So I lied. Sorta. Just a couple of things I had in my Inbox that I forgot to add, which conveniently help make for a decent mini-update.

1. So first, there was the word of the CNET editor and his family going missing.

   PKManiac1 informs me that regretably, he was found, but not in the sort of way you’d hope to find someone. On the upside, his sacrifice was not in vain, as his family was found and rescued.

2. HStanton sent me this amusing video which chronicles the Donkey Kong legacy, and with all due respect, somewhat ignorantly ponders the fate of Jr.

   The bits at the end are pretty good as well.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Due to my schedule, no update is planned for tomorrow. Sorry, folks. I’ll catch up on Friday night.

1. Yahoo has an interesting piece on supporting the troops in Iraq… with Silly String.
2. Wow, not only is Sony talking about improving the PS3, but they’re talking PS4 already.
3. Half the PlayStation 3s in Japan have been stolen.

   180, to be precise.

   Microsoft is currently under investigation, as some snappy detective work reveals that 180 is half of 360, and that this could be a way to try and sway hopeful buyers into switching to the XBox side.*

4. * No, not really. It would be funny if it were MS paying off people in line on launch day, though.
5. Elsewhere, Nintendo is looking into this whole wriststrap debaccle.

   Hey Iwata, here’s what to do:

   1) Implement a stronger strap. There’s a how-to guide around now that shows how to use fishing wire as a replacement, though some say it voids the warranty. But in any case, the stuff can withstand about 30 pounds of pressure. Hopefully no one’s throwing it much harder than that.

   2) Use all those profits you’re making from Wii and DS to replace what people have already if they choose. Better to do it sooner while there aren’t as many units out there.

   It all kind of falls back into “who reads the manual, anyway?” You may educate a few people, but the best offense here is a good defense by cutting off the problem on your end. I’m sure whatever it costs for the change will balance what you’re saving in warranties and whatever other troubles may come about.

   Because the simple fact of the matter is that you just can’t trust people on this stuff. If they’re doing it now, they’ll continue doing it, or new people will come along unaware and do it. Just save yourself (and us) the headache.

6. Ok, Red Steel just moved up to “buyer beware” status.

   And Ubisoft is shirking any responsibility. Maybe people should steer clear of their games until they grow a pair and take responsibility?

   It’s really too bad, because this game was at least a rental for me until I saw this.

7. …I really don’t need to say anything, do I? We’ve all heard it before.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Yes.

   Oh yes.

   It has been far too long since Disney did any good shorts like this to precede a movie. Goofy in How to Install Your Home Theatre? I am SO there.

2. …effective parenting?
3. It’s possible that Nintendo is going to beat their projected sales forecast for the year.
4. Some people get shotgun blasts in the chest for PS3s.

   For the Wii? Burst apendix.

   I’m glad to hear the store owner held the guy’s place for him.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Allspark has some new images available of Bumblebee, Optimus, and Megatron for the new movie.
2. And you thought Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance/GameCube connectivity was bad.

   Well, ok, it was. Good idea, lacking execution. When you do it, it’s fun, but it’s a damn hard sale.

   Anyway, Sony’s finally got their PS1 games for PSP through PS3 thing working. Which isn’t a bad idea, except that my understanding (and correct me if I’m mistaken) is that you can’t actually play these games on your PS3 if you so choose; you have to send it to a PSP, provided you own one. Nor can you simply WiFi your way to PS1 downloads with the PSP alone.

   I’m not sure this will be widely-utilized, due specifically to the PSP’s status… but who knows… I mean, after all, it’s supposed to have Riiiiiiidge Racer on it, right?

3. So, Starship Troopers 2 is finally happening…
4. When I was a kid, things like video game championships seemed really exciting and all, but these days, things like this just fail to excite me the same way for some reason.
5. First, it was games starring The King. Now, Burger King has Dance Dance Revolution Kid’s Meal toys.
6. If you need component cables for your Wii, and are tired of waiting for Nintendo to comply, Circuit City has the answer for you.
7. WEEEEEEE (slag off, I meant to spell it that way)!! Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin comes out this week!

   I hope Doc Neko succeeds in securing that oh-so-sexy preorder bonus for Red and I.

8. Don’t forget, Will Wright will be on The Colbert Report tonight.
9. Remember how some people were cracking the Wii’s Shop Channel to browse the web?

   Well, Press The Buttons has it that Nintendo sure put a stop to that nonsense.

   Sigh, where’s the damn browser already?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Allspark reports that new images of club-exclusive Astrotrain and Airazor are now available.
2. If you’re interested in seeing what the upcoming movie version of everyone’s favorite Autobot medic, Ratchet, looks like, then look no further.
3. And for those in Sweden who love oldschool robots in disguise, Classics have landed.
4. Latest from NinjaTurtles.com is that the new movie trailer will be available at MTV.com starting next Friday, and it’s also supposed to be showing with two holiday movies, Unaccompanied Minors and, as reported earlier, Eragon.
5. There is also a report there which says you can preorder the first season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward from Amazon for when it becomes available on the 6th of February.
6. New from Busta Toons Productions comes cereal:geek, a new magazine focused on animation from the 80s, and challenging your perceptions with all sorts of articles and materials such as artwork, storyboards, scripts, interviews, and even unseen production materials.

   Check it out, and if you want to be kept up-to-date on the magazine’s preparation, just submit your e-mail at the bottom.

7. GameTrailers, perhaps a bit belated in its timing, has offered up some new gameplay videos of Family Guy: The Game.
8. GT also has some videos of Easter Eggs in Wii’s Photo Channel.
9. If you thought THQ might take care of those nasty load times in their next PSP WWE title, I’m afraid there’s bad news… though not as bad as before.
10. Now this sort of thing is just eerie… a CNET editor has gone missing.
11. IGN has a little chat with ECW’s newest rising superstar, CM Punk.

    …huh, so that’s what they call it, “Straight Edge,” huh? I’m down with that.

12. To sling, or not to sling? That is the question Tobey Maguire addresses on the possibility of further Spider-man movies after the third outing.
13. EA has a lot to say about game costs lately, from crazy rising costs to wanting a cheaper PSP.
14. This makes me glad I don’t live in Michigan… stupid lawmakers…
15. Applause to Sony for dropping Gran Turismo HD in favor of a full-fledged GT5.
16. Ah, this is good. GameDaily presents the top 10 game gifts for people you hate.

    “Why get them a gift at all if you hate them so much?” you may be asking.

    Well, at least in the case of Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis, the product really is just that bad that to make them play it would cause them inspecific harm.

17. GD also looks at EGM’s new look, the PlayStation 3, and the news that Kutaragi may not have been promoted to get him out of the picture, but to groom him to head up all of Sony.

    “Crap. There goes the planet.”

18. It figures.

    Since working there, I’ve lost a lot of respect for Toys R Us. And with practices like this, is it any wonder why?

    Not that I cared for how things went for us there with the Wii launch, either…

19. N-Philes reviews some DS games, specifically Touch Detective and Elite Beat Agents.
20. So someone took that PS3 commercial with the eggs, replaced the PS3 with the Wii, and got this.

    I hate to sound like a shill, but it does make more sense. A lot more.

    Too bad they got the color wrong. Guess in that environment, though, it could not be helped.

    Go Nintendo has a side-by-side comparison.

21. onNintendo reports what this Monday will bring to Virtual Console.

    I might like to check me out some Ristar, I might…

22. Be warned when getting a Wii Points card… it might be empty.

    Makes me glad I just buy mine direct.

23. Go Nintendo asks about the various time of battery drainage in the Wii remote.
24. Reeve just threw this one at me… Jesus Christ almighty, and right in my own backyard at that…

    …and his little dog, too. That’s just so wrong, it’s not even funny.

25. Because Death Note rocks.

    I hope we get this here.

26. Go Nintendo and Gaming Target ask, can the Wii save adventure gaming?
27. To get a little more life out of your Wii pack-in, here are some Wii Sports secrets.

    On a related note, had the in-laws over for dinner tonight, and I got to show them Bowling and Golf, and the whole thing just blew their minds.

28. BC Gaming reviews Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All.
29. This past Friday’s episode of Spike TV’s Game Head with Reggie Fils-Aime is now available for viewing.
30. GN has a new Wario Ware: Smooth Moves video which takes place in the same stage as the “Classics” stage before, but with new footage.

    In the second game, check out Mario’s hand as he hits the block… do you see it? There are other funny nuances throughout as well.

31. MSTing NES games?

    They’re making me hungry…

32. I just love the line they use here:

    “Sony may be confident in their claim that ?next-gen starts when we say so,? but from the looks of it they misspelled Wii.”

33. For those who’ve waited, footage of the GameCube version of Twilight Princess.
34. Slashdot links to a Racketboy story on How Sega Ruined Sonic the Hedgehog.

    Sad to see so many of these kinds of articles on his fifteenth anniversary…

35. Another feature looks into the ideal length of games.
36. …even I wouldn’t wear this. At least, not unless a) you paid me handsomely, or b) I needed the protection.
37. Aww, I’d like a copy.

And sadly, that’s as far as I can go tonight, as work is pending quite soon. I’ll try and finish wrapping-up things later.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. EA has made an interesting move, buying Headgate Studios and turning them into a Wii-specific developer.

   Good news for Wii, I would imagine.

2. Namco seems to assess the PS3 as a money hole at present, citing that a game needs to sell 500,000 copies before the developer can turn a profit.

   Consider that there aren’t even that many PS3s right now, and it looks like a bad place to be.

3. Beverly Hills Cop IV? I’m there.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Ah, catch-up time…

1. Yahoo/USA Today report that gamers are saying that Wii has the PS3 beaten.

   Both are naturally trailing XBox 360′s 1-year lead.

2. Nintendo’s not quite finished with the GBA yet, but personally, I wouldn’t expect much more than classic ports to ride it out at this point.
3. Sounds like Christian groups want to leave behind Left Behind.
4. “The Mii-k shall inherit the SimEarth.”
5. Well, thank God. Capcom isn’t dumb enough to make the same mistake twice.

   …at least this time, anyway.

6. While my first reaction is to say that at least there is some justice left in the world, I imagine there are going to be at least a few people annoyed (comments) at the man’s motive for waiting in line for a PS3.
7. An interesting turn for the Virtual Console.

   Despite a lackluster opening lineup outside of Japan, it seems there will be plenty of good titles to make their way to Nintendo’s download service in due time. However, due to licensing issues with the likes of Rare and others, there were some omissions which gamers were readily expecting to face, such as the classic N64 FPS Goldeneye.

   However, according to NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime, it seems that those who thought we’d never see those glory days Moonraker lasers and Golden Guns relived may be in for a surprise. It’s nothing definite, yet, but Nintendo is definitely exploring the option.

   The only downside, of course, is that there probably will not be any online play.

8. Speaking of Reggie, he was recently interviewed by MTV News about the Wii, and evidently surprised even the interviewer with his forthright candidness.

   Sadly, those outside the US can’t view the video. Weak.

   Additionally, Reggie offers advice about how to avoid Wii remote mishaps and cites some reviews as being “hypercritical,” such as the issue of graphics on Wii Sports.

   onNintendo put it best:

   I have to second his option on the reviewers, some of them really are nuts. How can you give Wii Sports a bad score based on graphics? That?s absurd ? it?s like giving South Park a bad score for animation and entirely missing the fact that it is funny as hell.

9. Double Dragon on XBox Live Arcade? I really need to get one of those…
10. Red Steel 2 on the way?
11. The Ultimate Clone Saga reaches its climax; will the Ultimate version of Spider-man ever be the same again?
12. Looks like Sony Computer Entertainment is shuffling its deck at the executive level. Elsewhere, Kotaku is in utter disbelief.
13. XBox 360′s answer to the Nintendo Classic controller?
14. onNintendo reports that Time has created a list of “Asian Heroes,” among which is Shigeru Miyamoto, as written by Will Wright.
15. Evidently, there’s going to be a new Wii game.

    …that’s all, really.

16. NES/SNES controller adaptors for Wii?
17. Nintendo is now resuming shipments of back-ordered component cables.
18. If you haven’t yet played the MMORPG Disney’s Toontown because you’re a Mac user, good news…
19. Sounds like Rare has reservations regarding downloadable content.
20. Europe has finally had enough of taking Sony’s crap, so they’re going to see to it that Sony takes theirs.

    Thank God it’s only plastic.

21. In case you’ve not heard, Ecco the Dolphin and Golden Axe are available on Virtual Console.
22. 1UP reports (or horribly fails in their attempt to) that EA’s CEO reveals that Sony only shipped 200,000 PlayStation 3s at launch.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Wow, so PVP is getting animated, as I found out from Gabe’s post over at Penny Arcade.

   I like what I’m seeing, and the voices are pretty good, though Skull’s is different than I always pictured; I imagined him having this deep, almost echoey sort of voice, sort of like the Abominable Snowman in the old Looney Tunes.

   Hope I get to see this when it comes out… it’s a web-based series, but subscription-based.

2. From The Allspark, there’s some new stuff at the Official TransFormers Collector’s Club website showing off two new club-exclusive figures, Astrotrain and Airazor.

   Hmm, are they going alphabetically, or…?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Ok, sorta missed the weekend wrap-up, but all the goods are here.

1. First, it was “Nintendo Thumb” in the 80′s and early 90′s. Now, it’s “Wii Elbow.”
2. Legal ROMs? There’s more to it than that, actually, but it’s interesting news for those who are interested in “archiving” oldschool games…
3. So, by hook or by crook, you’ve managed to get ahold of a Sony PlayStation 3.

   The bad news is, there may be a 1-in-100,000 chance (one would guess) that it was by crook, as it’s been discovered that the GameStop PS3 robbery was an inside-job, with employees setting up the whole thing.

   Police say they may be able to track the stolen goods by their barcode numbers should they be hooked up online.

4. Wow.

   A replica Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess sample soundtrack with certificate of authenticity?

   WANT. NOW.

   Sucks that it’s only at Target, and we have none here. I could just cry.

5. Think I mentioned this before, but as time goes by, it seems to become more and more clear that Capcom, specifically Keiji Inafune’s lot, need a freakin’ clue.
6. Well, if you’re any good at hacking, and your PS3 allotment is lacking, just hack this guy’s site, and everything will be alright.

   …it’s a contest, I’m not trying to promote anything malicious here.

7. XBox 360 and PS3 games not compatible with one-another.

   Though I do have to wonder… is it possible? Online, I mean, to have the same game on different systems able to play? Do we have the technology?

   I mean, Hell, I can chat on mIRC from a Windows computer with someone on a Mac, so…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Over at the official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles website, there’s an unconfirmed report that Imagi will debut a new trailer for the upcoming movie, TMNT, before the Eragon movie on December 15th.

   Lucky for me, even though she despises the books, my wife still wants to see it. Win for me, as if I go, I’m at least sure to get one good thing out of it (I really have no opinion on Eragon except that dragons = coolness).

2. Word out of The Allspark has come regarding what the new content in the updated TransFormers Ultimate Guide will be, as well as the fact that the visual guide will be based on the movie. “Lavishly illustrated, background on all the characters (stuff you won’t get in the movie ) and so forth.”
3. Speaking of the movie, test-shots of the toys based upon the upcoming feature TransFormers film can be seen here.

   Not much to speak of but some alternate modes, though Scorponok and the portable video game console are noteworthy.

4. I’d be more sympathetic to the problem, but the truth is, I’m still trying to figure out what a lorry is.
5. Good news for Nintendo, as the Wii sells out of US stores.
6. Wario goes Lucha Libre’?

   New Wario the Thief scan.

7. Man, I know Capcom tends to be repetitive in their releases, but this is ridiculous. Remember that whole load of crap about Dead Rising for the XBox 360 being unreadable on non-HD TVs?

   Well, Capcom’s at it again. And interestingly, it’s from the same producer, Keiji Inafune.

   I hope this doesn’t signify Capcom following in SEGA’s footsteps, where there’s a legitimate complaint, but nothing is ever done about it, now or in future releases.

   I think that unless I have an HD-TV (and one of the HD systems, of course), I’m going to start waiting and seeing what I can find on the internet about Capcom’s games from now on, rather than scoop them up as soon as they hit shelves.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”