The two games I’m looking forward to most in 2009 are Bionic Commando and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We’ve talked about the former before, this is about the latter.
The January 2009 issue of Nintendo Power has lots of previews of the year’s coming attractions, and the cover story is the return of the Green Machine, lookin’ mean and coming to the Wii. You can find out more bits and pieces here, here, and here, but I’ll share some of the info right here.
Remember when Nintendo used to have those cool “store within a store” World of Nintendo setups? Those were the days… days I wish I had one of the signs from.
Nonetheless, those days are back… sort of. If you live near or visit Times Square, that is.
Yesterday, Nintendo sent out a press release stating that they had opened a special Nintendo department not unlike their Nintendo World at the Toys R Us store in Times Square. That’s right, a few blocks from the actual Nintendo World Store. I cry about it openly here.
MTV Multiplayer’s Stephen Totilo got to experience the sub-store, and a ham sandwich, for himself. And you can read all about that here.
IGN has added a new article to their DS section, titled Why Nintendo DS Sucks Online. Pretty much cuts right to the chase, that. In any case, it has some valid arguments.
What do you think? I have to agree on it being tough to find a good match in some games, but I’m more concerned with the Wii’s online ability… or lack thereof. If there was just some way to make a better service, even a pay service with improved connections for even games that have already been released, i.e. Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I would be all over that.
I also favor the idea of Club Nintendo integration– I’d love it if there were a profile wherein everyone could not only see what games I’ve owned since whenever, see how long I’ve been subscribed to Nintendo Power, but also see what I’ve accomplished as well. Admittedly, I’m no Achievement Whore, as the vernacular seems to have dubbed it, but I do completely and wholeheartedly support the concept.
The trailer for this was originally released just prior to Halloween, when the video itself would have been a good, appropriately holiday-timed release to help build up hype for the game. Instead, three weeks after Halloween and after Sonic Unleashed for the PlayStation 2 and Wii has hit shelves, they finally decide to release it. Oh well.
If you’re interested, the official website with higher-quality version is here.
Much like “The Subspace Emissary” in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I like the nearly speech-free delivery here. Which is funny, given how much I love hearing and identifying voice actors. Nonetheless, I like this style of Sonic.
And by style, that includes the art; SEGA and Sonic Team kept creeping closer and closer to “way too damn real” for Sonic‘s style, at least for my liking; they’ve really scaled it back a bit, and the art director for Unleashed speaks on IGN about getting the game’s aesthetics juuuuuuuust right. In my opinion? That mission is accomplished, if nothing else.
So far, the Wii/PS2 version is sounding like a drag, with somewhere around three or more nighttime Werehog stages for every daytime Hedgehog stage, plus some cut stages and features. According to Toby Barrett from Bumbleking, the divide for the 360/PS3 version seems to be closer to about 50/50.
Today, Mr. Miyamoto discusses how he believes that casual gamers do get into hardcore games, as well as the distinction between the two.
In addition, he shares his three rules of parenting, at least where video games are concerned. It’s something I think a lot of parents would do well to read and consider. He also mentions where he can be lenient, and clarifies his previous comment regarding “excessive violence” in video games.
