1. As usual, Newgrounds.com brings the funny, this time in Bowser’s Plan, a rather good effort for a first-timer.
2. Yesterday was TransFormers Tuesday, when the site for the original movie’s upcoming special DVD gives us tantalizing new updates, and this time we have an sneak peek at the art for the first disc.
3. First was Next-Gen, then IGN, and now PMM.

   It’s not paying work, but if you’ve an interest in contributing to the Mega Man community, or perhaps practicing some online journalism, this is as good a place as any to start.

4. I read the other day about an update regarding the “Flowers for Jack(Thompson)” campaign, and it never ceases to amaze me just how idiotic this man is.

   For the full story, there’s a Wikipedia article on it.

   Remind me never to go to Florida. Between guys like Jack, and the people who let him roam free and unchecked, it’s just too crazy for me there.

5. Want a video game-themed ringtone for your phone? IGN lists their Top 10 favorites.

   …and mine is #10.

6. GameDaily sports a couple of Wii-themed features, the first asking “Is Zelda a bad launch title? and the other taking a look at their Top 5 most anticipated launch titles.
7. Know how Capcom games often tend to mirror one another? Next-Gen brings the word of why that is.
8. For those who like official sites, the official Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 site is now up and operational, with some neat stuff going on.
9. Kotaku brings a little retro-lovin’ with an episode of the Pac-man cartoon show.

   I liked Pac-man quite a bit as a kid. I wasn’t much good at the game, but the toon, the cereal, and such were cool. I wonder how it holds up now… I’ll have to watch later when I’ve more time.

10. Ah, old Nintendo commercials. What could be better?

    How about old Japanese Metroid commercials?

11. These make me hungry, but I don’t know if I could eat them.
12. Koji Igarashi talks next-gen Castlevania with Eurogamer.
13. Press The Buttons links to a list of pretty obscure Super Famicom games.
14. PTB also celebrates 10 years of NINTENDO SIXTY-FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUR!!!!
15. 2Old2Play asks the question: “Is your new HDTV obsolete?”

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Over at Atomic Fire, IHZ… er, Meijin… er, Fireman…

   Over at Atomic Fire, one of the (former) staff was fortunate enough to attend the Tokyo Game Show and kind enough to give a report that covers the various Rockman goings-on that slipped through the cracks of other sites, including a small figure of Tron with a Kobun(Servbot).

   And lots of pictures, too!

2. GameSpot has reviewed the recently-released Capcom Classics Mini Mix, giving it a 6.9 out of 10.

   However, that “they look and sound identical to the original NES games” is designated a good AND a bad thing casts a shadow of doubt on the credibility of the score, in my opinion. I mean, how’s that any different from any other collection? How should it be different?

   But the rest of the review sounds fine, though it would have been nice had some sort of quick-save option been included. Still, I’ve beaten Bionic Commando in one sitting before, it doesn’t take me too long, I can do it again should the need arise.

   I admit that art galleries or whatever would have been nice, but this being GBA, I admit that my expectations for a collection were low, and as long as the gameplay holds up(which the review says it does), then I’m set, once I pull together the money.

   Incidently, I’m not alone in my gripe with the review. As for the question posed? Yes to both.

3. Yesterday, I posted that Next-Gen was doing some hiring. Today, it seems IGN is doing so as well. Might be worth someone’s time.

   Sadly, I lack a few qualifications there, so I’m out of the running.

4. GameDaily has reviewed Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, giving it four out of five stars.

   The major complaint is that it’s too easy, although still fun. Works for me, after my experience with the first game. Of course, I have a bit of a temper under such circumstances, so what may work out better for me may not work so well for you, so take that as you will.

   The level editor is used as a selling point, too, but after Mega Man Powered Up, one is left to wonder just how well that will pan out…

   “Oh! I know what makes a good level! SPIKES! So many spikes so that you can’t move!”

   I don’t need challenge so long as it’s fun.

   Anyway, assuming this review is accurate(after all, I hear some people talk about how hard some Mega Man games are, and I blast through those same titles), it helps allay my fears about the game a bit.

   IGN throws in their two cents as well, with a 7.0, though they seem less impressed with even the fun of the title. Sounds like a good case for a demo station download.

5. GameDaily also tries to save the PSP.

   Deaf ears. Sony will do as they wish, naturally.

   Incidently, I’ve had little problems with #3. #7, on the other hand…

6. GameDaily has some in-depth coverage of the Uwe Boll boxing matches. I have no idea what this has to do with Postal, but I suppose that’s about par for the course for Boll flicks.

   My offer still stands, btw, though this view makes things sound less harsh. And, well, the fact that they say Boll’s not looking for more fights. But, you never know when that may change…

   Joystiq links to various other features, interviews(with Boll and Lowtax), and such.

7. Over at onNintendo, the staff discusses series they’d like to see revived for the Wii or DS.

   I’ll second Kid Icarus, Contra, and Duck Hunt, and I’ve an idea or two of my own…

8. While I’m not as upset as the Go Nintendo writer here, I think this guy is full of it.

   “Serious” gamers, indeed… just at first glance, it sounds like an oxymoron.

9. Go Nintendo also informs us that Wii is #1 on CNET’s Top 20 Most Wanted Products… and PS3 is at #13.
10. Slashdot has a link to an interesting analysis of the PS3… in that buying the system will hurt Sony more than it helps.

    “Few tears were spilled when the No. 4 console maker, Sega, dropped out of the market a few years ago. But can you imagine if, in a year from now, there were only TWO console game makers?

    Not only COULD it happen, but we’re going to tell you why it WILL happen.”

    Pretty bold statement, though as I see it, if buying the system were to truly hurt Sony, then they’re already damned. The part about Sony forcing bundles is interesting as well.

    One quote I find particularly fascinating:

    “We don’t want the PlayStation 3 to be the overwhelming loseWeight Exerciser, so we want to support them,” Michihiro Sasaki, senior vice president of Square Enix, told the Wall Street Journal. “But we don’t want them to be the overwhelming winner either, so we can’t support them too much.”

    Sounds like now, the licensees are more in control of things than ever.

    All of this simply begs the question, is Sony in too deep?

11. Wired’s Clive Thompson examines the myth of the 40-hour gamer.
12. Joystiq features a link to a series of de-motivational posters themed around video games. Some fun entries in there.
13. Some people say that Japan gets everything better than we do.

    And while that may not always be true, it most definitely is in this case.

    Behold the Super Mario Bros. Minus World… on the Famicom Disc System. It beats the hell out of ours. Now I want to play it…

14. Kotaku provides an amusing tale to testify to the power of anger and the resilience of the DS Lite.

    When he asked to have his DS Phat back, I said “No. This,” dangling the snapped DS Lite in front of his eyes, “is your DS now.”

15. Remember that kid who always boasted about having the most impossible things, like that game that was cancelled, or a scale Ninja Turtles Technodrome made out of wood, or an Arcee TransFormer, both regular AND Headmaster(true stories)?

    Well, evidently such fibbing is something one does not necessarily grow out of.

16. Kotaku links to a piece by Ozymandias which examines the three big risks Nintendo faces with the Wii.
17. Despite Sony’s woes, the PlayStation 3 still has its fans.
18. Phil Harrison at Sony has some post-TGS musings with GamePro, including that Blu-Ray is added to the PS3 for gaming use first(the movies are like a freebie), and a conscious awareness of what people are saying about them, including the “arrogance.”
19. In case you haven’t been keeping up, Nintendo is providing the Wii interview series on their own website in English, now.
20. RPGSite’s Kevin Hunt explains why he’s not buying a Wii.

    Note that the first four reasons are mainly kidding around, and his big emphasis is #1.

21. Yahoo’s The 9 has a link to a neat bit with The Muppets Reloaded, a Muppet/Matrix parody.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Interesting news for TransFormers fans this weekend, as Don Murphy has said that the movie has finished filming, and now the post-production work begins.

   In addition, TFW2005 has the first look at the Autobot Jazz’s production art, which I think may just be my favorite thus far.

   And if you’re planning on attending BotCon, maybe you can be a part of the TransFormers documentary which is being produced.

2. GameSpot takes their first look at Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and they seem to like what they see so far.
3. Well, this should cast aside any doubts: Sony doesn’t care what you think if you’re not in Japan.

   As I said, I’m sure the American audience has been every bit as vocal about the PS3′s pricing as their Japanese gaming brethren, but despite what the mainstream media has reported, the prices outside of Japan remain as they were before TGS. The only silver lining here is that all the lower-end PS3s are being equipped with HDMI ports now.

   Oh well, as I said, they don’t have anything I want yet, but it still sucks a bit if you do. Ironically, I suppose, one might consider importing the Japanese PS3 as it’s region free(thanks, Nintendo) for games, but not for movies, which seems to be where the bulk of the cost for the unit may be coming from.

   GameSpot also has a Q&A with Kaz “Riiiiiiiidge Racer!!” Hirai, which covers some details of the US launch.

4. Nintendo announces that the new batch of Game Boy Advance Player’s Choice games are now available for $19.99 USD, and includes Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Pok?mon FireRed & Pok?mon LeafGreen.

   A nice batch if you don’t have them already. My only question is if Mario Kart: Super Circuit includes that insufferable Blue Shell. Hate that thing…

5. Addicted to MMOs? Maybe GameDaily can help…

   MMOs, MMORPGs specifically, have always been a conflict with me. I want to play them, but I truly fear what might happen if I do, so I keep my distance, though the allure of some titles such as Ragnarok Online and City of Heroes is hard to resist…

6. N-Philes brings word from IGN(which won’t load for me at the moment) that Nintendo will have one million consoles available for the Wii launch in November.

   “If he turns out to be right, the Wii will be the “most plentiful launch” of a console in Nintendo history. Bertram also claims that “all signs are extremely positive” in regard to Nintendo’s ability to meet its launch unit expectations.”

7. I was tempted to look into this, but “will suit a student” makes me wonder if it’d really be what I need. Anyway, Next-Gen is doing a little bit of hiring for their site, mainly things like transcribing audio-taped interviews, if anyone is interested.

   Do well, and maybe you’ll get a chance to write other content as well, such as this feature about Capcom’s affinity for the undead.

8. If you’ve been watching TV lately, such as Adult Swim or 4Kids.tv, then you might have seen the commercial for Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. But if you haven’t, then Go Nintendo has your hook-up.
9. Go Nintendo also has some new info about Sonic and the Secret Rings, including that there will be 70 missions, and only Sonic will be playable.
10. Joystiq digs into Sony’s interviews about the DS trailing the PSP, and how the PS3 price has a “mainstream appeal.”
11. From the sound of things, Wal-mart will not have Wii demo kiosks until next year. Most unfortunate.
12. Gaming Edge, via Kotaku, takes a look at Kutaragi’s keynote speech from TGS, and points out that “it’s almost point-for-point the same damn speech he delivered 6 years ago.”
13. Ok, Uwe Boll’s movies may suck, but I never held any outright malice towards him, but after reading this, I think my opinion may just change.

    Incidently, I had a strange dream the other night that I was working for him(and he was pretty much a dick), and we were in Mexico trying to sell copies of his movies. Weird stuff.

    It’s not much, and it may well be too late, but if anyone wants to “criticize” Uwe Boll and his movies to see if they can get a shot at him(take note of the above comments from Lowtax, and be prepared), I’ll gladly post anyone’s stuff here. Just try and keep it semi-clean, ok? Just use the News Submission link on the left, and we’ll hook it up.

    On the one hand, I’ve not watched any of his movies, nor have I had enough interest in the properties to, so having that content will be nice. On the other hand, I doubt PMO is enough of a blip on the radar yet to even register in his mind. All the same, however, the offer stands.

    Kotaku also reports on a BBC report on the matches.

14. On a more upbeat, positive note, here we have how to draw Samus Aran.
15. Man, that Koji Igarashi has one bad-ass business card.
16. This past weekend was someone’s birthday… and a big PMO congratulations to them.
17. …wow. What a horrible, horrible waste. Here I am, trying to build my classic console collection and such, and here this guy… just… *sobs* IT’S NOT FAIR!!!
18. Press The Buttons takes a look back at some earlier eras of video game merchandising, Nintendo specifically.

    Me? I’ve got that CD pictured. And the Killer Instinct poster mentioned. Oh yeah, that’s right. That poster still makes me laugh just thinking about it.

    I’d still love that Super Mario 64 shirt, though. In black, of course.

    The screensaver/mouse pad combo might be nice, too.

    …incidently, though, I’d love to know how anyone would be swinging the Master Sword around during the NES era, since it never appeared until the SNES era.

19. N-Europe meets the voice of Mario, and even gets to record him giving the European Wii launch details in his Mario voice. Must have been a fun day.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Whether you’ve ever liked Power Rangers or not, I strongly recommend you check out Super Freakin’ Parody Rangers.

   I seriously laughed, a lot, and so did my wife, who’s not even much a Power Rangers fan. Perhaps one of the best parodies ever.

2. From Sonyland(through Penny Arcade), Game Daily talks to Jack Tretton about how Sony sees things.

   Kindly enough, onNintendo offers their own breakdown of the interview as well.

   I once said they ought to have this guy speaking for Sony over here. I take it back. Obviously, my first encounter was an unusually sane one.

3. N-Sider offers a neat little feature: Calculating how much your Wii purchase will cost.

   That is to say, tailored to you in regards to console, games, additional controllers, etc.

   Comes in American AND Canadian flavors! Keen!

4. Go Nintendo has kind of a funny bit(particularly when his “son” is talking) where they question, or perhaps “grill” a GameStop employee about that whole deal with preorders for Wii and PS3 in Hawaii.

   Long story short, there should be other ways to order, it’s only now in Hawaii as a test because it’s so early, to see how people react.

5. In a touching bit, Go Nintendo explores the true reason for the lack of a solar sensor in Lunar Knights, the successor/remake of Boktai.
6. Go Nintendo also has up the opening sequence for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. And it’s pretty neat to see all these guys duking it out at the end of the world…
7. And then there’s this, more buffoonery from people with no clue discussing video game matters.
8. Slashdot has a grim look at the possibility of microtransactions in PS3′s Gran Turismo.
9. Jon Stewart: Gamer Savior
10. Game|Life chats with Ken Kutaragi, Kaz Hirai, and Phil Harrison about the PS3 after the TGS announcements.
11. Joystiq, meanwhile, covers the announcement event itself in what they dub “a trainwreck of a keynote.”
12. This pic of Ken just sorta freaks me out.

    Snake-oil salesman, I’m tellin’ ya’.

13. 1UP brings some TGS lovin’, too, as they interview Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi and a preview of Sonic and the Secret Rings.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. Meant to mention this yesterday, but if you haven’t seen it, Newgrounds has an amusing Flash movie up called Paper Mario and The Hat Of Fire.
2. New Sonic 360 screens!

   Er, make that “screen.”

   Um, actually, make that “art piece.”

   Anyway, nice shot of the three player characters, anyway.

3. GameSpot chats up the 360 with Peter Moore. He seems a little more fearful for Wii now than in the past. Also:

   “(Halo 3) is coming out in 2007. The game is going to be even a quantum leap from Halo 2. We’ve allowed Bungie to really get this game to the next level, as Halo 2 was from Halo, Halo 3 must be from Halo 2. The multiplayer aspects of it must continue to redefine the way we play games.”

4. Miyamoto discusses Link as a righty.

   Now, maybe I’m reading too much into this, but… reversed? Does this mean that the two versions are going to have opposite map layouts? If so, that might be an interesting hook to get some people to buy both versions…

   It would make for an interesting Player’s Guide, too. “Take the second door on your right… unless you’re playing the GameCube, then you want the second door on your left.”

5. GameDaily gives its impressions on Superman Returns. And I SO wish I could share the story Red told me regarding this game at E3…
6. N-Philes reviews… Garfield and His Nine Lives?!

   I played the Search For Pooky by these same developers, and I imagine the review is right on here. Definitely a title made for kids, I don’t think older gamers are going to get much out of it, save for maybe those who might be beginners themselves. I can’t even say this is worth the 20 bucks, give or take, that stores around here seem to charge for it, unless Jr. really wants it.

   If you’re a Garfield fan, though, I would recommend either hoping that Garfield: Caught in the Act shows up on the Genesis Virtual Console selection, or maybe the upcoming(?) games based on Tale of Two Kitties, which looks promising.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. There’s a new episode of Super Mario Bros. Z over at Newgrounds, “Here Come The Koopa Bros.” and ranked #3 in the top 50 of all-time in the Portal.The Sonic side of the backstory is just a little dark, but with all the different versions and tones of Sonic out there, it still works. Perhaps it’s a sort of commentary on things since Sonic Adventure 2 or so.

   Still, I love the chemistry they have in these between the Marios and the Hedgehogs. Especially during the big fight sequence in this one. This is the sort of thing I’d hope to see in a Mario/Sonic team-up.

   Hehehehe… “Spirit Squad.” XD

2. Splashman says I should post this, so who am I to argue? IGN interviews the CEO of Telltale Games about Sam & Max checking out the Wii style of life.
3. Over at the Allspark, an interesting conversation struck up by Shockwave75 addresses “should you have to put away childish thing?”Short answer for me is “hell no.”
4. If there is one thing that the Mega Man games are good for, besides some fun now and again, it’s confusing the hell out of people.Arguably, the most confusion of all was drummed up by Mega Man Zero, which really took things for a spin. But thanks to the efforts of Zan Sidera, we now have a good analysis of Rockman Zero, based on information provided by the various soundtrack booklets and sourcebooks released in Japan.

   What are Cyber Elves? What is “the Vicious Cycle?” What’s the deal with Zero and Omega? And why does Zero have such long hair that never seems to get damaged?

   The answers, my friends, lie within.

5. Next-Gen has entered the podcasting scene with their own entry titled “Sex, Steam and Wii.”
6. Next-Gen also tries to expose the myth of the “core gamer,” finding that “the most serious gamers aren?t in the 18 to 34-year-old age range, as many believe.”
7. Exhausted by your X-Box? Pissed-off at PlayStation 2? Well, in Australia, GameWizards has the answer for you!
8. Insert your joke about new reasons to hop the border here.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. IGN reports more of Iwata’s interview with the Wii design staff.
2. Not the sole reason I’m interested in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, but definitely the first thing which grabbed my attention.

   More art and stuff within.

3. GameDaily follows IGN and gives their impressions of Super Mario Galaxy.
4. I should still try it for myself, but it sounds like Midway didn’t smell what The Rock was cookin’ when they made Spy Hunter: Nowhere To Run.
5. Go Nintendo has some new pics from Gyakuten Saiban 4, the Wright-less Phoenix Wright game coming to Japanese DS systems soon. Don’t think there’s been an American announcement yet, though.
6. Ah, those Famitsu folk. They really, really love the Wii. So much so, in fact, that they recently said “Wii definitely could become the most popular console of all time. Non-gamers can see how fun it is just by looking at people playing it, and that’s very different from the PS3 or Xbox 360.”
7. Kotaku links to an interesting piece talking to Reggie about more things Wii want to know.
8. N-Europe has a feature up in which they tackle the HD myth.

   “The main reason why HD has become the must-have acronym of the year is because it has a certain ring to it… It just sounds good.”

   Sure, there’s bias to be expected, but it has me thinking… is HD this generations “bits?” How 32 was better than 16, or 64 or 128 were better… except when they weren’t.

   Funny, that, as it’s been about a generation since bits were even discussed with any sense of mainstream regularity.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

Why the “Plus?” Because it was an insomnia weekend, and I didn’t do any stories, so I’m covering anything that’s gone on over the weekend, PLUS anything thus far today. Enjoy.

1. First things first, over at Scans Daily on LiveJournal, I posted a little blast from the past in the form of the 10th Anniversary edition of The Adventures of GamePro. Check it out for nostalgia’s sake.
2. Over at Ben’s World of TransFormers, Ben Yee has begun reviewing figures from the TransFormers Classics line, including photo galleries.

   So far, it’s just Astrotrain, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and “Rodimus,” aka Hot Rod in the 80s.

   If you’re unsure about whether you want to bother or not, Ben’s reviews are pretty good at telling you everything you need to know.

3. Newgrounds has an interesting piece up for Weird Al fans in You’re Pitiful, a parody of James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful.” Evidently, Blunt was cool with it, but his record company wasn’t.

   And that is why record companies are evil, folks. Anyway, it’s a fun song and video, so be sure to check it out.

4. From a reader by the name of Ben tells me that Kingdom Hearts Ultimania has news that Square-Enix is going to be releasing a new version of Kingdom Hearts 2 entitled Kingdom Hearts 2: Final Mix, which includes plenty of new features.

   No idea if there’s any plan to release it over here, but I imagine if you’ve held off on this game and can play imports, this might be the one to get.

5. Allspark has word that the first full trailer for the TransFormers ’07 movie will be released sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

   And while on the subject of TransFormers movies, they also have linked to IDW’s page for a look at a page from the new comic re-adaptation of the original movie.

   As usual, Don’s art never fails to impress me, making the characters come to life, taking the best of both the toy designs and their animated counterparts and and combining them into one awesomely detailed piece of art.

6. A little bit of Mega Man ZX news today. I think it’s fair to say that Kyouryuu is someone who’s had quite a bit of a love/hate affair with Mega Man over the past several years, and so it is with that in mind that I link you to his look at the game, as I think it offers the kind of view some people might be looking for.

   On a related note, Atomic Fire brings a bit of news concerning the Japanese release of the game’s soundtrack, due on October 27th, and seemingly sporting some pretty nifty cover art.

7. Speaking of Atomic Fire and Mega Man, they’ve got some news from the new CoroCoro regarding Ryuusei no Rockman.

   I’m still not convinced this is a game that warrants three versions, though.

   Makes me curious how the two-version Battle Networks have done over here. One might argue well enough if they’re still doing them, but then that might just be Capcom’s semi-characteristic laziness(not counting Robert Johnson and his boys’ work, keep up the great job, fellas!). Even then, that’s for two versions, nevermind three. I can’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t be worthwhile to have a choice of versions all on one cartridge here in the US…

8. Hmm, seems GameTrailers has seen a productive weekend. Some videos of interest include:

   Reggie giving the Wii price and release announcement, an on-stage photo demonstration, and a system walkthrough(2 Trailers, 1 Feature), Zelda Wii show floor walkthrough(Feature), and some more Metroid Prime 3)1 Feature and 2 Gameplays).

   Here’s hoping that Nintendo keeps the “Fish On!” part. I’d have liked Super Mario Sunshine just a little more if they’d kept “Shine Get!” It’s that kind of thing that becomes legend.

   The Metroid Prime look is actually a bit funny as the guide from GT gets a bit frustrated trying to get a door open(you have to be back away from the door before you can grapple it and yank it off. Makes sense to me.).

9. IGN has a cool story about an association known as the “Hero Foundry” donating about $600 in comic books and graphic novels to libraries, schools, and hospitals in an effort to get more people reading.
10. I love Batman.

    I love kittens.

    So of course it saddens me that I can’t take part in this, but maybe you can.

11. IGN takes another look at Super Mario Galaxy, dubbing it “the Wii’s flagship experience.”

    They also check out Zelda, and assess the sword-swinging mechanic, which isn’t 1:1, but “not particularly bothersome.”

12. “She said, He said” continues as Next-Gen tries to get to the bottom of the Wii region question.

    And evidently, Perrin didn’t just give that line to Wired, as you’ll see near the end.

    All the while, Go Nintendo is trying to figure out what GameSpot knows, which seems to be leaning towards a “yes, it is.”

    Even Wired themselves are trying to figure out what’s going on, to limited success.

13. Go Nintendo also has a link to this local newscast in the UK which takes a look at the Wii, and also a a bit from an interview with Eiji Aonuma on Zelda, stating ?Of course, I like Link in that shape[,] too, and I have no intention to stop producing cel-shaded Link??
14. Go Nintendo runs some pricing comparisons to see how Wii stacks up against the competition presented in XBox 360 when you start buying your add-ons.

    In the end, it seems that the Wii comes out a bit less.

15. Slashdot links to a pair of editorials looking at how it’s come to “Do or Die” for Nintendo in this next console generation.

    They also have a link to an interview with a cheater, “shining a light into the dark recesses of a conflicted mind. The article explores why the cheater cheats, and the great excuses they use to be able to look themselves in the mirror.”

16. GN and NGCFrance have reported that the Sonic and the Secret Rings website is updated, and showing off some new pics.

    Never thought I’d see the day when Sonic actually wears a ring…

17. The best game store in Japan?

    I am in no way qualified to answer, but it looks good just the same!

18. Joystiq brings word that Canadian news website Canoe has interviewed the Super Columbine Massacre RPG creator following the events in Montreal.

    The interview is worth watching for the way Ledonne behaves himself. Like watching Marilyn Manson in Bowling for Columbine, Ledonne handles himself professionally with word choice precision; meanwhile, the Toronto Sun columnist being used as the counter, who “tried to play” Ledonne’s game, comes off like the stereotypical out-of-touch old man — because he is.

19. Remember that story about EB/Gamestop only taking games as down-payment for a Wii or PS3? Joystiq follows up, revealing that it’s only in Hawaii and Guam, as a test of sorts before expanding it elsewhere.
20. Kotaku has an interesting bit of news regarding the poor condition of Lego Star Wars II for the Nintendo DS.

    I do so hate it when companies will sacrifice quality all in the name of making a tie-in.

21. Extra! Extra! Hobbits Hate Uwe Boll!
22. (Don’t tell my wife, but I wish my wedding cake looked like this.)
23. Kotaku and various others have linked to this(mirrored due to Digging), a video of the first level of Super Mario Bros. 3, in Lego form!

    Google also has it in lower quality, but I don’t think that’s so big a deal. This is really incredible. Would people think of stuff like this if we didn’t have the internet as our grand exhibit hall?

24. Wow, I’d all but forgotten about the fighting Senator.

    I’m surprised SEGA hasn’t done anything with Eternal Champions lately. We need a fighting lawyer representing you-know-who to kick the stuffing out of.

25. Nintendo vs. Sony and Microsoft? No, friends… Toastyfrog reveals who Nintendo’s REAL opponent is.

    He also reveals that they both want your mom.

26. C3 reveals Nintendo’s decision to make Zelda: Twilight Princess a “T” title.

    …nevermind the fact that it’s not Nintendo who decides, but anyway…

27. And this has simply been everywhere. If you were planning to pre-order a Wii from Amazon.com… don’t. They sold out within a day.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. By the Matrix!

   The Allspark brings word of a neat lil’ somethin’-somethin’ out of BotCon, as the BotCon.com website has a special preview up of the art from the comic for Timelines, the official prequel to the much-loved, much-controversial saga of Beast Wars.

   And if you’re not going to BotCon, don’t fret: if you have a comic book store near you, they can order it through Diamond Distributors for its November release.

2. If you like foreign newscasts that relate to your interests, this might be for you, as Go Nintendo posts a piece from Australia about the Wii.

   Funny enough, it sounds like they pronounce it “way,” or maybe “way-ee.”

3. IGN gives an entertaining piece of coverage of the Euro-Nintendo Wii conference.

   Evidently, “the Mii Channel was an idea that came about after the E3 Wii Tennis demo where everyone wanted to know if they’d be able to put their own faces into the game, as with Iwata’s character.”

4. Oh, #@&%. There are going to be riots.

   Remember when Lucas decided to touch-up Star Wars? And the fans went absolutely ape-slag over the… ah, “desecration” of the beloved tomes?

   Well, there must have been some benefit that Paramount saw, because now they’re doing the same thing to Star Trek, according to Wired.

   “Nothing really has changed except for the fact that it’s just prettier to look at,” said John Nogawski, president of CBS Paramount Domestic Television, in a recent conference call with reporters. “Right down to placement of stars, it is being resimulated to be exactly what was there in the first place.”

   Hmm, that doesn’t sound as bad as Greedo shooting first, which is too bad, as my “Han” shirt has started to get worn out and could use replacing(kidding).

   Still, I know fans. You can NOT please them. Just watch. Hell WILL be raised.

   
5. Go Nintendo is wanting people to sign a petition to bring Tingle’s RPG to the US.

   Now, I of all people of course know that an internet petition CAN be effective, but I’m also against the idea of essentially splitting the resources up(i.e. 3 million people all creating different petitions for the same thing).

   I wanted to tell them that instead of directing them to the petition, they ought to direct them right to Nintendo’s own survey on the matter.

   But the damn thing wouldn’t send me a password, so. Maybe someone there will read this?

6. Wow, this is pretty cool; a clip from Ellen DeGeneres’ talk-show in which she gives a fellow named Ben Underwood a DS Lite, a Wii, and Zelda: Twilight Princess.

   What makes him so special to get all this stuff? Well, fact is, he can’t see.

   Is this some kind of sick joke? Or is there something more to this? Click the link and see for yourself.

7. Joystiq looks at a call for fewer game reviews, and more game critiques. The critic in question is one Ryan Stancl, who has already begun examining Katamari Damacy through 2 of 8 different schools of critical theory.
8. 

   …oops. My mistake.

9. Kotaku, after digesting all the tidbits Nintendo gave out, has some thoughts on the Wii.

LBD “Nytetrayn”

1. GameSpot gives their gut reactions for Nintendo in 2006, now that the event has happened.

   Reaction seems generally positive, though this part kinda gets me:

   “So the main thing that still troubles me about the system is that it won’t support high-definition displays. I understand and respect Nintendo’s stance about not getting caught up in an “arms race” with Sony and Microsoft about overall system power, but HD-quality visuals seem like they’ll be a necessity in a couple of years if they aren’t a necessity already. But hey, we all know that Nintendo has a way of getting people to buy their new hardware, then getting people to buy an upgraded model, right? Ask yourself, how many portable Nintendo systems do you own? So maybe an HD-capable Wii isn’t outside the realm of possibility for the future. If there are technical constraints preventing the Wii remote from working as well in HD as it does in standard definition, I’m sure some very smart people at Nintendo are all over that problem already.”

   Frankly, the way I saw it was that Nintendo knew that HD-TV wasn’t widespread enough among consumers to warrant that. And let’s face it, SD-TV owners have been getting the screws from XBox on some big titles(Dead Rising and King Kong). So I figure it’s less a case of can’t and more a case of won’t.

   I bet most people who’d be shelling out $600 for a PS3 are probably the same people who would have an HD-TV, anyway, so that niche sort of clicks, but Wii is a bit more general audience.

2. IGN takes a look at some other aspects of Wii, including “what other publishers think about the console that’s just crazy enough to work.”
3. Following up on the news that Link would be right-handed on the Wii, IGN and Shigeru Miyamoto clarify things a little bit.

   Basically, he will remain left handed on the GameCube, but act right-handed on the Wii, as that’s how most players will be swinging.

4. And yet more words from the men behind the N, as Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto field questions from the press.

   Of note is Miyamoto addressing the lack of colors at launch:

   On the availability of color variations, Miyamoto said, “Not at launch. Until Spring, we’ll have a supply limitation, so we want to avoid the situation where people don’t buy because their favorite color isn’t available. We’ll provide new colors after that. Our aim is a design that’s not scary.

5. With yesterday’s announcement of the Wii sporting a pack-in game(no pun intended), Next-Gen takes an analytical look at what that may mean for the industry.
6. Wired covers the Wii event, and picks up some tidbits where some developers aren’t so happy about the Wii’s pack-in game.

   Frankly, if their stuff is any good, then it should be no problem. EA has the right idea. Wii Sports seems more like an ice-breaker than the deal-maker.

7. While I’m all about choice, I’m not sure a plan like this would work.

   For starters, the Classic plugs into the remote, so straightaway, the $170 “Retro” bundle there at the top is worthless. The other point is that quite a bit of money no doubt goes into the packaging and shipping of the extras, so plucking items off the shelf is probably a bit impractical, especially for a holiday rush.

   Something like the “Hardcore,” with a Zapper added and Wii Sports is what I have said would be my ideal $250 system, or even a bit more.

8. NO ONE IS IMMUNE.

   Joystiq decides to take a look at the tales of the Wii, both then and now.

   And this is probably why Nintendo doesn’t disclose many details.

   Iwata’s suggestion becomes relegated to something Nintendo “could” explore in the future. This “future” place we keep hearing about sounds fantastic.

   …I admit it. I laughed. You probably at least smirked.

9. Skeptical Gaming throws a few darts at the Wii board as they criticize the launch details of Nintendo’s new golden child.

   Some good points are made. Even I’ll admit, all the details aren’t what I’d like them to be, BUT, there is still time for change, and I don’t think it’s anything too offsetting, save for controller prices.

10. Sigh, I wish I could’ve gotten one of these.

LBD “Nytetrayn”