InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Review: Figures.com has a review available for Masterpiece Starscream.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: If Steve Martin could have one wish this holiday season, it would be to see all the children of the world join hands and sing together in the spirit of harmony and peace.

   After that… well, a man has to have priorities, does he not?

2. Video: Psychic Warfare: “Old video footage reveals the start of what may have been a deadly Russian weapon: Telekinesis.”

   Didn’t someone make a game about this?

3. Video: The cars of the future… um… we’ll get back to you.
4. Video: Did you know that there’s a book about Spam? Yeah! …there is. Yep.

   And to help promote it, here’s a brief history. On toast.

5. Blogging: The 5th turtle reveals why Archie Comics never published the end of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures series, titled The Forever War.

   Guess Archie wasn’t so cool then, after all. They just got to benefit from outside intercoolence.

6. Article: IGN rounds up their Top 5 Comic Badasses of 2007.

Video Power

1. Editorial: For the cost of games these days… to develop, to purchase… should they be so buggy?
2. Newsbit: PriceGrabber.com reports that the average price for a Wii online is $650. In related news (same link), some guy in the UK is trying to sell his used one for a world record.
3. Newsbit: Sony’s Jack Tretton is now saying that more developers are going to make games for the PS3 first, then port them to other consoles.
4. Newsbit: At a recent investor conference call, the chairman of Take Two found the very notion of Grand Theft Auto for the Wii to be quite laughable.
5. Video: Have yourself a Merry raving Christmas!
6. Review: GameSpot: For when you just have to say SOMETHING bad about a game, no matter how silly.

   I won’t argue the other versions don’t have better graphics and more going on, but this is effectively striking at an NES game for being an NES game. Is that really right?

7. Article: GameDaily postulates that a platformer need not be of the Mario branding to be good, and so it is that they offer eight examples to support this claim.
8. Article: GameDaily takes a look back at the Top 20 News Stories of 2007 in part 1 of this feature.
9. Article: Mods are good for the longevity of a game, and Games Radar knows plenty of good ones.
10. Video: Remember that fake-yet-convincing Super Mario Galaxy DS video? Here’s another version, with allusions to the Nintendo ON, which seems to reveal that this was put together by the same guy, and helps explain its convincing-but-not-quite quality.
11. Article/Videos: Thanks to Wolf for providing the link to Yahoo’s look back at the Best Games of the Past Decade.
12. Newsbit: Now here’s a good little bit of kindness: a retirement community helped a 13-year old girl get a Wii for her father, who had suffered a stroke.
13. Video: Yahtzee returns once more, this time taking us through the western RPG known as Mass Effect.
14. Review: So, Sonic the Hedgehog is now available on iPod, and apparently it’s not that good. Which might be expected. If they can’t get it right on the Game Boy Advance, what hope does an MP3 player have of doing better?
15. Pic: Season’s Greetings from Rare, who have created this lovely image in the spirit of the season. Poor Banjo; he seems so bewildered. Maybe it’s because those pinatas had better watch themselves near that fire…

    And is that a hint at Killer Instinct 3 across one stocking? Why, I think it is!

16. Hardly anything concrete on that front, though.
17. Accessorize: Now here is a nifty way to keep your Wii ready to play GameCube games at all times, without having to worry about those flaps.
18. Article: The third part of 1up’s Street Fighter retrospective has been posted, this time covering the merchandise aspect of the series. Comic publisher UDON had even agreed to an interview, but for some reason chose to silently back out. Poor form, guys.
19. Newsbit: So yesterday, American Beverage Association vice president Kevin Keane (not this guy, amusingly enough) was quoted as blaming video games instead of soda for being the cause of children’s obesity. Turns out, things were misconstrued a bit.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Blogging: TransFormers scribe Simon Furman spills the beans a little about the upcoming Spotlight Grimlock issue.
2. Video: Hasbro has unveiled the opening for TransFormers: Animated…
3. Website: …as well as a section of their website dedicated to it.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: A new trailer for Disney/Pixar’s latest movie, Wall-E.
2. Newsbit: Looks like Jay and Conan are going back to work at the start of the new year as well. But Dave will still be the only one with his writers.

   Here’s what they have to say.

3. Newsbit: Looks like Kimmel won’t be left out, either. Good thing, too, the poor guy was being bankrupted by having to support his staff.
4. Newsbit: From WebbAlert: Yeah, I think prison is apt for a guy who tried to axe California’s power.
5. GameSpite lets us know what’s out just in time for Christmas this week in the realms of DVD and video games, though not a lot in either.
6. Newsbit: Looks like Peter Jackson is back in the Tolkien fold, as he’s set to make two movies based on The Hobbit.

   Hope they’re better than the Lord of the Rings movies. In hindsight, I can’t believe Red and I paid for all three…

Video Power

1. Newsbit: And now, it’s (legally) possible to play PS1 games on your PSP.
2. Newsbit/Pics: Smash Bros. DOJO!! has a trifecta of updates so far this week, featuring a new item, a new stage, and a new theme song.
3. Virtual Console’s updates this week are: Cybernator for the Super NES, Alien Storm for the SEGA Genesis, and Monster Lair for the TurboGrafx16.
4. Newsbit: Sonic the Hedgehog is now available on… iPod?

   SAN FRANCISCO (December 18, 2007) – SEGA? of America, Inc. today announced that Sonic The Hedgehog is now available for play on the new iPod nano with video, the iPod classic and the fifth generation iPod. Sonic The Hedgehog was originally introduced in 1991 and has become one of the most popular video game franchises in history, selling well over 45 million copies. Sonic fans can purchase and download the game from the iTunes Store for $4.99 (www.itunes.com). Sonic has been designed specifically for the iPod and is available on the 22 iTunes Stores around the world.

   “Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most beloved video game characters of all time,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO of SEGA of America, “And with the installed base that iPod enjoys Sonic now becomes available to a whole new group of casual and hardcore gamers just in the time for the holidays.”

   iTunes customers can buy the game for themselves, or easily give the gift of Sonic The Hedgehog. Similar to music and video content on the iTunes Store, customers simply find the game on iTunes and click the “Gift This Game” button.

5. Newsbit: So we heard before that gamers with gimp Rock Band guitars would be getting free games in addition to replacement guitars, and now we know what those are.
6. Newsbit: Update: Nintendo still isn’t planning a Kirby title for the Wii.
7. Newsbit: GameStop has clarified a few things about the Wii rainchecks– er, “Wii Certificate Program.”
8. Newsbit: Good news for attendees of E3: it may not suck as bad next year.
9. Pics/Newsbit: Previews for the upcoming Sonic X #31 and Sonic the Hedgehog #186 are available now.
10. Video: Resident Evil: Degeneration is coming in 2008, but the trailer is here now.
11. Newsbit: Oh, yay. Just what we all feared: Bandai making more Dragon Ball Z games. At least Namco might factor in this time.

    Speaking of which, I know there’s limited material to work with here, but I’m getting really sick of every damn Dragon Ball game having the exact same story that essentially traces the whole f’n thing from start to finish.

12. Newsbit: 12-player Mario Kart on the Wii, woo!

    Other info can be found here.

13. Newsbit: Take Two is promising not to make their games into annual affairs, unlike some other companies out there who have merged with others…
14. Video: Got enough in you for one more No More Heroes preview?
15. Video: Looks like the DS is getting another Death Note game we won’t see here in America, this one based on L and how he earned his reputation before going after Kira.
16. Preview: Next Generation takes a look at the next iteration of Bionic Commando here.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Merch: BigBadToyStore.com now has a bust of Optimus Prime’s old flame, Elita-1.
2. Reviews: BWTF.com and Unicron.com have both been fortunate enough to see the premiere movie for TransFormers: Animated, and here’s what they think.
3. Bios: Plus, they seem to have some new character bios as well.
4. Game: If that’s not enough, you can play a game at Cartoon Network’s website that reveals a little more about the show.
5. Factoid: Seems that of the Optimus Prime toys sold online, one in every five is a fake. Can’t say the odds please me, but I wonder if this is including the blatant fakes?
6. Interview: Marty Isenberg and Sam Register chat with Newsarama a little bit about TransFormers: Animated, possibly with spoilers.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Merch: HotTopic.com finally has the retro TMNT goods, as you can see. That Raph beanie is weird, though.
2. Pics: Mini-toys are cool, because it means they can interact with things of a much grander scale. Case in point, Playmates’ new Mini-Mutants line for TMNT: Moto-Slider Donatello, Moto-Slider Michelangelo, Moto-Cycle Leonardo, Moto-Cycle Raphael, Leo’s Ninja Dojo playset, Raph’s Iron Pumpin’ Gym playset.
3. Pics: More pics of the 2K8 TMNT toon reveal two new vehicles.
4. Video: Speaking of trained turtles…
5. Video: Oh, deer…
6. Video: I don’t get any of this.
7. Video: More police fun. The guy filming this is lucky, it could’ve gotten far uglier than it did.
8. Video: Panda wrestling.
9. Newsbit: Will Smith has a new toilet in his house, and a very unorthodox one at that.

   “People think it’s all about suction and that they’re going to have their insides removed … but it doesn’t suck, it blows. Not everyone can handle this thing emotionally.”

   That’s right. It’s an ass-blaster.

10. Auction: How much would you pay for an ancient AOL disc?

    For me, damn sure not that much.

11. Article: This week in IGN’s Hero Showdown, it’s Peter vs. Homer.
12. Interview: IGN interviews Jeff Hardy, who just beat Triple H last Sunday to become the #1 contender for the championship. He discusses this, landscaping, and meeting soldiers.

Video Power

1. Video: As promised: Mini-Me hocks World of Warcraft.
2. Pics: From WebbAlert: Wood you like to see an interesting SNES mod?
3. MP3 Interview: Capcom takes the opportunity to interview one of their latest stars, Harvey Birdman.
4. Pics/Newsbits: So Mega Man has finally and officially reached 20 years. To celebrate, a lot of pictures have been made to commemorate the occassion, including this neat plug-pixel art, lots of sprites and images from Rockman Perfect Memories, two pieces of giftart at The Mega Man Network, and word of a possible “what might have been” game to celebrate.
5. Article: Not one to be left out, Racketboy’s Retro Gaming celebrates 20 years of Final Fantasy.
6. Newsbit: Seems that Nintendo is not pleased with retailers who are forcing bundles on customers at marked-up prices that negate the Wii price advantage…
7. Newsbit: Sony’s CEO says that Activision’s CEO ought to “try making his own console” before judging Sony’s pricing tactics.
8. Newsbit: Silent Hill 5‘s Producer says that American development is taking the lead, and Japan is in trouble.
9. Video: ‘Tis the season for vulgarity as The Angry Video Game Nerd takes his stab at a Christmas carol.
10. Video: I remember Dino Riki, the box anyway. I had no idea it was a shooter… crazy.
11. Newsbit: “Sony tops Fortune’s gaming PR gaffes.”

    No comment.

12. Article: So, what were the top 50 moments in 2007? That’s what Next Generation aims to find out.
13. Article: GameDaily looks back at 30 years of the best games to give (or get) as a gift.
14. Article: 2007 saw a lot of secrets come to the fore, but which ones were the worst kept?
15. Article: The worst of the worst… Games Radar brings you the Top 7 Most Evil Games.
16. Video: The boys over at the Chicago Gamers’ Club reveal their picks for the top 10 game series that need to be revived.
17. Newsbit: Take Two on Grand Theft Auto for Wii: LOL
18. Review: Just what I’d expect from the Sony Defense Force… a fair and unbiased review of Super Mario Galaxy.

    Someone, please tell me this is a parody. It’s the internet, so it’s hard to tell sometimes.

19. Article: Ever wonder what the actors who voice your favorite characters look like?
20. Study: Testing seems to show that women prefer 2D gaming vs. 3D, and more fantastic elements than realistic.

    …*cough*

21. Auction: Wow, I wish I had a Mario jacket like this.
22. Stats: So, how did the launch of Super Mario Galaxy compare to that of Sunshine?

…and regretfully, I have to cut this short now. Been running nonstop since before 9am yesterday, and while it may not show here, it’s definitely affecting my work. Luckily, we got through most of the stuff this time, and next time I’ll try and grab whatever’s left.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. eBay Pics: A new look at TransFormers: Animated Decepticon Lugnut has surfaced, though it’s still a prototype for now.

   Megatron’s sample, on the other hand, is fully painted.

2. Newsbit: Good news for fans of good cops, as Classics 2.0 is looking to have Prowl among its ranks, as well as Sunstreaker in the first wave, as reported before. Might Sideswipe be held off for a second wave, to break it up a little?
3. Newsbit: Good news for Club Members, as soon the Beast Wars-animated piece Theft of the Golden Disc will be available soon.
4. Pics/Info: Unicron.com got ahold of a press packet for TransFormers: Animated, showing off lots of pictures and bios for the characters, including some slight spoilers and plenty of wallpaper fodder.

   Plus, a peek at what might be the Animated version of Sentinel Prime has been revealed, too.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Newsbit: Looks like David Letterman’s company wants to strike an interim deal with the WGA to resume production. Wouldn’t that be a sweet deal for Letterman to effectively have 100% of the late night market all to himself?

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Good news for Euro Wii owners and fans of Blue Bombers all across time and space, as Mega Man 2 hits Virtual Console!
2. Newsbit: More info has surfaced on the Wii version of Ghostbusters, including the use of a Wii remote as a Proto Pack (though the use of Z to fire seems quite odd), and what I wanted, the ability to sling a ghost trap with a flick of the nunchuck.
3. Newsbit: Eidos is making some big promises as to what changes await Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Underground. It does sound good, though, the sort of stuff gamers have been waiting years and years for in their games, and should be quite cool if they manage to harness the power of this console generation to deliver.
4. Newsbit: Wee, I got to take part in on a conference call with Reggie! Very cool, at least for me.

   Herein, he describes the reasons for the Wii shortages, why they aren’t so simple to fix as just “making more,” and what they’re going to do to help consumers with a special guaranteed raincheck program with GameStop. He also discusses other things, including someone’s off-topic questions about online Virtual Console games and voicechat in online Wii games.

5. Newsbit: Gets harder to believe they’re engineering this, too, especially if this analyst’s report is right in saying that it’ll cost Nintendo one billion dollars in lost sales.
6. Dig Deep: But, if you happen to come across a Wii and are feeling charitable, perhaps you could help contribute it to a good cause? Kotaku is even willing to soften the financial blow…
7. Newsbit: PS3 joins the “no credit card needed” club for online content purchases with their new PlayStation Network cards.
8. Newsbit: And just what sort of things can you buy with your new PlayStation Network card? How about… cheats?
9. Pics: Some new screenshots of Resident Evil: Degeneration, a straight-to-DVD CGI movie, have shown up on NeoGAF. And it has Claire! So it’s already win.
10. Sale: Toys R Us is having a sale where you buy 3 games, get a 4th free. Likely in the US only.
11. Newsbit: Remember what I said the other day about it seeming like there being a lot more crimes reported lately, at least related to video games? Add another to the list, this time a Wii from a retirement home, of all places.
12. Newsbit: Ok, so it looks like the Canadian release of Rock Band IS December 20th now. Good luck ordering online and keeping your spending sane.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Pics/Info: Some official pictures, as well as bios, are now available for Allspark Power Incinerator, Offroad Ironhide, and First Strike Optimus Prime.
2. Pics/Info: Unicron.com got ahold of a press packet for TransFormers: Animated, showing off lots of pictures and bios for the characters, including some slight spoilers and plenty of wallpaper fodder.

   And yes, this was posted in news as well, but I felt it had enough “general” appeal to be posted here, too.

3. Site Subsection: Looks like BWTF got some of that stuff as well, and has arranged a whole section of the site for the upcoming toon.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Pics: The battle of the century: Jughead Jones vs. Raphael and Leonardo. It’s no sequel to The Punisher Meets Archie, but it’s something.
2. Musing: Ever wonder where Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird came up with the name/character of Casey Jones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
3. Blogism: The Ultimate Response for social situations.
4. Video: God, I hate hotel room card keys. They’re cool… but only when they work.
5. Article: First, Forbes covered their top 15 richesst fictional characters, and now, they’re doing the same for the 25 largest fictional companies.

Video Power

1. Blogging: New blog I’m keeping my eyes on… but then, it’s my wife’s. All the same, it may interest fans of Sony and their hard/software, as it’s the PlayStation Monger blog. Give it a look, it doesn’t really pander or anything.
2. Video: Blaze Hedgehog has gathered but a few moments of glitch buggery from the infamous 2006 Sonic the Hedgehog title.
3. Bloggery: The boys at Nyko visited the boys at Capcom with their new Perfect Shot lightgun attachment for the Wii remote, and it seems that the Capcom lot find it a better fit for such Zapper-oriented games as Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Wonder what Nintendo thinks of that…
4. Interview: Capcom found an interview by the website, Street Fighter Devotion, wherein they speak to Sam Reich, director of original content at CollegeHumor.com, including the Street Fighter: The Later Years series of videos.
5. Articles: Toastyfrog has wheeled out the latest issue of his online webzine, and among other articles within are a couple of pieces that look back at Kid Icarus, exploring its innovations and appeal while noting what can turn off a modern gamer, and Gunstar Heroes, which helps show a little of why people love Treasure so much.
6. Newsbit: Not too long ago, Ryan Shneider, Insomiac?s marketing director for Ratchet & Clank were flattered that Miyamoto decided to emulate their “spherical world” idea… except, as Miyamoto more or less points out, they didn’t do that at all.

   But, are people reading too much into what Miyamoto said? Or, perhaps they are not reading far enough? Maybe he’s trying to give Insomniac a helpful hint…

7. Video: GameTrailers gives us a comparison of how Midway’s classic Cruis’n games, both then and now, compare to one another.

   I dunno… the Wii game is a little bit of an improvement, but I don’t think it’s a really huge one… seems more about animation than anything.

8. Comic Strip: Poor Suda51…
9. Editorial: It’s been covered now and again, and IGN’s Matt Cassamassina brings it into a head-on form, asking Nintendo when are we going to get more storage space?
10. Article Games Radar asks a question many a gamer ask themselves: Are developers listening, or are we just talking to ourselves?
11. Article: Another feature looks at characters that we care about.

    For the record, only the last really applies to me in my experiences.

12. Article: And finally, they also look into a history of video game babes.
13. Papercraft: For the geek in all of us: Francis, from Super Paper Mario.
14. Merch News: Weighted Companion Cubes, now on sale through a portal near you.
15. …oops, never mind.
16. Pics: I love classic arcade fliers, such as this Japanese Punch-Out!! flier.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Newsbit: Allspark has some new information regarding what to expect in Classics 2.0, and the fate of the Titanium figures, War Within Grimlock and Prowl.
2. Pics: Looks like some new Movie recolors are on the way, and reviving some classic names in the process.
3. Newsbit: Great news for us TransFormers fans north of the border, as Animated has been slated to debut on Canada’s YTV on January 1st, 2008 at 7pm!
4. Pic: And as a bonus, it seems a picture of Animated Ultra Magnus’ head has surfaced.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Just the kind of thing I’d get upset over: He-Man.Org reports that this Saturday, YTV is airing He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special at 7pm.

   I’m going to be out, in all likelyhood. Damnation.

   On a side note, what the hell kind of loopy code does that page use that makes highlighting stuff damn near impossible?

2. Pics: Players of Marvel vs. Capcom may not know it, but that guy at the end, Onslaught? He’s a real part of the Marvel Universe, and not especially favored at that.

   So you can imagine the mixed feelings that fans must have when they see that he’s about to get the Ultimate treatment.

   On the upside, the Ultimate versions of bad ideas sometimes turn out alright, learning from the mistakes of the past, and keeping the good parts. Such is my understanding of the treatment of Spider-man‘s “Clone Saga.”

3. Interview: Speaking of Ultimate, looks like that universe’s Apocalypse is due.

Video Power

1. Newsbit: Nintendo has outdone themselves in Japan, now having sold more Wiis than they did GameCubes throughout the latter’s run.

   But if a Wii is just two GameCubes duct-taped together, does that mean they’ve really moved over twice as many units now?

2. Newsbit: Speaking of Japan, Microsoft is ready to make a stronger push there next year, including 250 new titles and a new Blue Dragon as well.
3. Newsbit: In keeping with the Japan-centric news here today, it seems that those of us in the “new Rockman DASH game on cell phones, dammit, dammit, why?” camp are about to get some company from the Final Fantasy IV contingent.
4. Newsbit: Good things don’t last forever, as evidenced by Nintendo’s shares screeching to a halt. All the same, it’s still a ride I’d like to have been on.
5. Hands-On: Good news: Ghostbusters “really is Ghostbusters.”

   At least, I hope that’s good. Don’t forget, the guys with the monkey were Ghostbusters, too.

6. Newsbit: Looks like MegaMan Star Force, after completing its first “season” on Toonami Jetstream, MIGHT be going to DVD.

   On the one hand, that might be a way for those of us in Canada to finally see it. On the other, people in America got the opportunity to “try before they buy,” and it sort of pisses me off a tad that we’ll probably get the same opportunity to spend our money on it, but not to see it beforehand.

7. Newsbit: So SEGA has confirmed they’ve resecured “Dreamcast,” but remain vague on just why. Digital distribution, perhaps?
8. Pics/Video: New screens of Bionic Commando, just in case you were thinking of forgetting about that one.

   And in case you’re still thinking of it, then how about 1up’s video of car-slinging fun?

   …waitatic. Did I just see him jump?

9. Newsbit: EGM is planning to celebrate Super Smash Bros. Brawl with their next issue. Not a huge surprise.

   They’re also planning to put it on the cover. And why not?

   But 16 different covers? THAT, my friends, is nuts.

10. Newsbit: Speaking of Brawl, Smash Bros. DOJO!! has revealed two new Assist Trophies today, in the forms of Stafy from the Japan-only Densetsu no Stafy, and… Waluigi?! Say it isn’t so! Why only an Assist?

    Oh well, maybe next time…

    As for Stafy, what sticks out in my mind is a vendor at Otakon trying to convince me that he was one of the stars from the Mario games…

11. Newsbit: Despite a lacking launch of No More Heroes in Japan (though word has it that sales have grown a bit since), it seems that Suda51 is interested in continuing the story of Travis Touchdown.

    On a related note, funny that the American version will be the only one with blood.

12. Newsbit: A suspected inside job sees 1,000 copies of Rock Band stolen. Fortunately, the driver was released unharmed.

    Is it me, or does there just seem to be more crime this holiday season?

13. Newsbit: Yesterday, Harmonix said that Activision was to blame for the patch allowing compatibility between games and guitars from coming out. But today…

    Amusingly, Sony is staying the hell out of this little war.

14. Plug: For yourself. For charity. For whatever reason, buy this Companion Cube. You know you want to.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Video: Just in case you haven’t seen the Cartoon Network ad for TransFormers: Animated, narrated by Peter “Optimus Prime (in the new movie and original cartoon, anyway)” Cullen, now’s your chance.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. Video: This dancing bear will make all your woe go away!… for a few minutes, anyway.
2. Video: Oy, vey! This is the HD of the Holy Land, right here.
3. Blog: I totally missed out on this poll which pit the theme song of Power Rangers Ninja Storm against Power Rangers Mystic Force. Close call, however. I’m not sure which I’d pick. But SPD beats both, anyway.
4. Pics: The 5th turtle has added some new pictures of two new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles retro t-shirt designs, as well as some counterfeit action figures.
5. Article/Review: Newsarama looks back at the history of Alvin & The Chipmunks, and then boldly goes where no man wanted to go, to review the new movie. How does it fare? Click and see.

   Personally? I am intrigued, believe it or not.

Video Power

1. Review: IGN Gear has a look at Nyko’s new Perfect Shot light gun attachment for the Wii, and makes it seem like a compelling substitute for the Zapper… if not for the latter’s inclusion of Link’s Crossbow Training.
2. Video: The Passion of the Christ for the Wii?
3. What’d He Say? According to Sony Chairman Sir Howard Stringer, the PS3 is “infinitely more fun” than the Wii.

   Um, sure.

4. Newsbit: So some guy talks on Live about how he plans to “shoot up his school,” and one would assume is surprised when he’s arrested. Real bright. Shows that you don’t need brains to get into an institution of higher learning these days.

   “I was just joking.” Right, see how that holds up in court.

5. Video: ScrewAttack.com looks back at a game I never knew was so bad: Home Alone.

   Any game that boasts a total playtime of 20 minutes can NOT possibly be worth the money. Certainly not what they must have charged (and effectively gotten, given the popularity of the NES and the movie back in the day) for this dog.

6. Is “dog” even a good term for a bad game anymore? What with Nintendogs‘ success and all, I mean…
7. Interview: The developer helping Capcom out on Bionic Commando, GRIN, talks to Next Gen about opening a new studio, and the degree to which Capcom is overseeing Nathan Spencer’s latest swing.
8. Article: Game Daily looks into the failures of gaming’s future.
9. Article: Another feature of theirs looks at good uses for bad games. Pizza cutter, Christmas tree decorations, whatever works.

   My favorite is the belt that “sends a statement.” And that statement is “I cannot be trusted with money.”

10. Article: I’m more of a straight-edge myself, but if drinking is your thing, then Games Radar has 10 games suited to hammering your brains out to.
11. Article: 2007 was a pretty strong year for video games, but how many greats got lost in the shuffle of other greats?
12. Video: Continuing the 20th anniversary parody of Street Fighter, CollegeHumor.com presents The Later Years part 7.
13. Article: Something I’ve yet to do with the Zapper– try using it on games never intended for it.
14. Pics: Seeing Rockstar and Wii together was strange enough, but a Rockstar Wii has it beat.
15. Say what? Some columnist, apparently a “Father,” says that “video games are like crack,” blaming them for various things like fat kids and his own shortcomings in college.

    Personally, I think you’re just a weak man, De Souza.

16. Pics: Video game wall hangings make a pretty nift gift, wouldn’t you agree?
17. Article: And now, the second part of 1up and Nadia Oxford’s Street Fighter Retrospective is up, looking into the Alpha era and beyond.

And that’s it for today. And as I’m sure regulars have noticed, I’ve made a small addition to the format, so you have a better idea of where the link will take you. I think the tags are clear enough, but if you think maybe there are some better, make them known below!

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

Was sick last night, so tonight’s a double-dipped update.

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Damn, sounds like TakaraTomy aren’t moving their releases up.

   Suck. Not that it matters for me, I can’t afford Sky Lynx or any of the rest, anyway.

2. Simon Furman addresses the newest volume of Beast Wars: The Ascending, complete with cover, in his blog.
3. What do you want to see in the next volume of TransFormers: The Ark? Make your opinions known!
4. If you’re looking for a Robot Replica Optimus Prime, be sure you’re not getting one of the new ones, complete with seemingly inferiour paint job.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. The WWE Raw 15th Anniversary show was on Monday night, and definitely brought back a wave of good old-fashioned nostalgia from the show. You can check some of it out right here.

   If I just knew whether or not it’d be on the Raw 15th Anniversary DVD (due out the 26th), that’d cement my intent to purchase.

2. Yahoo has some new pics from The Dark Knight, including the new Joker.
3. …that’s the new KITT? I dunno, it’s missing something, I think.
4. I’m not sure if any of the details have changed, but just to be safe: He-Man.Org has announced that Amazon.com now has the Mike Young 2003 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe volume one DVD set available for preorder!

   BCI Eclipse has released the cover image and Extra Feature details for Volume One of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon produced by Mike Young Productions! Each episode will include the original moral segments! (never seen on Cartoon Network) Other extra features (which are subject to change) include:

   * ?World of He-Man? Documentary
   * He-Man Heroes Still Gallery
   * Never before seen Heroes Sketch Gallery
   * Audio Commentary on 5 episodes with director Gary Hartle, Story Editor Dean Stefan and writer Larry DiTillio. Moderated by Ian Richter
   * Three commentaries have extended discussions after the episode ends and have been shot in High Definition
   * Animatics of the first 3 Episodes
   * 2007 San Diego Comic-Con He-Man Panel
   * Scripts for eps 1-13 (DVD-Rom)
   * 8 Page Episode Guide booklet
   * 2 Masters of the Universe Collectible art cards by acclaimed comic book artists
   Ben Templesmith and Dustin Nguyen
   * Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) – Digital Stereo

   Check out the cover, featuring all new art by Emiliano Santalucia!

   Front 3D

   Volume 1 – Coming February 19, 2008
   Volume 2 – Projected to be released in April of 2008
   Volume 3 – Projected to be released in the Summer of 2008

   In regards to a Blu-Ray release, a BCI rep has said on the forums that “The Blu-Ray will not be coming out at the same time. We have some features that take advantage of the BR tech and they are going to take longer to produce. We don’t have a street date for that one yet.”

   This is one of my favorites of the He-Man lore, so definitely be sure to check it out!

Video Power

1. First Mega Man, and now Mortal Kombat it seems are fated to vanish from toy shelves as Jazwares has no plans for the foreseeable future for the latter. And of course, the former hasn’t been heard of for quite some time, with many announced figures never seeing release…
2. And the Castlevania: Dracula’s Curse screenplay inches ever closer to readiness…
3. A new low has been hit at the Smash Bros. Dojo… Options. It’s the first thing I check when playing a game (other than seeing if there’s an opening cinema for attract mode), and even I don’t care…

   The Ice Climber theme added is pretty cool, though, pardon the expression.

   And today, we finally get the OFFICIAL confirmation of the Mario Circuit Stage.

4. “w00t” has been declared Webster’s word of the year, only narrowly beating out “facebook.”

   Ironically, words fail me.

5. Much like Canadians heading into the US to do their shopping, people in the UK are migrating to France to pick up their Wiis.
6. Interesting, GameStop is adding a new kind of store to its franchise: Tournament Stores. Huh, something that sets GameStop apart from Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and the rest? What a brilliant idea.
7. Sony CEO says that “innovation is their next step.” Methinks if it were a few steps prior to now, they might not be trailing in the console race.
8. Things are getting ugly in the battle of the video game bands, as Activision prevents Harmonix from utilizing a patch that would make the guitars between Rock Band and Guitar Hero III compatible.

   It’s been like, what, a week since the merger? And already Activision is out EAing EA.

9. In the meantime, they’re being sued over the Wii mono issues.
10. SEGA is testing a new tool that matches character facial expressions to the words spoken by actors. But who cares about that, the screencap alone is reason enough for me to link to this story.
11. Congratulations to the Keenans, who were recently robbed of their Christmas, but through the kindness of strangers, had a little bit of it returned to them. Unless the original crooks read this and decide to double-dip.

    God forbid, but that’s just the wary pessimist in me speaking.

12. Looks like anything– and any console– is still possible for Street Fighter IV, with the likes of the PS2 and DS even mentioned. Could there be one for Wii as well?
13. Capcom has finally come forth and apologized for the late, plushless shipments of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials & Tribulations and attempts to make things right.
14. Finally, some pictures of the upcoming LEGO Batman game!
15. This is up strictly for the benefit of my wife: the trailer for the Princess Bride game.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. This guy is large and in charge with this homemade Optimus Prime costume. Too bad that most of the movie is just them putting it on him.
2. Shia LaBeouf says, “Just Say No.”

   This has been a public service announcement.

3. If you’ve got money to burn on toys you have no intention of opening, then Hasbro’s toy shop has got something for you.
4. Simon Furman has gone through the second part of his 20-question Q&A session, and you can read it all right here.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. That someone would make a gun like this is proof as to why society is doomed to fail.
2. Hate someone who loves Christmas music? Or maybe you just want to wipe any desire for holiday tunes out altogether. Regardless of your cause, this is the music for you.

   God, I thought they were joking when they said this would be on iTunes. Saddest part? This is some of her better work.

3. The 5th turtle goes over more retro April poses.
4. Frederik Schodt talks a bit to Newsarama about his recent book, The Astro Boy Essays: Osamu Tezuka, Mighty Atom, and the Manga/Anime Revolution.
5. What If… Spider-man took on Wolverine?
6. Unapproved Star Wars figures? I didn’t think there was an idea they’d say “no” to.

Video Power

1. 1up has a new feature, the first part of a Street Fighter Retrospective by the lovely Nadia Oxford, which covers the earlier years of the franchise, including some unexpected (and in some cases, unwanted) spin-offs and other neat trivia. It’s so grand, even Capcom themselves had to acknowledge it!
2. A new Bionic Commando podcast is now available, as the Top Secret crew talk to Capcom’s Zack & Wiki producer Hironobu Takeshita.
3. Much music has been added over at The Mega Man Network this day…
4. …as well as Capcom of Japan’s mysterious Rockman 20th counter. What the heck’s it counting down to, anyway? I mean, will anything happen?
5. Don’t you hate it when Christmas backfires on you?
6. I must admit, my affinity for Wario’s persona doesn’t include his more grotesque aspects, either.
7. Compared to today’s machines, the NES is hardly a technological marvel, but in its day, there were developers who really got quite a bit out of the machine, as Racketboy’s latest shows us.
8. According to a survey by NPD, gaming helps relieve stress. I can see where they got this from, and yet, I still laugh at the idea while dying yet again in Mega Man ZX Advent thanks to invisible foes…
9. In case you’re not tired of hearing about it already, here’s my write-up about the Donkey Kong monster truck.
10. Nintendo has opted to claim victory for the DS sooner, rather than later, citing it as the top-selling video game system of 2007.
11. Thanks to the brave efforts of Frash, we get to see just how truly epic Mario Teaches Typing was.
12. Don’t know what spurred the occassion, but GameTrailers has a ton of game-related clips from Comedy Central now.
13. It’s almost Christmas, and that’s reason enough for ScrewAttack.com to look a the Top 10 “Ho Ho Hoes” in gaming.
14. IGN asks if Mario matters any more.

    Know the best way to make people stop caring what you think? Pay me and I’ll tell you.

15. So, who won in IGN’s little bout between Sonic and Mario?
16. Game design has seen a bit of innovation over the past year, and Next Generation has decided to round up the ten best.

    Can’t say that I think a game that ditches single player is necessarily a good innovation, though. But I guess as long as you know that before you purchase…

17. GameDaily checks out the Man with the Plan, the guy who’ll Brawl for it All, Nintendo’s #1 in Fun, Mario, as he prepares to step back into the ring and layeth the smacketh down on some candy asses!
18. It’s amazing what passes with an E-rating, isn’t it?

    And don’t worry, the prerequisite “HUR! HUR! MARIO DOES DRUGS!” bit is in here, too.

19. We all have our secret shames… those parts of our lives we’d like to put behind us, and hope that everyone forgets… but sometimes… sometimes there are those who take no greater pleasure than in digging those moments up, and exposing them to the light of an unknowing, otherwise oblivious world, for all to see, for all to witness.
20. Incidently, I’m about sick and damn tired of hearing about how bad the CD-i Nintendo games were. Seems like it was dug up fairly recently, too, perhaps some attempt to counterbalance Nintendo’s current success? God, get over it already.
21. Box art is a key selling point, as that’s the point many less-informed shoppers decide what they’re going to buy. And while some think we’ve come a long way since Mega Man on the NES, Games Radar knows better as they present the worst box art of 2007, ranging from bad to awful.
22. GR’s World of Nintendo looks back at many bits from the past year, with “plenty of reasons to be cheerful and confused.”
23. Cracked.com takes a crack (see what I did there) at nailing down the six most disappointing end bosses of all time.
24. With all the hullabaloo surrounding Rock Band and Guitar Hero III, what better time for the esteemed Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation to take a look at the latter.
25. So, just how accurate is the Wii Zapper, anyway?
26. If you can get past two ads for one segment, Forbes goes over their annual Fictional Fifteen, which this year inexplicably drops Mario in favor of Princess Peach.

    Divorce? Pah, whatever. I realize it’s make-believe and all that, but I liked last year’s entry for Mario better, since it didn’t seem to fabricate anything but the school…

27. It’s still close, but a few publications/sites haven’t got their scores in yet. C’mon, Mario! Knock Zelda out already!
28. A scalper talks about his dealings with Wiis, PS3s, and iPhones. Interesting stuff.

    While I may not agree with what the guy was doing, I think the tactics some employed against him are far worse. All the same, man has some sage advice.

29. Um, wow. Guess this is one more argument against video games having matured as an industry. At least Gamecock is expressing remorse for going all 300 on Ken Levine’s speech.
30. If boardgames are the next big thing in game genres, I guess Mario Party has a good head-start.
31. The final word on Final Fight‘s Poison… until the next time, that is.
32. Heh, Wiibot.
33. Why yes, I am a bit tired… why do you ask?
34. So, why doesn’t Xbox Live have age matching, anyway? And another thing… *rambles drunkenly*

–LBD “Nytetrayn”

InFormers: Robots in the News

1. Show everyone you know that giant transforming robots can be art with these awesome battle-damaged Optimus Prime and Soundblaster with Ratbat busts.
2. If you’re in the US, then Cartoon Network is ready to treat you to a TransFormers: Animated preview bonanza, including a video clip, episode guide, and character bios.

   For those outside the US (or on Macs) who can’t view the clip for no good reason (it’s a PREVIEW, for God’s sake), then cast your eyes here.

Assorted Mushrooms

1. I don’t know what’s more “WTF,” the new look Betty & Veronica received recently, or Jughead’s.

   Maybe this’ll grow on me, but for the moment, I liked theirs better.

2. New week, new releases in anime, games, and DVD.
3. Death Note may be over, but luckily, it’s not finished.

Video Power

1. UDON has released their plans for 2008, which naturally include plenty of Street Fighter. Plus, Joe Ng has a preview for Street Fighter III right here, and Capcom has an interview with Jim Zub.
2. Wow. Now, I’m usually pretty credible with some of these Smash Bros. DOJO!! updates, but they’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel now. I have no idea how they’re going to stretch this out until February.

   Yesterday, we get a Pokemon named Bonsly. Today, Rotation.

   Maybe a month or two back, or whenever they knew the delay would be, they should have started making updates a weekly affair.

3. New to the Virtual Console today are: Pok?mon Snap on the N64, which now allows swapping of pictures online; the original Ghosts ‘n Goblins for the NES, and BASEBALL STARS 2 on the NeoGeo.
4. Plus, the Gifting feature has begun for VC:

   If some people on your gift list have visions of classic video games dancing in their heads, you’re in luck. Starting this week, Wii Shop Channel patrons can use a new Gifting feature to send games to other Wii owners with whom they’ve traded Friend Codes. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to give your fellow Nintendo buffs the gift of a classic game?no wrapping paper required. And don’t worry about duplication. If your friend already has the game you’re trying to give, you’ll get a simple message and be bumped back into the catalog to continue shopping.

   But the downside? YOU CAN’T GIVE GIFTS TO SOMEONE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY. Thanks a f@#$in’ lot, Nintendo, everyone I know is in another country!!!

   That was my initial reaction, but reading further, it seems to simply refer to region coding. Close call. I hope. Anyone wanna send me a game and we’ll find out?

5. Press The Buttons has word that a new Metroid statue is on the way, very likely Samus’ spaceship. Though, at this point, it begs the question “which one?”

   I’ve become fond of the Metroid Prime 3 craft, myself.

6. Burnout Paradise is coming in January, but the demo is coming in two days.
7. At the Spike VGAs, a trailer for the Iron Man game debuted.

   I’m playing “cautiously optimistic” on this one, being SEGA and all.

8. Hmm, seems that reports of Atari’s demise may have been exagerated.
9. Looks like CompUSA is going bye-bye, and from most accounts I’ve heard, it won’t be missed.
10. I don’t get this. The creators of No More Heroes had their launch party, and no one shows up? What the hell?

    This just breaks my heart for those two creators, while I wonder what the hell happened to gaming in Japan.

    I want that game more than ever now.

    And it seems I’m not alone in my thoughts, as this shows.

11. And while we’re at it, let’s add stealing a family’s Christmas to things that make me sick.

–LBD “Nytetrayn”