1. Allspark links to a video from G4TV’s “Attack of the Show,” wherein they covered a bit of BotCon from this past weekend. It also features Peter Cullen doing the voice of Optimus Prime, live and in person, and a little footage from the 20th Anniversary Edition of the original movie.

   Plus, they also link to another video where Michael Bay talks a bit about TransFormers.

2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl producer Masahiro Sakurai has a few words regarding the upcoming title, including that the Wii remote may be used, though not in the main game.
3. GameDaily takes a look at Cheapie Heaven: Top Ten Games Under $20.

   Soul Calibur II for 10 bucks? I wish I could find it for that…

4. They also review Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the final chapter of this part of the ongoing saga.

   “This is one of those games that’s impossible to hate unless you’re a Bible-thumping right-wing anti-violence activist from a state redder than Hell Boy.”

   Now that’s what I like to hear. They give it four and a half out of five stars.

5. Go Nintendo mentions the upcoming Ryuusei no Rockman cartoon, but unfortunately, I’m not as optimistic that we’ll see it as soon as they’d like, as there are two or three iterations and a movie of Rockman.EXE/MegaMan NT Warrior we’ve yet to see.
6. They also take a look at a Famitsu poll of Japanese developers regarding the three next-gen systems, and there is definitely some strong support for the Wii.
7. Game|Life gives a sneak peek at the trivia questions from Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2.

   …some of us at MMN helped out on the Mega Man stuff, though I’m not sure who did Question 3 there. But I bet a messload of people are going to be angry after they answer “d,” which could be considered correct as well…

   (On a side note, anyone else notice that the choices are labelled “1, 2, 3, and 4″ while the answer key uses “A, B, C, and D?”

   Yeah, I’m petty, so what?

8. Game|Life also pitches the new 2006 Nerdcore Calendar, featuring ladies wearing next-to-nothing and sporting gamestuffs.

   Oh, and they mark all the important holidays for you, too. Y’know, stuff like the TGS, the release day of the TransFormers movie, E3, “Talk Like A Pirate Day,” and such.

   Be warned, there’s some naughtiness on the actual order page, proceed at your own risk.

   Looks nice and all, but I’m married, and will no doubt end up with another black cat calendar hanging in the kitchen.

   …not that there’s anything wrong with that.

9. Hey, remember that video of the Super Mario Bros. 3 stage being recreated in Lego animation?

   Kotaku’s got another, this time with Donkey Kong.

   Wow. Just… wow.

10. Once more, Sony shoots their mouth off about their customers. This time in Europe.

    See, they don’t mind waiting for the PS3. Nope. Not at all, no siree…

11. Kotaku has more pics from inside Capcom of Japan that didn’t make it into the Inafune interview post yesterday.

    …but what’s with them and Stargate, I wonder?

12. This is sort of neat. A t-shirt that crosses Alice in Wonderland with Mario.
13. Press The Buttons takes a look at a Retrogamer article covering games you will never own, i.e. the rarest and most valuable pieces out there.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. lamazoid has an amusing bit he linked to, about a guy who wants to be just like Luigi.

   And fails.

   Hard.

2. Tformers has some “official” pictures of TransFormers Classics Jetfire and Mirage.

   I don’t hate Mirage or anything, not at all, but that Jetfire is PURE. LOVE.

   He’s the same design we’ve seen in the recent Stormbringer comics, and is an excellent hybrid of the original Macross toy and the cartoon/comic design.

3. This is kind of a peculiar thing. Remember that PlayStation 2 SEGA Genesis Collection that’s coming out?

   Among the titles included is Virtua Fighter 2.

   I never knew they made this for Genesis. What’s more is that it’s not a 3-D title, which kind of seems like it would take the “virtua” out of it. It’s a 2-D, sprite-based fighter, one that doesn’t look bad at all, but seems a little sluggish in movement.

   Might be interesting to try.

4. GameSpot has some new Sonic Rivals screens up. Looks like a variation on the Carnival Night Zone, very pretty.

   I really hope this game is good.

5. Over at Nintendo, NOA Rufus ponders alternate uses for the Nintendo DS while plugging the new Cody Banks/Spy Kids-type move, Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker, in which the device has a bit of a role, seemingly the equivalent of James Bond’s watch.
6. GameDaily has a feature up about Gaming Through The Ages: Then vs. Now, in which they look at how gaming has changed over the past few decades.
7. onNintendo has linked to a neat little feature, the Wii countdown clock, which can even be added to your desktop. But you need to upgrade to Flash 9 to do it.
8. GameSpy has a Summon Night 2 review up. But what I want to know is, are these adaptations of the PS1/2 games? Or entirely seperate entities? Because I wouldn’t mind checking out Summon Night 3 if it’s the former…
9. Slashdot links to a story that says more or less what I’ve been saying for awhile now: Sony needs a Major Nelson(replace “Major Nelson” with “Reggie Fils-Aime,” and that’s what I’ve been saying). Kaz Hirai and Ken Kutaragi just aren’t good faces to put on the company, plain and simple.

   Slashdot excerpts:

   “While it’s not something that appeals to every group of people that play games – the casual market and kids, for example, the existence of these people allows the part of the market that is most opinionated – the core gamers, those who have a very clear opinion on what they want and what is good and bad – to interact with somebody who can actually bring about change. Hell, on a lesser note, it even gives the fanboys someone to worship.”

10. Slashdot also notes some concerns from a recent EB/GameStop event wherein Microsoft seemed to step up to bat with HD-DVD, but Sony’s Blu-Ray was lacking in presence.
11. And then there’s Wal-mart game buyer Steve Perry, who discusses how things have been, and how the next and current gens will be approached.
12. Kotaku has a link to a cool Nintendo controller evolution t-shirt.

    What, no Virtual Boy?

13. Oh, here we go.

    Kotaku has a very nice interview with Mega Man/Dead Rising creator Keiji Inafune, talking about porn, Halo, and deadly sacred floats.

    Right on.

    “I wanted to enter Konami,” he tells me with a grin. “But I asked my professor, and he said Konami was a little far, and Capcom was the closest to my house, so I applied first. Good thing I did, otherwise, I’d be working on Mecha-Man Solid 4 at Konami.”

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. PKManiac1 linked me to an MSNBC story that goes over the whole bit reported a few days ago regarding GameStop’s exclusive use of Wii kiosks, and how it may benefit them.

   Of course, there’s a little bit of rumor that the exclusivity only grants them a few days of being the only Wii game in town, but we’ll see for sure soon enough.

   More rumor has it that those same kiosks will require a credit card to use, at least as some sort of collateral.

2. PKManiac1 also links me to an article at Radar Online which goes over “the 10 most moronic college courses in America”.

   I sort of disagree. While I wouldn’t want to major in any of the courses, some of them, such as #4: “The Science of Superheroes” and #6: “Super Smash Bros. Theory and Practice” sound like a fun way to still do the school thing, without necessarily getting burned out.

   I mean, hey, we can’t all be NCAA golden boy draft picks.

3. GameTrailers has a couple of neat bits up, with a Sonic the Hedgehog TGS 06 Producer Interview, and Family Guy cutscene.

   For Sonic, it sounds like they’re wanting to get back to “the roots of what made him good,” and people took it as a continuity reboot.

   For Family Guy… it looks like a Flash version of the show. Sorta.

4. Worst USB toy ever?

   I think it’s kinda cute.

5. Wow. 66% of casual gamers are over 50. Impressive.
6. Wow. Three Resident Evil games in one package, the Resident Evil 10th Anniversary Edition for the Nintendo GameCube.

   Pity they probably won’t add in the extra content from the PS2 version of Resident Evil 4, as they added new features for Devil May Cry 3 when it went to Greatest Hits on PS2.

7. Wii makes the Toy Wishes “Hot Dozen,” though one might argue their note of a “two-handed controller.”
8. Gamebrink has Miyamoto talking Wii titles.

   It’s a doozy, so you might want to grab a sandwich before you start.

9. Nintendo has put a lot of emphasis on Wii remotes being tuned to the users. One site seems to be interested in taking the concept even further with personalized labels for the Wii remote.

   I could probably go for a Mario one…

10. If you’re like me and missed it, Joystiq reviews the South Park World of Warcraft episode.
11. Even though I really don’t care about most normal sports games, this article addressing the shortcomings of EA’s offerings was an interesting read.

    It also ties in well with their view of EA’s scam of pay-per-tutorials.

12. Wow, sounds like Microsoft really botched their big XBox 360 reveal in South Africa.
13. Kotaku has a link to Urban Retro Lifestyle, which is hosting a download of the Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past comic.
14. They also relay the question, should libraries offer gaming?
15. Press the Buttons has a few pieces involving the Neo GAF forums, asking where is Viewtiful Joe 3, and how about a Chrono Trigger DS?
16. Oh, wow. Online gaming just got worse.
17. Looks like both retailers and customers want PS3s on the salesfloor fast.
18. TechDigest has the Top 10 YouTube videos that will make you want a Wii.

    Too late for me.

19. IGN’s Matt examines the Wii’s pricepoint, “$50 too much, three weeks too late.”

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Snagged from deffy_kun:

   
   How White and Nerdy Are You?

   …I’m probably more than that, just in areas not covered.

2. I’m as iffy as anyone when it comes to a licensed property becoming a game, but I actually think that Snoopy vs. The Red Baron looks like it will be rather fun.

   Justice League Heroes looks like it’ll be good, as well. I hear it’s set to play similar to X-Men Legends, which wasn’t too shabby…

   …though together, they both make me want to see a New Avengers game, though with Civil War and all, I don’t know how likely that is. Oh well, Ultimate Alliance will have to do, I guess.

3. GameSpot has added some gameplay movies from Capcom Classics Mini Mix on the GBA.

   If it comes down about five bucks, that is so mine.

   Judging by the videos, Bionic Commando and Mighty Final Fight came out fine, but Strider seems to have some slowdown or something.

   Never quite understood that. I thought hardware limitations being pushed were the cause of a lot of that sort of thing on NES games, so shouldn’t more powerful hardware nullify those issues?

4. ZZZZZzzzzzzzz… HUHwha-whaza-?! Oh, right. Remember that game, Mega Man ZX? GameDaily finally reviewed it. Four out of five stars. If you even care by now, you’ve probably made up your mind at this point, if you haven’t already bought it.
5. Joystiq has an interesting sort of “proto-Mii” creator, which you can try out here.

   Not bad, but I hope the real thing has more/better options. I can’t even get my proper beard on here. WWF Attitude, this ain’t.

   I guess it’s decent for a rough approximation, but I’m not sure you’ll be getting very good Miyamotos or Iwatas with this.

   Hmm. Why do I get the feeling a significant chunk of the internet is going to carry similar looks…?

6. Slashdot links to an article wherein it is believed that Sony really ought to give more of a damn about Microsoft.
7. Game|Life reminds us that Sony’s Gamers Day will be on October 19th. Mr. Kohler also adds this anecdote:

   True story: the PlayStation 2 version of this very event, held exactly six years ago this month, was my first ever game industry junket. Scandals of the show included the PS2 launch allocations being cut to 500,000 from one million just a day before, and the surprise unveiling of Twisted Metal Black, which crashed. What a six years it’s been.

8. lolz, NES is teh HUEG!!!
9. Kotaku has a pretty neat video of someone sculpting Luigi’s head in 3-D.

   Nice.

10. Haven’t seen this myself, personally, but it seems Toronto has our very own PS3 billboard.
11. Kotaku looks at the “zeitgeist” following the Wii’s price announcement.

    Personally, I scaled back how much I care about Sony’s… stuff because frankly, I got tired of it. ;P That, and I think people have had time to let the $600 price tag sink in. I think we’ve accepted it in that we aren’t screaming about it so much, but it’s still steeper than a number of us are willing to go.

    Speaking for myself, my opinions remain more or less the same. I just don’t think I need to draw attention to it every time Sony or someone does something great or bad(hence why I’m not bothering with the various stocks and predictions that came out today). I won’t go so far as to say I don’t care anymore, but after Nintendo’s conferences, TGS, and stuff, I just want the stuff to come out.

12. College Humor seems to have a neat little thing going with a live-action Zangief and Dhalsim as they explore Street Fighter: The Later Years.

    I do hope this continues. I want to see what Guile and Ken are doing these days.

13. As a sort of interesting companion piece to the 1UP box art article posted yesterday, Matt at Press The Buttons has a look at his choices for best and worst box art.

    The first “Best” listed is for Disney’s Ducktales, which was a good game in its own right, and even got a feature in this month’s Nintendo Power magazine.

    I’ll always love the original Super Mario Bros. 2 box, though. And while I love the Super Mario Advance version of the game, the box was just sort of lacking.

14. 2old2play has a neat article up, examining why do we prefer sequels?

    Part of it may very well be summed up in this:

    “After you have been in an online community that focuses on a single game, most members eventually move on to other games. Sequels tend to reunite that group and give us back that feeling we had when it was all new.”

    “Another reason we buy a sequel is that they have similar game mechanics. Sequels make us feel comfortable. Control schemes and gameplay doesn?t need to be totally relearned.”

    …I think that may definitely hold true for Mega Man titles, at the very least, and I’m sure it’s not exclusive to that.

    Personally, I like a healthy mix.

15. Red vs. Blue season 5 starts Monday.

    I really need to get caught up… I think I’m still somewhere in the timeline of Halo 1…

    If you’ve never watched it before, go check it out. Trust me, you don’t need to be intimately knowledgable about Halo to enjoy these.

16. GamesRadar says the PSP has failed.

    According to them, the word from Developers at TGS 2006 is that the PSP is either failing or has already failed.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. kyouryuu gives praise to Sony in keeping PS2 software rolling, even as the dawn of the next generation nears, and I’ll agree to that.

   On a related note, it seems that word is moving that Super Paper Mario may not be Wii-bound, after all… at least, not exclusively.

   Nintendo seems to confirm it.

2. Go Nintendo links to an interesting piece which discusses how the Wii came to be.

   They also link to a GWN article “for those who are either first time Nintendo owners, or just getting back into the world of Nintendo.”

   “The article discusses the ins and outs of the Wii, what you can expect from the Wii experience, and just why Nintendo is doing what they are doing with this newest console. Even if you aren?t one of those people, the article is still a fun read to get you pumped for the Wii?as if you weren?t pumped enough already!”

3. Dragon Ball Z is Sparking, and Go Nintendo has a pair of trailers that show off this snazzy looking title.
4. GN also has an ep of the old Legend of Zelda cartoon up, titled Fairies in the Spring.

   If memory serves, it’s also the same ep that shows off Zelda sporting a pink swimsuit…

   …you know, if you’re into that sort of thing. *coughs*

   More Zelda fun can be seen in The Potion of Power from Captain N: The Game Master.

5. Metal Shark Player passed along this gem, Shockwave’s Burden, another redub by the same guy who made The Rude Awakening of Optimus Prime.
6. Slashdot links to an interesting piece about how episodic games could change the way games are made, essentially looking at the possibility of shorter individual chapters, but a longer story overall.
7. Itadaki Street, that DS boardgame starring Dragon Quest and Mario characters, now has a logo.

   Between this and Mario Hoops 3-on-3, I hope maybe Square-Enix gets to another Mario RPG, even a crossover.

8. Ok, so Dead Rising might not be having such a hard time in Japan, after all.
9. Oh man, I so want this. The price sounds good, too.
10. Press the Buttons has a review for Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis up.

    And this is interesting, after having dealt with such problems with the shared levels in Mega Man Powered Up:

    And for everyone out there like me who worried about idiots creating unbeatable levels, the game will not allow a level to be shared unless the designer can finish the level. That’s right, each and every custom level must be successfully tested before the game will mark it available for sharing.

11. It is a topic that will never die.

    Video game box art.

    1UP takes a look back at the good and the bad, and why it changes overseas.

12. Recently, a fellow from RPG Site stated 5 reasons why he wasn’t buying a Wii.

    Now, another fellow from said site gives us the reasons he is.

    …admittedly, I thought the “games locked into the first system to play them” bit was debunked?

LBD “Nytetrayn”

The Allspark has a number of interesting pieces of TransFormers news coming off of BotCon this past weekend, so let’s take a look at some of the more interesting pieces.

1. Through most of October, Paramount Pictures is holding a unique contest in which you can provide the great Optimus Prime with lines in the new movie.
2. Some interesting things at panels number one and two from IDW, publishers of the TransFormers comic books, including that they may start hitting more regular retailers closer to the time of the movie’s release.
3. Longtime TransFormers scribe Simon Furman discusses things in a panel of his own.
4. Next year’s BotCon is going to be held in an interesting venue… Hasbro, in Rhode Island!Hell, that might even be driving distance for me…
5. Hasbro also had a panel or two, addressing various things regarding the toys and stuff.Scramble City is going to be on the movie DVD? Awesome!Q-What are your feelings on Kiss-play?
   A-They can do what they want in their market, but it doesn’t make sense to Hasbro either. “Whatever works for them”.

   The BotCon TF Club also had a panel, as well as the TCC Newsletter.

   …Classics = Generation 3…?

6. At BotCon this past weekend, Peter Cullen(voice of Optimus Prime, Eeyore, Mario, and the Predator, among others) had an interesting thing or two to say to his fans.
7. Many images from BotCon are available as well, including pics of upcoming toys and concepts, and you can see them in The Allspark’s various BotCon albums.
8. Scott McNeil, Pauline Newstone, Blu Mankuma, and Richard Newman got together at BotCon to take some questions on the 10th anniversary of Beast Wars.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Yahoo’s “Gadget Hound” Tom Samiljan goes hands-on with the Wii.

   Here’s what he has to say.

2. If you have deep pockets, then Mirage has all four of the cold-cast TMNT statues.

   I’ve seen some of these in person, they really do look good.

3. GameSpot has a new Mortal Kombat Armageddon trailer up, this time featuring creator Ed Boon talking a bit about the female Shokan warrior Sheeva, and how she came about.
4. This isn’t surprising. Nope, not at all.

   When asked his opinion of the PS3′s competitors, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii, Kutaragi was blunt. “We don’t care,” he flatly told the trade.

   Joystiq rags on him a bit for it, but frankly? It’s probably the best thing I’ve heard him say regarding competition.

5. IGN celebrates 10 years of Pokemon with a retrospective article.

   Wow, 10 years already? That’ll make you feel old.

6. With the unveiling of Halo Wars, GameDaily takes a look at the future of Halo.
7. Joystiq carries on their crusade against DS carrying cases, adding PSP to the mix, and seeking alternate methods to “a big ol chunky thing that won’t even fit in a back pocket?”

   As Shinkuu pointed out to me, Altoids gum tins work great for Nintendo DS games, and the mints work well for UMDs. Just the same, I’m keeping my plastic cases for home, for easy management, and to keep all the components together.

   That’s one thing I can honestly say: if I ever die and there is a need to sell all my stuff off, most of it will probably fetch the most premium dollar it can get short of being kept in the shrink-wrap.

8. BlazeHedgehog gives his thoughts on what he’s expecting prior to the new Sonic the Hedgehog game sees release.
9. NintendoRevolution.Ca draws a comparison between the NES launch and the Wii’s.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. The Allspark has started a gallery of this weekend’s BotCon convention. Some images of the exclusives, including Waspinator and Megatron, are there now.
2. If you were considering grabbing the new “DVD Edition” of 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime in lieu of the original, hoping to here Peter Cullen’s famous lines…

   …you might want to reconsider.

   I think I’ll wait until I can afford to hunt for the original instead.

3. GameSpot has new screens from Sonic Rivals for the PSP. Hope this one is good.
4. GameSpot also has several new videos of Sonic the Hedgehog.

   Speaking of which, someone put a video on Google showing them going through the new XBox Live demo.

5. Reggie discusses the possibility of Wii becoming market leader.

   “It’s interesting, though. In order for me to win, must they fail? I don’t think so. Because they’re trying to do something very different. But our goal is to be the leader in this industry — not only from an innovation standpoint, but also from a market share as well.”

   Getting a little bit ahead of ourselves, but it sounds ambitious without really detracting from the competition, which I like. Saying “our goal is” sounds a lot better than making claims, he probably knows this. To paraphrase WWE here, “if you’re not out to win the top spot, then why are you here?”

   Meanwhile, Moore still digs the Wii60 idea…

   It?s not the first time Microsoft’s U.S. Xbox 360 chief has praised his rival, while, of course, damning Sony with no praise at all.

6. Good news! egg linked me to a neat article about “Wii fallacies,” with a nice chunk dedicated to countering Luke Smith’s infamous editorial about the DS.

   Bad news is, it’s 9 pages. Better grab a sandwich before you start reading.

7. Was in Wal-Mart the other day, and came across a neat little item in the Electronics Department: a Mario/Wal-Mart gift card. Had to resist the temptation to just grab an uncharged one and go. ;P

   It depicts Fire Mario from New Super Mario Bros. on it.

   I’d heard awhile back about some sort of plans for themed gift cards in different departments, perhaps that’s come to fruition?

8. Via Go Nintendo, AOL recently had a nice little chat with Reggie…

   AOL: During early concept meetings for the Wii, what sort of conversations were you guys having?

   Reggie: Right from the beginning our objective was to bring gaming back to the masses. Remember those days during the NES and the Super Nintendo? When there would be a family sitting around playing games, because the controllers were simple [to use] and the games were fun?

   AOL: Not really. I remember my dad drinking a lot and beating us with extension cords.

9. Also via GoN, Gamebrink has the transcript of a chat with Miyamoto.
10. I’d hate to see what a PS3 will cost there…
11. A few bits from Nintendojo clears up some questions regarding GameCube controllers on the Wii.
12. Sure, you can go on a lengthy quest, claim a bunch of fancy-named jewelery, and venture through the Lost Woods to claim the Master Sword of legend…

    …or you can just do as Game|Life recommends, and just get one here.

13. Nintendo DS has done just fine for itself so far. So what will Pok?mon do for the little system that could?
14. Cats and XBoxes… a phenomenon of sorts.

    

15. Mr. Rogers vs. Donkey Kong!

    …in a blood-stained sweater.

    Seriously, an amusing little piece. I can’t remember if I saw this one as a kid or not, though.

    “There are many people who like laughing at Mr. Rogers now that he’s dead and calling him a pedophile. There is nothing wrong with you people that I can’t fix with my hands.”

    …incidently, I forgot how he sounds sorta like Cleveland from Family Guy when he talks.

16. Bwa-ha-ha-ha. Sure got Rare’s number…

    PTB also presents both sides to the argument of whether or not there is a God.

    On the one hand, this was made. On the other, it remains confined to Japan.

    I’m normally into all the weird stuff like this, but this is bad, even by my standards.

17. Just wanted to again draw some attention to The Gamer’s Quarter, an online magazine of sorts whose latest issue features quite a bit of Mario goodnes.

    Also, past issues are still available for download as well. Blaze Hedgehog has a nice piece in #1 about the direction of the Sonic series.

18. And on a final note… This is the kind of thing that just warms your heart, doesn’t it?

LBD “Nytetrayn”

Hah, not quite.

Just the same, Zero-chan has a pair of interesting eBay auctions up that are worth a look at. Called “doujin CDs,” these are soundtracks based on game music created by indie artists in Japan, similar to the doujin comics which are created by independant artists. Based on licensed properties, these are often sold at special events, and due to their underground nature, are quite rare and limited in number.

The two auctions correspond with each other, as Iwao-Ni Side A and Iwao-Ni Side B both contain different tracks from the now-legendary Rockman/Mega Man 2.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

Not a huge thing, but I thought it was neat, and wanted to mention it before I forgot.

Over at the Penny Arcade forums’ thread for Mega Man ZX, Neo Rasa had the following piece of information:

“ Probably very old news, but today is my birthday and my DS is configured as such. I spoke to one of the townspeople and got Birthday Cake, it restores life. Totally awesome.”

I love small touches like this.? They can go a long way.? Hope we see more like this.

LBD “Nytetrayn”