Assorted Mushrooms

1. One more reason living in Canada can be a colossal pain in the ass. Which is weird, because they’ve looked good in the past with music downloads. But for me to be able to watch Power Rangers at a time that’s not 6:03am (yeah, you read that right) on a weekend, when I’d rather be sleeping? Madness.

   There’s not a ton I want to watch on TV anyway, and to have to either schedule around it or do without (usually the latter) really sucks hard. Here’s hoping some sort of amendment goes through.

2. Miss the 2nd coming last night? Don’t worry, you can catch it (for the moment) on YouTube, with part 2 here.
3. A gent by the name of Rob Stone eats the world’s hottest chili pepper. And seems not to be aware of just what he’s gotten himself into.
4. IGN’s taken on the Death Note anime and manga… now, they’ve set their sites on the statues.
5. According to Bashcraft at Kotaku, it sounds like getting into Japan has gotten a lot tougher.

Video Power

1. Australia has funky ads for Nintendo DS’ Jam Sessions.
2. Sirlin.net has an article that I’ve agreed with for some time:

   Saving should be treated as one of the player?s natural rights, not an earned privilege or a game mechanic around which to make strategic decisions.

   Many systems of saving are compared within, taking the good and bad aspects from each. Personally, I question why games that deem necessary to save a certain way for the sake of challenge can’t simply utilize various saving schemes to accomodate the player.

3. Dude, wouldn’t Ninja Gaiden action figures just be awesome? Figures.com seems to think so, and here’s their idea on how to do it.

   Hell, spread it out to cover Dead Or Alive, too. I wouldn’t mind some good Hitomi and Kasumi figures to stand alongside Ryu, Ayane, and Rachel.

4. Capcom talks up the Rockman/Mega Man 20th Anniversary party a little bit more, along with reassurance that THIS cake is not a lie.
5. Ah, the Koopalings, how so many yearn for your return…

   Over at Press The Buttons, Matt laments the loss of Larry, Ludwig, and the lads in Super Princess Peach, and I give a few thoughts on the matter in the comments as well.

6. Racketboy’s Retrogaming looks back at games that, for many, defined their youth and the 16-bit generation itself. Sonic, Toejam & Earl, Golden Axe… these and more are the many Games That Defined The SEGA Genesis (or MegaDrive, if you prefer).
7. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction may not have sold 500,000 in its first week like Super Mario Galaxy, but that’s ok. According to Sony, they’re doing just fine and meeting expectations.

   This one, I would like to see reach a greater measure of success over in Sony’s camp, for sure.

8. The Angry Video Game Nerd takes on Dirk the Daring in the new review of the old animated title Dragon’s Lair.
9. GameTrailers continues their Behind-The-Scenes series on Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction for the PS3 with a look at Design.
10. William Shatner embodies the Shaman, and Mr. T pity the fool who ain’t down with his Night Elf Mohawk in World of Warcraft.

    Best ad campaign ever? Maybe if they throw in Chuck Norris to be safe… but, word has it that Verne Troyer, aka “Mini Me” may be in another one.

11. When I first got into wrestling, I sort of perceived it as something like this; that is, like a fighting game played out in real life (so to speak).

    That Guile is uncanny.

12. I think Achievements are kind of cool. Nothing to get wound up over, but sort of neat asides in games.

    But achievements for killing your own teammates? That’s just a bad idea.

13. For those who covet Club Nintendo’s latest prizes, Play-Asia will be selling them, too, at a considerable markup. Not unexpected, but…
14. Worst thing about pack-ins? Those dinky sleeves they give you to keep your game in. And they don’t exactly function well alongside your DVD-style cases as part of a display, either. And Link’s Crossbow Training is no different.

    Fortunately, there are custom sleeves, thanks to The Cover Project, which are also good for used games with no boxes (who DOES that, anyway?!). The downside is, where do you get more white cases like that?

15. So, this Altair guy from Assassin’s Creed? Word is, he’s a bit of a jerk. Just let them go about their business, already, you jerk!
16. Hmm, could Burnout: Paradise be taking the series too far from its roots?
17. So, Mass Effect has this new feature called a “dialogue wheel,” right? Lotta people like it; it’s a neat alternative to “yes” and “no” or various, slightly witty synonyms.

    But, as Jeff Bell points out in this video, Microsoft has actually been using it for some time.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Wonder if that Chevy Aveo TransFormer giveaway, Swerve, was any good? Ben Yee gives you the score.

   A pity he’s so limited, I still love the basic sculpt.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The 5th turtle’s blog talks a little about the general Mirage policy of avoiding political statements and the like when it comes to their licensing. Clearly, this presents something of a problem. Read on, and see how they stuck to their guns in spite of strongarming.
2. Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, ran a contest for comments on his latest book, the type of which you might see on the back cover praising the contents. Here are the results.

   Wish I’d known of the contest, maybe I’d have entered— wait, Americans only? Dagnabbit.

3. Any political platform that involves Chuck Norris is a surefire winner. Mike Huckabee’s got this one in the bag.
4. Colbert’s team gives a look at the executive side of the strike.

Video Power

1. Dr. Mario vs. Dr. Robotnik. No matter who loseWeight Exercises, we win.
2. To clear up some of the confusion surrounding Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, David Sirlin via Capcom has released this FAQ.
3. Over at The Mega Man Network, Heatman has brought us the latest from the Rockman 20th Anniversary party, and further notes reveal some interesting tidbits, such as the planned March release of Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works (whether together or seperate is unknown); hopefully UDON’s Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works will do well enough to see this brought over as well.

   In addition, Inafune reveals his desire to make a new Mega Man game, as well as where the inspiration for Zero and Vava (Vile) came from.

4. If you’re cool with spoilers, then Press The Buttons checks out similarities between Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario Galaxy, many of which I’ve noticed myself. Particularly the progression of the series.
5. Is the Wii immune to recession? Reggie thinks so.
6. A new study seems to show that Halo 3 has gained interest from casual gamers, in addition to the hardcore.
7. Now here’s an NES oldie: Slalom, by Rare. Never got a chance to try this one.
8. Suspect a spouse of cheating? Maybe it’s time to call Detective Wii.

   But in all seriousness, that really, really sucks, and I feel for the guy. At least he was able to find that one irrefutable piece of evidence… though I wonder if he’s any happier for it.

9. More often that not, when it comes to product replacement, Nintendo is your friend.
10. Tell me that this isn’t just heartbreaking.

    Joystiq even found a YTMND that uses the format to add to the effect.

11. On the opposite end of the spectrum: badass Samus cosplay.
12. “Thank you, Mario, but our Princess is in another GALAXY!”
13. Mario & Sonic: a platform mover?
14. Sounds like Happy Hippo might’ve taken a sound cue or two from Donkey Kong Country.

    And yet, I can’t find it in my heart to hate the guy. I mean, look at him! He’s a hippo… and he’s happy! With his little tourist outfit and camera and such… he didn’t mean it.

    …I’m gonna buy him a present.

15. Sony Computer Entertainment of India would actually welcome Nintendo into the marketplace. Isn’t friendly competition grand?
16. Ben Judd, on the official Bionic Commando site (that I cannot access) has added a new podcast wherein he shows understanding towards those who hate remake changes.
17. Only two words can best describe this custom Samus figure: Freakin’ sweet!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Cougar has himself some cool cover art for his upcoming comic.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The Official TMNT Web Site has posted images of several of the recent action figures, including the mail-order promotional Bigfoot, a Foot Ninja, Master Splinter, and movie-style updates of the old “Mutations” figures for Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.
2. Furry beer?
3. Ever seen those hilarious newspaper Spider-man comics that are completely rewritten into NSFW hilarity? A poster on scans_daily alerted me to their origin, and seems there’s more where that came from, too.
4. Would you hire this man? Ways to Ruin a Job Interview.
5. Interested in becoming a part of the comic book industry? This man might be able to help you out.
6. Death Note hits DVD next Tuesday, and IGN takes a look at the anime lives up to the manga.
7. Director Colin Brady gives us an idea of what to expect from his upcoming Astroboy CG-animated film.

   …”his creator, Dr. Tanner”? The hell?

Video Power

1. A clip from the recent South Park episode, “Guitar Queer-o,” showing Stan screwing up. Bet it was the orange button what did him in.
2. Capcom seems happy that GameSpot is digging Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. And I am, too, though I wonder if a remote-nunchuck combo for the Wii version was REALLY necessary…

   And as much as I like Ace Attorney, I think I like Mentok the Mindtaker just that much more than Phoenix’s Judge.

3. Everyone’s been writing various Mario features in celebration of Super Mario Galaxy‘s release. Trust me, I know… and Press The Buttons? Doesn’t even need to, as there’s plenty of past articles to choose from.
4. Nintendo’s starting to get just a little tired of half-baked third-party Wii games. And who can blame them?

   And rather than complain that Nintendo’s own software outsells damn near everything else, maybe they should try to focus on outdoing Nintendo…

5. Sick of all the crap that’s been going around lately surrounding video game review scores, Joe Keiser at Next Generation gives his thoughts on when they matter.
6. Ah, now here’s a subject not touched upon as often as you might think: old video game print ads, these from the SNES-era.

   Just a shame the fine print isn’t easily legible here.

7. Games Radar makes a bold statement (ok, not really, I’m sure many would agree with them), saying that Super Mario Galaxy is damn near perfect, and developers need to take a hint.
8. Two decades after the release of the original Ghostbusters movie, GR asks if there’s any point to making a game based on the franchise now.

   Of course we know, the answers are “yes” and “hell yes.” Hell, we still get new Star Wars games, and The Warriors on top of that. To not do Ghostbusters would be borderline criminal.

   Sort of like not taking advantage of what we have now to finally do a good Back To The Future game.

9. The Toronto Star has a review of Super Mario Galaxy, plus an amusing pic of Mario whomping the competition paired with a piece about Wii’s innovation catapulting it to the top, and you can check it all out here.
10. The New York Times talks to Reggie about being Reggie.
11. The reason why Mario hasn’t married Peach.
12. Looks like Super Mario Galaxy has just become the best reviewed game ever, knocking longtime champ The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time off its lofty throne.

    Found out at Go Nintendo, but linking to Joystiq as well just due to the total appropriateness of their chosen pic.

13. Mario is a man of the ladies.
14. WiiWii has a video interview with Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario, Luigi, and more.

    You gotta admire how the man loves his work.

15. Hey, lucky London– they got Luigi at their Super Mario Galaxy launch! And who’s that guy in the middle…?
16. A video of a most awesome Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 mini-game: Rabbids in school!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Ben Yee has a review/gallery of the stylin’ Decepticon pickup, Dropkick.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pizza-cutting perfection. What else would you expect from a laser?
2. It’s Not The Daily Show, but close enough.
3. IGN interviews The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels, about his career and more as WWE Survivor Series looms near and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 heads to stores, with Heartbreak and Triumph going to DVD soon as well.

Video Power

1. Capcom has posted the winners of their “Ace Attorney lolcats” contest. Be sure to check the Flickr archive for the whole lot, as that’s where the real jewels are.

   Had I thought about it, I’d have entered with this.

2. Can’t say I remember Pac-man: The Board Game, but I have an incomplete Donkey Kong somewhere, and I remember wanting the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda board games. Still do, actually, if only for the old art.
3. AMN’s review of The Simpsons Game reveals the typical way of licensed games: more fun for fans than for non-fans.

   But it’s hard not to find the Simpsonized Matt Groening at least a little charming.

4. Retromags: helping preserve our gaming culture, and what you can do to help.
5. ScrewAttack shows themselves as gluttons for punishment as they take a look back at Mortal Kombat for Game Boy. This should be interesting.
6. For your viewing pleasure, the opening movie from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
7. IGN whips out Nintendo’s two biggest baddies in Ganondorf, King of Evil and Bowser, King of the Koopa as they ask you to vote for who’s baddest. Be warned, if you’ve not played Twilight Princess yet, then it shows off what the big G looks like here.

   While Ganondorf is no doubt the favorite in this, I do have to say that Bowser’s been more impressive to me in recent years than he had been in some time (a pic from Super Smash Bros. Melee or Brawl would’ve been more flattering, however).

   “Ganon may have magic, but Bowser’s got cajones.” Too true, but let’s not forget that the Koopa are a tribe renowned for their black magic, which has been more apparent in the likes of New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy.

8. Three more reasons to hate Japan, courtesy of Club Nintendo.
9. Ah, Camy Pro Gear’s “Hero Pack” of attachments for the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, based on The Legend of Zelda‘s Master Sword and Hylian Shield, are finally here. And IGN just so happens to have a look.

   $24.99 is a little steep for my tastes for a couple of cheap pieces of plastic and foam, but this is one set I’d probably get if I were to pick up such a thing for the Wii.

   Oh, and if you watch the video… make sure to stay past the “hope to be available in stores” bit near the end.

10. Turns out, Sony’s actually HAPPY about the Wii shortages. Now, that just doesn’t make any sense, does it?
11. EBGames.ca description for the Nintendo DS. Truly a winner, there. With a blurb like that, how can PSP ever hope to compete?
12. Game Critics has an interview with Jerry Holkins, one half of the Penny Arcade duo, about PAX and a few other things.
13. More photos of Sonic and Mario at a UK event.
14. Photos have surfaced of the PlayStation 3 that Sony dubbed “too dusty to fix” under warranty.

    Make your own call.

15. When is a Wii Remote not a Wii Remote?

    When it’s a DS, apparently. Ah, those crazy Rabbids…

16. The next time you pass on a Capcom playtesting session, think of what you could be missing.
17. N’Gai Croal has a new article that postulates that complex controllers effectively ruined the “pick up and play” mentality, starting with Street Fighter II in arcades and working from there.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. So there’s a poll that shows that TransFormers The Movie has helped raise the opinion of GM cars. And in more obvious to everyone but the producers news, people liked the TransFormers themselves more than the humans.
2. Ben Yee has a look at issue 2 of the Beast Wars Sourcebook by IDW, which he helped with and has drawn a LOT of heat and ire from fans for the shoddy work done on it. After the things I’ve seen and heard on it… well, here’s hoping the trade fixes things up.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The 5th turtle has a few more neat tidbits, one being climbing claws for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures by NECA, and the other being more non-retro retro art of Leonardo and Donatello.
2. Among the ever-growing number of signs that the world is nearing an end, Scott Adams, one of the world’s most prolific mockers of bosses and managers the world over through his comic strip Dilbert (and other assorted books), has become a boss himself.

Video Power

1. So, lately I’ve been digging around in the archives of Press The Buttons, and there’s some interesting, timeless stuff there in addition to comments about more recent happenings, which is also something I try to accomplish with “Points of Interest” here on PMO; columns which, barring sites going down or changing addresses, remain timeless and can be enjoyed no matter when you read them.

   One such piece I found linked to a since-relocated interview with the creator of The Oregon Trail, which helps put some perspective on some things like the hunting subgame and “inadequate grass.”

   It also lead me to think that they ought to remake The Oregon Trail for Wii Ware. It’s have a sort of retro value/appeal of its own if priced right. And just think, you could send Miis from your plaza to Oregon or their deaths, whichever comes first! And maybe leave tombstones that could be found and sort of trickle-down through WiiConnect, not unlike the Miis themselves. Keep the price fair, and I bet it’d see a few downloads.

2. Capcom*Unity has found a cool mash-up video for Mega Man, with commercials and other fun stuff blended into the video. Too bad they have that stupid “Retrojunk” watermark at the start. In fact, I left a comment with a link to the original, without the watermark, in the hopes that it might be fixed.
3. Now here’s something I haven’t given much thought to: The Cheapest Atari 2600 Games Worth Your Time.

   I thought they were all pretty cheap. I guess with retro being an “in” thing now, however, that maybe that’s since changed.

4. Toastyfrog pays tribute to one of the greatest video game enemies of all time, and the first many people ever saw: the Goomba.

   Not only a favorite enemy of mine, but also a favored ally.

5. A recent poll shows that more Canadians recognize a photograph of Mario than they do their own political leaders. And in Europe, more than the likes of Hilton, Timberlake, and more.
6. One year after launch and just in time for Christmas, ScrewAttack.com tells us what the Top 10 Exclusive PS3 Games are.

   …and it’s actually quite funny in all the wrong ways (or all the right ones, if you’re an anti-Sony zealot).

7. Hey, it’s another Mario retrospective! And this one’s from GameSpot!

   What makes this one any different? Mouse-over comparison pics, for one, and “then” consisting chiefly of Sunshine for another.

8. If there’s one thing Mario doesn’t lack in the slightest, it’s female companionship to rescue. Hence, IGN’s look at Mario’s Ladies.

   Hmm, so Rosalina has two names between here and Japan now? Why, Nintendo? Did you learn nothing from “Peach Toadstool?”

   …wait, “Smash Bros.‘ Daisy?” Did I miss an update or something? Or did IGN inadventently spill the beans?

   My choice for pairings, though: Mario and Peach, Luigi and Daisy. I see Rosalina as a more platonic relationship (unless playing further reveals otherwise), and Pauline… well, that’d be telling.

9. In their never-ending quest to stay on the Mario bandwagon, Game Daily has a new piece highlighting the most neglected characters in the franchise.

   For Toad, though, I wonder if Nintendo in Japan even considers him a proper character, or just a species?

10. Games Radar Presents: Fan Films Gone WRONG!
11. Another awesome wedding; nice touch, pairing Luigi and Daisy. The napkins rock, too!
12. Part of an interview with Gamasutra reveals how NeoGeo games reached the Wii Virtual Console.
13. Well, if there were still any questions about GameStop’s lack of competence…

    I’d really hate to be working there and have some strict regulation telling me I’m not allowed to sell the game to a kid. I wonder how this even happened? Maybe a little too much X-Play?

14. MTV Multiplayer lists the Top 10– you guessed it– Mario games. Pre-Galaxy, of course.
15. Yahtzee has another Zero Punctuation review up, this time of Clive Barker’s Jericho.

    And if seeing him tear apart games isn’t your cup of tea, maybe you’d like to tear apart one of his… that is, assuming you don’t actually like it.

16. Game|Life brings word of another Mental Floss NES quiz, on which I scored 72%, or 18 out of 25. Damn sports games…
17. Guess not everyone likes Super Mario Galaxy.

    Personally, I like the Wii control arrangement. Matter of opinion there, I suppose, but to say it looks “lifeless?” Huh…

18. Brazil has a neat little item for SEGA fans. Sort of like Plug-n-Play controllers, but better! And a bit pricier, too.
19. Um… Wow. Is this art?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Thanks to Frash for finding this cool custom protoform Optimus Prime figure on eBay.
2. Tformers has a review of the US-released Masterpiece Starscream.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Someday, before I die, I must eat in Japan.

Video Power

1. Capcom goes behind the scenes of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix to give us a better look at how they’re fine-tuning the game to make it more balanced.
2. Rare discusses why they continue making games for Nintendo’s portables.
3. “Majority of Parents See Gaming with Kids as Waste of Time”

   1) This explains a lot.

   2) Screw them.

4. ScrewAttack is back with a fine “hasta la vista, baby” to you as they take a look at Terminator 2.
5. Not every idea is a winner, obviously. But which gaming ideas are the absolute worst? Next Generation digs deep to find out, and these don’t even look at the games themselves!

   Incidently, however, I appreciate backward compatibility.

6. Wow, yet another Mario gallery at Game Daily.
7. Not to be left out, Games Radar has their own lists of top 20 galactic moments and the top 7 Mario spin-offs…
8. …which lead me to discover Caleb Elijah’s awesome guitar tabs of various video game themes.
9. The Super Mario Galaxy launch at Nintendo World was this past Sunday night, and Game Daily was in attendance, camera in hand. Here’s what they saw.
10. And while Game Daily has the photos, Go Nintendo has the video.
11. This was my dream as a kid. It’d beat the bus, for sure.

    …come to think of it, I can pretty much say the same thing now.

12. The commercial for Mario & Sonic.

    Can’t wait for it in better quality, but very nice choice of song, at any rate.

13. More Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 spoof art.

    The lack of a Super Mario Galaxy piece is simply disappointing.

14. If you’re like me and were lured to the Toys R Us with the promises of candy and funny stories for getting Super Mario Galaxy there, then you probably didn’t get this phone call, either.
15. So, what do you think? “Video game” or “videogame?”
16. The New York Times looks into a troubling issue, the survival of print media for games.

    As I’ve said, adapting is key. More in-depth content in the magazines, rather than “news” is the best way to counteract, as well as not giving away your stories for free on the internet.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. For centuries, a truce has existed…
2. A kitty has to fight to protect its kill.
3. IGN takes a look at the fall of Geneon, and what it means to fans of anime.

Video Power

1. While browsing the archives over at Press The Buttons, I came across two interesting pieces.

   The first linked to a look at the internal structuring at Nintendo, and why certain games were produced in certain ways, such as Wario taking over the Super Mario Land titles and branching off into his own series on portables, or why the return of Samus in Super Metroid on a console was more the exception than the rule for so many years.

2. The other presents an interesting look at the evolution of NES boxart by various companies such as Nintendo, Capcom, and Konami, and how they eventually lost their notable distinction to such a degree that, short of their titles, you wouldn’t know one company’s games from another.
3. Coin Heaven takes a look at villainy in the Mario universe, and if many are as bad as they seem.
4. Hence its release 10 years ago, Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64 is still considered a pivotal game in the genre of First-Person Shooters, earning it a closer look at Racketboy’s Retrogaming.
5. …what the hell?

   Man, some of these companies will say ANYTHING to avoid living up to a warranty, won’t they?

   “Too much dust inside?” Give me a friggin’ break.

6. Newsweek‘s N’Gai Croal poses an interesting question: what would you rather loseWeight Exercise, a $60 game or a save file?

   I suppose it would largely depend… if it’s simple progress, like how far you are in a game, or something simple like scores, I guess I’d give it up then. But if it were like Super Smash Bros. Melee, with a ton of stuff unlocked and earned…

7. Looks like Aqua Teen Hunger Force is here, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force sucks. But then, there are only two reviews so far. I doubt it’ll get any better from here, though. Too bad, the premise seemed entertaining enough.
8. This week, IGN picks on Square Enix for who they think should be in Brawl.

   I favor the original generic “class” characters, myself: Black Mage, Fighter, Red Mage, Thief, etc. But then, I dig 8-Bit Theater, so therein lies my bias.

9. I normally wouldn’t link to one of IGN’s Cosplay Galleries, but this excellent cosplay of Eirika from Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones demands that I do.
10. Games Radar does a little investigating to see whether or not the PS3 is really that difficult to work with.
11. Mario and Sonic, such an amusing pair. Here’s more photos of their hijinx in promoting their Olympic Games title.
12. See, RMC knows what I’m talkin’ about. Hardcore gamers dying out? Hardly.
13. Aww, c’mon, Gary… say it ain’t so! No man, not even a Coleman, should have to go through this.
14. Sounds like the name of the Super Mario Galaxy game is variety.
15. 2chan’s perspective on the whole “360 outsells PS3 in Japan” thing.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. If you’re into Dinobot, the Predacon-turned-Maximal from Beast Wars, you might be interested in the new pictures that Ben Yee has added of the original toy to his review.

Video Power

1. IGN celebrates the impending release of Super Mario Galaxy with a look back at The History of Super Mario Bros.

   They need to play more Super Mario Bros. 2 if they think there are no secrets, however. There are some other inaccuracies, but I’m not going to name them all here. Suffice to say, it comes off a knowledgable about Mario’s evolution in gaming, but less so about the Mario games themselves.

2. Not to be outdone, Eurogamer has one, too!
3. AMN turns back the clock again with part two of Nintendo vs. SEGA: The Console Wars.

   Incidently, regarding SEGA’s mascot concepts, they’ve since denied that Cream has anything to do with the rabbit shown at the time.

   A dark part of my soul wishes to see how the “Sonic & Madonna” idea would have come to fruition.

4. Game Daily has a piece that complements it nicely as they assemble a gallery of Mario vs. Sonic: Battle of the Mascots, pitting similar characters on both sides of the fence against one another to see who comes out on top.
5. ScrewAttack.com opens the vault again to peer deep into Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

   I think a friend of mine had this on NES at one time…

6. GameTrailers has an in-depth interview that explains the differences between each system’s version of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2008.
7. Heh… Next Generation has a new feature up…

   THE MAKING OF: Tomb Raider: The Angel Of Darkness

   Me: “Meh… wait, wasn’t that…?”

   An in-depth analysis of a game that went horribly wrong.

   Me: …NOW we’re talkin’!

   The only thing greater than seeing what people were thinking when making a great game is what the hell went wrong when making a bad one.

8. Go Nintendo has an awesome exclusive video looking at Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2.

   Well, near-awesome; the host starts talking just a bit too soon and abruptly for my liking. Still, coolness.

9. Reggie Fils-Aime’s appearance on FBN (Fox Business News?).
10. Still sucks that Project H.A.M.M.E.R. was canned, but at least some last screens have popped up.
11. Mario and Sonic decided to show up in person in the UK to promote their Olympic Games title.
12. Behold, the World’s Most Expensive Games, compiled into a handy Top 10 format for easy reading.
13. What’s better than ten? How about eleven? As in, eleven unreleased NES games.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Assorted Mushrooms

1. From the Onion News Network: Where are our damn flying cars?

   And just to keep the topic going, here’s the Kevin Smith take on the subject.

   Me? I don’t trust people on the roads, nevermind over my head.

2. So Jack Nicholson is furious over the new portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight?

   “They never asked me about a sequel with the Joker. I know how to do that! Nobody ever asked me,” Nicholson said. “It’s like, in any area, you can’t believe the reasons things do or don’t happen. Not asking me how to do the sequel is that kind of thing. Maybe it’s not a mistake. Maybe it was the right thing, but to be candid, I’m furious.”

   Sheesh, you’d think he originated the character or something. Is he aware that this isn’t the same thing he played in?

   Plus, sounds like Hong Kong is being kind of a jerk. But, maybe we don’t know the whole story.

3. Wow, this takes me back to a place I wasn’t especially eager to return to…
4. …but man, Kelly sure was hot, though, wasn’t she? Wonder how she looks now…

Video Power

1. Lolfighterz.
2. Racketboy’s Retrogaming looks into what the best Game Boy Advance games are today… even if you own a DS. And many of these are truly fine games, some of which I still need to add to my collection (Minish Cap, Wario Land 4, Gunstar Super Heroes, Castlevania).
3. Games Radar has a credible theory that Snake is returning to Outer Heaven in South Africa for Metal Gear Solid 4, as well as some guesses as to the other undisclosed location.

   Be neat to see the classic “I feel asleep!” stomping grounds, reimagined in a more realistic 3D…

4. AMN has a guest editorial that speaks out against Nintendo’s “refrigerator” analogy for managing Wii memory. Plus, it seems to confirm what I had wondered, whether or not deleting a game would delete its save files as well. Unless it means saves for Wii games, like Sonic and the Secret Rings rather than Sonic 3.

   I haven’t run into the issue yet myself, but that doesn’t make the points any less valid. Nintendo ought to listen a little more to the consumer and their wants and needs here.

5. Another looks into Ignorance: The World’s Fight Against Games, as people continue to try and put a stranglehold on the content the industry is allowed to have, all for no good reason.
6. Remember The Last Starfighter? Well, now you can finally play the game.
7. Super Mario Galaxy: the GameTrailers video review. Might be some slight spoiling stuff therein, especially if you’re on a blackout until the game’s release– there was at least one thing new to me there.
8. A little more light is shed on the whole controversy of uncredited staff on Manhunt 2 from one of the producers.
9. What will it take for microtransactions to be successful? Next Generation has a few ideas.
10. It seems the boys at GameDaily just can’t get enough of our main man, Mario. Which is why they’ve put together yet another gallery to highlight the superstar plumber’s athletic achievements.

    I’d really like to see something like Mario’s Ice Hockey, as sort of a new take on the old Mario-less NES title. In the meantime, I still need to find a copy of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour for the Cube.

11. So, why haven’t we gotten any good 1:1 swordplay/lightsaber action yet? Jonathan Smith from TT Games explains.
12. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has been talking about Super Mario Galaxy with many of the people who worked on the title. And now, he moves on to the big man himself- Shigeru Miyamoto.
13. It’s been 20 years of Mega Man, and Inticreates has thrown something special into Mega Man ZX Advent to celebrate.

    It’s not much compared to Contra 4, but still a nice little nod.

14. If you don’t mind a bit of down and dirty language, then check out ZeroPunctuation’s review of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for a few laughs. Laughs enough that I was distracted from doing this for quite some time, going through his archive and effectively watching every single video that bore any relevance to any game I have ever shown any interest in among his listings.

    Hell, now I’m doing it.

15. 1 + 1 = Pikachu.

    Ok, maybe not, but Nintendo has begun to use Pokemon for educational purposes.

16. Nintendo of Europe has a quick look at two of Mario’s newest power-suits from Super Mario Galaxy.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. The TransFormers discuss Barack Obama. And Ironhide is racist. Apparently. Thanks to Frash for the submission.
2. IGN pays tribute to everyone’s favorite new TransFormer from the motion picture, the dynamic Dewbot!

Assorted Mushrooms

1. “Uncle Phil is the Shredder?!”
2. If your only exposure to the Fantastic Four has been their recent movies, then check out this clip of the opening to their 70′s cartoon show. Notice anything different.

   The network was afraid that kids would light themselves on fire in order to imitate The Human Torch, and so he was replaced by a robot named H.E.R.B.I.E. Or so the popular urban legend goes, as Wikipedia purports that it was a simple rights issue, with Torch set aside seperately for a solo movie that never happened (often the case with old Marvel movies).

   The guy was never really taken to, though, for pretty much the same reasons as Jar-Jar Binks. Interesting to note, however, is that it’s a pre-Megatron robot role for Frank Welker, and that the character has picked up a certain notoriety as a gay (or at least libido-driven), sinister sort of robot in Twisted Toyfare Theater.

   Thanks again to Frash for the link.

3. Frash never rests, it seems, as we have another video from the 80′s, featuring Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n Wrestling. This ep features Captain Lou Albano (the wrestler who would later portray Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show, though ironically he (nor anyone else, for that matter) voiced themselves in the cartoon show.

   Remember above, where Uncle Phil was the Shredder? Turns out he’s the Junkyard Dog, too!

4. If you’re not bored to tears with it, then have we got a treat for you! More Ninja Turtles non-retro retro art, in-progress!
5. Mark Evanier answers some peoples’ questions about the WGA writer’s strike in his blog, including topics like how news programming is affected, how public opinion might affect negotiations, and where the hell are Dave and Jay?
6. Via WebbAlert: Captain America may not know what MySpace is, but that doesn’t mean the cops don’t.
7. IGN drops in on the Power Rangers 15th Anniversary tour, and use the term “Mighty Morphin’” to describe them far too much in this day and age.

   But you’ve gotta dig the Hummer limo.

Video Power

1. Earlier tonight, Yahoo’s front page featured a look at ten video game VIPs, the big movers and shakers in the industry… at least, on the character side. Most of them feature nifty little video montages, too.
2. Itagaki’s Agenda continues, this week looking at his career, his love of gambling, and his plans for the future.
3. Yeesh. I normally don’t give much credence to reviews, but from other things I’ve heard as well, Power Rangers Super Legends for the DS sounds beyond bad.
4. Next Generation has a running theory that some games that were ok on the GameCube would have been better on the Wii.

   Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Super Mario Sunshine, MAYBE Luigi’s Mansion… those came to mind immediately upon reading that notion. Though really, Luigi’s Mansion is just fine as it is.

   Nintendo was once quoted as possibly looking into the idea of remaking some GameCube titles for the Wii, and we’ve already seen a positive move of the sort with Resident Evil 4. I almost hate to say it, but maybe Nintendo should look into making more such ports to fill the gaps between bigger releases. Given that a lot of good ideas could use a second look and perhaps benefit from the Wii’s unique interface, maybe such “cash-ins” would for once be justified.

   The piece takes some issue with the GameCube’s controller as a shortcoming, some of which I agree with.

   Worst of all, in attempting to encourage better habits, the control scheme failed to lend itself particularly well to existing game templates. If a game was not intrinsically designed for the GameCube, the controller would be more an obstruction than a guide.

   This much I’ve always asserted, and is why I would be reluctant to get the Cube version of Mega Man X Collection over the PS2 version, which follows the past decade’s worth of Mega Man X control schemes perfectly (due in part to the fact that many were made for the PlayStation consoles to start with).

   Gamers complained that 2D fighting games would be impossible on the standard pad (as if they weren’t just going to buy a joystick anyway). Developers and pundits complained the pad made cross-platform development less feasible. Not that that stopped anyone.

   See, I wondered why Capcom never released Street Fighter Anniversary Collection on the GameCube. Sure, the native GameCube controllers would likely make playing it some sort of complex practice, but at the same time, they were commemorating the game with special Genesis-styled control pads for the PS2 (and maybe the Xbox), featuring original art from UDON based on several characters, designed to best accomodate the classic playstyle.

   Why not release that for the GameCube as well? The lack of a good “traditional” controller with a good D-pad would have made this a strong selling point, especially to those who had Game Boy Players and disliked the Cube’s control pad.

5. My recently new-favorite character from Punch-Out!! has a little proposition for you… “Zee uppercut!” t-shirts! Solves all your problems!
6. Sigh, I hate MTV. I see no excuse for this.

   BUT, if you’re in the US, you can see Mario and Buzz Aldrin hanging out on video here. And if you’re able to put it on YouTube and swing a link my way, I’d be very grateful. And I’ll credit you, of course.

7. Nintendic has an interview with THQ about the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw games.
8. Now that the game is out, looks like the Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn website is ready, too.
9. A retractable Wii sensor bar. Novel idea.

   Or not.

   I don’t know, I’d need a better look at how it works. I imagine it’s less prone to breaking when being packed for travel, though.

10. Lots of reviews popping out this week… see what Game Rankings has for Super Mario Galaxy, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, and Battalion Wars 2. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games ought to show up soon, as 1up and IGN, among others, already have theirs.
11. A GameStop supervisor has an anonymous list of confessions posted at the Consumerist, hoping to get people to lay off the GameStop bashing. Good luck with that.
12. The Pac-Gentleman– now playable in modern times.

    Not your thing? Then how about a text-based version?

13. Are you saying “Ninja Gaiden” correctly?

    I. DON’T. KNOW.

    But I suspect I am.

14. So apparently, the console a man owns says something about him. Possibly behind his back, depending how much he throws the controller.

    I wonder, though; what about the people who own more than one?

15. Gamasutra looks at the history of Atari, starting with the years 1971-1977.

    Joystiq offers a pretty good summary of what happened next.

16. Kotaku has a live blog of Reggie on stage in New York at the Bank of America.

    Via Go Nintendo, a bit more can be found here.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”