InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Blogging: Simon Furman pulls back the wrapping paper for us this year as he gives us a peek at the original Beast Wars mini-series he drafted for Dreamwave, before the company tanked. And it sounds like it might have been more different from IDW’s Beast Wars: The Gathering than I’d thought.
2. Info: Optimus Prime. Jazz. Starscream. Megatron.

   …Sourball?

   Apparently, not all TransFormer names were works of art, as The Allspark has a post which reveals some of the rejected titles which some unfortunate Autobots and Decepticons might have had to deal with, had fate (and in some cases, good sense) not intervened.

3. Info: Plus, some unused bios from the Marvel TransFormers Universe series have surfaced, highlighting the Omnibots.
4. Reviews/Galleries: BWTF.com brings us a whole bagfull of reviews, including: Cyber-Slammers Cliffjumper, Robot Heroes Ratchet and Megatron two-pack, G1 Pretender Iguanus, Robot Heroes Optimus Prime and Blackout two-pack, and Final Battle Jazz.
5. Pic: And then there’s the cover for the 2008 calendar from Cartoon Network, featuring their upcoming Robots in Disguise.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: Who says that Amish don’t know how to have fun?
2. Video: A favorite Christmas song of mine. Hint: the musician’s name rhymes with “Beard Gal.”
3. Video: CineMassacre (aka The Angry Video Game Nerd) takes a look at a holiday cult classic in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
4. Pics/Blogging: Two more updates to the 5th turtle’s series of blogs about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures‘ final chapter, The Forever War, with the last one giving us a six-page preview of the first part as a sort of holiday gift.
5. Pics:It really sucks that I can’t link to individual posts on He-Man.Org, as the latest one for December 25th has a ton of cool wallpapers, using art based on the various Masters of the Universe mini-statues which have come out.

Video Power

1. Blogging: This just in: movie-based games still have a penchant for sucking.
2. Pic: Ever wonder what the Bible would be like if Mary and Joseph were Reploids from the Mega Man games?
3. Video: Racketboy’s Retro Gaming has a series of videos which will make you feel like a total chump when it comes to Tetris.
4. Video: ScrewAttack.com takes a fond look back at the game which shows what happens when you cross Miyamoto’s star with Metroid‘s developers: you get Super Mario Land.
5. Video: The Angry Video Game Nerd’s NSFW Christmas Carol continues.
6. Pics: Next Generation takes a look, in pictures, back at the year that was 2007.
7. Video: And believe it or not, on a related note, the hell?

   Is this parody?

8. Article: Now here’s a doozy: Every Christmas Top 10 from the past 20 years.
9. Article: Still not enough? Then how about the Top 7 Christmas moments?
10. Video: Ladies and gentlemen; get ready to ROCK. THE. HALLS!
11. Video: Anyone remember that ridiculously-made game someone made based on Mega Man, designed to kill you in every way possible?

    No, not Mega Man Zero.

    Anyway, here’s a version that plays on Mario instead.

    …it… it gets amusing, after awhile. You really wonder just what they can do next.

12. Video: On another end of the spectrum, here we have Mariotroid, which appears to be a hack of some sort.
13. Article: For all the good stuff we got this year, there are still bound to be a few disappointments lingering in the minds of some.
14. Interview: Cool, it looks like Mr. KENNEDY… Kennedy is a Nintendo fan, too!
15. eBay: I really need to get a Virtual Boy on the cheap one of these days, mainly so I can play Virtual Boy Wario Land. But while I’ve heard the best way to play is to lay back and let the visor rest over your eyes, it’d be very tempting to have this display stand to keep it on, too.
16. Pic: Remember kids: besides smoking not being cool, it can pose a hazard to your DS. NSFW naughty word within.
17. Pic: When Bowser gets smarter, that’s when games get too long. If they aren’t already.
18. Article: According to The New York Times, Super Mario Galaxy is actually not that ambitious.

    Um, ok. Hell, let’s run with that. If it were as ambitious as they seem to want, then it probably wouldn’t be much of a Mario game, would it? Or we’d end up with another Sunshine…

19. Interview: 1up gets some time with Street Fighter IV art director Daigo Ikeno to discuss the direction the game is taking.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pic: What if Decepticons celebrated Christmas?
2. Review: The Allspark now provides their very own spoiler-laden review of the first episodes of TransFormers: Animated, of which I am avoiding due to the aforementioned spoilers.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: So Brit’s sister got knocked up. It’d be funny, if it weren’t so tragic, in its own way.
2. Blogging:And so the 5th turtle presents his fourth part of the falling-out of himself and Archie Comics over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. Of note are the ironies involved. Sad, sad fate…
3. Blogging: Wow, yet another anniversary, but this time not for a game. 70 years since Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs landed in theaters.
4. Blogging: Seems that no matter how many solar panels you’ve got, you still aren’t going to be able to get off the power grid yet.
5. Video: The return of Brawndo, the Thirst Mutilator, on sale now.

Video: Bit of advice: never turn to LARPers to take part in your nativity scene. It becomes nothing but trouble.

6. Video: Never anything good on Christmas morning, is there? Also: an update on the “three PS3′s.”
7. Article: IGN presents their Top 10 Anime of the Year!

Video Power

1. Pics: A few holiday-themed pics up on Deviant Art. Here is another look at UDON’s Konami Christmas card that was mentioned a few days back, and here is a steamy Princess Peach pin-up (nothing showing) that Sigurd Hosenfeld drew. Timon Hakuna Matata has Blaze and Cream in winterwear, and even some Yuletide Cheer from the Zelda gang, courtesy of Sigurd Hosenfeld again.

   Toad gets his turn with Santa, thanks to Baull04, and Hulk has some bad plans for Whoville, thanks to Tentu. And finally, instead of using someone else’s character, JigglyPuffGirl built her own Robot Master for the job.

2. Video: So, should you get the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of Devil May Cry 4? Here is what Capcom thinks.
3. Pics: Kotaku and other outlets were apparently blown away by Hitoshi Ariga’s Mega Man image on the new cover of Swedish magazine Level.

   It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but I like his manga covers better.

4. Newsbit: So, after Gamecock stormed the stage during Ken Levine’s acceptence speech for Game of the Year (for BioShock) at the VGAs, what does he have to say?
5. Interview: Gamasutra talks with Koji Igarashi about the finer points of designing a Castlevania title, and taking revenge on God of War.
6. Video: Happy Holidays from Aperture Science. Will you be getting cake, or coal?
7. Video: Ever wonder what it must be like to work on a show like Game Head?
8. Article: So with all this crap between Rockstar and the BBFC over Manhunt 2, Games Radar asks if it even matters any more?
9. Merch Pic: Interesting shirt Nintendo seemingly approved for Target. Maybe the person in licensing was the one hammered?
10. Pics: Steampunk Wii remote? Awesome. The other Photoshop Phriday stuff is pretty cool, too.
11. Pic: The mystery of why Nintendo can’t ship enough Wiis has finally been solved!
12. Video: An interesting fan-made DS Lite redesign. I wonder if it would work?
13. Video: And next on Can’t-See TV is Stephen Totilo’s attempt to play Wii Sports with the Zapper.

    Truth be told, I’m more interested in how it’d work with Wii Play, the Duck Hunt game specifically.

14. Article: Ten video games that should be movies, and who should direct them. As I click to read this and see that #10 is Duck Hunt, I am now assuming this to be parody.
15. …yeah, definitely parody.
16. Pics: Many, many examples of cosplay gone wrong (and a few that are alright).
17. eBay: DAMN! DAMN! And DAMN!

    Keeping an eye on the cel, at least. I have a soft spot for “Jumpman.” Watch it get too high…

18. Pic: Looks like Nintendo of Europe had what Games Radar might feel to be a better Christmas card than their American counterpart.
19. Pic: Wow, I thought the Crimson/Black DS Lite was cool, but adding a dragon makes it all the better! Pity it’s only in China.
20. Article: 2007 was a pretty strong year for gaming, but still had some disappointments. Game|Life looks back to bring you their ten greatest.
21. Article: Game|Life readers share their varying experiences getting Wii rainchecks, and varying situations regarding the limited-edition DVD cases that one is supposed to get.
22. Pics: This is what happens when video game boxes go honest.
23. Article: 1up finishes its look back at Street Fighter with WTFiction?!, which more or less nails down the key aspects of the games’ stories.
24. Article: And finally, to close out for the holiday, the 1up staff tells what they really want for Christmas.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Review: BWTF.com takes a look at Spotlight: Ramjet.

   “A lot of eyebrows were raised when it was announced Ramjet of all characters would get a Spotlight story.”

   Very true here. And likewise, having Classics Skywarp, I was indifferent to having Ramjet. But after reading this, well, I’d sort of like to have the guy.

   Also: Mini-Constructicons rock.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Merch: For the Power Rangers fans, some new products have been added to the store at Jungle Fury NET.
2. Blogging: The 5th turtle continues his tale about what happened with Archie involving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic, and its final story, “The Forever War.”
3. Blogging: Dilbert creator Scott Adams discusses a story wherein a man was fired for posting a Dilbert comic.

   I haven’t checked the comments, but I bet there’s at least one that says something about “free speech.”

4. Interview: Newsarama has a discussion with April Stewart, the voice actor who provides the voices for nearly all the females in South Park.
5. Article: IGN takes a look back at one of the craziest years in comics, 2007.

   And movies.

   And anime.

   And DVD.

   …and a bunch more, including games.

Video Power

1. Video: Following yesterday’s mention of the Street Fighter merchandise feature posted at 1up, does anyone remember this commercial for the GI Joe/Street Fighter II action figures? It was really something… NOT!

   Man, how far can Duke fall? Just the same, something deep down inside wants to giggle at the mere thought of M. Bison and his flunkies working for Cobra…

2. Pic: Over at The Mega Man Network, Tabby has created a lovely Christmas-themed banner for us, if you’d like to check it out.
3. Article: While Racketboy’s Retro Gaming has assembled a strong list of multiplayer Dreamcast games, I feel that it is remiss in discluding Capcom’s Cannon Spike.
4. Article: Following on the news earlier about the girl murdered by a pair of Moron Kombatants, Ripten games looks at why people link violence to video games.

   Joystiq also makes some good observations.

5. Video: ScrewAttack.com looks back at Hydro Thunder, a motorboat racing game which I simply do not remember.
6. Video: GameTrailers does a little sizing-up, comparing the Xbox 360 version of The Orange Box to its late-arrival PS3 counterpart.
7. Article: Geeze, GameDaily is STILL doing Mario features? This time, it’s the Facts on Mario.

   Good to see some further confirmation on Mario’s height, however, but I think Mario and Luigi are still twins in some sense of the term.

8. Interview: GameDaily sits down with Adam Sessler of X-Play, and they discuss the show’s changes, as well as that of “gaming network” G4.
9. Pics: Game journalists have gotten a lot of swag over the past year (not me, though, ha ha. Sigh), and GameDaily is no exception. Here, they look back at all the “crap” they got.

   Hey, if you guys don’t want the Super Mario Galaxy Flight Team patch…

10. Article: Super Smash Bros. Brawl is adding a lot of new features into the game we know and love. GameDaily picks their ten favorite so far.
11. Pics: Yesterday, we got to see what Rare was sending everyone for a Christmas card. Today, Games Radar shows us that, and what everyone else had sent, too.
12. Video: Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros., two great tastes that taste great together!

    …yeah, I don’t know, either. It’s an interesting bit of cross-promotion, that’s for sure.

13. Article: On a related note, GameDaily talks to Nintendo about how well Super Mario Galaxy is doing.
14. Pics: I can empathize with this Games Radar editor, whose car has apparently been broken into three times.

    People who do stuff like this just make me sick.

15. Article: And, the winners of the Game|Life Vaporware Games of 2007 are…
16. Articles: Yep, that’s right, articles. Game|Life has been running a series about Futurama and gaming, and it seems now was a good time to link to the most recent, which contains a video of cutscenes from the game, and links to the other four articles. Now you can check it all out in one go.

    Unless there’s another part tomorrow.

    At any rate, it’s encouraged that fans check it out so that the “73rd episode” might be properly restored to its original glory.

17. Pic: Great Christmas stocking, or greatest Christmas stocking?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Review: Figures.com has a review available for Masterpiece Starscream.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: If Steve Martin could have one wish this holiday season, it would be to see all the children of the world join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.

   After that… well, a man has to have priorities, does he not?

2. Video: Psychic Warfare: “Old video footage reveals the start of what may have been a deadly Russian weapon: Telekinesis.”

   Didn’t someone make a game about this?

3. Video: The cars of the future… um… we’ll get back to you.
4. Video: Did you know that there’s a book about Spam? Yeah! …there is. Yep.

   And to help promote it, here’s a brief history. On toast.

5. Blogging: The 5th turtle reveals why Archie Comics never published the end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures series, titled The Forever War.

   Guess Archie wasn’t so cool then, after all. They just got to benefit from outside intercoolence.

6. Article: IGN rounds up their Top 5 Comic Badasses of 2007.

Video Power

1. Editorial: For the cost of games these days… to develop, to purchase… should they be so buggy?
2. Newsbit: PriceGrabber.com reports that the average price for a Wii online is $650. In related news (same link), some guy in the UK is trying to sell his used one for a world record.
3. Newsbit: Sony’s Jack Tretton is now saying that more developers are going to make games for the PS3 first, then port them to other consoles.
4. Newsbit: At a recent investor conference call, the chairman of Take Two found the very notion of Grand Theft Auto for the Wii to be quite laughable.
5. Video: Have yourself a Merry raving Christmas!
6. Review: GameSpot: For when you just have to say SOMETHING bad about a game, no matter how silly.

   I won’t argue the other versions don’t have better graphics and more going on, but this is effectively striking at an NES game for being an NES game. Is that really right?

7. Article: GameDaily postulates that a platformer need not be of the Mario branding to be good, and so it is that they offer eight examples to support this claim.
8. Article: GameDaily takes a look back at the Top 20 News Stories of 2007 in part 1 of this feature.
9. Article: Mods are good for the longevity of a game, and Games Radar knows plenty of good ones.
10. Video: Remember that fake-yet-convincing Super Mario Galaxy DS video? Here’s another version, with allusions to the Nintendo ON, which seems to reveal that this was put together by the same guy, and helps explain its convincing-but-not-quite quality.
11. Article/Videos: Thanks to Wolf for providing the link to Yahoo’s look back at the Best Games of the Past Decade.
12. Newsbit: Now here’s a good little bit of kindness: a retirement community helped a 13-year old girl get a Wii for her father, who had suffered a stroke.
13. Video: Yahtzee returns once more, this time taking us through the western RPG known as Mass Effect.
14. Review: So, Sonic the Hedgehog is now available on iPod, and apparently it’s not that good. Which might be expected. If they can’t get it right on the Game Boy Advance, what hope does an MP3 player have of doing better?
15. Pic: Season’s Greetings from Rare, who have created this lovely image in the spirit of the season. Poor Banjo; he seems so bewildered. Maybe it’s because those pinatas had better watch themselves near that fire…

    And is that a hint at Killer Instinct 3 across one stocking? Why, I think it is!

16. Hardly anything concrete on that front, though.
17. Accessorize: Now here is a nifty way to keep your Wii ready to play GameCube games at all times, without having to worry about those flaps.
18. Article: The third part of 1up’s Street Fighter retrospective has been posted, this time covering the merchandise aspect of the series. Comic publisher UDON had even agreed to an interview, but for some reason chose to silently back out. Poor form, guys.
19. Newsbit: So yesterday, American Beverage Association vice president Kevin Keane (not this guy, amusingly enough) was quoted as blaming video games instead of soda for being the cause of children’s obesity. Turns out, things were misconstrued a bit.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Merch: BigBadToyStore.com now has a bust of Optimus Prime’s old flame, Elita-1.
2. Reviews: BWTF.com and Unicron.com have both been fortunate enough to see the premiere movie for TransFormers: Animated, and here’s what they think.
3. Bios: Plus, they seem to have some new character bios as well.
4. Game: If that’s not enough, you can play a game at Cartoon Network’s website that reveals a little more about the show.
5. Factoid: Seems that of the Optimus Prime toys sold online, one in every five is a fake. Can’t say the odds please me, but I wonder if this is including the blatant fakes?
6. Interview: Marty Isenberg and Sam Register chat with Newsarama a little bit about TransFormers: Animated, possibly with spoilers.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Merch: HotTopic.com finally has the retro TMNT goods, as you can see. That Raph beanie is weird, though.
2. Pics: Mini-toys are cool, because it means they can interact with things of a much grander scale. Case in point, Playmates’ new Mini-Mutants line for TMNT: Moto-Slider Donatello, Moto-Slider Michelangelo, Moto-Cycle Leonardo, Moto-Cycle Raphael, Leo’s Ninja Dojo playset, Raph’s Iron Pumpin’ Gym playset.
3. Pics: More pics of the 2K8 TMNT toon reveal two new vehicles.
4. Video: Speaking of trained turtles…
5. Video: Oh, deer…
6. Video: I don’t get any of this.
7. Video: More police fun. The guy filming this is lucky, it could’ve gotten far uglier than it did.
8. Video: Panda wrestling.
9. Newsbit: Will Smith has a new toilet in his house, and a very unorthodox one at that.

   “People think it’s all about suction and that they’re going to have their insides removed … but it doesn’t suck, it blows. Not everyone can handle this thing emotionally.”

   That’s right. It’s an ass-blaster.

10. Auction: How much would you pay for an ancient AOL disc?

    For me, damn sure not that much.

11. Article: This week in IGN’s Hero Showdown, it’s Peter vs. Homer.
12. Interview: IGN interviews Jeff Hardy, who just beat Triple H last Sunday to become the #1 contender for the championship. He discusses this, landscaping, and meeting soldiers.

Video Power

1. Video: As promised: Mini-Me hocks World of Warcraft.
2. Pics: From WebbAlert: Wood you like to see an interesting SNES mod?
3. MP3 Interview: Capcom takes the opportunity to interview one of their latest stars, Harvey Birdman.
4. Pics/Newsbits: So Mega Man has finally and officially reached 20 years. To celebrate, a lot of pictures have been made to commemorate the occassion, including this neat plug-pixel art, lots of sprites and images from Rockman Perfect Memories, two pieces of giftart at The Mega Man Network, and word of a possible “what might have been” game to celebrate.
5. Article: Not one to be left out, Racketboy’s Retro Gaming celebrates 20 years of Final Fantasy.
6. Newsbit: Seems that Nintendo is not pleased with retailers who are forcing bundles on customers at marked-up prices that negate the Wii price advantage…
7. Newsbit: Sony’s CEO says that Activision’s CEO ought to “try making his own console” before judging Sony’s pricing tactics.
8. Newsbit: Silent Hill 5‘s Producer says that American development is taking the lead, and Japan is in trouble.
9. Video: ‘Tis the season for vulgarity as The Angry Video Game Nerd takes his stab at a Christmas carol.
10. Video: I remember Dino Riki, the box anyway. I had no idea it was a shooter… crazy.
11. Newsbit: “Sony tops Fortune’s gaming PR gaffes.”

    No comment.

12. Article: So, what were the top 50 moments in 2007? That’s what Next Generation aims to find out.
13. Article: GameDaily looks back at 30 years of the best games to give (or get) as a gift.
14. Article: 2007 saw a lot of secrets come to the fore, but which ones were the worst kept?
15. Article: The worst of the worst… Games Radar brings you the Top 7 Most Evil Games.
16. Video: The boys over at the Chicago Gamers’ Club reveal their picks for the top 10 game series that need to be revived.
17. Newsbit: Take Two on Grand Theft Auto for Wii: LOL
18. Review: Just what I’d expect from the Sony Defense Force… a fair and unbiased review of Super Mario Galaxy.

    Someone, please tell me this is a parody. It’s the internet, so it’s hard to tell sometimes.

19. Article: Ever wonder what the actors who voice your favorite characters look like?
20. Study: Testing seems to show that women prefer 2D gaming vs. 3D, and more fantastic elements than realistic.

    …*cough*

21. Auction: Wow, I wish I had a Mario jacket like this.
22. Stats: So, how did the launch of Super Mario Galaxy compare to that of Sunshine?

…and regretfully, I have to cut this short now. Been running nonstop since before 9am yesterday, and while it may not show here, it’s definitely affecting my work. Luckily, we got through most of the stuff this time, and next time I’ll try and grab whatever’s left.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics/Info: Some official pictures, as well as bios, are now available for Allspark Power Incinerator, Offroad Ironhide, and First Strike Optimus Prime.
2. Pics/Info: Unicron.com got ahold of a press packet for TransFormers: Animated, showing off lots of pictures and bios for the characters, including some slight spoilers and plenty of wallpaper fodder.

   And yes, this was posted in news as well, but I felt it had enough “general” appeal to be posted here, too.

3. Site Subsection: Looks like BWTF got some of that stuff as well, and has arranged a whole section of the site for the upcoming toon.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pics: The battle of the century: Jughead Jones vs. Raphael and Leonardo. It’s no sequel to The Punisher Meets Archie, but it’s something.
2. Musing: Ever wonder where Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird came up with the name/character of Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
3. Blogism: The Ultimate Response for social situations.
4. Video: God, I hate hotel room card keys. They’re cool… but only when they work.
5. Article: First, Forbes covered their top 15 richesst fictional characters, and now, they’re doing the same for the 25 largest fictional companies.

Video Power

1. Blogging: New blog I’m keeping my eyes on… but then, it’s my wife’s. All the same, it may interest fans of Sony and their hard/software, as it’s the PlayStation Monger blog. Give it a look, it doesn’t really pander or anything.
2. Video: Blaze Hedgehog has gathered but a few moments of glitch buggery from the infamous 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog title.
3. Bloggery: The boys at Nyko visited the boys at Capcom with their new Perfect Shot lightgun attachment for the Wii remote, and it seems that the Capcom lot find it a better fit for such Zapper-oriented games as Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Wonder what Nintendo thinks of that…
4. Interview: Capcom found an interview by the website, Street Fighter Devotion, wherein they speak to Sam Reich, director of original content at CollegeHumor.com, including the Street Fighter: The Later Years series of videos.
5. Articles: Toastyfrog has wheeled out the latest issue of his online webzine, and among other articles within are a couple of pieces that look back at Kid Icarus, exploring its innovations and appeal while noting what can turn off a modern gamer, and Gunstar Heroes, which helps show a little of why people love Treasure so much.
6. Newsbit: Not too long ago, Ryan Shneider, Insomiac?s marketing director for Ratchet & Clank were flattered that Miyamoto decided to emulate their “spherical world” idea… except, as Miyamoto more or less points out, they didn’t do that at all.

   But, are people reading too much into what Miyamoto said? Or, perhaps they are not reading far enough? Maybe he’s trying to give Insomniac a helpful hint…

7. Video: GameTrailers gives us a comparison of how Midway’s classic Cruis’n games, both then and now, compare to one another.

   I dunno… the Wii game is a little bit of an improvement, but I don’t think it’s a really huge one… seems more about animation than anything.

8. Comic Strip: Poor Suda51…
9. Editorial: It’s been covered now and again, and IGN’s Matt Cassamassina brings it into a head-on form, asking Nintendo when are we going to get more storage space?
10. Article Games Radar asks a question many a gamer ask themselves: Are developers listening, or are we just talking to ourselves?
11. Article: Another feature looks at characters that we care about.

    For the record, only the last really applies to me in my experiences.

12. Article: And finally, they also look into a history of video game babes.
13. Papercraft: For the geek in all of us: Francis, from Super Paper Mario.
14. Merch News: Weighted Companion Cubes, now on sale through a portal near you.
15. …oops, never mind.
16. Pics: I love classic arcade fliers, such as this Japanese Punch-Out!! flier.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Video: Just in case you haven’t seen the Cartoon Network ad for TransFormers: Animated, narrated by Peter “Optimus Prime (in the new movie and original cartoon, anyway)” Cullen, now’s your chance.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: This dancing bear will make all your woe go away!… for a few minutes, anyway.
2. Video: Oy, vey! This is the HD of the Holy Land, right here.
3. Blog: I totally missed out on this poll which pit the theme song of Power Rangers Ninja Storm against Power Rangers Mystic Force. Close call, however. I’m not sure which I’d pick. But SPD beats both, anyway.
4. Pics: The 5th turtle has added some new pictures of two new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles retro t-shirt designs, as well as some counterfeit action figures.
5. Article/Review: Newsarama looks back at the history of Alvin & The Chipmunks, and then boldly goes where no man wanted to go, to review the new movie. How does it fare? Click and see.

   Personally? I am intrigued, believe it or not.

Video Power

1. Review: IGN Gear has a look at Nyko’s new Perfect Shot light gun attachment for the Wii, and makes it seem like a compelling substitute for the Zapper… if not for the latter’s inclusion of Link’s Crossbow Training.
2. Video: The Passion of the Christ for the Wii?
3. What’d He Say? According to Sony Chairman Sir Howard Stringer, the PS3 is “infinitely more fun” than the Wii.

   Um, sure.

4. Newsbit: So some guy talks on Live about how he plans to “shoot up his school,” and one would assume is surprised when he’s arrested. Real bright. Shows that you don’t need brains to get into an institution of higher learning these days.

   “I was just joking.” Right, see how that holds up in court.

5. Video: ScrewAttack.com looks back at a game I never knew was so bad: Home Alone.

   Any game that boasts a total playtime of 20 minutes can NOT possibly be worth the money. Certainly not what they must have charged (and effectively gotten, given the popularity of the NES and the movie back in the day) for this dog.

6. Is “dog” even a good term for a bad game anymore? What with Nintendogs‘ success and all, I mean…
7. Interview: The developer helping Capcom out on Bionic Commando, GRIN, talks to Next Gen about opening a new studio, and the degree to which Capcom is overseeing Nathan Spencer’s latest swing.
8. Article: Game Daily looks into the failures of gaming’s future.
9. Article: Another feature of theirs looks at good uses for bad games. Pizza cutter, Christmas tree decorations, whatever works.

   My favorite is the belt that “sends a statement.” And that statement is “I cannot be trusted with money.”

10. Article: I’m more of a straight-edge myself, but if drinking is your thing, then Games Radar has 10 games suited to hammering your brains out to.
11. Article: 2007 was a pretty strong year for video games, but how many greats got lost in the shuffle of other greats?
12. Video: Continuing the 20th anniversary parody of Street Fighter, CollegeHumor.com presents The Later Years part 7.
13. Article: Something I’ve yet to do with the Zapper– try using it on games never intended for it.
14. Pics: Seeing Rockstar and Wii together was strange enough, but a Rockstar Wii has it beat.
15. Say what? Some columnist, apparently a “Father,” says that “video games are like crack,” blaming them for various things like fat kids and his own shortcomings in college.

    Personally, I think you’re just a weak man, De Souza.

16. Pics: Video game wall hangings make a pretty nift gift, wouldn’t you agree?
17. Article: And now, the second part of 1up and Nadia Oxford’s Street Fighter Retrospective is up, looking into the Alpha era and beyond.

And that’s it for today. And as I’m sure regulars have noticed, I’ve made a small addition to the format, so you have a better idea of where the link will take you. I think the tags are clear enough, but if you think maybe there are some better, make them known below!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. This guy is large and in charge with this homemade Optimus Prime costume. Too bad that most of the movie is just them putting it on him.
2. Shia LaBeouf says, “Just Say No.”

   This has been a public service announcement.

3. If you’ve got money to burn on toys you have no intention of opening, then Hasbro’s toy shop has got something for you.
4. Simon Furman has gone through the second part of his 20-question Q&A session, and you can read it all right here.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. That someone would make a gun like this is proof as to why society is doomed to fail.
2. Hate someone who loves Christmas music? Or maybe you just want to wipe any desire for holiday tunes out altogether. Regardless of your cause, this is the music for you.

   God, I thought they were joking when they said this would be on iTunes. Saddest part? This is some of her better work.

3. The 5th turtle goes over more retro April poses.
4. Frederik Schodt talks a bit to Newsarama about his recent book, The Astro Boy Essays: Osamu Tezuka, Mighty Atom, and the Manga/Anime Revolution.
5. What If… Spider-man took on Wolverine?
6. Unapproved Star Wars figures? I didn’t think there was an idea they’d say “no” to.

Video Power

1. 1up has a new feature, the first part of a Street Fighter Retrospective by the lovely Nadia Oxford, which covers the earlier years of the franchise, including some unexpected (and in some cases, unwanted) spin-offs and other neat trivia. It’s so grand, even Capcom themselves had to acknowledge it!
2. A new Bionic Commando podcast is now available, as the Top Secret crew talk to Capcom’s Zack & Wiki producer Hironobu Takeshita.
3. Much music has been added over at The Mega Man Network this day…
4. …as well as Capcom of Japan’s mysterious Rockman 20th counter. What the heck’s it counting down to, anyway? I mean, will anything happen?
5. Don’t you hate it when Christmas backfires on you?
6. I must admit, my affinity for Wario’s persona doesn’t include his more grotesque aspects, either.
7. Compared to today’s machines, the NES is hardly a technological marvel, but in its day, there were developers who really got quite a bit out of the machine, as Racketboy’s latest shows us.
8. According to a survey by NPD, gaming helps relieve stress. I can see where they got this from, and yet, I still laugh at the idea while dying yet again in Mega Man ZX Advent thanks to invisible foes…
9. In case you’re not tired of hearing about it already, here’s my write-up about the Donkey Kong monster truck.
10. Nintendo has opted to claim victory for the DS sooner, rather than later, citing it as the top-selling video game system of 2007.
11. Thanks to the brave efforts of Frash, we get to see just how truly epic Mario Teaches Typing was.
12. Don’t know what spurred the occassion, but GameTrailers has a ton of game-related clips from Comedy Central now.
13. It’s almost Christmas, and that’s reason enough for ScrewAttack.com to look a the Top 10 “Ho Ho Hoes” in gaming.
14. IGN asks if Mario matters any more.

    Know the best way to make people stop caring what you think? Pay me and I’ll tell you.

15. So, who won in IGN’s little bout between Sonic and Mario?
16. Game design has seen a bit of innovation over the past year, and Next Generation has decided to round up the ten best.

    Can’t say that I think a game that ditches single player is necessarily a good innovation, though. But I guess as long as you know that before you purchase…

17. GameDaily checks out the Man with the Plan, the guy who’ll Brawl for it All, Nintendo’s #1 in Fun, Mario, as he prepares to step back into the ring and layeth the smacketh down on some candy asses!
18. It’s amazing what passes with an E-rating, isn’t it?

    And don’t worry, the prerequisite “HUR! HUR! MARIO DOES DRUGS!” bit is in here, too.

19. We all have our secret shames… those parts of our lives we’d like to put behind us, and hope that everyone forgets… but sometimes… sometimes there are those who take no greater pleasure than in digging those moments up, and exposing them to the light of an unknowing, otherwise oblivious world, for all to see, for all to witness.
20. Incidently, I’m about sick and damn tired of hearing about how bad the CD-i Nintendo games were. Seems like it was dug up fairly recently, too, perhaps some attempt to counterbalance Nintendo’s current success? God, get over it already.
21. Box art is a key selling point, as that’s the point many less-informed shoppers decide what they’re going to buy. And while some think we’ve come a long way since Mega Man on the NES, Games Radar knows better as they present the worst box art of 2007, ranging from bad to awful.
22. GR’s World of Nintendo looks back at many bits from the past year, with “plenty of reasons to be cheerful and confused.”
23. Cracked.com takes a crack (see what I did there) at nailing down the six most disappointing end bosses of all time.
24. With all the hullabaloo surrounding Rock Band and Guitar Hero III, what better time for the esteemed Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation to take a look at the latter.
25. So, just how accurate is the Wii Zapper, anyway?
26. If you can get past two ads for one segment, Forbes goes over their annual Fictional Fifteen, which this year inexplicably drops Mario in favor of Princess Peach.

    Divorce? Pah, whatever. I realize it’s make-believe and all that, but I liked last year’s entry for Mario better, since it didn’t seem to fabricate anything but the school…

27. It’s still close, but a few publications/sites haven’t got their scores in yet. C’mon, Mario! Knock Zelda out already!
28. A scalper talks about his dealings with Wiis, PS3s, and iPhones. Interesting stuff.

    While I may not agree with what the guy was doing, I think the tactics some employed against him are far worse. All the same, man has some sage advice.

29. Um, wow. Guess this is one more argument against video games having matured as an industry. At least Gamecock is expressing remorse for going all 300 on Ken Levine’s speech.
30. If boardgames are the next big thing in game genres, I guess Mario Party has a good head-start.
31. The final word on Final Fight‘s Poison… until the next time, that is.
32. Heh, Wiibot.
33. Why yes, I am a bit tired… why do you ask?
34. So, why doesn’t Xbox Live have age matching, anyway? And another thing… *rambles drunkenly*

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Ben Yee has two new reviews up, in the form of Fast Action Battler Fusion Blast Megatron and Cyber Slammer Ratchet.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. For those whose favorite part of the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was how April looked (nothing wrong with that), then these pieces of “non-retro retro art” might be right up your alley…

   Or maybe not. They have a slight SD-style to them, and, well… I think she had a little more “build,” if you know what I’m saying.

2. “Eat me” could very well have a new meaning.
3. Brawndo the Thirst Mutilator: will “wreck your pants like the Incredible Hulk.”

   This is hilarious on a “Big Bill Hell” level. Makes me want to try it, too.

4. This go-kart flip reminds me of Mario Kart, but a lot luckier, considering.
5. It may look like a toy, but I don’t think I’d want this robot soldier coming after me.

Video Power

1. Press The Buttons has found a little somethin’-somethin’ sure to warm the old holiday spirit: Christmas Comes To Pac-Land.

   Sadly, I don’t know if I saw this one, and if I did, it didn’t get the opportunity to be ingrained in my memory like certain other specials. There’s supposed to be a way to view it on AOL, but maybe you need to be some sort of member, as I get stuck at a “loading” screen. Sucks. But then, watching Pac-Man cartoons without having a bowl of Pac-Man cereal in front of me just seems kind of wrong, anyway.

2. Just in time for stuffing stockings, Racketboy’s Retro Gaming has 10 great DS games for under 15 bucks.
3. If you’ve been wondering about the compatibility quirks between using your guitar on Rock Band and on Guitar Hero, you might be happy to know that Red Octane has an explanation.
4. Valve thinks we need more varied art direction in game development. I’m inclined to agree.
5. Normally, I wouldn’t care about a tour of the new Halo 3 maps so much, but when it’s by the Red vs. Blue guys at Rooster Teeth…
6. Speaking of Halo 3, here’s an amusing bit from some sitcom involving it.
7. And now, a music video for the Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 single.
8. Virtua Cop, Hogan’s Alley, and Lethal Enforcers, just a few titles I’d love to see make use of the now-available Wii Zapper.
9. I seriously have no idea what this is supposed to be (short of a hoax) or where it came from, but this alleged Super Mario Galaxy DS is pretty cool, and the video is overall pretty impressive.

   Be warned, there’s some mild spoilers in there, specifically the “what happens when you get all 120 stars” one. Thanks to Frash for sending it my way.

10. In an exclusive interview with Next Generation, Capcom talks a bit about their PS3 strategy, development costs, and issues with third-party exclusivity.
11. Wow, now there’s an award that’s chock full of prestige. Makes MTV’s golden popcorn bucket look like a damn Emmy.

    Plus, many more images from Spike’s award show within.

12. Let’s face it, this is the reason there’s such a push for 3D gaming these days.
13. GameDaily celebrates Nintendo’s Zapper with a look back at the original’s games.
14. These days, returning games is harder than ever, even if they’ve never been opened. Games Radar has a list of titles that may be worth that effort, however.
15. GR takes one final look back at the Game Boy Advance, and recollects some of the system’s best titles.
16. Recently, Nintendo issued a press release announcing a Donkey Kong monster truck at Monster Jam, but I held off on saying anything, because this sort of story really needs pictures. Pictures that weren’t available, regretfully.

    But no more! Not only are there pictures of the beast in action, but video, too.

    With that windshield for the “eyes,” it reminds me more of Funky Kong.

17. Could a new Bonk game be on the way? Sounds like people want it…
18. Sounds like Burnout could make its way to Wii eventually, too. RMC says he doesn’t know what they could do to make it more engaging, but I think something not unlike Excite Truck wherein you’re more able to run into things would be plenty.
19. “Developers should design games that entertain both kids and adults.”

    That’s been my view on things as well. Stuff like Zelda, Smash Bros., or Super Mario Galaxy seem to fit the bill well.

20. Go Nintendo has dug up some artwork and a Q&A for No More Heroes.
21. Kotaku has one thing right: Wind Waker Link makes a better plushie than his Twilight Princess counterpart.
22. 1up has a popular theme revisited, Games Due For Revival. If Bionic Commando is any sort of proof, then maybe if we say it enough times, it’ll happen.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Completely NSFW, but regardless, pay toilets? I’ve never even heard of that, but it’s got to be the stupidest idea anyone can have.

   Think about it. Do you really want to do business with someone who really needs that service, but can’t/won’t/isn’t able to pay?

2. From the guys who brought us the sung version of the movie Batman theme comes Back To The Future.

   To be honest, though, I kind of prefered the Batman one, much as I love Back To The Future.

3. “Come with me and I will show you the world of magic and wonder that you can unlock with even the simplest art project!” So sayeth The Photoshop Wizard.
4. Thanks to fellow Ranger fan Tim for pointing me in the direction of these cool t-shirts. Beats the hell out of others I’ve seen, as these hold a little more dignity to them, I think.

Video Power

1. Via WebbAlert, ThinkGeek has these cool giant Mario Kart RC cars, which are about a foot long, and feature sound effects, all for fifty bucks. More than I can afford, but at least I can watch the video with admiration.
2. Also through WebbAlert, if you want to rock out to Guitar Hero with a REAL guitar, just fork over $400 and thy will be done.
3. I eagerly await a time when jerks in online games can get their comeupance.
4. Zelda II was always a favorite of mine, and I’d like to see Nintendo make another like it. It doesn’t even have to be Zelda, necessarily. Perhaps there are some other properties Nintendo has that would be a good fit for the mold?
5. What if, instead of creating the 32X, SEGA had gone ahead and stuck with the SVP chip for 3D Genesis games?

   There’d probably be a lot of unsold $100 Genesis games, possibly. Makes you wonder how Nintendo pulled off the same trick for less money.

6. Some people complain that when Tetris DS came out, Nintendo had “broken” the game. Apparently, it had been “broken” long before Nintendo released it for the two-screen.
7. I really wish we’d gotten more of those cheap promotional Xbox games this year.
8. Corruption. Fusion. Evolution?

   While Metroid Prime wasn’t horrible or anything, maybe it’s time for a new change?

9. You know you’re doing well in the market when you can choose to pull the ads for your top product without any negative repercussions.
10. Ripten presents five Nintendo franchises that should be brought back for the modern age.

    I need Pilotwings 64 on VC. It was so relaxing.

11. Likewise, GameDaily has some NES games they believe deserve sequels. I can echo the sentiments of a lot of these.
12. If you don’t mind some potential spoilers (as well as definite ones), then GameTrailers has a neat guide to Secrets and Stuff for Super Mario Galaxy.
13. More NSFW MoCap Madness, this time for movie-based games.
14. Guess Behind-the-Scenes of Ratchet & Clank Future isn’t done yet, as GameTrailers posts a video on the weapons the series is so well-known for.
15. Capcom is of the belief that platform-exclusive titles are still viable.

    I don’t know. Unless it’s made to take advantage of the Wii’s interface, or is a Mario/Halo/Ratchet game, for example, I don’t see how it helps. And aren’t they the ones who said they were focusing now on spreading the love as much as possible?

16. N’Gai Croal weighs in on the whole “games as art” debate.
17. GameDaily brings us Kasumi as their Babe of the Week, and as a DOA fan, I couldn’t let it go by unnoticed.
18. Games Radar takes a look at a group of ported games that “had no right to work,” but did anyway.
19. 1up decided to take another look at the Activision-Blizzard merger, and come up with some mashups based on popular titles from the two companies.

    Hmm, that third one seems familiar.

20. Gaming shirts are cool, I just wish I had more that were attuned to my specfic preferences.
21. Reggie discusses how the success of Goldeneye was a turning point in gaming, which lead to a lot of people being left out.
22. Smoke pot, loseWeight Exercise Guitar Hero III… at least, if you’re this guy’s son, it would seem.
23. Looks like there’s a new Mario Kart slot-car racer out there this year, and it looks inspired by the Wii version.
24. Xbox Originals: Not quite worth the asking price.
25. To finish off the Final Fantasy tribute on 1up, Jeremy Parish has taken a look into the future of the franchise, as well as a special Retro Roundup of Fantasies past.
26. And finally, a thought occured to me regarding the most recent Smash Bros. DOJO!! update:

    Theoretically, if there are no rooms, no names, and no messages, might it be possible that with “play anyone,” you aren’t actually playing anyone at all but the computer? Since there’s no switchout with Friends, only strangers with no details, who would ever know?

    I’m not saying that’s what they’re doing, but one almost has to wonder…

–LBD “Nytetrayn”