InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Oooh, I can’t wait for this.

   In addition to some info about a UK TransFormers magazine that should do well to appease movie fans, there is also word that the IDW universe shall see its own version of Fortress Maximus introduced at some point in the future.

   Being one of my favorite characters, I’m stoked, as you can imagine.

2. Oh my. Seems that the first issue of the Beast Wars Sourcebook didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. Chris Ryall responds to concerns aired regarding this.

   Sounds like they hope to fix what they can for the trade, I just hope it’s sufficient.

3. As regards the movies, it seems that Steven Spielberg himself is really crackin’ the ol’ whip to get a story done.

   So much so that it seems that a script has been formed and leaked, though it won’t be the one used for the final product. Still, might make for some fab fanfic-ish fodder for folks foaming for further ‘Formers film fun.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The late Charles M. Schulz will have a biography published soon, and it seems his family is none-too pleased with the final product.
2. The Garfield Gets Real website has added yet another new character to the proceedings, the high-energy, highly-efficient Prop Boy, who might be an interesting addition to the cast. Handled properly, he could even be a breakout character.

Video Power

1. Seems that Microsoft is preparing for the holidays by readying a XBox 360 bundle with two free games, Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Not bad, at least Marvel, anyway.
2. Wanna get smashed and shoot through the stars? Then you’re in luck, as Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be at E for All!

   The Oct. 18-22 event at the Los Angeles Convention Center will be the first opportunity for the public to get their hands on these games and take them for a test drive, and Nintendo is even going to have a Smash tournament where competitors get free Wii-themed shirts, and different shirts will be available each day of the show.

   Damn! I wish I could go.

   And while the lineup could change, there’s going to be plenty of other games shown as well, including:

   Wii
   Donkey Kong? Barrel Blast
   Battalion Wars? 2
   Fire Emblem?: Radiant Dawn
   Wii Zapper? with Link’s Crossbow Training?
   Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
   Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
   Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
   Resident Evil?: The Umbrella Chronicles
   Medal of Honor Heroes? 2
   Ghost Squad?

   DS
   Professor Layton? and the Curious Village
   Pok?mon? Diamond and Pok?mon? Pearl
   Flash Focus?: Vision Training in Minutes a Day
   Brain Age?: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
   Brain Age? 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
   Mario Party? DS
   The Legend of Zelda?: Phantom Hourglass
   Nintendogs?
   Mario Kart? DS
   New Super Mario Bros. ?
   Animal Crossing?: Wild World
   Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
   Final Fantasy XII
   Jam Sessions
   WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008
   Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker
   My Spanish Coach

   Hmm, I think I might have played some of those DS games before. Still, the Wii lineup should more than make up for it. If you decide to go, get me a t-shirt. I’ll totally pimp whatever you’re selling on here.

   Not only will Nintendo be there in force, but so will Video Games Live with a new set from Halo 3.

3. And speaking of Brawl, thanks to ACE Spark for catching that Japan’s side of the Smash Bros. DOJO!! got a little something that we didn’t, in the form of an extra new song.

   Come on now, Sakurai, why you gotta be like that? We love ya’, too.

   …and evidently, he loves us, as we see when Sonic joins the fray!

   Unfortunately, I can’t link to the individual posts for some reason, but check it out! There’s even a pair of movies from Nintendo’s conference, one of which shows some video of many of the more recent additions.

   The downside is that the release date may have been pushed back… the US release of 12/3 is no longer listed, and Japan reported the release as going back into January of next year.

4. Finally, details of Wii Ware have come to light, as Nintendo brings forth some dates, details, and titles for their planned disc-free content.
5. Nintendo (wow, a lot going on with them, huh? Seems that they just had a conference in Japan, though, so…) has just revealed a firmware upgrade to help make the Internet Channel a little more easily usable.
6. Other conference news in short: Monster Hunter 3, Famicom Wars, Super Mario Stadium Baseball, and Wii Music for Wii; Fire Emblem for DS; Mario Kart Wii will include motorcycles and be released next Spring; Wii Fit will come out on 12/1 for 8800 Yen; Nintendo plans to put more focus on the Everyone Votes Channel, including game rankings; and finally, it seems Nintendo’s finally ready to make with the downloadable demos for your DS from home.

   Of course, this was all in Japan, so who knows what percentage we’ll see here?

7. Wow, Rockstar just can’t catch a break in jolly ol’ England, can they?

   The BBFC rejected Manhunt 2 again, and the boys at Take Two decided to fire one back at them.

8. There’s been some rumor that Nintendo is releasing a new Wii SKU for the holidays called Wii Play n’ Learn, but as it turns out, that’s not the case. While there is a product by that name, it’s not directly associated with a hardware SKU, should there even be a new one.

   With Nintendo, I could see them hanging on to the same bundle we’ve been not-seeing for the same reasons that there was only one color and one SKU to start with.

9. I hope that N’Gai Croal’s appearance on CNN will help to drive the point home to at least a few people that not all games are for kids.
10. NECA’s SDCC-exclusive “Pixel” Simon Belmont must have sold far worse than they ever expected, as it’s now a preorder bonus for the upcoming PSP must-have Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.

    …wow, October 23rd? I need to get my ass to the store!

11. And finally, it looks like Mario and Sonic aren’t going to be the only ones hitting Beijing, as Miis may join the Olympic march as well.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007 at 5:22 am and is filed under The Daily 'Shroom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.