InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Gallery: Cybertron.ca has a nice gallery of Wal-Mart exclusive Cybertron-into-Movie repaint Big Daddy.
2. Reviews: BWTF has three new Movie reviews: Leader-class Brawl, and Real Gear Highline 1070 and Photon T34.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Videos: “But, is it art?” Ok, that may not be the question you’ll be asking yourself, but YouTube user Lasagna Cat has given classic Garfield comic strips a new spin.

   Personal favorite so far? 08/18/1978.

   It amazes me that I’ve never come up with some of this Garfield stuff first.

2. Review: Still not over yet! Now, I-Mockery takes a stab, albeit a funnier one, at Spider-man: One More Day. Be warned, there is a bit of language and such within.
3. Article: 25 ways to break up a superhero marriage.
4. Article: A look at Action Comics #1, the debut of Superman, 70 years later.
5. Reviews: IGN looks at the latest anime releases on DVD.
6. Article: IGN Comics looks back at continuity reboots as they question whether they’re a good thing or a bad thing, and how well they work and are received across both Marvel and DC, from Age of Apocalypse to Zero Hour.

Video Power

1. Videos: Cool new version of Can’t Beat Air Man, with pseudo-3D 8-bit graphics.
2. Newsbit: This just in: Jack Thompson is apparently against having fun learning, too.

   I get the feeling that he’d probably rather that stroke victims have greater difficulty recovering and not play games, too.

3. Newsbit: At least one teacher seems to get it.
4. Newsbit: Some idiot from Gizmodo tried to ruin CES, and is now banned for life. Way to go, guy. I hope you’re proud.

   They apologize on their website, but it seems really half-hearted. Another post is far less apologetic:

   A Gizmodo writer has been banned from CES for a prank. But when I see some fellow press damning us for the joke, I feel sorry for them: When did journalists become the protectors of corporations? When did this industry, defined by pranksters like Woz, get so serious and in-the-pocket of big business? This is totally pathetic.

   Serious and in-the-pocket? Protectors of corporations? Hell, they could’ve been affecting peoples’ jobs for no good reason except that they could, and that, I do not agree with or condone in the slightest. Plus, it’s interfering in business, which I believe is the primary purpose of this show. I’m hoping that if a deal was blown, that it’s one that would have made the prankster happy if it’d gone through.

   And, as said on Ripten, this could be a serious setback, or at least a black mark, on future occurences of bloggers being able to attend. Irreverent? No, this was just immature.

5. Video: ScrewAttack opens the vault for Off-World Interceptor Extreme from the SEGA Saturn.
6. Article: IGN has compiled a list of classic games they’d like to see available as downloadable content across the new consoles. Say, think if they released Majora’s Mask on VC, they’d give a discount to those dissatisfied with the buggy GameCube version? Naaaaaaah.

   Super Star Wars would be neat, but only if they included an option to fly vehicles naturally. And Star Fox 2 is a must, no questions asked.

   So is Super Mario RPG, unless Square-Enix would rather bless us with a 3D remake, as is par for the course these days.

7. Article: IGN’s new Retro section looks at ten years of ten innovations in gaming.
8. Article: IGN Retro also revisits Virtual Boy, and looks back at what the best games were.
9. Interview: X-Play co-host Adam Sessler talks to Next Generation about the evolution of the longstanding video game review show as the countdown begins to the debut of their next iteration.
10. Editorial: Colin Campbell of Next Generation takes a look at how used games are damaging the industry.

    Can’t say I care for the used game business, myself. Not so much in the GameStop sense, anyway, as the savings are barely worth noting for often inferior product. Of course, were it not for used games, I wouldn’t have Contra: Shattered Soldier and Neo Contra, among older games right now. Unfortunately, places like GameStop are less interested in carrying older games, or at least buying them back, so that sort of cancels that point out to a degree.

    I think the big issue is simply game price. The higher the price, the tighter one’s pursestrings are going to get, and so any saving looks more palatable to many a consumer. $45 might look better than $50, but say you have a game that retails at $20 and cut off the same percentage… is $18, a two-dollar saving, really going to change your mind to go used?

    (And for the record, those are just example numbers for quick reference and detailing the point. Not to be taken quite so literally.)

    Of course, if Bill Gates’ prediction comes true and it all goes digital (what a headache that’ll be for consumers), then it all becomes a moot point anyway. I favor Miyamoto’s mindset in the matter: “make a game they won’t want to sell back.”

11. Article: Would you ever believe that there are nine games that could get you laid? GameDaily does.
12. Article: GameDaily thinks back to the Dreamcast, and some of the best games that made SEGA’s final hardware hurrah worth having.
13. Article: Blogs are an unusually common type of character in video games, but usually tend to be among the most lovable. Here, Games Radar lists their Top 7.
14. Article: Wow, Best Buy is just doing everything they can to piss people off these days, aren’t they? Apparently, now you can’t shop with a minor if you want to buy anything rated higher than that. And as a bonus, they’ll lie to you about what you can do to buy it! I hope that Matt D. gives them some serious hell.
15. Interview: Ain’t It Cool News scored an interview with the director of that 90′s video game-inspired classic film The Wizard.
16. Video: Can you imagine if the first Mario game for the Wii were played like this? I think that was a fear a number of us had before we saw Galaxy, and thank God it didn’t turn out this way. Sure, it’s interesting, and would probably be a little fun for a bit, but I think it’d get tiresome really fast.
17. eBay: More Nintendo goods on eBay.

    Also up is a Super NES store display. Nice.

18. Article: How much of your memory is dedicated to video games? Well, this 26-year old has half of his.
19. Videos: A little late for Nintendo’s Short Cuts, unfortunately, but this fan-film about two boys who get a Wii for Christmas and play it when they aren’t supposed to sounds interesting… I’ll have to watch it myself later.
20. Video: Hey, kids! It’s another Earthworm Jim cartoon!
21. Blogging: I saw some posters on the subway earlier for In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, and didn’t think it was an Uwe Boll film. I mean, those have advertising? And stars?

    And yet, there it is, as Kohler details.

22. Article: Ah, Microsoft… is there nothing they’ll do to keep and please customers? I mean, they’ve got the money, that’s all they need, right?

    And rubbing it in, at that. Ouch.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Coming soon to a Toys R Us near you: exclusives Wingblade and Jetstorm, based on Cybertron molds Wingsaber and Jetfire, respectively, and now featuring a military motiff.
2. Newsbit: But the REALLY good news? A Robot Heroes Dispensor toy is on the way! Shame he won’t be able to transform, though. Maybe soon…

   He’ll be squaring off against Ironhide, with a few other pairings finding their way into the wave as well.

3. Newsbit: Good news for those who’ve held out on buying a game based on TransFormers: The Movie: the price just dropped. Plus, Xbox Live is now letting you get all the unlockables unlocked for one fee.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: This diorama of Blade fighting Dracula is pretty slick.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Smash Bros. DOJO!! finishes out the week with Pikmin & Olimar’s Special Moves.

   And elsewhere, Zelda’s Final Smash is revealed, along with another anticipated Special Move…

2. Newsbit: And wow… that’s quite a few EGM covers there for Super Smash Bros.… er, Brawk?

   …put me down for a Mario, I guess?

3. Newsbit: The Wii has made headlines in helping victims recover from disabling incidents, and now, Microsoft wants in on the action. Of course, it’s more a means of entertainment than assisting in recovery, but just the same…
4. Pics: New screens of Street Fighter IV! 25 of them, in fact.
5. Newsbit: Some big news today, as Nintendo Power has broken the first news and pics of the BioWare Sonic RPG since it was first announced.
6. Newsbit: So Goldeneye on Xbox Live? Not happening. The reason why?

   Money, money, yeah-yeah!

7. Newsbit: Good news for Metal Gear fans, as the latest title is almost ready.

   Cooler still is that the game will have pausable cut scenes. It’s about damn time.

   And on a related note… WRONG. SO WRONG.

8. Newsbit: Also coming sooner than expected is Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, which arrives on February 12.
9. Newsbit: PlayStation 3: now cheaper to make than ever.
10. Newsbit: A UK retailer takes orders for Wiis, then runs with the moneys.

    But is it fair to blame Reggie on this one? I thought the UK had their own monkeys in the truck to run this stuff over there?

11. Newsbit: Well damn, I missed out.

    20 bucks for Brawl, that obviously wasn’t going to stick. But I do wonder what they do about the people who preordered when it hit?

    Yeah, you guessed it: they cancel them.

12. Video: New trailer for No More Heroes. In light of recent developments, it’s a shame it has to be Ubisoft releasing it here. But I’d still get it, just to support the developers.
13. Video: A new trailer for Street Fighter IV, though it seems mostly like a splice of the original teaser and 1up’s in-game footage. The music takes me back, though.
14. Newsbit: Another reviewer has left GameSpot, though it remains unknown if it’s related to Gerstmann or not.
15. Newsbit: Son of a whore, I hope that this isn’t true. I still need to upgrade to a DS Lite, and the Crimson/Black one was just the one I wanted!
16. Newsbit: Want to see the new Bionic Commando swing onto the Wii? Well, there’s still a chance! Now, if only a good MegaMan Legends 3 movement would get started…
17. Newsbit: Father ruins boy’s game, boy tries to murder his father. Makes perfect sense to me.

    Sigh.

18. Newsbit: An official Wii lightsaber attachment? Not gonna happen.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pic: What would CES 2008 be without at least one giant robot in attendance?

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: Please remember to wipe your feet before proceeding with your robbery.
2. Video: Ever wonder what went on before God passed down the Ten Commandments?
3. Article: Now, here’s retailers are saying about the One More Day story.
4. Interview: And the first Amazing writer, Dan Slott, on Brand New Day.
5. Article: Something different with comics: a column that addresses comics’ urban legends.

Video Power

1. Interview: Rockman Synergy Commons has an interview with the voice of Pallette and Cinnamon from Capcom’s Mega Man X games, Caitlynne Medrek.
2. Article: Much like myself, Matt of Press The Buttons doesn’t care for spoilers, not even in a game like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which is sure to be full of surprises. Naturally, the nature of the internet and its big mouths coupled with significantly-seperate release dates makes keeping the games secrets hidden until we play them a problem.

   But Matt seems to have a solution in mind.

   An interesting solution, but doesn’t quite seem like a fair nor a likely one. I’d rather just have simultaneous releases. Is there any real reason they can’t do that?

   Meanwhile, I might just black out for a couple of weeks, if I can.

   On a side note, I don’t think Resetti’s ever given me flack for tampering with the clock.

3. Video: Remember Bubsy the Bobcat, relic of a bygone era in which everyone tried to make the next Sonic, who himself ironically was made to be the next Mario?

   And if you do… do you remember his cartoon show?

   Don’t have time to watch the whole thing at the moment, but it seems decent enough. But for now, I’ll continue to embrace my Mario cartoon collection.

4. Article: Speaking of video game cartoons, Games Radar has a whole feature looking back at what they call The good, the bad and the WTF!? of video game cartoons.

   Interestingly, I think this is the first time I’ve seen anyone publicly applaud Charles Martinet’s Mario over Captain Lou’s.

5. Article: Remember the days when a color portable was such an awesome (and expensive) thing to behold? Relive those distant memories with Racketboy’s Beginner’s Guide to SEGA Game Gear.
6. Blogging: I am so tempted to use this as the name of my media empire.

   For now, I’ll just have fun laughing and saying it out loud.

   If you’re wondering what that’s all about, then look at this.

7. Newsbit: Apparently, Bill Gates thinks the reliability of the Xbox 360 is “incredible.” I wonder what he thinks of the reliability of consoles that aren’t notorious for breaking down constantly?
8. Video: More Mario vs. the Convenant, if you want it.
9. Videos: More VC footage with R-Type.
10. Video: The ScrewAttack.com Video Game Vault pulls out one I’m not familiar with: Crazy Balloon.
11. Article: IGN celebrates its tenth anniversary since its formation, looking back at the headlines of the day they went up. Plus, a retrospective. They’ve even gone so far as to launch a retro gaming site.

    Wow, I remember the old sites… N64.com, PSX Power, Saturn World… some good stuff, some good times. And who could ever forget the Game Players and Next Generation magazines? Two of the best ever. And it was those connections that made me visit IGN so frequently when I first went online.

    One of the best parts of the retrospective? “Snowball.com.”

12. Article: Following on their look at 20 of the most innovational games ever, GameDaily now looks at 20 of the greatest gaming advancements ever, marks of progress that go beyond any mere single title.
13. Article: EGM Editor Dan Hsu took some time to talk to GameDaily about the whole “blackout” thing they’re experiencing with Ubisoft, Sony, and Midway.
14. Article: Games Radar takes a look back at the biggest no-shows or “flakes” of 2007.
15. Article: Games Radar explores licensed games that don’t make any sense.

    …and Smarties are in Canada, too.

16. Hands-On: Hey, actual real hands-on impressions of Mario Kart Arcade GP 2!
17. Newsbit: Figures that someone out there would feel that Pikmin & Olimar in Brawl is a stupid idea.

    Most people I know have wanted and are thrilled at Olimar’s presence. And the size? Get real, Smash Bros. has never had a working sense of scale, except MAYBE between characters from the same franchise (such as Mario and Luigi, rather than Mario and Sonic). Of course, the fact that this is a different world from all the regular franchises and all the characters are trophies that come to life MIGHT have something to do with it…

    It’s also a bit late for the argument; Kirby is only about eight inches tall, if memory serves. So the griping about that belongs back on the N64.

18. eBay: Damn, someone got ahold of a bunch of Nintendo goods from an ex-employee of the company itself, and they’re auctioning it all off.

    I’d love to get my hands on some of this stuff. Check out the cowboy hat! I would so wear that. Dare me. I dare you to dare me.

19. eBay: Elsewhere, another lad is selling off his StarFox Super Weekend competition flight jacket. Damn, I’ve been wanting one of those since… well, since the competition. But if it’s only a large… well, that hasn’t stopped me yet, I just don’t close it up.
20. eBay: Oh, and the game to go with it.
21. eBay: Then there’s the Star Fox “Assault and Peppy” shakers. It’s an eBay Star Fox-o-rama!
22. Newsbit: So this GamerSwagg.com place allows users to sell their works based on video game properties. I wonder how legal this is?
23. Newsbit: So apparently, Barack Obama is the Wii.
24. Newsbit: Ok, so today, Square Enix’s President isn’t down on the Wii. Hooooo-kay.
25. Video: Something about modding an AK-47 into a Wii controller just strikes me as very, very wrong.
26. Pic: Reading: perhaps something more games need.

    (Not the first time I’ve seen such a label on the back of the box, though it’s certainly bigger here.)

    Or just something more people need to know about. What a hooch.

27. Article: CVG lays out five things they believe Nintendo needs to do with the Wii this year.
28. Newsbit: The Wii seems to be a hit at drinking establishments across the pond. In fact, you might say they’re getting a lot of good pub-licity.
29. Newsbit: Microsoft say they’re still not interested in joining the handheld market. Works for me, two is plenty as it is.

    Maybe if handhelds evolved to be portable players of the same games we use at home, but I doubt that’s happening anytime soon.

30. Article: It is one writer’s opinion that World of Warcraft is killing the pay-to-play MMO model.
31. Newsbit: David Jaffe made some waves earlier by joining in the “one console for all” party, but Chris Kohler says that he is simply wrong.
32. Article: Ten people who look like video game characters.

    Hah, I always said that Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown would make a perfect Wily…

33. Newsbit: Ever wonder how much it’s cost to make a real Gundam?

    Wow, that’s a lot. I wonder how much a Megazord would cost?

34. Newsbit: You thought Star Wars in Soul Calibur IV was weird? Wait’ll you see who the first choice was.
35. Pics: Here’s a neat custom Master Chief TransFormer… too bad it still turns into a Star Wars vehicle, though.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Good news for TransFormers: Animated, as it’s #1 for boys in its timeslot.
2. Pics: A bevy of pics have surfaced of a new Animated Optimus Prime, now with battle damage! Though really, it just looks like he’s got tats. Or a Venom symbiote problem (it wouldn’t be the first time).
3. Newsbit: The third set of Movie Legends toys in the “Allspark Battle” line of two-packs has been revealed.
4. Pics: New pics of Premium Ironhide and Blackout have surfaced, too.
5. Newsbit: And speaking of the Premiums, Leader-class Optimus and Megatron will be mass-released.
6. Pics: TNI has a first look at Movie Autobot Evac.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pic: NECA’s Michelangelo figure is almost ready, just a couple of small color changes and he’s set!

Video Power

1. Newsbit: At the end of December, a mention was made here in passing about Microsoft’s customer service practices in regards to one fellow who moved to the United States from England. He was able to move his Xbox Passport over with no problems, and yet they won’t allow him to change his billing address. Their best advice?

   “Go back to England.”

   Ouch. That’s just not right, and is in fact pretty much the very definition of inexcusable. But it’s gotten better, as things have escalated and Microsoft have purportedly attempted to get the man fired from his job with a video game website, so as to “remove any potential sources of contention” between the site and Microsoft.

   As Penny Arcade user Djiem so eloquently put it:

   So, let me get this straight.
   Some people at Microsoft have enough time, ressources and energy to deny your legitimate request, insult you, google you and try to get you canned, but they can’t just do a little magic trick to your gamertag?

   This is ridiculous.

   Seeing where this goes… not sure what to do. Maybe stop reporting on them? Guess we’ll see.

2. Newsbit: Craziest story of the day: Star Wars characters in Soul Calibur IV.

   You can find my thoughts at the Editor’s Take here. But really, keep Cassandra in that outfit, and they can add anyone they want.

3. Newsbit: Smash Bros. DOJO!! brings forth a smashing bit of news… Final Smashing, in fact, as Solid Snake cuts loose.
4. Newsbit: New info on the Street Fighter IV front today, as a new female fighter by the name of “Crimson Viper” has appeared in the pages of Famitsu. Just seeing that makes me want to shout out “Co-BRAAAA!!!”

   Plus, it’s been confirmed for arcades. But does that effect the US at all?

5. Newsbit: According to Engine Software, Wii Ware should be launching around March.
6. Videos: Capcom brings to CES 2008 a two-part Bionic Commando presentation.
7. Newsbit: Excellent, Burnout 3: Takedown is coming to Xbox 360 as an “original” next week. Definitely one of, if not the best, in the series.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Videos: Just missed this yesterday. Ever wonder how the Beast Wars got started? I mean, before the first episode? Now is your chance to find out, with part 1 and part 2 of Theft of the Golden Disc.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: Hey, something about Spider-man that isn’t One More Day! Rather, someone decided to give their interpretation of how the third movie should have ended.
2. Interview: And so as not to disappoint, yet more from Spider-man Editor Steve Wacker on Brand New Day.
3. Blogging: Mark Evanier talks about one hot topic off of the WGA strike: residuals, why writers get them, and more.
4. Newsbit: Self-proclaimed “meanest mom on the planet” puts her son’s car up for sale after finding booze inside.
5. Article: Do you remember the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons toyline? Figures.com does.

   Me? Not so much. All I’ve ever really wanted from it after laying eyes upon it is the Fortress of Fangs, and I’d still like to know who I might need to slay to get one. I don’t even really want it as a AD&D thing; I want it as a Koopa fort for my Mario figures.

   …don’t suppose anyone out there has the hook-up for me?

6. Reviews: Yesterday was the backlog of holiday anime releases, and today IGN goes after the manga.
7. Article: Randy Marsh, Stan’s dad on South Park, has to be one of the biggest idiots the world has ever known. But let’s face it, South Park just wouldn’t be as interesting without him. And so, IGN picks their ten favorite moments with the Guitar Zero.

Video Power

1. Blogging: At first, I thought that a Cattlesnake was just some Pokemon I’d never heard of before…
2. Article: An editorial over at AMN suggests some resolutions that the Big 3 ought to take a serious look at this year.
3. Newsbit: Did you know that the DS touchscreen has pressure sensitivity? Me neither!
4. Video Review: GameTrailers tells us what they think of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.
5. Video: More Virtual Console video footage, featuring Gain Ground, and… that’s it. Huh.
6. Article: Classic video game ninjas duke it out as Ninja Gaiden‘s Ryu Hayabusa takes on Shinobi‘s Joe Musashi in this week’s Hero Showdown.
7. On a side note, not small secret that the NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy took more than a little bit after Castlevania. Makes me wonder what it’d be like today if that continued, with handheld 2D Ninja Gaiden games made with a Metroid aesthetic.

   Conversely, what would the 3D Castlevania titles be like if they took after the Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden?

8. Article: Game Daily names what they believe to be the 21 most influential video games.
9. Article: Games Radar takes a look a the gimmicks of 2008′s games that developers are hoping will draw you in.
10. Article: Ever wonder what “Katamari Damacy” really means? Games Radar investigates that, and many more.
11. Article: And some people think I analyze Mario too much. Games Radar takes a quirky look at The Sexual Politics Of The Mushroom Kingdom: “Who’s sleeping with who, why Peach is a slut, and why Mario really needs better self-esteem.”

    Wow.

12. Article: Is it possible to play as a pacifist in a MMORPG? Apparently…

    Definitely one of the more interesting ways to play.

13. Video: Yahtzee, fan of Silent Hill, apparently does not care quite so much for Silent Hill: Origins.
14. Merch: Remember the “boomerang” PS3 controller? I liked that one. Maybe not at first site, but I was definitely feeling a little disappointment that their finalized design was the same-old, same-old.

    Interestingly enough, however, it seems the manufacturer of a Chinese PS3 controller felt the same way.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Preview: Simon Furman gives us a glimpse at the final chapter of Beast Wars: The Ascending.
2. Pics: Images have surfaced, showing off the Premium Movie figures of ’09 Bumblebee, Jazz, and Barricade.
3. Newsbit: Bay and Co. hope to start filming TransFormers 2 on June 2nd, but with the Writer’s Strike…

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Preview: It’s almost upon us… Spider-man‘s “Brand New Day” hits stores today, and Newsarama offers a look.
2. Newsbit: An update from the Producer of G.I. Joe tells a bit about what’s going on with Destro, Hawk, and Zartan.
3. Newsbit: Much to Michael Bay’s chagrin, I’m sure, Paramount has decided to continue backing HD-DVD.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: So Sony is finally looking to go after the casual crowd. Can the PS3 compete in that market? Probably not. Even Xbox 360 is finding it challenging. But the PS2, on the other hand…
2. Newsbit: Hey, remember Xbox Live Diamond?

   Yeah, neither did I, until earlier when I found out that they’re going to start charging for it. So that’s one perk lost for Gold subscribers, and apparently it wasn’t handled terribly well anyway.

   But! It all matters little to me, since I’m in Canada. Of course, with a look at the deals, I might have been willing to drop 7 bucks for discounts at some of those places.

   Did any of you sign up for Diamond? Did you ever get it?

3. Newsbit: Whup, looks like that crazy Nintendo has won itself another Emmy. I guess they’ll just toss that one in the pile with the rest of their awards.
4. Newsbit: Smash Bros. DOJO!! updates with word of a NEW CHALLENGER!!

   Make way for the Pikmin and Captain Olimar!!

   And as a bonus, they’ve included a glimpse of the track for the Pikmin World Map.

   On top of all that, it seems to now officially render the icon theory a bust, as Pikmin could only fit in spot 19, but is instead 22.

5. Newsbit: Ouch, it looks like some developers are deciding to play hardball, and Electronic Gaming Monthly isn’t going to stand for it. They’ve outted three companies who are no longer supplying them with games due to poor review scores received in the past:

   Ubisoft
   Sony (sports division)
   Midway?s (Mortal Kombat team)

   Much like RMC, I too would like to hear their side of things. Most interesting to me is that it’s no single part of Ubisoft, while the other two are specific divisions or teams.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Review: Another Animated sneak-peek, this time of Bulkhead.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: The writer’s strike has been going on for so long now, half the late night people have grown beards. Including one half of the Stewart/Colbert dynamic. See if you can guess which.

   …that is, if the clip will even play. For me, it is presently not.

   Hear how the first night back for the duo went from IGN.

2. Video: Powerthirst: Now with more manliness than ever!

   An amusing parody, but somehow not quite as good as the real deal.

3. Pic: Another sneak peek at the 2008 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line, this one of an armored Michelangelo that’s intended for the figures, but not the cartoon.

   Which disappoints me, as it starts to tread into 1990 Playmates territory; I rather liked how the cartoon has handled variations up to this point. Additionally, I sort of relate to what is said about fully-clothed Turtles, though there are definite exceptions.

4. Blogging: Mighty Godking has an intriguing idea to fix “Brand New Day.”

Video Power

1. Interview: A discussion with PSP Senior Marketing Manager John Koller looks into the notion of porting games from the PSP to the PS2, such as the case will be with the upcoming PS2 version of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters.

   One can only hope Capcom will wake up and port some of their PSP titles, such as Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X, Mega Man Powered Up, Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins, and… um, something else (Monster Hunter, maybe?) to the PS2, where they’ll have a better chance to shine.

2. Video: The Angry Video Game Nerd tampers with something which was never meant to be tampered with: he attempts to figure out the Zelda timeline.

   It’d be surprising if vast amounts of cursing didn’t ensue.

3. Video: Seems that the Wii’s technology could be revolutionary in ways Nintendo never intended.

   I’m not the most technologically-knowledgable person you’re going to meet, so maybe some people will roll their eyes, but I think this is incredible, and wonder if even Nintendo knew that this would work. And, now that it’s out there, I wonder if they’ll apply it at all.

4. Article: Rockman Synergy Commons points out some of the differences between the Super Famicom and Game Boy Advance versions of Rockman & Forte, which was exclusive to Japan until the GBA-only US release as Mega Man & Bass. Sadly, the game wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and being on the comparatively-limited GBA just made things worse.

   It does lead me to wonder if we might ever see a Virtual Console release, though.

5. Article: It’s amazing how many games will come out at the end of a console or handheld’s life cycle, and be all but completely ignored. Ever wonder what some of those “last ones out” were? Fear not, for someone has finally decided to cover just that.

   And while it lists Kirby’s Dream Land 3 as the last Super NES game, I do believe the above-mentioned Rockman & Forte was the last for the Super Famicom.

6. Newsbit: Blu-Ray? HD-DVD? “Bah,” says Bill Gates. “They’re both laying by the side of the road as digital distribution paves the way to the future!”

   Ok, some fabrication of quotation there. Still, I like a physical format. And with the problems people seem to have with downloadables off of Xbox Live, I’m not sure they’re the ones that should be championing it at the moment.

7. Videos: More old Virtual Console videos at GameTrailers: Moto Roader, Comix Zone, Bonanza Bros., Vigilante, The Legend of Kage, and those lovable Ice Climbers.
8. Article: Is there anything more fun than talking about games with dirty names?

   …well, might be nice if actually playing them was.

   Actually, that’s not fair, some of these games are alllllll-right.

9. Article: GameDaily looks back at the history of Bowser, along with his arsenal of moves he’ll bring to face the rest of the Nintendo universe in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
10. Article: I think he’s been mentioned before, but it’s come up that Ben Sawyer of the “Serious Games Initiative” is of the opinion that games aimed at younger kids are crap. And for the most part, he seems to be right.
11. Article: Games Radar checks out gaming’s kinkiest costumes with the pretense that if you’ve “Got a fantasy? Chances are there’s a game to match.”

    Yeah, this isn’t exactly SFW… but, there’s nothing THAT bad here.

12. Pics: I think the Wii rifle shell is the most impressive, borderline-absurd one of the Wii weapons shown here. But then, they have similar controllers in arcades, so why not?
13. Pic: Now this is a neat merchandising idea: Super Mario Galaxy Superballs, each based on a different Power-Up from the game.
14. Newsbit: With all the promotions and tie-ins with the likes of Nintendo, SEGA, and probably others (aren’t they a part of the above-mentioned Xbox Live Diamond program?), you’d think that McDonald’s would think before pointing a finger at video games as the reason childhood obesity is on the rise.

    Think any of those companies might take exception to it?

15. Video: Has Mario bitten off more than he can chew, when he takes on Halo’s Covenant? Naaaaah.
16. Interview: Square-Enix’s head honcho takes another stab at Nintendo.

    Gee, I’m glad they’re on such friendly terms these days. With all the Final Fantasies, Dragon Quests, and such, I guess there really is no room for core games of theirs on Nintendo’s systems.

17. Review: Seems that sites, such as Game|Life, think that Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is good for fans, but not much else. Guess it doesn’t hold up as widely as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney does.
18. Newsbit: This may interest some of you. MTV has put together a “Rhythm Track Finder”, a service that can tell you which music games yield which songs.
19. Video: On a related note, anyone up for some Guitar Hero turntable action?
20. Newsbit: Seems that a Konami developer has found out the hard way that Japanese gamers prefer franchises to original properties.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics: Some new pics of Animated Bumblebee have surfaced, making the wait all the more difficult.
2. Newsbit: On the upside, Nightwatch Optimus Prime is now available at US retail.
3. Newsbit: Also good news… well, sort of… is that knock-offs of Metroplex and Metrotitan are on the way! Here’s hoping the quality is decent.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Some neat stuff coming out of CES, which kicked off yesterday. One of the most impressive being this 150″ TV. I’d love to try playing Wii Sports or some Pac-Man Championship Edition on there.
2. Newsbit: The 5th turtle gives us a peek at a production pic for the “Cyber Foot” soldier that will be a part of Playmates’ 2008 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line.
3. Preview: If there’s one thing that Spider-man‘s “One More Day” story has left fans wondering, it’s “what the hell is the new status quo?”

   Luckily, Marvel and Newsarama are here with a splash page preview of “Brand New Day” to help us try to wrap our heads around it.

4. Newsbit: Good news for fans of books from Archie Comics, as they are launching 18 new Archie blogs, a blog for every title.”

   It sounds pretty cool; Sonic writer Ian Flynn and artist Tracey Yardley have already been in pretty close-contact with the fans, but it sounds like this may open up yet further opportunities.

5. Newsbit: GameSpite once more comes through with the week’s releases in DVD and video games.
6. Newsbit: IGN checks out who’s in the GI Joe movie so far, and some discrepancies which have arisen.
7. Newsbit: Wow, they’re still releasing Married… with Children DVD seasons? I figured they’d be done by now.
8. Pics: Early images from the set of the Dragon Ball movie.

   …I am keeping an EXTREMELY open mind about this, as I’ve realized the last thing I really want is just more of the same old story told again.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Good news! The PSP is getting a GPS!

   (GPSP?)

   The bad news, however, is that the interface at present seems a little awkward…

2. Newsbit: Sony is also capitalizing on their forward momentum with BluRay by making it work with the PSP.
3. Newsbit: Disappointing news on the Super Smash Bros. Brawl front. Seems that they’ve finally revealed the Stadium’s Multi-Man Brawl, and there doesn’t appear to be any wholesale Mii slaughtering to enjoy.

   Instead, meet the Fighting Alloys!

   Plus, in his first update back from the New Year break, Sakurai has presented more returning Melee stages. I’m happy for Onett.

   Plus, some news has cropped up about the game’s costumes and more.

4. Newsbit: Fans of Street Fighter are about to get a two-hit combo, with toy manufacturer SOTA teaming up with card maker Sabretooth Games to package figures and cards together.
5. Pics: Wondering what the packaging looks like for Master Chief and the Brute Chieftain? Wonder no more.
6. Newsbit: Only two Virtual Console updates this week: The King of Fighters ’94 for the NEOGEO, and one I’ve been waiting to get my hands on, Startropics, an America-only NES game.

   …Mike ought to be in Brawl. We’ve gotten Japan-only characters from the Fire Emblem series, which helped break them into the American market, why not return the favor?

7. Newsbit: Skype is coming to the PSP, but you can only use it if you have the slim version.
8. Newsbit: Among all the other grief Xbox Live has caused lately, it seems that it’s prone to erasing Achievements, too.
9. Newsbit: Interplay has re-registered the trademark on Clay Fighter, among others.

   So the question then is: next-gen revival, or Virtual Console release? Or both?

10. Newsbit: First came the Xbox 360 Achievements, and now Devil May Cry 4 is bringing them to PS3. It’s also bringing something else: an unoptional 5GB installation on your hard drive.
11. Newsbit: Who in God’s name comes up with a title like “Wii Shaft” without it being a complete and utter joke?
12. Newsbit: Wii60 lives!!

    *looks at the pricetag*

    *looks at Kotaku poking holes in the designers’ decisions*

    …Wii60 dies!!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Merch: Finding yourself wishing you had a nice, badass blade on your Movie Optimus Prime’s arm, just like the one he slaughtered Bonecrusher with in the film? Then check this out.
2. Review: Another early look at an Animated toy, this time with Prowl in the spotlight.
3. Article: Toy News International takes a look back at the year that was in TransFormers.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: At CES yesterday, Bill Gates invited everyone to take a look at what his last day at Microsoft might be like.
2. Video: The Cat Cube, now available in stores everywhere.
3. Video: The “One More Day” hate continues, as one disappointed fan attempts to burn his copy. But this is no ordinary book– it refuses to be burned! At least, it does at first.
4. Videos: Speaking of One More Day, Newsarama has a video review of that story, and another on that same link which asks if the Marvel and DC crossovers have gotten out of hand.
5. Article: And then another from Newsarama takes a look at the reactions to the whole One More Day story and what it means.
6. Comic: Even Walky has a pair of special comic strips which look at how it’s played out.
7. Video: From the makers of BRAWNDO (with electrolytes) comes POWERTHIRST.
8. Video: David Lynch doesn’t seem to care for iPhone very much. At least, not the part where you watch movies on it…
9. Video: My god… so many DUCKS! What could they all want?!
10. Video: Oh, snap!
11. Video: Drinking and riding the bus may not be as bad as drinking and driving, but surely it ranks somewhere.

    Incidently, this just reminds me how much I hate taking the TTC…

    This Japanese bus fight, on the other hand, is a bit quieter and more fun to watch.

12. Video: …lotta videos today, huh? But who can help it, they’re pretty good today, too! Anyway, behold the future! Robots that eat snow and crap out ice bricks!

    This is like something in a Mega Man game.

13. Video: A controversial tell-all book by a wrestling fan has revealed that wrestling fans are in fact paid actors.
14. Reviews: IGN checks out and rates the holiday season’s anime releases.

Video Power

1. Interview: Capcom has found an interview with the voice of Ryu from Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, Skip Stellrecht.
2. Interview: Interestingly enough, Rockman Perfect Memories also has an interview, this one with Mr. Eddie Lebron, who is directing the fan-made Mega Man movie mentioned a few days ago.
3. Article: Of interest to Virtual Console afficionados is Racketboy’s look at the best undiscovered TurboGrafx16 games.
4. Newsbit: Who ever knew that the Wii would have such a big fan in the Queen?
5. Videos: I have no idea why GameTrailers keeps adding videos for old Virtual Console games (by which I mean, old by the VC’s standards), but here are some more: Soldier Blade, Urban Champion, Baseball, R-Type III, Gradius, Dungeon Explorer, and Xevious.
6. Video: On the subject of classics, ScrewAttack.com pulls R-Type DX out of the vault. Compare to the one above for extra fun!

   As far as a solution to the battery issue goes… just play it on the GBA SP.

7. Article: Sick of the arguments, IGN AU decides to find out once and for all, who has the best games: Nintendo DS or Sony PSP.
8. Newsbit: IBM decided to attract some people to their CES booth by hooking up some Wii consoles with Wii Sports.

   This is akin to what is known in wrestling as a “cheap pop.”

9. Article: Looks like Capcom can talk to other people now; Next Generation has a feature up that talks to Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono about how they plan to revitalize the fighting genre.
10. Interview: Can’t believe I forgot to mention this a few days ago.

    In the fifth part of Joe Quesada’s (Marvel Comics’ Editor-in-Chief, if you skip the stuff above Video Power) interview with Comic Book Resources, they veer away from comic books and talk more about video games, and in doing so, Joe reveals that he might have been a part of how the NES got its start in America.

    Ok, so the guy may have had a heavy hand in one of the worst comic book stories of all time, but according to this, I still owe him a debt of gratitude.

    Just not where Spider-man is concerned.

11. Article: Games Radar takes a look at the Top 7 Franchise Embarassments, the low points many a hit game series has stumbled upon.
12. Article: The number of bad games based on movies is a shame all by itself. So then, what of games that are based on movies, but without the license?

    Fortunately, they somehow turn out pretty good.

    Incidently, while it’s not a movie per se, don’t forget that when Shigeru Miyamoto first set out to make a video game, he was interested in basing it on Popeye. Paramount weren’t interested until after they had a success on their hands, which meant the ideas got to be refined into a little something we know as Donkey Kong. Replace Bluto with DK, Olive with Pauline, the sailor man with the carpenter, and maybe the can of spinach with a big whopping hammer, and things become a little more clear. There are other parallels to be drawn, too.

    And don’t forget, people have likened Mega Man to Astro Boy for years, and the X series took inspiration from Blade Runner. Whether or not Water World truly influenced Legends, however, remains a mystery to me, as I’ve never really seen the movie to know if they share anything besides lots of water. Oh, and people cite Battle Network as being rather Tron-like as well.

    Can you think of more?

13. Pics: Ever wonder how the worlds of Super Mario Galaxy might look if they were a little more… real? It looks like someone did, and you can see for yourself.
14. Article: On a similar line of thought, ever wonder how real the game’s physics are?
15. Merch: Want to get your Valentine the ultimate gaming gift? Then how about some personalized Mii chocolates?
16. eBay: Up for auction: a promo reel for the baddest controller on the planet.

    How bad?

    So bad.

17. Videos: Using the DS and Mario is one way to stand out from other TV stations.
18. Comic: Making the best of a “bad” situation.
19. Article: It’s sad, but even a game as great as Super Mario Galaxy just isn’t for everyone.
20. Article: 12 months later, Game|Life has found the answers to their ten burning questions for 2007.
21. Newsbit: Ok, this is just crazy. A son gives his dad a .22 rifle, tells him to shoot him, and the dad does. All because he wouldn’t look at the son’s Xbox.

    Reeeeeeeeal stable family, there.

22. Interview: Valve talks to 1up about how The Orange Box came together.
23. Guide: Can’t find a Weighted Companion Cube? Knit your own!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics: The upcoming Robot Heroes, featuring the likes of Hound, Sunstreaker, Galvatron, Blitzwing, Black Arachnia, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Predacon Megatron can now be seen here, live and in color.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Sounds like Warner Bros. has officially thrown in with Blu-Ray. Exclusively, that is.

   I’ve been pretty neutral in this whole format war thing. I think it’s pretty stupid, frankly. But if I had to pick a side, it’d probably be HD DVD, only because I don’t think Sony really needs to be encouraged to create more proprietary formats.

   Toshiba is said to be “particularly disappointed.”

   And seemingly as a result, the HD DVD pre-conference at CES has been cancelled.

   If you decide to throw in with the Blu-Ray lot, then it seems that the PlayStation 3 is still the top choice.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: If you’ve been waiting to get your replacement Guitar Hero III disc for the Wii, fixing the audio issues of which much controversy has erupted, then know that the time is soon, and you can pre-register now.
2. Pics: Some new images from SEGA Superstar Tennis showcase some of the game’s unique themed courts. Loving these.
3. Newsbit: Elsewhere in the music-gaming world, there’s been a small problem with Rock Band, in that it only includes one guitar, and if memory serves, they aren’t sold seperately. But now, MTV has signed into a deal with Mad Catz to produce controllers for the blockbuster game.
4. Newsbit: Interesting, I thought the whole “Gerstmanngate” thing was behind us, but apparently some are still rather sore over the whole thing, as one freelancer apparently decided to make a stand.
5. Newsbit: Toys R Us has decided to trade in their huge “sucker pack” for two smaller such packs. Um, yay?
6. Newsbit: Good news! No More Heroes has been pushed up on the release calendar by a few weeks– January 22nd is the new date. God, I hope I can get the money for this one.
7. Newsbit: So Xbox Live ran into some trouble over the holidays. The users weren’t happy, and neither was Microsoft. And to make it up to Gold users, they’re even giving them free Arcade games.

   And yet, people still want to sue.

   I’m no Microsoft fanboy, but I certainly don’t hate them, either, despite everything. But I do think this is just a little unwarranted.

8. Newsbit: Been playing the Burnout: Paradise demo? You might have noticed a recent change… they’ve doubled the online multiplayer, as well as added some new challenges. Now I just need to find seven friends.
9. Video: No “official” new Smash Bros. info this week, but it looks like a pretty good one after all with three Japanese commercials.

   Plus, an extra “online” commercial or two.

   Not enough? Then how about some more details. Balloon Fight music? Score!!

10. Newsbit: Whoopsie, looks like the New York Times report on the DS having “full downloadable games” was inaccurate.
11. Newsbit: Go Nintendo reports that tomorrow, we should be seeing two new additions to the Virtual Console in the form of Startropics for the NES, and King of Fighters ’94 for the NEOGEO.

    Startropics? At last, I’m there!

12. Newsbit: First, pink nunchucks, now pink jackets? What’s going on here?

–LBD “Nytetrayn”