The Daily ‘Shroom – 5/23/07
Ok, so this week has been off to a lousy start, personally. For more info, you can read all about it in my LiveJournal (link’s over on your left, there).
Since I missed work today, doing what I can about this and other stuff, I’m going to have to catch-up on it tomorrow when I go in, and for now, I’ll catch up on updating tonight and try and get the rest tomorrow.
- I suppose the big news to kick off with this week is the grand re-opening of the Smash Bros. Dojo.
Some say that this version of the site (which will update daily) has less info than the preceding one, but I disagree. We basically had some info regarding characters that we had already seen in the trailers from TGS and E3, and not much else. I don’t think even Fox was listed, despite the reveal.
This new version has both videos, some new screenshots demonstrating how to play (keep in mind, a lot of Wii gamers probably will not have played either preceding version, so a primer makes sense).
Another new part (with more new screens) looks at the new-and-improved Battlefield stage, which will now see different phases of the day as time passes (tho whether or not in real-time is unknown). As a bonus, you can even hear the music for the stage, a remix of the menu theme from Melee.
And that brings us to the big update of the site: the musicians. A large number and wide range of musical talent are on board for this one, and coupled with the comments at the top, it leads to speculation.
What exactly is risky? The sheer number involved? Or the implication that by showing who is working and what they’ve done before, that they might be tipping their hand as to other characters to expect?
- Other news from the Big N includes the latest additions to the Virtual Console library: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (SNES), Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis), and Blazing Lazers (TG16).
Not a bad haul this week. And ignore the critics, DKC2 is a fine game.
- Not content to stop there, Reggie’s Boyz have also revealed what’s coming this summer to the Wii and DS, including Mario Strikers Charged and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, just to name two. Click the link to see the full list; I don’t think we can call this summer a drought.
- By the Matrix, have I got my work cut out for me. TransFormers, ho!
Wait, wrong cartoon. Anyway. Try and make this quick.
Radio controlled Movie SpyChangers = kick-ass, as do galleries of Voyager-size Movie Megatron, Barricade and Brawl, Wreckage, and Rhinox.
More Fast Action Battlers; non-transformable Robot Replicas in packaging and out; a nice new website for the movie toys, showing them transforming and in action; more images of Ultimate Bumblebee, with a first look at Leader-Class Brawl; an update of the game website, more Robo-Vision goods from Target; bios for the Target-exclusive Movie toys; and finally, a scan of a game preview from Nintendo Power.
Whew! I just wish my Nintendo Powers were as timely.
BWTF.com chips in with reviews of Timelines Laserbeak, Movie Ratchet, Cyber-Slammers Bumblebee, Real Gear Robots’ Speed Dial 800, Movie Barricade, and Cyber Slammers Optimus Prime.
- Hmm, interesting.
Marvel and Fox are running a contest to find Silver Surfer-emblazoned quarters, spread all across the country.
The real question is, will these be seen as a threat to national security? These quarters do foretell the coming of Galactus, after all…
Hmm, I wonder if they can be redeemed for Power Cosmic? “The Silver Nytetrayn” has a neat ring to it…
- New news from Atomic Fire says that we can expect some returning characters in Mega Man ZX Advent, definitely welcome news, among other tidbits. Here’s hoping for unlockables!
Rockman Perfect Memories also brings word of a Star Force price drop, not to mention this odd tidbit.
- Something I didn’t get to touch on this past weekend was the rumor surrounding the close of Nintendo Power magazine.
But, new word has come up in another rumor that Nintendo may just be looking to move operations outside the US…
…for reasons I just don’t understand. That is to say, I can’t see what the advantage would be over having it across the street and in-house.
Makes me wonder, though, how this could affect the product if it were to happen? How would the price be affected? How many other publications tend to do this for a North American audience? Is Canada a possibility?
- Looks like Geometry Wars is Wii-bound.
- Grand Theft Auto IV sounds like it’s getting a pretty sweet special edition.
- I’m not sure how credible Japanese magazine Famitsu is these days, but it’s still worth noting they gave Resident Evil 4 for the Wii a perfect score.
- Do we really need two video game ratings systems?
Reading the Common Sense Rating, though, it seems more like a slower spelling-out of what’s in the game for those parents who don’t have a clue; I can practically see their lips moving in my mind.
Somehow, I doubt this will help get the message across, as Little Johnny has played Grand Theft Auto over at his friend’s house, and is no doubt desensitized to all that bad stuff by now.
And he’s mature for his age, too.
And smart. Did we mention smart? He sleeps all day in class because we let him stay up watching late-night TV in his room and he still manages to pull in a C-minus. Smart, I tells ya’!
–LBD “Nytetrayn”