman and your life sucks.  So, your only option is to end it… 50 times!  As you can see, I’ve embedded the game in this post, so you don’t even have to leave your favorite blog!  Enjoy!



-benjamines

Free Game!

For those of who refuse to do or buy anything that threatens to even slightly lighten your wallet (I’m lookin’ at you, Harlo), Valve has something for you!

Between now and May 24th, you can download Portal for free through Steam.  Steam is a free PC-Game management program with some really great deals.  Like this one!  All you have to do is download Steam, and then get Portal for free.

Portal is an interesting, but extremely fun game.  You are the subject of a science experiment with a Portal gun.  The gun can make blue or orange portals.  You put one of each on a wall, then walk in one and come out the other.  You really have to play it to see how cool it is.  The portal idea makes for some fantastic puzzles.  The game is also downright hilarious.  Even if it weren’t free, I would highly recommend it.

So there you go!  Go get a free game!  Unless that’s not cheap enough for you…

-benjamines

3DS Speculation

So, here’s the deal: The Nintendo 3DS is little more than a name at this point.  We probably won’t know anything more until E3 (which is still a month away).  But that doesn’t mean we can’t guess what kick-awesome features and games the thing will have.

One of the coolest it could have is Virtual Console support.  The system will have Gamecube-level graphics, so why not have access to all the cool retro (NES, SNES, etc) games that the Wii has.  And while we’re at it, why not add Virtual Boy games to the mix?  Sure, there were only 14, but they were pretty fun.  If nothing else, I could see Nintendo releasing a new Mario Clash specially made for the system.  Heck, you could do Gameboy games, too.  It could work.

Nintendo has stated that on the 3DS, the distance between the two screens will be negligible.  One rumor about the system is that it will have Netflix support.  A recent survey went around to various people asking if they would use the service if it were available on a portable system.  Obviously, it would only work with the Instant Streaming feature of Netflix, and yes, they need a lot more content to make it worthwhile, but I can just imagine how cool that would be.  Your 3DS would become a big, foldable TV.  Sounds fun to me.

I know this next one is a lot to ask for, but man, would it be awesome.  As previously mentioned, the system will have GCN-level graphics.  So why not use GCN-size discs?  With backwards-compatibility!  How awesome would that be?  One news item said it would be compatible will all Nintendo DS games.  If that’s true, it would mean the 3DS is compatible with the GBA as well, since Guitar Hero On Tour (and its brethren) requires the GBA slot to work.  Don’t count on it happening, (a different news blurb said it would play most DS games), but I would probably pee my pants on the spot if Nintendo revealed that the 3DS could play GCN, GBA, and DS games.  Think about that: Kirby Air Ride, Kirby Squeak Squad, and Kirby Canvas Curse without changing discs or cartridges!

As far as specific games, I think F-Zero would be a perfect fit.  I can imagine how awesome it could be for the futuristic backgrounds flying past you in 3D.  Starfox could also work well.  Pikmin, anyone?  As I said before, Mario Clash would be perfect.  Or how about this: new Smash Bros.  Why not?  It’s one of the best series of all time.  Online play, local multiplayer, and new brawlers.  But I’m sticking with my prediction from the other day: they’ll call it the Nintendo Egg, and it will come with a new Yoshi game.  Maybe he’ll spit enemies at the screen or something.  Could be fun.  Heck, maybe it’s even shaped like an egg.  I dunno.

So, it’s late and I can’t think of anything else at the moment.  But if you think of something cool the 3DS could do, leave a comment!  After all, you just know that Nintendo reads this blog for ideas!

-benjamines

Nintendo News: May 12, 2010

The Develop 100 is a yearly list of the most successful game developers in the world.  Guess who took the top spot this year?  You may have heard of them.  They make this extremely popular game called Wrecking Crew.  Or there’s this other one called CluClu Land.  That’s right, Nintendo!  Last year, they lost the top spot to World of Warcraft developer Activison Blizzard (who are now holding tight to the number 80 spot).  Nintendo is routinely on top of most lists like this.  I guess you can’t be surprised.  After all, most of their devices print money.

As you may have noticed, many DVDs and video games now come without instruction manuals or scene lists.  Some of the boxes are have giant holes in them to reduce plastic.  This seems like part of a grand scheme to be more “green”, or as I like to call it, “obnoxious”.  In any case, our favorite company in the world, Nintendo, has said that they do not plan on excluding instruction manuals from games anytime soon.  I for one enjoy the manuals that come with games.  Those who say the manuals should be downloaded forget that that method is vastly less user friendly, and not everyone has the internet.

The OFLC (Australia’s ESRB) has recently rated Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light as a PG Game (pretty much like Teen here).  This is another seeming confirmation that the DS RPG will be coming to countries other than Japan.  Square Enix has yet to comment, but with the game’s title already having been trademarked here in the US, I’d say it’s pretty certain we’ll see something about it at E3.  So get excited, Squeenix Fans!

-benjamines

Review: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

(Note: This review applies to the Wii version of the game.  The DS version is similar, but some of the events are different.)


Yes, I know it’s a little late to be reviewing a game that revolves around an event that happened months ago.  And I know most places in the US (except my hometown, of course) don’t have anymore snow.  But I take give you these things as I finish ‘em.  So… yeah.  Let’s get to it!

A couple of years ago, Nintendo and Sega teamed up to bring us Mario & Sonic at the Olympic [Summer] Games, which, based solely on the popularity of the two main characters, sold about a bazillion copies.  Late last year, the same co-op team brought us the winter version.  The first one was mainly motion-control based.  For example, you would shake the Wii remote and nunchuk as if you were running to do the 100-yd dash.  This time around, it’s about the same, although the controls are much less tiring.  It’s more a matter of steering down a slalom than running your guts out.

As is the case with most sports games, this game is considerably more fun with friends.  Computer players are either incredibly stupid or filthy cheaters.  In fact, this game’s difficulty is all over the board.  Some events  can be won on the first try without practice, and some events can take hours to get good enough to win.  All in all, it’s not too hard to unlock all the events.  It’s more time-consuming than anything.

The game lets you play individual events, or play Festival Mode, where you play all the single events or all the team events over a 16-day period. It can take anywhere from about a minute to 30 minutes to complete a given day, depending on the included events.  In fact, a couple of the days only have cut-scenes, with no play at all.  Others have 3 full events, which could be Ice Hockey, Ski Jump, or one of my favorites, Curling.

Of course, the most fun probably comes from the Dream Events, which take standard Olympic events and throw them into Mario’s or Sonic’s world.  For example, Dream Ski Jump takes you into a Mario Galaxy-style world, complete with the original music and planets in the background.  Dream Curling is essentially bowling in Sherbet Land, with Frappe Snowland music in the background.  Other events, like Dream Figure Skating (Mario on Ice, pretty much) are less amusing, for obvious reasons.

There are also three party games included.  They are simple, not terribly fun, but they’re there.  You play an event, and depending on who wins, you get a certain number of darts to throw at balloons, or things like that.

All in all, it’s a quite fun game.  I can’t in good conscience say it’s as good as its predecessor, because it’s not.  It’s seems a little less polished, and there’s a little less variation.  Also, they ruined Toad’s image.  You can’t play as him, plus whoever did his voice did a terrible job.  It’s awful.  If they had known I’d be reviewing the game, they’d have probably thought twice about Toad’s voice actor (cause you know that my blog is one of the biggest and most popular sites in the world!).

In any case, it’s a good game for one player, and a pretty great one for multiplayer.  You can even play as Miis (and earn and buy costumes for them to wear, which is fun).  It may not be worth $50 to everyone, but it’s certainly worth at least $30.

Pros:

• Several different events
• Exciting Dream events
• Great for multiplayer

Cons:

• Inconsistent AI
• Toad’s voice is awful
• It’s time a bit time consuming to unlock and buy everything

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:

Nintendo News: May 11, 2010

In a recent investor interview, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata stated that 3DS is not the official name for its upcoming 3D-enabled handheld.  He hinted that we will probably see the real name around E3.  I’m guessing it will the Nintendo Egg.  A new Yoshi game will be a launch title.  You heard it here first.  In the same interview, he mentioned that the 3D functionality can be easily turned on and off.  Nintendo is concerned that by forcing people to use 3D, there will be some users who will suffer adverse effects (about 10-15% of people experience headaches or nausea from 3D).  Whether this is a physical switch or just a checkbox in the options menu has yet to be revealed.

Legendary video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario, Zelda, others) dropped a tidbit suggesting Wii Music could get a sequel.  He said that almost every time a game ships, he regrets something about it, such as a fun feature they could have added, but didn’t think of in time.  If a new Wii Music was released, it appears it may be more of an update than a sequel (a la Wii Fit Plus).  There are no other details, but I think if they released a Wii Music Plus, I would get it.  The first one was really fun!

A few days ago, Social Gaming company Zynga (FarmVille, Mafia Wars) has announced that they are possibly going to leave Facebook and launch their own gaming portal.  Ever since Facebook changed their policies so companies like Zynga can’t leave stupid notifications for every person in the world, they have been hemorrhaging users; 7.3 million in the last two weeks.  Personally, I’ve always thought games like these were ridiculous, so I think it’s kinda funny.

-benjamines

More Big Numbers

Nintendo has revealed the 30 top-selling games for 2010 thus far.  Let’s have a peek!

As you can (probably) see, 14 of the 30 games here are for Nintendo systems.  Also, Mario Kart DS is still on top selling list, where it has been pretty much every month since it was released almost five years ago!  Also note that Pokemon SoulSilver is notably more popular than HeartGold (maybe cause boys don’t want a game with Heart in the name).

Of the non-Nintendo games, 9 are for the PS3 and 7 are for the 360.  And of those 16, the vast majority are First Person Shooters.  I guess they aren’t doing much to combat those stereotypes.

-benjamines

Yet Even More Bigger Numbers

Here’s a pie chart representing total video game sales in the US in 2009.

According to a report from NewZoo [PDF], US gamers spent $25.29 billion on video games last year.

Consoles represents all video game consoles, including portables (DS and PSP).  Game Portals are things like FarmVille that are found on social networking sites and the like.  MMOs include World of Warcraft and other games and services for playing with massive amounts of people.  Mobile are games played on cell phones.

The report also mentions that these numbers include 183 million people, which is more than half of the US population.  Considering it accounts for pretty much every type of game there is, I’m surprised it’s not higher.

-benjamines

Review: Photo Dojo (DSiWare)

This morning, Nintendo gave all DSi owners a sweet treat: a free game!  That’s right, the brand-spankin’ new Photo Dojo is available from now until June 10th for the low, low price of free!

Photo Dojo is a simple little game.  You use the DSi Camera to take pictures of yourself in certain poses, then record a few voice clips, and then become a powerful kung-fu master!  It’s really quite simple.  Taking the pictures can be a bit difficult because they have to be taken from about 6 feet away, but it can be done without too much trouble.  I would recommend having a friend help you out.

After taking some pictures of yourself, you get to record various sound samples for moves (such as “Take this!” or “You fight like a girl!”).  These sounds are then used as you roam the countryside looking for fights.  Not only that, but after recording your sounds, you can take a picture of something to use as a backdrop.  Naturally, I chose the bathroom.
The game has a 2-player VS mode and a 1 player mode.  In VS mode, you share the same DS.  The left player uses the D-Pad to move and the L button to attack.  The right player uses the ABXY buttons as a D-Pad and the R button to attack.  It works surprisingly well.

1 Player mode has you plowing through as many bad guys as you can take on.  Each one is represented by other characters in your roster, so the more fighters you make, the more random and crazy it gets.  Everyone once in a while, you’ll even get a mini or mega fighter (with high- or low-pitched sounds to go with them).

All in all, it’s a pretty sweet game, especially considering the price.  And even at 200 points, it’s a steal.  The game is really fun and crazy funny.  So, if you have a DSi, get it now.  You might as well, even if you don’t like it much.  It is free, after all.  And if you don’t have a DSi, you’re crazy.

Pros:

• Unique and fun fighting game
• Very inexpensive!
• Put yourself in the game (sounds, too!)

Cons:

• Can be difficult to take some of the pictures

This game earned a Blatantly Biased:

Nintendo News: May 10, 2010

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned in a recent interview that Japanese gamers strongly prefer 2D Mario titles to 3D ones.  This may be evidenced by the fact that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has sold 3 times what the first Mario Galaxy has (in Japan at least), and in a much shorter period of time.  He speculated that 3D Mario games tend to be too difficult to control for many gamers.  This may be at least part of the reason that Mario Galaxy 2 will come bundled with an instructional DVD on how to play the game.

After a failed attempt at entering the used video game market, retail juggernaut Wal-Mart has announced that it is giving it a second chance, this time with another provider.  It is testing a used video game/DVD service in 5 locations to gauge customer response.  This is likely partly due to the recent closing of Game Crazy, leaving GameStop as basically the only national chain of used video game stores (which is a crying shame, to be honest).  If not Wal-Mart, let’s hope someone can keep GameStop from becoming the only place to buy games used.

EA has announced that beginning with Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, new EA Sports games will come with an Online Pass to play the game online.  If the game is sold used, it will not come with the online pass.  Gamers who buy a used copy will need to purchase their own Online Pass ($10) to play online.  This is part of EA’s “Project Ten Dollar” initiative to reclaim sales lost to used game vendors.  Essentially, new EA games will come with codes to redeem for free Downloadable Content, where gamers who buy used copies will have to pay for said DLC.  It seems risky and arrogant, but it remains to be seen if Project Ten Dollar will have any effect on anyone.

-benjamines

Mondownloaday!

Good morning, friends!  I hope that your weekend was amazing!  I know mine was.

This week, we get 4 DSiWare games and 2 WiiWare games.  Let’s get to it!

Photo Dojo (Nintendo, 1-2 Players,  200 Points [starting June 11]): This game lets you take pictures of yourself or others and put them into a fighting game.  It has made a great impression on most people who play it, and Nintendo, being the awesome company that they are, are giving it away for the first month!  Awesome!

Earthworm Jim (Gameloft, 1 Player, 500 Points): The good ol’, hilarious, insanely hard SNES game, with some additional DSi Camera mini-games thrown in.

Chess Challenge! (Digital Leisure, 1-2 Players, 500 Points): Chess, with local multiplayer.  Joy.

Flips: The Enchanted Wood (EA, 1 Player, 500 Points): The next entry in the downloadable book series.  I haven’t read it.  So that’s all I can tell you.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (Capcom, 1 Player, 1,000 Points): The final entry in the fantastically entertaining Phoenix Wright saga.  Play as Phoenix Wright and uncover the truth behind various murder cases.

Chess Challenge! (Digital Leisure, 1-2 Players, 500 Points): The Wii version has online play, leaderboards, and Mii Support.  Joy again.

Well, there you go!  Starting at noon ET, I would definitely recommend Photo Dojo, considering it’s free for the first month, starting today!  And while there are no Virtual Console games, you can still get a SNES or DS game with Earthworm Jim or Phoenix Wright.  Fun times!  So get out there and play!  Or stay inside.  In case it’s cold.

-benjamines

Don't Lose Hope!

In Nintendo's latest release list, the oft-delayed Gamecube-turned Wii game Hoshi no Kirby (basically, Kirby Super Star) is still in development.  The title was shown at E3 2005 and literally no new details have been shown since.

The video below shows you what kind of game it may be.  This trailer is old, so many things may have changed.  Either way, it makes my heart hurt to watch this, seeing how it looks like Kirby 64, which, in my opinion, is the best game of all time.  I want my Kirby!

-benjamines

Let’s Party!

Today, Nintendo announced Wii Party, which appears to be Mario Party without Mario.

  The game looks to copy the board game/mini game collection series, but letting players use exclusively Miis instead of the Mario Bros.

Apart from a couple of screenshots, we don’t really know anything about the game, other than it’s similarity to previous Party games.

It does appear that you’ll be able to use the Balance Board.  Heck, you might even be able to use Nintendo’s not-yet-released Vitality Sensor.  Who knows.

The game is expected to ship sometime in the next year or so.  I’m predicting Holiday 2010.  You heard it here first.

-benjamines

Milestones

Kinda like kidney stones, but significantly less painful.

Since the advent of the DS and the Wii, these games have all sold more than 20 million copies.

Wii Sports: 62.34 million
Wii Play: 27.38 million
Nintendogs: 23.26 million
Wii Fit: 22.61 million
Mariokart Wii: 22.55 million
New Super Mario Bros.: 22.49 million

That’s pretty awesome, eh?  Makes most other games seem like total failures.

For the record, Brain Age and Mario Kart DS each have sold about 18 million, so they’re close.

-benjamines

Flash Game Friday!

It’s back!  Your favorite time of day when you can go to your favorite blog and play some stupid game!  It’s almost the weekend, so why the crap not, right?!

This week, we have the adorable game Sushi Cat.  There’s this kitty, see, and he wants to get all fat and stuff.  So, you drop him down a sort of Plinko-style board and get as many pieces of sushi as you can!  So silly, but so cool!  Go here to play the game!

Btw, if anyone out there has found a fun Flash game that could be included on the site, let me know!  Enjoy!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Perfect Dark (X360), Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (NDS), Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (NDS)

Nintendo News: May 06, 2010

Later this year, Disney will be releasing a Wii game called Epic Mickey.  It’s an action-platformer starring the quintessential mouse, but with a darker edge.  Not only that, the game will be transformed into an actual book.  Few details have been revealed on either title, but we’ll likely get more info at E3. [via NeoGAF]

In Nintendo’s fiscal report, they announced that Wii sales are down 21% from last year.  This is probably due to fewer high-profile titles in 2009.  This year will see a new Zelda, Mario, Metroid and several other big name titles, so I really don’t think this is a big issue.  Besides, even with the downward slide, this was Nintendo’s third-best year ever.

The latest issue of Nintendo Power talks about the next De Blob game, among other things.  One little sidenote mentions the announcement a new major game right around E3.  Whether or not it will be anounced in the magazine or at E3 is not clear.  Here’s hoping it’s a new F-Zero.  PLEEEEEAAAAAAASE!!!

-benjamines

Big Numbers

Number of DSs sold worldwide: 128,890,000.

Population of Japan: 127,380,000

You know how they always talk about robots becoming sentient and turning on you?  Yeah, I think we’re getting close to that day.

Keep your uchi locked, everyone.

-benjamines

Terrible Turdsday!

And now, it’s time once again for your favorite make-fun-of-crappy-games bit!  This week, we examine a REAL gem of a game.  Lemme tell ya.

This crappy NES game has a crappy NES name.  Well, actually, it’s more of a short story.

Chapter 1

Wizardy

Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

The End

Personally, I like the name I gave it better: Gizzardry – Puking Clowns on the Bad Underwear.  That would have been a much better game, I assure you.

Let me show you what that would look like!

Look at that pretty dragon!

Remember those old text adventure games, where you have to type each command, like Go South or Get Rock or Break Wind?  Well, this game is pretty much like that, except, as you know, the NES controller has no keyboard.  Well, not much of one anyways.  I guess if your commands looked like BABSelectABBStartBBABBB, you’d be ok.  Fortunately for the universe, the game has several commands you can use!  Like LOOK!  Or like, TALK!  It’s so freakin’ AMAZAZING!!

In short, this game is stupid.  Don’t buy it.  Don’t play it.  Don’t look at it.

For the record, I didn’t buy the game.  Some dirtbag mugger guy gave it to me.  Stinkin’ weirdy.

Pros:

• Makes a great coaster!
• It’s not Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball
• Makes ET for Atari look fantastic

Cons:

• Must you ask?

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:

Didn't expect that...

So, apparently, some franchises are too popular to not make video games out of.

Here's the official trailer for an upcoming PC/DS game.  You can form your own opinion about it.



So I guess we'll see.  It's hard to get excited about movie/TV show-based games because they almost always suck.  I hope they prove me wrong, cause I love this show.

-benjamines

Nintendo News: May 05, 2010

So apparently, everyone’s favorite oddball little brother Luigi will be playable in Super Mario Galaxy 2.  You could play as Luigi in the first one, but not until you beat the game as Mario.  This time, you can switch between Mario and Luigi on certain levels, and he can use all of the same powers that Mario can.  It’s not quite co-op, but still pretty cool.  That guy’s got mad hops. [via Kotaku]

The newest entry in the Metroid series, Other M, has been delayed and will hit stores on about August 31st.  The game is closer to the original 2D-style Metroid games, and is played primarily by holding the Wii remote sideways.  There are also some first-person sections thrown in.  The game has been promised to delve deeper in Samus’ largely unknown story.  And for all you timeline buffs, the game takes place between Super Metroid (SNES) and Metroid Fusion (GBA).

Namco has announced that the next big Pac-Man evolution will be unveiled at E3 in June.  This will coincide with the pellet-eating orb’s 30th anniversary.  Expect announcements for games on every console and game-esque device on the planet. [via Joystiq]

-benjamines

Nintendo News: May 04, 2010

Happy Tuesday!  Time for some newsday!

A couple of years ago, some of the folks at Retro Studios (makers of the fantastic Metroid Prime games) left and formed a new studio called Armature.  Well, now they’ve announced that there’s a new big game in the works with an unannounced publisher.  So, I guess it’s not much news, but it is interesting! [via 1up]

Nintendo releases its earnings report for fiscal 2009 on Thursday.  In it, earnings are expected to fall.  Some of the suits claim that this is due to poor 2010 sales thus far and the Wii price cut.  Either way, they’re still projected to report about $2.43 billion in profits (down from $2.95 billion).  So yeah… they’re still ok. [via Joystiq]
[Note: Nintendo’s fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31 of the next year.]

On that note, Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo’s hard-ball President, announced that the Wii has sold 5 million units since January 1.  That’s more than the PS3 and Xbox 360 have sold in the last year... combined!  He also said that since Netflix launched on the Wii a few weeks ago, nearly 1 million new customers have signed on.  Sounds like Nintendo is ridin’ high… still. [via Edge]

-benjamines

New Games for May

It’s official: this year is gonna be awesome.  This month sees the release of some fantastic new must-play games.  Let’s get to it!

Nintendo's flagship franchise is making a return on the Wii!  Super Mario Galaxy 2 is releasing on May 23rd!  It's the sequel to the incredible Mario Galaxy.  For those unfamiliar (and I pity you), it's a 3-D game in the style of Mario 64, but you're in space!  Each planet has different gravity, enemies, and obstacles.  It's an enormously varied environment, full of surprises and twists and of course, fun.  Don't forget all of Mario's new powers (drill, cloud, etc).  Plus, this time Mario's faithful dinosaur friend Yoshi makes an appearance.  Can't wait!

Trauma Team is the next release in the hit Trauma Center series.  Play as a doctor and help save lives from all kinds of problems and diseases, both natural and man-made.  This game adds a new twist by letting you play as 6 different specialists, including diagnosis, surgery, and forensics.  It's all the trauma center fun with a bunch of new and cool abilities!  Look for it around May 18th.

Also releasing this month are a few movie based games, such as Iron Man 2 and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands.  Don't hold your breath on Iron Man, but Prince of Persia might be ok.  They've been pretty good in the past.

Well, that's all the good ones.  Stay tuned for more news on upcoming games, especially with E3 coming next month!

-benjamines

Nintendo News: May 03, 2010

Here’s a rundown of what’s been happening today in the Nintendo universe!

It’s official: North America is getting the black Wii!  Plus, it’s a sweet deal!  You get the Wii Console, all the cables and accessories, 1 Wii remote, 1 nunchuck, 1 Motion Plus, Wii Sports, AND Wii Sports Resort, all for $200!  It’s a fantastic deal!  Look for it starting May 9th. [via Joystiq]

The Cubs Scouts of America are now offering a badge for… yes, video games.  Unbelievable, really!  I’d have certainly had my Eagle if they had badges like that when I was a kid.  Anyways, the badge is more about responsible gaming (checking ratings, price comparisons, time restrictions), so it may not be all that fun.  But it’s nice to see organizations embrace gaming rather than blame the world’s troubles on it. [via Kotaku]

There’s a rumor circulating that GameCrazy is closing all of its stores.  Well, you know what store closings mean… liquidation!  All stores are expected (although it’s not official yet) to start liquidation sometime in the next two weeks. [via Joystiq]

Well, that’s about the gist of it.  Stay tuned for (semi) daily news updates!

-benjamines

Review: WarioWare D.I.Y.

For those not familiar with the WarioWare series, let me enlighten your unfortunate brains. It’s basically a set of 5-second microgames that run in quick succession. For example, the first game has you aiming a golf ball toward the hole. If you sink it, you win the game and move on to the next one. If you miss, you lose a life. The next might be aiming a finger directly up a prominent nostril. The longer you go, the faster the games become. Once you lose 4 lives, it’s over.

Yeah, I know. Sounds insane. And by all accounts, it is. Since the first WarioWare game for GBA released back in 2003, there have been literally hundreds of different microgames released across all of Nintendo’s platforms. And now, that number has literally exploded, since the latest WarioWare game lets you make your own games! Make your own characters, animations, and music and let the fun begin! Granted, it can take some time to make a really solid game, but it’s quite literally one billion times easier (for most people) than having to do the programming yourself.

The game also comes with about 90 microgames for you to play. Plus, if you think a game needs some work, or just want to the copy the structure or music or art, you can do that, too! There are also some games that only lack some drawings, so sketch in some stuff, and you’re done!  And if that weren’t enough, the game comes with a song creator and a comics creator, so you can make full-length tunes and fun comics. You can also go online and download new games from Nintendo or any of your friends.

So, in short, the game lets you make your own stinking games (some of which will likely be stinky), music, and comics. What fun! And don’t worry; there are plenty of tutorials and tips, so even if you don’t have game design experience, you’ll be a top super game maker in no time! That being said, go out and buy the game and make some stuff! We can even share, dangit! Ok, bye!

Pros:

• Make almost any kind of microgame you want!
• Custom music and art!
• Free downloads every week!

Cons:

• You can’t quite make ANYTHING
• No custom sounds
• Can be a little difficult to learn

This game has earned a Blatantly Biased:




Here’s a clip from a game I made from scratch.  I even entered it into a contest and won a $50 prize package!  Enjoy!

Mondownloaday Returns!

Herro!!  Today marks another week of (possibly) cool and fun games for your Nintendo systems!  Let’s get to it!

• Zombie Panic in Wonderland (Akaoni Studio, 1 - 2 players, 1,000 Wii Points): Wonderland is in crisis, what with a recent infestation of the undead. Choose from seven different playable characters as you work toward solving the mystery of the "scented dwarves." ... wait, really?
  
• Kung Fu Funk: Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting! (Stickmen Studios, 1 - 4 players, 500 Wii Points): This party game is themed around those '70s kung-fu movies, and spans three modes and several minigames.

Sorry!  No Virtual Console Games this week!

• BLOONS (Hands-On Mobile, 1 player, 500 DSi Points): It's a puzzle game where you pop balloons -- err, bloons.
  
• Sokomania (CINEMAX, 1 player, 200 DSi Points): In Sokomania, players are tasked with moving crates around a game board, earning points for completing each puzzle in the fewest moves possible.
  
• Bounce & Break (Enjoy Gaming Ltd., 1 player, 500 DSi Points): This aptly titled Arkanoid clone features four different universes comprised of four seasons each.
  
• 1001 Crystal Mazes Collection (Teyon, 1 player, 500 DSi Points): Described as a "jewel logic game," it has players moving jewel pieces around a maze game board.
  
• Crazy Golf (dtp entertainment AG, 1 - 4 players, 500 DSi Points): Not to be confused with that regular golf you fall asleep watching on Sunday afternoons, this version features seven different courses (each including six different holes) and throws a variety of obstacles at you. It's so crazy, you literally play golf on somebody's desk.

Well, there ya go!  If you see something you like, go on an’ buy it, goll dernit!  Now go play some games!

-benjamines