Happy 125th Birthday, Nintendo!!

On this day in 1889, Nintendo was founded as a humble playing-card company. It has grown and changed throughout the years to become everyone's favorite company in the whole wide world.

Mario Kart 8 DLC Features F-Zero, Animal Crossing, and Zelda Themes

Mario Kart 8 is an excellent game, but it’s about to become excellenter. This November, Nintendo is releasing the first of two downloadable content packs that include tracks, vehicles, and characters from The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, F-Zero, and Excitebike.

Nintendo Voted Top Developer in Japan

A recent poll by the website Freshers shows that Nintendo is still the favorite developer in Japan.

E3 Bingo 2014

This week is E3, the biggest week in gaming! As is tradition, I have created a Bingo card to use during the various presentations. So what's on the board this year?

The Year of Luigi

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I love you!*

Earlier this morning, Nintendo broadcast another Nintendo Direct, showcasing upcoming games and content, some of which was unannounced.

Fulfilling Your Japaneeds

Nintendo is a Japanese company. I’m guessing that’s because it was founded in Japan. And, for whatever reason, many of the games created in Japan never make it to US shores. It’s a shame, really, since many of these games are excellent. Let’s have a look at a few Japanese games that never made it to the US of A.

What the expansion slider?!

So, you may or may not have seen the recent news that Nintendo is releasing an expansion slide pad for the 3DS. This has led to a lot of speculation that Nintendo mishandled the 3DS launch and failed to add two slide pads.

To all those people who think Nintendo forgot to add a second analog and/or that Nintendo is now desperately trying to fix the 3DS with an add-on: you’re idiots.

Do you honestly believe that Nintendo, after years of developing a new system, suddenly think that they messed up, and are desperately trying to fix their “mistake” after only a few months after launch? If you do: you’re an idiot.

The 3DS is a perfectly capable and well-designed machine. The 3D effect is fantastic. After playing games like Pilotwings in 3D, you start to ‘crave’ the effect in other games. It makes it much easier to tell where you are in 3D worlds. The slide pad is the prefect way to add an analog stick to a portable system. It’s flat, effective, and comfortable.

Why then, is Nintendo releasing this add-on? Two words: Monster Hunter. This is what probably happened: Nintendo and Capcom were in talks to make a Monster Hunter game for the 3DS (in case you didn’t know, the Monster Hunter series is extremely popular in Japan). This alone would guarantee 3DS sales. Capcom probably said, ‘We’ll do it, but we need a second slide pad for optimum controls.’ Nintendo probably decided an add-on slide pad would be better than to screw over all the people who already owned a 3DS. And I absolutely agree.

Here’s the poop on the slide pad: It has its own battery, so it won’t reduce the 3DS’s battery life. It adds the slide pad, plus a couple of shoulder buttons. And of course, the best part: it’s completely optional. Several games have already been announced that use the new expansion slide pad, such as Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil. It’s entirely likely that the expansion slide pad will be available in a bundle with some or all of these games.

And the best part? It looks way better than people thought. It appears to make holding the system much more like holding a controller, as you can see here. So why the turdstorm over this new thing? Because people are idiots.

Case in point: many gaming bloggers are trolling idiots who stir up controversy to gets more hits on their sites (I’m lookin’ at you, Kotaku). Nintendo still know what they’re doing, and the 3DS will be just fine. In fact, at stores like Toys ‘R’ Us, the 3DS has been in the top 10 best selling items since the price drop. So suck on that, idiots!

As for us gamers, we can relax knowing that Nintendo is going to bring us some of the best gaming experiences available. By the end of this year, we’ll have two Mario games, a new Sonic, Cave Story, and more. By the end of next year, we’ll have a new Professor Layton, Mario Tennis, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing, and many others. So rejoice, Nintendo fans! All is well with the 3DS!

Animal Crossing: Tall Tikes

That’s my suggestion for the name of the new Animal Crossing game for the 3DS, because, as you can see, the humans are quite a bit taller than in previous entries.  It looks as if perhaps there are more changes to this game than any of the others.

Speaking of changes, I hope they remove the “feature” from the Wii version where you make trails wherever you walk, because the grass or snow never regenerated.  Also, we need some more new music!  After all, that’s one of the best parts of the game.

There are rumors that this will be one of the launch titles for the 3DS.  If so, I know I’ll have plenty to do.  Can’t wait!

E3 2010 Wrap-up, Day 2

Today was witness to one of the best E3 Press Conferences ever!  Nintendo dropped the 3DS bomb on us, gave us 17 metric butte-tons of new games, and then, after the show, released a list of even more games to be released within the next year or two.  It was amazing!

Sony's press conference was dumb and boring.  It consisted of Sony telling everyone else how awesome they are (despite sales numbers that indicate the contrary), and montage videos.  Lame.

In short, Nintendo has ruled E3 this year, no question.  It's a great day to be a Nintendo gamer.  (Technically, it's always a great day to be a Nintendo gamer, but you catch my drift.)

As far as Bingo goes, I'm really close on several lines.  In fact, I have three lines that only need one more block to be completed.  And although the major press conferences are over, there are still media briefings through Thursday.  So we'll see.  Heck, maybe they'll hold one of those secret meetings like last year! (Forsooth!)

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the New Mario Platformer or Pikmin blocks, there were subtle hints on the show floor and in tech demos about those games.  Nothing specific.  But it still counts.  Dangit.

So have a look.  And when you're done looking, join me in dreaming about finally getting to own a Virtual Boy-red 3DS (hopefully later this year!).

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

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the holiday where people dress up like grass and limes, naturally the logical thing to do would be talk about games that have a prominently green cover.

The first one that comes to mind is Chibi-Robo Park Patrol for the DS. In fact, the whole game revolves around making a park greener and greener. As the tiny robot hero, you run around and pick up garbage, plant flowers, and make friends in the surrounding city. Sounds strange, but just like Animal Crossing and other life-sim games, it becomes incredibly engaging in a video game. I will admit, there are a few environmentalist flavored pieces of dialogue, but it is one of my favorite DS games. If you don't own it, you're doing yourself a serious disservice.

Speaking of life sims, of course we have to mention Animal Crossing. The greenest cover is for the Wii version, but all the games revolve around moving to a small town, making friends, catching fish, buying furniture, etc, etc. And since you're in a country town, there's grass all over the place. You can't see it in the winter, but there are cedar trees that are evergreen, so yeah. Green. Oh, and you can create your own clothes, so plenty of green there. Speaking of which, perhaps I'll go create a nice shamrock t-shirt for my character...

Ok, I'm back. Next up, we have Mario Super Sluggers. Baseball fields are green. And so is the cover of this baseball game. For those who haven't played it, I would recommend it. It's loads of fun and easy to play with anyone. Also, you can play as Toad. In fact, you can play as 5 toads. 6 if you count Toadette. My team usually consists of Mario, DK, Bowser, and a bunch of toads. Best. Team. Ever. Anways, the fields are green. At least some of them. There is an ice field. That one's not so green. And some of the others are different colors, too. Ok then.

Probably the greenest sport there is is golf. You go hit tiny orbs with sticks on a giant lawn. Fun times. Also, many golf games have green covers. Take True Swing Golf for example. It's very green. Just a logo and loads and loads of green. I try not to get too caught up in golf games in the winter because it makes me want to drive to somewhere warm and golf for real. But I know my car sucks, so I would get halfway there and break down. And then I'd be missing the cold weather while I fry in the extreme desert heat... What's that? Me, sidetracked? Never!

Next up we have a box from one of many games starring Mario's popular prehistorical mascot. Of course I mean Yoshi, the rainbow-spawning dinosaur. There are some games where Yoshi drives me crazy. But in his own games, he's pretty alright. Take this one, for example. Yoshi Touch n' Go is a DS game where you guide Yoshi and Baby Mario through various levels by drawing lines and creating paths. Not the longest game ever, but a fun one. Those who love Yoshi should get it. It's probably pretty cheap if you can find it. Not that anyone who reads this blog likes Yoshi. Especially not anyone related to me... Not you, ya dork!!!

Alright, so moving on, we have a green game that doesn't involve grass or idiotic global warming. Of course I mean Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for Gamecube. It's a compilation of a bunch of older arcade games. Some of the highlights include the excellent Mortal Kombat II and 3. Plus, there's Guantlet II, NARC, Primal Rage, and Rampage. Considering it was only $20 when it came out, it's a heck of a deal. You can probably find it on the cheap nowadays, too. I mostly bought it for MK II and 3, but I like Rampage and some of the others, too. Plus, you can get to know a few older games that you may have never played before. What a deal!

Finally, we have Pikmin, the odd yet popular Gamecube/Wii game. The Wii version just came out and it's a remake of the Gamecube one, just with Wii controls. If you don't have either, go grab the Wii one. It's only $30 and you don't have to fight for it on eBay. Anyways, the game involves Captain Olimar (who you may recognize from Smash Bros. Brawl) and the tiny Pikmin. Basically, the Pikmin are plant/human creatures that sprout from the ground. Olimar uses them to make bridges, defeat predators, and collect parts of his spaceship that fell of when he crash-landed. It's a little challenging, I will admit, but it's worth your time. A very cool game from the same guy who created a couple of other games you may have heard of (Mario or Zelda ring a bell?)

Well there you have it. Games you can play on St. Patty's Day to avoid being pinched by Mario. Take it from me. That plumber will give you such a pinch.

Honorable Mentions:

TMNT: Pretty much all TMNT games have a green logo. And four green turtles. Yeah. That's pretty green.

Luigi's Mansion (GCN): Mario's lil' green brother also has his own game. It's not totally green though, considering the brackground is an old run-down mansion and lightning.

Clubhouse Games (NDS): Another very green cover. Also, playing cards.

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Animal Crossing: City Folk, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Super Monkey Ball Adventure

Happy December!

Holy crap it's been a long time! I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and that you also bought loads of cheap games over the weekend. I know I did.

I had the whole week off from school. Which meant, of course... VIDEO GAMES!!! In fact, I've made some significant progress on my 108 in 2008 goal in the last couple of weeks. Since the 18th of November, I have conquered TWELVE games, including SBCG4AP Ep. 2, Mario Party Advance, and Viewtiful Joe 2. In fact, I beat 3 games on 21st alone. That means, for this year, my list of beaten games has reached an astounding... 106. That's right, only 2 more games to go and I shall beat my goal! Hoo-hah! 'Twill be a glorious day indeed.

In any case, I've started quite a few games recently and I would like to share with you some of the good and bad things of these gameses.

First of all, let's talk about Animal Crossing: City Folk. The newest iteration of the strangely addicting pull-weeds and buy-furniture sim is a lot of fun. It's basically the same ol' good ol' Animal Crossing we all know and love. Plus, now you can go the city, which is a small area outside the town where you can buy fancy furniture, go to an auction, or get your shoes shined. And get this: Cap'n is the bus driver! Cool! Plus, you can go see Dr. Shrunk every day and get a new emotion. Awesome!

One thing I like is how they took some good things from the Gamecube and DS versions and mixed them. Like presents. They appear anywhere in town like in the GCN version, but you still have to shoot them like in the DS version. Plus, they brought back the cool bi-level town design from the cube AC.

All in all, it's still a lot of fun. My only complaint: all the music is the same as the DS one. I was hoping they'd write something new for this one, but there's not much new stuff. Ah well. At least you can listen to Totakeke twice per Saturday instead of once. So yeah... so far, so good.

Another game I started recently is Mercury Meltdown: Revolution, also for Wii. It's one part Monkey Ball, one part Marble Madness, five parts awesome. You tilt the Wii remote to control a blob of Mercury and guide it to the finish line. There are different floors, such as a sticky floor and a slick floor. There are different modifiers, such as a heater that makes the mercury break up easier, and a cooler, which makes it stick together better. And, of course, there are mini-games, which are kinda cool, but not nearly as fun as the main game.

To be honest, I'm kinda surprised at well done the game is. It controls very well. It doesn't get as out-of-control as Monkey Ball can get, either. Plus, there's over 150 levels. Schweet! And don't expect all of these levels to be drop-dead easy, either. One level I played yesterday took me about 25 minutes to beat. But it was cool. It's one of those games that you can really get into, but it's also set up so you can play for a few minutes at a time and still make progress. Awesome. All in all, it works well. The included mini-games aren't completely stupid, but what can you do, right?

So there you are. Some foist impweshuns. Will it be one of these games that ends up being the straw that breaks the 1o8 Camel's back, or will it be something else? The answer shall be revealed soon. Stay tuned!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mercury Meltdown Revolution, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Herro Fliendry Peopre!

Hahaha! Look at me! Invoking tired and offensive stereotypes! LOL!

Just kidding. So... I have decided that it's fairly hard to really appreciate some games until you've seen them in action. So I've decided to show some videos of some of the recent releases and upcoming games.

First, here is the sweet video of the upcoming Punch-Out!! for Wii.



Isn't that just awesome? I love the Rocky-flavored theme music. Adrian!

Next we have Kirby Super Star Ultra. This should give you a feel of some of the gameplay modes and cutscenes.



Simply amazing. Thirdly, let's look at the exciting Animal Crossing: City Folk for Wii, coming next month!



Coming up next, check out this video showing some of the details and games for the new DSi. It's in Japanese, but you should be able to get the gist of it.



Finally, have a look at this video, showing some of the new upcoming Wii games. The quality is a little on the crappy side, but it's annotated, so you can tell what the games are called.



Well, there ya go! Enjoy the videos and more importantly, buy and enjoy these games when they come out! Hoo-hah!

-benjamines

Currently Wanting: Animal Crossing City Folk, Trace Memory Wii, Punch-Out!! Wii

Slough of New

Hello all! This last week was chock-full of great new gaming news! There's like a billion games coming out soon! Like, seriously! A billion!

First of all, Nintendo has announced a new Play on Wii series. They take classic Gamecube games, add Wii motion controls, and poof! Instant awesome! The first to be released will be the original Pikmin. Other titles will includes Pikmin 2, Metroid Prime 1 & 2, DK Jungle Beat, and Chibi-Robo. They all sound awesome. But I'm not so sure about DK Jungle Beat. I mean, it's a great game, but you just need the bongos to make it work. It's just not the same without all that tactile feedback. Either way, at least the Pikmin games and Chibi-Robo will finally get the attention they deserve.

Also, Nintendo showed a video with TONS of new games for both the Wii and the DS. Some of the Wii games include Punch-Out!, a remake of the NES Classic with cel-shaded (cartoony 3-D) graphics and motion controls, and the sequel to the fantastic DS title Trace Memory. It was one of my first DS games, but also one of my favorites.

The new DS games coming out are also awesome. They include a new WarioWare (you can't get enough of those), a new Mario & Luigi RPG, and a crazy-cool looking 3-D Picross. Also coming up is the Phoenix Wright spinoff starring his best friend/arch nemesis-in-court Miles Edgeworth. Details are sketchy, but it has something to do with running around with Detective Gumshoe and collecting evidence or something. Either way, I call dibs.

Also, there is more news on the DSi. At first, I was a little disappointed since I just got a new DS and it's coming out in less than a month in Japan. But after further review, I have decided it's ok now. First off, it won't be released until well into 2009, so possibly summertime-ish next year. Plus, it doesn't have any better hardware, so it's not an upgrade, just a redesign. The only thing about it I really want is the Virtual Console download thing they'll be doing. But I know that they will probably be releasing Gameboy and Game Gear games for it, the majority of which I either already own, or do not want. So, in short, I am excited for it, but I haven't decided whether I want it on day one or not yet. We shall see.

So there you go. Proof that there are a billion games coming out soon. And don't forget previously announced games like Animal Crossing for Wii and a new Strong Bad episode every month for the rest of the year. Awesome. Just awesome.

Don't forget to vote in the new poll! And by the way, you can vote multiple times if you use a different browser or computer each time. Hoo-hah!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Megaman Battle Network 5 DS, Wario Land Shake It!, Nintendogs

Only 91 days left!

Guess what everybody!! It's only 3 MONTHS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!! How awesome is that?! In commemoration of this grand occasion, let's talk about some games out there that include some Christmas or winter-type levels or themes!

Playing Christmas games goes way back for me. Way back to when my uncle gave me an old computer and I installed classic DOS games, like Jetpack and Jazz Jackrabbit. Both of these has excellent Christmas editions that were there to spread a little holiday cheer and make the countdown to Christmas a little faster.

Jetpack in and of itself is a fantastic game. And any fantastic game that adds the ability to play as Santa and put presents under the tree becomes a legendary game. Even better there is a level editor! Such beauty has scarcely been seen by human eyeballs. Back in the day, I had a great level that was simply meant for messing around. Teleports, random enemies, no goals or anything. Great fun!

Jazz Jackrabbit was also a fantastic DOS franchise. One part Sonic, one part Rambo, the rampaging rabbit always had plenty of adventure. Plus, there was a Christmas version. And, if anything was awesome about Jazz Jackrabbit, it was the music. The holiday music remixed as a sort of techno-rock mashup is simply a joy to listen to. And the gameplay was fun, too.

But these aren't the only games that can let you have a little Christmas fun. Sometimes, you need to look for Christmas inside a regular game. For example, Mariokart has some great snowy levels. The original SNES version had Vanilla Lake, a great level where you race around a frozen lake. The best part was getting mushrooms and trying to see how far across the water you could go before you sank. The N64 version has Frappe Snowland, the snowman-bomb ridden landscape with an excellent soundtrack.

Diddy Kong Racing also has some fantastically festive levels. Frosty Village is my favorite. Weave your car, hovercraft, or airplane through falling snow, giant candy canes, and Christmas spirit so thick you can cut it with a fruitcake knife. And don't forget Walrus Cove. While not as obviously Christmasy, it still provides some winter racing excitement.

But there are even more holiday gaming options outside of racing. Mario Party 3 (the best of the series, in my opinion [and I'm right]), has the best board Mario has ever partied on. The first board is called Chilly Waters, and it has the coolest music and environment around. Watch out for giant snowmen!

Even some 1-player games have some worlds that can help bring a little more Joyeux Noel into your life. Animal Crossing has an entire season of snow and fun! There are even special events during Christmastime. Super Princess Peach, the sadly undersold save-the-plumber adventure includes an entire world of Christmasy fun, complete with jingle bells and candy canes. Most Kirby games include some sort of snowy, cream-cheese world, too.

But don't limit your options to consoles. There are plenty of PC games (and many of them free!) that bleed Christmas. There are tons of Mario-type Christmas adventures, Christmas pinball, Christmas slot machines... you name it!

Basically, there are tons of games out there with plenty of Christmas spirit. It just needs to be found! So get out there, and find some great holiday games! As for me, I think I'm gonna fire up Twinkle Bulbs and play a little Christmas Jetpack.

Have a great Christmas game that I didn't mention? Let us know!

-benjamines

Currently Playing: Kirby Super Star Ultra, TMNT 2 Battle Nexus, Super Smash Bros. Brawl