InFormers: Robots in the News

1. If you dig transforming helicopters, and the destructive Decepticon Blackout isn’t your thing, then perhaps the heroic Autobot EVAC from the current Movie line would be more your speed.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Remember Aquaman? “The superhero who talks to the fish?”

   Sad to say, his creator is no longer with us.

Video Power

1. Smash Bros. DOJO!! updates again with another double-whammy.

   Sakurai starts off by refreshing us on the art of grabbing and throwing (which sounds like it may be a little easier this time), and then gets on to the REAL meat of the update:

   The assist trophy of Gray Fox, aka “the Ninja” from Metal Gear Solid.

   Which of course means that maybe, just maybe, there’s some truth to the talk of Tails as an assist trophy… and yet, side-by-side, that hardly seems fair, does it?

2. Sounds like SEGA wants to bring more imports to the Virtual Console. Or even just games that were available on the SEGA Channel.

   Now, I wonder if they include something like Mega Man: The Wily Wars in that, or if that would be purely a Capcom thing.

3. Sounds like Nintendo isn’t the only one looking at a longer console life cycle.

   Ironic to hear it from Microsoft, though, whose consoles are lucky to last a month in most cases. Here’s hoping for improved hardware all around that can stand up to the test of time as well as TVs and DVD players.

4. Atari is screwed. Again.
5. Looks like the Japanese will be seeing red when they go shopping for a PSP.

   Europe has something similar, too, that might make their skin crawl.

6. In an interesting turn of events, Dell has a pretty good deal on the PS3.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Yay, more drones. Looks like Movie Dreadwing is getting a new coat of paint and a new moniker as Overcast.
2. Speaking of the movie, star Shia LaBeouf was arrested at a Chicago Walgreens, though the circumstances seem like they could be dubious.
3. God, I hate “animanga” and such books that are nothing but screencaps from a cartoon or TV show with word balloons, posing as comic books. Despite all that, however, this preorder for one of the Animated TPB’s of that nature gives is a damn fine look at a somewhat-G1-esque Animated Megatron. Not too shabby.

   Now to just make sure that my comic shop doesn’t pull these aside for me.

4. So now IDW’s trying to turn Ramjet into some sort of, I dunno, character. Which is why he gets his own one-shot in Spotlight, which is why this five-page preview is floating around.

   I might be more into it if I could actually make out the text. What is this, Dead Rising?

5. Shockwave: one eye, one hand, and now, zero legs.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. In 2008, Toys for Tots celebrates 60 years of service. Rock on.
2. GameSpite.net has what’s new in anime, DVD, and… um… oh, yeah, games this week. Melancholy of Haruhi and Ratatouille rock the hiz-ouse.
3. Them an-ee-may boys over at IGN have some new trailers goin’ on, if that be your thing.
4. Looks like the squeaky wheel gets the grease, as Hasbro has made some concessions to all the fanbitching (I don’t mean it in a negative way, I’ve been doing it, too) about the upcoming GI Joe movie.

   Now, let’s just hope that they have some actual creativity on board who can work within a concept, rather than feel strangled by it.

   Also, fun fact: The mentioned “Pit” is a name used in both of Hasbro’s top properties, GI Joe and TransFormers. In GI Joe, it’s the name of the Joes’ headquarters, while in TransFormers, it has several meanings– all bad– that are usually associated with evil, or their version of Hell.

Video Power

1. Smash Bros. DOJO!! kicks us off today with a small flurry of updates.

   Starting off, there’s the new Fire Emblem theme, lyrics and all. Not quite as fast-paced as what we had in Melee, but it’s not bad.

   Next up is a new Adventure Mode movie, Fox’s Misfortune, which is really more of a misfortune for someone else as Fox totally takes it to him.

   Finally, tonight’s update is surprisingly diverse, as they cover items from previous installments. The way Sakurai does this stuff, it’s almost like 6 updates at once!

   Say, is that some sort of clock in there? That ought to prove interesting, as I’ve only ever known clocks to do one thing consistently in games. Hint: it’s not keeping time.

2. As noted above, GameSpite has us covered in what’s new this week. Personal picks for the best shizzle to rock yo’ hizzle, fo’ rizzle, are Fire Emblem, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, LEGO Star Wars. Aqua Teen may be a rental, at least.

   As for my pick for “Game of the Year,” I think I can safely recommend Cabela’s Big Game Hunter. Ok, maybe not, but I like it better than most FPS I set my hands on. Just watch your legs, those wolverines will tear your ass apart and leave you pulling yourself back to camp by your tongue.

3. NiGHTS is nearly upon us, and what’s more, it’s raining! It’s snowing! Bolts of lightning are ripping down from the sky! It’s all of these things, and maybe a little more, depending on where you live.

   The downside is, they only brought it to their B-game, the “A-Life” thing. Oh well, just think of the possibilities for Animal Crossing.

4. For more NiGHTS news throughout the week, keep your eyes peeled to 1up.com as they go through one week of NiGHTS.
5. Nintendo of Canada has started a new website dedicated to getting families up and playing with their Wiis together. Just remember that if you’re going to play vigorously with your Wii, that you should use protection.

   On a related note, woo! Go Nintendo linked me again! I feel so loved.

6. On a side note, those jackets aren’t quite as much like Sock’em Boppers as I’d hoped. I had to spend all afternoon apologizing and explaining to the wife why I hit her in the head with a Wii remote. So keep that in mind before things get out of control. In the meantime, if you need any further advice, I’ll be sleeping over on the couch.
7. South Park is becoming a real cartoon of the gaming people, it seems. Pity that any attempts at actually making it into a game have gone south.

   Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped them from their continued numerous fanwanks into the realm of gaming, and their newest episode, “Guitar Queer-o,” should be no different when it airs tomorrow night.

8. Virtual Console receives three new titles today: the formerly Japan/Europe-only Genesis title Alien Soldier, Power Golf for the TurboGrafx-16, and some game no one’s ever heard of before, might’ve sold one or two copies in its day.

   It’s so unheard of that they actually had to post a second trailer just so people might have some idea of what it is.

   Want to know what’s totally hawt, and what’s totally for naught? Don’t let your Points perish, just turn to 1up’s Parish to know where to spend.

9. Purely to torment me, GameTrailers has more new videos from Super Mario Galaxy. Many more, in fact.

   A US commercial, even!

10. On top of that, looks like Nintendo World is holding a midnight launch, too. Which is sort of funny, because for the Wii itself, you had to wait until they opened the launch day.

    Wish I could go, I loved that store. If I ever had to work retail again, that’d be the place I’d want to be.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. The strike is on (see below), and it looks like TransFormers 2 isn’t ready for it.
2. So in the meantime, you can take out your frustrations with these new role-play blasters.
3. Or, enact your own with the battle-damaged 3-pack, available now at Sam’s Club, where Starscream proves dominant over Optimus and Arcee.
4. All this, plus more Fast-Action Battlers (with new characters, even) and Legends 2-packs.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Looks like the strike is on!
2. From “Sso02V” (I have no idea how to pronounce that), word has just come to me that the dream is dead.

   I’m not about to get into politics here, but I will say that I’m disappointed more by the reasons behind Colbert not being able to run than his actually not being able to run.

   “What happened to the American ideal that anyone can grow up and be president?” indeed.

3. On a more solemn note, Rest in Peace, Moolah. You were awesome ’til the end.

   On the upside, at least this is one wrestling death that probably can’t be attributed to the lifestyle.

4. Cool, the Build-a-Bear Workshop has turned 10. Glad to hear they’re moving along so well, given the charitable aspects of the company.
5. Guess I shouldn’t reapply at Blockbuster, maybe.

   Never seen the celphone problem, personally.

6. For fans of Yu-Gi-Oh, it looks like the manga is wrapping up in the new issue of Shonen Jump.
7. A Seinfeld reunion? Could it be true?

Video Power

1. Nothing new to report on the Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse front, except that there’s nothing new to report as the script is making its way through the “notes” phase, though there are some interesting glimpses at the process, particularly the stabbing with glass bottles and difficulty of doing so with the exchange rate.
2. So the ESRB says that Take Two is not guilty on the whole Manhunt 2 hack issue, and justify it with what I think sounds like a bunch of BS that states that the only difference between this and Hot Coffee is that they didn’t know about Hot Coffee, which seems as though it should be largely irrelevant in the scope of things.

   “Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed jury… this… is Chewbacca.”

   Feel free to Digg it, you won’t hurt my feelings any by it. Looks like Maggie at Kotaku and I share similar sentiments on the subject.

3. Target, in the meantime, has effectively said “screw it.” Though Go Nintendo says it’s still a rumor.
4. More, more, more trailers of gameplay for Super Mario Galaxy.
5. Good news for those without EB and GameStop… Wal-Mart has the Super Mario Galaxy demo! No word if they’re offering the coin or not, however.
6. The first video of Cruis’n (yeah… just “Cruis’n,” no “USA” or whatever) by Midway is now online, and onNintendo has it!

   …looks alright, I guess. I dunno, just seems like it’s missing… something.

7. Free 2-day shipping on Super Mario Galaxy from GameStop.com? I wonder if Canada counts.

   On a related note, buy it at Toys R Us, and get a free $25 gift card! Also, I again wonder if Canada counts.

   I’m going to be SO pissed off if I can’t get any sort of good deal here.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Impossible Toys has a bunch of new TransFormers items, including a light-up Kremzeek and a quartet of Quintessons. Perfect fodder for TransFormers/Ace Attorney crossovers!
2. New prototype images from the Robot Heroes line can be seen here.
3. And perhaps most interesting of all, a new clip has surfaced for TransFormers: Animated.

   Clearly, they’re running with the movie’s notoriety by using “the Allspark” instead of “the Matrix.”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Mini-Mutants, Maxi-fun!

   That would be an awful tagline for the Mini-Mutant Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures that are coming soon, given that it sounds more like a reference to feminine care products. But at least the figure is neat.

2. Does this count as game news? Or other? I’ll go with other, since that’s how Japan seems to be treating it.

   The Blue Dragon anime is coming to Xbox Live Marketplace with two free eps for download.

Video Power

1. “Japan Time” at the Smash Bros. DOJO!! is upon us once again, and today’s update, the last of the week, is… well, it’s ok, I guess.

   Titled On-Screen Appearances, it references the unique entrances the characters make at the start of the match. If you’re like me and missed out on the original Super Smash Bros. and cut your teeth on Melee, then this may be new to you, so it’s not the worst way to end the week.

   We got to see some of these in E for All’s videos, but it gives a little more clarity to others, particularly the newcomers.

2. So, the PTC has urged the ESRB to bring back MH2′s AO rating FTW, ok?

   Translation: Hot Coffee ALL over again, only with Manhunt 2 instead, and perhaps no coffee involved. And this time, the game was only out a week, so it’s unlikely that as many people got it as did GTA: San Andreas.

3. And while Rockstar seems to have real issues with removing questionable content from their games, it seems they’ve no qualms about removing entire studios worth of people from the credits of said game.
4. Hey, maybe if Rockstar has to pull Manhunt 2 from the shelves, maybe they can fit in those extra credits while they’re rewriting the discs! That’d solve both problems. This is sort of like karma…
5. Great, now a Senator is getting involved as well.

   Though if it’s like last time, I don’t think we can blame the ESRB for Rockstar being idiots. But I think if Rockstar keeps doing this sort of thing and the ESRB is innocent, then they should initiate an indefinite ratings blackout on Rockstar. See how many games they sell when they can’t even get them rated. Maybe that’ll teach them to wise up.

6. That whole Rock Band thing coming out in a few weeks? Good luck getting one. It’s like this year’s Wii, except that the Wii is also this year’s Wii.
7. A new Sonic Rivals 2 trailer appears, attempting to lead us to believe the game may just be fun.
8. And, a couple of new ads for Super Mario Galaxy, as well as two new gameplay trailers.

   The first of the two gameplay trailers would certainly have fit Halloween with its exploration of the haunted manor, as well as a special appearance by– well, you guess.

   Oh, and IGN has a glut of new videos as well.

9. Nintendo’s newest lead in marketing hasn’t officially begun work yet, but that hasn’t stopped her from preaching the word of Miyamoto.
10. Sometimes I think the ol’ PR machine could use a little tweaking. Maybe I should take it to Dr. Light… or Doc Brown.

    In any case, being in Canada, and despite having my attempts at getting into Nintendo’s press room jettisoned to a firm in Canada despite most of my audience being in the US anyway, I’m surprised it took Go Nintendo for me to hear about Big N giving Nintendo DSes to the Children’s Miracle Network, one for every twenty sold at Wal-Mart.

11. DS game called Ninja Reflex.

    For some reason, the first thought that comes to my mind is a stylus stabbed through the touch screen. Here’s hoping this doesn’t lead to stylus jackets.

12. Hey, speaking of which, I haven’t gotten my Wii remote jackets yet. Has anyone else who’s reading this?
13. The Wii Shop Gift Channel in action. Pretty sure it’s sped up, considering, but I’m still impressed by how quickly they enter the Japanese text.
14. So Hori is bringing their Arcade Stick for Wii to America. Some interesting details…

    This product does not have the Classic Controller?s L or R Stick fitted.

    Also the L button and R button do not function with analog output.

    This product connects to the Wii controller as a ?Wii Remote Expansion? and does not
    function when directly connected to the Wii.

    …wait, then why would it connect directly to the Wii at all, if there’s no purpose?

    Also, it’d be nice if there was just a hollow part you could slide the Wii remote into.

    The rest:

    This product is compatible with Classic Controller compatible games.

    Games that are Classic Controller compatible have the compatible mark on the back
    of the packaging.

    Release Date: November 2007
    MSRP: $49.99

    Great, now will there be one for Xbox 360 that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?

15. EA still supports all consoles. I assume this includes EA Sports.

    …and if so, I guess that makes them athletic supporters! *rimshot*

16. Hooray for advergaming! The finalists in Doritos’ Xbox 360 arcade game contest are now available to play, and then be voted upon for which one gets the full treatment.
17. And finally, 1up checks out the Mii feature in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, to see how they work.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Next up: Thanksgiving. Well, in the US, anyway. Up here in Canada, it’s pretty much a straight shot to Christmas, as they gave their thanks a few weeks ago. Ah, to be home again. Pity my broke ass can’t afford it. Hopefully I’ll find something that pays and can go visit… well, probably next year sometime.

Oh well, on with the news!

InFormers: Robots in the News

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. For those who don’t care for the white color scheme on Music Label Convoy, good news is that there should be a new version released in G1 colors, due in March of 2008.
2. Yippee, more Star Wars TransFormers, as the “future looks bright” for them.

   I dunno, I still wish they’d gone a more crossover-styled route.

3. And it seems Tformers has a new look at new Movie Legends figures.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The blog of the 5th turtle has given us a peek at an idea of where the animation style may go for the 2K8 series. Not too bad; I still like the 2K3 version better, but this seems like a decent blend of that aesthetic with the TMNT movie style, and some unique quirks of its own.
2. In an unexpected turn, Bandai of America and Dragon Ball Z are together again.

   Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to count the video games.

Video Power

1. Well, so much for that.

   Went to my nearest EB Games, hoping to score some time with the Super Mario Galaxy demo and put a preorder down, so that I could at least secure my coin, even if I can’t pick up the game on launch day (I could just cry).

   Turns out that one guy there said they didn’t have the demo, didn’t know when they’d be getting the demo, and it could be three weeks. What. The. Hell. The game will be OUT by that time…

   …or so I thought. The cashier told me that “for weeks” now, the release had been pushed back to February. It only now occurs to me that she is probably thinking of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as I did debate the fact with, as memory serves, NO ONE ELSE having that kind of date, much less for weeks now.

   It also occurs to me that, from what I remember, this EB Games seems to have a REALLY bad association going with the local Nintendo distributor, so maybe in their case, it’s the truth. At any rate, between all this and the Mega Man ZX fiasco I’d dealt with before, I chose not to leave my five dollars.

   Sigh. All this trouble for one stupid coin.

2. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition has reportedly sold 1 million copies worldwide, and Capcom expects it to be a strong seller into the holiday season, along with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles on November 13th.
3. Smash Bros. DOJO!! updates once more with a brand spankin’ new stage, The Summit of Icicle Mountain, though this one looks– and acts– much different than their Melee turf, based on the original title. But not so different that they forgot the good ol’ polar bear!

   Say, speaking of which, I wonder what they might be able to do for an Ice Climbers title today?

4. On a related note, Krystal unconfirmed? Or just hidden away?
5. If you’ve been a good little Spartan this year, then Bungie Claus has a special Halloween surprise just for you.
6. Virtual Console gift channel launch date: December.

   Ok, not so much a date as a vague idea, but it’s better than we had.

7. Portal for Wii? Not yet…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Is WalMart.com getting into the import business?
2. An auction has appeared that shows off some details of one of the newer toys, Allspark Power Landmine from the Movie line.
3. Apparently the Real Gear line has been successful, as Hasbro has announced more for 2008.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Once I can drive again, I have to get one of these for my car.

   “Once this baby hits 88 miles per hour…”

2. GameSpite once again brings us our weekly look at the DVDs, anime, and games due out this week.
3. Good news: it seems that the Green Lantern movie may finally be under way.

   Better news: it doesn’t seem to be that ridiculous Jack Black comedy idea.

4. Also good: The Flash may not be far behind.
5. What the HELL is with this new Geoffrey the Giraffe?

Video Power

1. Looks like Resident Evil is returning to the movies, this time in CG form!
2. Last night’s Smash Bros. DOJO!! update was a doozy.
   

   From Excitebike to Wrecking Crew and more recently in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, the ability to custom-build your own stage has always been a mixed blessing.

   While often a nightmare in the hands of the sadistic designer, who thinks nothing less than infinite killer spikes and insurmountable odds will do, those more dedicated to the craft of having fun can bring out the best in a game, sometimes using creativity not even realized by those who made the game, and ultimately lengthen the pleasurable lifespan of the title as a result.

   Which is why cheers could be heard around the world as Masahiro Sakurai’s Smash Bros. blog updated this morning with the news that the eagerly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl would contain this very feature, making the wait even harder for fans of Nintendo’s beloved franchise.

   Selectable options for creating one’s own stage will include the size of the stage, background patterns, and music from the songs you have selectable.

   Among other things, each controller setting (though functioning differently) will be able to flip parts left or right, enlarge or shrink them, zoom in and out, swap pallettes, and erase what you’ve done. Once you’ve set things up, you can try it out, and modify it from there, and finish by giving it a name and an accompanying comment.

   You can choose music for the custom stage on the Save screen, and then save your creation to an SD card, which ultimately means there’s no real limit to how many stages you can create.

   In addition, stages can be sent to friends, or uploaded to Nintendo’s servers (though this feature will be limited, perhaps to once a day).

   The downside, however, is that you will also only be able to get one stage from Nintendo per day. When you download a “stage of the day,” it will only be available for that day, though whether that means you can only download it on that day, or whether it’s removed from your Wii’s memory at the end of the day is a little unclear.

   Sakurai goes on to say that this is the current plan, though in the future the specs may change, nor does he know what the exact service period will be.

   “The fun of sharing is one of the ways that I wanted to take advantage of Wi-Fi for something other than pure battling.”

   This prospect both excites me and horrifies me. When Capcom introduced Mega Man Powered Up for the PSP, their download service paved the way for a slew of truly horrible stages; the bulk majority seemed to not have been tested by players, and often demanded pixel-perfect movement.

3. Yeah, that looks different from my normal posts on the stuff. It was for AMN, and got taken down. Damn if I’m letting it go to waste, though. Beyond that, it’s still a bit of a sore spot and I’d rather not get into it.

   Today’s update features the return of the Classic one-player mode.

4. SEGA has opened up the official site for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, full of movies, images, and info.
5. Happy Hallo-Wii! Virtual Console has three new ghoulish games for download: Magician Lord for the NeoGeo, Samurai Ghost on the TurboGrafx16, and my favorite, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest for the NES.

   Anyone wanna gift me that last one when the time comes?

   Want to know which is the best? Leave it to T. Frog to put ‘em to the test!

6. It appears that Sears (possibly among unknown others) will be kicking off Black Friday with DS Lite value packs, featuring Nintendogs and The Legend of Zelda-themed DS Lites, and come with the corresponding games.
7. Writers for The Simpsons Game have lashed out at the hypocritical Rockstar over the removal of the Grand Theft Scratchy title from their parody.
8. More new Super Mario Galaxy footage. The first is mostly like the intro movie posted before, only this seems to be taken from the English demo.
9. Looks like WWE’s online store is offering some special deals when you buy Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

So, what I’m trying for now is running this thing from Monday night through Thursday night, skip Friday, report Friday and Saturday on Saturday night, then skip Sunday and cover Sunday and Monday on Monday night. Gives a little more news per report, I hope, without having to cover the whole weekend plus Monday in one fell swoop. We’ll see how it goes.

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. The TransFormers: Mosaic fanproject has begun! You can see a preview featuring the Autobot Hound in IDW’s TransFormers: Devastation #2.
2. For lovers of Starscream, the Masterpiece version is now out at retail.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles news off of the official website:

   They talk about the 13 new episodes of the cartoon mentioned here before via the 5th turtle blog, and elaborate that the new art direction is meant to tie in to the recent movie a bit more.

   And speaking of which, there’s a new game coming from Ubisoft. It should use a different engine, but the same character models that their last effort had. That one’s starting soon, with more info forthcoming once it’s under way.

   The “Ninja Tribunal” storyarc should FINALLY be coming to DVD in the first half of 2008. About damn time. The rest of the world’s had it forever, and I think we’re supposed to be getting it on TV soon, too.

   2009 will be the 25th anniversary of the Turtles, and it looks like they’re planning to celebrate…

   More stuff is mentioned, including the Hot Topic retro merch, BioWorld men’s and women’s wear and stuff, soft toys for amusement parks, Kohl’s hyping the Season One part 1 DVDs based on the current toon, and… Ninja Turtles fruit baskets? Oh-kay…

2. He-Man.Org reports that filmmaker/comic writer/artist (on titles such as The Incredible Hulk and Spider-man) wants a shot at the He-Man movie project, and sent in a pitch “in the form of a self-funded video presentation” to show what sort of thing he has in mind. You can check it out here.

   Kaare goes on to say “This is a kind of conceptual piece for a live action film. This is a new technology I call Go-Cons or ‘animated conceptual paintings’ and represents the tone and scope of the world, not the actual end product. It was pulled together in a little over a week with a small (but talented) team. Just imagine this as an epic live action feature with a budget and full team.”

3. Looks like the Smurfs are soon coming to DVD.
4. A Blade motion picture remake? Sounds kind of crazy, but I’d check it out.

Video Power

1. So, once Nintendo’s done with the major regions of the world, they want to release the Wii in China. They see a huge potential market, and I see the guys who make the Vii and pirated Disneyland.

   Let’s just say I’m not especially hopeful.

2. Remember when Nintendo boasted all last generation that portable/console connectivity was the future? Guess they were right, sort of, since Ratchet & Clank on the PS3 and Secret Agent Clank on PSP will do exactly that, though the nature of the connection is as-yet unknown.
3. Looks like Burnout: Paradise is slated for a January release.
4. Now this is a beyond-awesome new feature from Nintendo: the ability to send Virtual Console games as gifts.
5. Price cut for the Wii? “Fat chance” is the word right now.
6. Ok, you know the Xbox 360 reliability issues have gone too far when Gamestop halts their product replacement plans for the system.

   The reason they’re halting them? They’re losing too much money!

7. Lots more Super Mario Galaxy demos and videos at GameTrailers. I’m mostly on a blackout of the game until it hits shelves, though. I find most of these videos are kind of getting repetitive.
8. Aww, nuts!

   Speaking of Super Mario Galaxy, seems there are some problems with the preorder coin.

9. GT also has a look at table tennis in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

   I just noticed the WiFi logo at the end… they haven’t really played that aspect up very much, have they?

10. Among other modes included in Sonic Rivals 2: Tag Mode and King of the Hill Mode
11. If you have Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, then new downloads await you.
12. …a Spyro the Dragon movie? Interesting…
13. Nintendo is now shipping the DS feather stylus for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. It’s that time of year again… the Toys R Us Big Toy Book is on its way, complete with coupons.
2. Interesting… it looks like some of the Ranger-less Zords in the upcoming Power Rangers Jungle Fury line of toys are getting new Rangers made just for them.

   So, will it just be figures? Or will we see our first American-made Rangers since the last and only one so far, the Titanium Ranger of Lightspeed Rescue, on TV?

Video Power

1. Yesterday, we got King Dedede at Smash Bros. DOJO!!

   Today, we close out the week with his special moves. He is totally rockin’ that jet-powered hammer.

   Incidently, there’s a rumor now that Krystal from Star Fox could be in as well. If the page is correct, she’s also the voice of Zero Suit Samus (but not regular Samus?).

2. Guess what? The Xbox Division of Microsoft is finally profitable!
3. While on the other side of the tracks…
4. Four more gameplay videos for Super Mario Galaxy at GameTrailers, taken from the demo units in stores now.

   Plus several more Japanese demos.

5. Nintendo has named their two new Executive Vice Presidents, Cammie Dunaway and Shigeyuki Takahashi!

   Wonder if Cammie likes Street Fighter?

6. Normally, I don’t think too much of reviews, but I guess I’m weak right now. Also, it’s a slow day.

   Official Nintendo Magazine from the UK has given Super Mario Galaxy a 97%, which goes well with Famitsu‘s 38/40.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. New official images have shown up of Wave 1 of the Allspark Power Leader-class figures, featuring Deep Desert Brawl and Night Watch Optimus Prime.
2. Meanwhile, Wave 2 of The Movie Robot Heroes are out now.
3. And last, new Movie “Unleashed” turnaround figure/statues are on the way.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. So it sounds like all of the affiliated parties involved with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon show have FINALLY decided on a direction for 2008. Here’s the pitch:

   “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in New York, ready to race across the rooftops and take on all challengers!

   “Not only are Casey and April back and ready to bust some bad guy butt, but a brand new, super advanced Turtle Lair is under construction (thanks to some hi-tech know-how Donatello garnered from the future), and, of course, there are all sorts of new heavy duty Turtle vehicles gearing up to roar down the streets of NYC and give the Foot a taste of some serious Turtle firepower!

   “The stakes have never been higher, their enemies have never been stronger… and if the Turtles are going to be triumphant they?ll need to work together in ways they never have before.”

   Well… it sounds ok so far, mostly like “back to basics” with a hint of what we got in Fast Forward thrown in. Also says the art will be slightly streamlined/stylized for budget reasons. Hopefully not in any bad way; the Timm DC animated stuff is simplified/stylized, too, but still looks great.

2. And now, Garfield Gets Real has two official trailers!

   Um… wow. Frank Welker as Garfield? Man, THAT is going to take some getting used to. Seriously. Jon’s voice as well. I’m disappointed they’d change him and Odie (I think) from the voice actors who played them all these years.

   I’m a little bugged that they’re moving their lips to talk, frankly.

   My favorite part, though, is the garbage can bit with the dogs. The rest… well, hopefully it flows better altogether.

Video Power

1. So the reputed video game magazine Edge (who “doesn’t dip their toes in the rumor pool unless the water’s great, says Kotaku) has caught wind of a couple of rumors that people are now talking about. The first one involves an MMO Animal Crossing, though there’s really nothing else to add on that one.

   In the same section, they also make mention of a rumored way to download old Game Boy games for your DS. Now we’re talkin’! Nintendo has a great catalog of old portable games that I’d love to get ahold of, and I know I’m not the only one. Now if they’d just add color…

2. 5,000 is a lot of GameStops. That’s also a lot of preorders and magazine subscriptions.
3. So, SEGA has joined forces with GET Interactive to bring us a new way to advertise in our games.
4. Looks like Arcade-In-A-Box has heard the cries of the people for a better controller for Xbox 360 fighting games, and they have also deliver unto them the solution to their problems. Pity it costs so damn much.

   Here’s hoping the wife and I can adapt to the standard controllers for this.

5. Speaking of fighting games on the 360, here are the first actual screens of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.
6. So, Famitsu like Super Mario Galaxy. Take that as you will.

   And reposted to Penny Arcade from GAF are some zealous opinions from some people who got to try the demo. Of note:

   The perfect way to summarize Galaxy, I just thought of it.

   So good, I forgive Nintendo for not localizing Mother 3.

   This, from a guy who I understand that Mother/Earthbound is his favorite game/series ever, and he’s been a huge Nintendo critic as of late.

   Also, GameTrailers has three new spots from Japanese TV, some of which focus on the cooperative aspects of the gameplay.

7. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games has a new trailer to show off some of the aquatic events.

   Kudos to them for saying “Shipping on November 6th” instead of making it sound like it’ll be in stores then.

8. So at IGN, Matt Casamassina says that Medal of Honor Heroes 2 controls even better than Metroid Prime 3.

   While I really don’t much care about the MoH games, I do find this intriguing.

9. $10 off Drawn To Life? I haven’t talked about that game as much as I should have, but with that discount, it might be worth a look for anyone interested.
10. Oooh, sounds like they might’ve caught the bastard.
11. And closing off tonight is news from Smash Bros. DOJO!! of a new challenger many have eagerly awaited…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”