Sunday morning my daughter and I waited in line in front of our local GameStop store to pickup our reserved copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There were a few high school kids in the line but the line was not very long. In fact there were only about 10 kids when we got there half an hour before opening time. By the time the store opened 20 people were waiting in line. A few kids were saying they had not pre-ordered the game but still expected to buy a copy.
While inside the store, waiting to make our purchase, my daughter asked me to buy the guide book for it. I told her I would get her a wireless GameCube controller instead but, after seeing they only had the cheap Gamestop controllers I relented and got her the book. It counts as reading, right? This was also about the time some of those kids found out that "no pre-order" also meant "no sale". That's right, if you did not pre-order the game you were not going to get one on release day.
In the car ride home my daughter was pouring over the guide book, telling me all sorts of things I did not want to hear.
I have to tell you that I have not been following much of the press about this game. I knew it had been pushed back multiple times but that was about it. What surprised me (nicely) is the inclusion of the extended single player mode. We logged in over four hours in the adventure mode and have only completed 25% of it!
As in previous games there is a ton of unlockable content. Not just characters but trophies, stages, challenge levels, etc... So far we have unlocked three bonus characters (Ganondorf, Luigi and Marth). I don't remember how we unlocked all three but Ganondorf was unlocked by playing through Classic Mode with Link on Hard level.
The previous Smash Bros. game for the Game Cube was very good but this one takes it up a few notches. The extended single player mode is one thing but the online brawling is something else! You can even bet your coins on the result of matches you watch.
We have played a few games on Nintendo WFC and have experienced no problems.
As for controls, my daughter prefers to use the Game Cube controller while I like to use the Classic controller attached to my Wii-mote.
Yeah, this game was worth the wait and will likely become The game on the Wii for the next few months Mario Kart Wii may knock it down. I'm brawling, are you?
Yes, I know I have not posted much on here as of late. I could give the usual excuse of "I've been busy" but I don't think that would be fair. Instead I'll just tell you what I've been playing lately.
Nintendo DS
Yes, I still spend far too much time playing the Pokemon games on the Nintendo DS (I have both Diamond and Pearl now) but this week a new game crept in and took control of my DS. I'm talking about Konami's new Contra 4 for DS.
All the real hard core gamers from the 80's remember the original Contra game on the NES. It was a game so hard that most kids just gave up on it and never completed the game. I was there one day to watch some of my friends beat the game (we did party gaming long before Mario Party existed).
All I can say is that the original Contra game was a ball buster. Eventually the secret of the Konami Code found its way to us and everyone was able to beat that sadistic game.
The new Contra 4 game is all Contra all the way with one exception, no Konami code! There may be some cheat codes for the game but I have not found them yet. (I take it back, you can use the konami code on the pause screen but it only maxes out your weapons, use it again and you die!)
The game is your basic side-scrolling platformer and it kicks ass, namely yours! There is a two-player mode but each player has to have their own copy of the game.
Just like in the old game you can switch out weapons and toss a weapon to your partner. Also, as in the old game, one hit and you are dead. This is not some crazy plumber with a machine gun so you can't jump on enemies to kill them. Touch an enemy or get hit by enemy fire and you die.
The first stage of the game takes place in a jungle and I can beat it easily on the Easy setting, not so much on the Normal setting and not at all on the Hard setting!
The second stage takes place in a lab with mutant dogs and exploding zombies. When those zombies explode their bits can also kill you. Yeah, I die a lot that way.
In fact, I just die a lot in this game. some might say that is a bad thing but too many games these days coddle the player. This game does not coddle at all. It does have a continue system but the harder the level you play on the less continues you get. Don't think you can just play it through on Easy either because the last three levels are not available on the Easy setting.
If you like old school Contra action from the NES and SNES you will enjoy Contra 4. If you can't take this much difficulty in your games than stick with something simple, like one of those Disney games for the DS.
Nintendo Wii
I can't play FPS games for long stretches of time without getting nauseous but I have been pushing hard to complete one such game; Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
The controls took a little bit of time to get used to but this game is all Metroid. By all Metroid I mean it focuses on solving puzzles more than on combat. Boss battles are difficult but not impossible to figure out.
A nice feature of the game is that if you see something that is out of reach the game will tell you that you do not have the equipment to deal with the problem right now so you will not sit around getting frustrated. Once you get the proper equipment you can then head back there and complete the area.
There is one problem with the game that is very glaring and it has to do with the map. On the previous versions you could move the map left, right, up and down. In this game you can pivot the map and zoom but you can't move it sideways. This sucks because the only way to see distant area of the map is by zooming way out and squinting.
I try to log a few hours a week into this game and I think I am just about at the half-way point. I have destroyed the first two seeds and right now I'm bouncing between the Pirate Homeworld, derelict spaceship and grabbing missed items on the first three planets.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a good closer to the Metroid Prime series of games.
No your eyes are not deceiving you that is indeed a NASCAR car with the Wii logo on it.
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Greg Biffle and his No. 16 Wii Ford Fusion race in the Sept. 23, 2007, Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. Biffle finished second in the race, just a fraction of a second behind winner Carl Edwards.
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Greg Biffle and his No. 16 Wii Ford Fusion speed across the finish line a fraction of a second behind winner Carl Edwards. Biffle finished second in the Sept. 23, 2007, Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.
Nintendo sweepstakes winner Julie Vineyard, 39, of Arnoldsburg, W.Va., left, plays Wii Sports against NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Greg Biffle prior to the Sept. 23, 2007, Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. Vineyard is a huge fan of Nintendo, NASCAR and Biffle, who finished second in the race.
Who says girls don't play video games? Obviously Julie Vinyard plays video games and likes NASCAR.
I'm going to guess that they are playing Wii Sports: Tennis.
Nintendo has now officialy unveiled their Wii Zapper and yes, it is not much more than glorified Wii-remote and nunchuk holder. Lucky for us they will also be including a game with this plastic contraption; Link's Crossbow Training!
Link's Crossbow Training
Format: Wii
Launch Date: 11/19/07
ESRB: T (Teen): Fantasy Violence
Game Type: Shooting
Accessories: Wii Zapper included (requires Wii Remote and Nunchuk)
Players: 1-4 (turn-based)
Developer: EAD
According to Nintendo the included game is going to be something along the lines of Duck Hunt with Link shooting at things. There are even more games planned for future release that will use the Wii-Zapper. All of this makes me wonder if this accessory is really even needed.
Future Games that will use the Wii Zapper
Medal of Honor Heroes 2
Ghost Squad
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
One alarming bit in the Nintendo press release is where they say players can share the Wii-Zapper for multi-player fun. Share? If sharing is involved that means it is not multi-player in the sense so many of us love but multi-player the way it used to be.
Remember when you were a kid playing Super Mario Brothers in "multi-player" mode? After a while of waiting for your brother to die so you could get a turn you would start being obnoxious and do anything in your power to help them "accidently" die? Yeah, I'm getting the same feeling here.
After looking at the picture I can safely say that this is not really a good item. Yes there is a trigger coming down that pushes the "B" button for you but I can play just as well in the normal two-fisted mode that I have been using up until now. By locking the controller in place like this I see Wii-Zapper games falling into a cookie-cutter mold.
Let's face it, when word came out that the (banned) game Man Hunt was going to allow you to use the Wii-Remote and Nunchuk as a garotte to kill people with it just sounded cool! If the controllers are stuck in this holder you will be limiting the ability to use the controllers. Just look at the Zelda game on the Wii. In that game you can shake the Wii-Remote to attack with your sword AND you can shake the Nunchuk to do the spin attack. I see no such inovation with the Wii-Zapper.
If I have not made it obvious yet I don't see myself buying this accessory. Well, unless the Link game is so good and I can't buy it used so let's take a look at the included game.
Link's Crossbow Training
Link's Crossbow Training contains three basic game styles: target shooting, defender and ranger. There are 27 stages in total, and these categories represent only generally how each individual stage operates. Each stage's goal is to earn the highest score possible within the time limit. All rounds can be played with multiple players: Players pass the Wii Zapper around and then play one at a time and compete for the high score.
Target Shooting: In target-shooting rounds, players shoot bull's-eyes as they pop up on the screen. In early stages, targets are stationary. As the game difficulty increases in later levels, the targets move. Hitting the center of the bull's-eye nets more points, and hitting targets in succession without missing earns combo multipliers. Link can aim anywhere on the screen.
Defender: In defender rounds, players remain stationary but can look and aim in all directions - sometimes even in a full 360 degrees - by aiming off screen. Hordes of enemies assault Link, and he must fight them off. These battles have a great deal of variety, from fighting off skeletons in a desert to defending a wagon from boar-riding Bokoblins.
Ranger: In ranger rounds, players can move throughout the level using the control stick and aim anywhere they want by aiming the Wii Zapper wherever they want to look. In these missions, Link storms enemy encampments, fights his way through a forest and seeks out his foes while exploring the environments.
Yeah... OK... Is this going to be another Wii Play? I don't know because the Wii-Zapper is not a Wii-Remote (the sole reason for buying Wii Play early on was the scarcity of Wii-Remotes).
I have not heard anything about a price point for this item but it best be in the $19.99 or less range for me to even consider it. Even at that low price I will likely just skip this one.
Hey Nintendo, publish some games!!! Push the release date of Super smash Brothers Brawl or Mario Galaxy up a bit!!!
On August 27, 2007 the Nintendo world Store released the new Metroid Prime 3: Corruption game to the mass of eager fans waiting outside. check out these cool pics form the event.
Nintendo fans lined up as early as 4 a.m. at Nintendo World in New York to purchase Nintendo's new Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii home video game system on Aug. 27, 2007.
Nintendo fans lined up as early as 4 a.m. at Nintendo World in New York to purchase Nintendo's new Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii home video game system on Aug. 27, 2007.
Game kiosks at Nintendo World in New York were outfitted to receive Nintendo fans who lined up as early as 4 a.m. to purchase Nintendo's New Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii home video game system on Aug. 27, 2007.
John and Nicole Paulsen of Castle Rock, Colo., are among the first customers in the world to play Nintendo's new Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii home video game system. The Paulsens visited Nintendo World in New York to purchase the game on its Aug. 27, 2007, launch day.
Will I be getting the new Metroid game? Sadly I am unlikely to get it. Not because the game does not interest me (it does) but because I had trouble playing the last two on the Game Cube due to motion sickness issues. It's all part of getting old...
Have you heard the news? The Wii is kicking major butt all over the place! Not bad for a system with no games, eh?
Wii emerged as the month's best-selling video game system of any type in the United States and achieved its highest weekly sales rates since December, despite pricing shifts in the industry, according to the independent NPD Group and internal Nintendo figures. Wii and Nintendo DS remained the two best-selling video game systems in the United States, with Nintendo hardware outselling all other systems combined!
Nintendo is averaging 9 new games every month for the Wii since launch, which is more than any of the other consoles out there. Add in the huge catalog of DS games (300+ games) and you can see a very bright future for Nintendo.
Nintendo also claims six of the industry's top 10 best sellers, including the top three: Pokemon Diamond (overall No. 1) and Pokemon Pearl (No. 3) for Nintendo DS, and Wii Play (No. 2) for Wii. I know why the Pokemon games sell so well but I'm not so sure about Wii Play.
Tomorrow we can expect the next top game to be released: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption!
Electronic Arts just released its new Wii game Boogie this August. It came out at just about the same time as Mario Strykers Charged so no one gave it a lot of attention, except for me!
I went to the game store to pick up a new Wii game that weekend and there were several games for me to pick from but only one came in an over-sized Wii box with an over-sized price. That game is Boogie.
Why does it come in an over-sized box? The only other title to ship in the large box is Wii Play and that one had an extra Wii-Remote in the box. So, what did this one have? It comes with a USB microphone that plugs into the back of the Wii and has a very long cord. I did not unroll it all the way and check the length but it is quite long.
Shake it. Sing it. Create it.
Those are some mighty big words up there and they are plastered onto the back of the box. The game plays in either single or double player mode. There is a sort of third "party" mode that I will cover later.
Characters
In the Boogie game you play as one of five interesting characters:
Julius is a mean green dancing machine. He has recently decided to leave the limelight of fame and popularity to live a life of seclusion with his ancestors. By ancestors we mean plants, I did say he was green, right? Julius can not stay out of the spotlight for long though.
Bubba is a... um... I'm not sure what he is but he likes to eat seafood and dance. We first find him working at a gas station in the middle of nowhere but he quickly becomes a central figure in the story.
Lea is your basic "home girl" character. She is scouted out by one of the Party Freaks and invited to be a part of the big show at the Megalactic Grooveplex.
Jet is the opposite of Lea only in that he is male. He is the stereotypical boy-band type guy. He talks about himself in the third person and acts as if he is all that.
Kato is a cat-like creature who is also a martial artist. Kato, or Master Kato as Bubba refers to him, is also in the process of teaching Bubba. Well, teaching might be a stretch but you get the idea.
Party Freaks - These critters are all over the place and come in different colors. In game play they give you items and in the story mode they are the bad guys.
Play Modes
Story Mode - Pick one of the five characters and play though a series of stages to unlock items, locations and songs. Once all of the story modes have been completed the final scene will be shown and the final dance floor will be unlocked. There is not much challenge here at all.
Karaoke Mode - This is where the microphone comes in. You have to match pitch and a few other things while singing into the mic. Your "friends" are free to use the Wii-Remote and nunchuk to make your character dance around while you sing.
Dance Mode - This is where most of your game play will take place and I will cover it below.
Party Mode - Two player dance mode.
Video Maker - This is similar to a single player dance mode but it records your moves and you have an unlimited amount of Boogie Power. After you perform you can then edit your video by adding in special effects and changing camera angles.
Shop - This is where you go to spend your tokens to buy new outfits, songs and dance floors.
Practice - A very simple and easy to follow tutorial to teach you how to play the game.
Story Mode
The story mode is over almost as soon as you begin. The point requirements to clear each stage are so low that you may score high enough in the first round to beat all of the remaining rounds combined!
Each song gets progressively harder as you move forward. The interesting thing here is that all of the character stories intertwine. As you play through your second and third character you will begin to see the plot develop from the other characters points of view for events you have already passed.
It does not matter what order you do the characters in, the final scene will not be revealed until all of the stories have been completed.
If anything, the story mode is a good way to introduce people to the game as the songs are not too difficult.
Karaoke Mode
I only tried this mode briefly as I am not much of a singer. The book says you need to hit the right note at the right time and pay attention to lyrics but I was able to blow through the few songs I did by mumbling at the right time. I didn't get awesome scores but I did not fail either.
I do know a few kids that would greatly enjoy this part of the game but they have not been over the house lately.
Dance Mode
This is where the whole game is. You can play with just the Wii-Remote but adding the nunchuk makes moving your Boogie a lot easier.
The dance floor is a three by three grid with nine possible places to dance on. This is important because the Party Freaks will show up during the song holding items. If you grab these items they can do good things for you
Items
Point Multiplier - Doubles your points earned for ten seconds.
Boogie Boost - Completely fills your Boogie Meter.
Tokens - Grab 5, 10 or 25 tokens which can be spent in the Shop.
When you play in Party Mode a few more items appear.
Party Mode-only Items
Reversomatic - Inverts your opponent's controls for a short time.
Freeze Burn - Freezes your opponent for a short time.
Dancing is like DDR for your wrist. I say that because you dance by flicking the Wii-Remote up, down, left and right to the beat of the music. The Wii-Remote speaker makes a ticking sound in time with the beat to help those of us who have no natural rhythm.
You also use the "A" button to change styles of dancing. You need to change styles while you dance to improve your score. No one wants to see you doing the same four dance moves all the time!
As you dance (if you keep to the beat) you will accumulate power in your Boogie Meter. The power can be used to either Strike a Pose or pull off a Combo.
If you have the microphone plugged in you will have one or two short karaoke sessions that require you to sing. If you do not use the microphone you use the "Z" button on the nunchuk. If you do the singing bit well enough you will be rewarded with points and Boogie Points!
A short warning will appear on the screen before and after this mode. This gives you enough time to get ready with the mic.
Songs are rated between one and five stars and the rating is supposed to indicate difficulty but I find the single star songs are the hardest because they are so slow! Sometimes you need a good mid-range tempo to really get your groove on.
Strike a Pose
One of the two things you can burn Boogie Points on during the dance session is the act of striking a pose. You enter this mode by holding the "Z" button. You then tilt the nunchuk around to hit certain targets on the screen. You can use the control stick to move your characters eyes and facial expressions. Pressing the "C" button changes this to lip control.
I do not care for this mode that much as I can score far more points making combos than I can striking poses. If you are going to try this, stick with the slow songs.
Combos
While holding down the "B" button you will enter combo mode. This mode also drains your Boogie Points but it also regenerates them if you pull off a combo!
When you hold down the "B" button a series of arrows will show up on the screen. If you can hit those arrows to the beat of the music you will pull off a combo. If you hold the "B" down the whole way through each successive combo will be worth more points.
There is a limited number of combos for each character and once you do the hardest one they cycle back through in the same order. The start out with only four arrows and progress as high as six arrows. The difficulty level you play at will also be a limiting factor; you can only pull off 4 move combos in easy mode.
Conclusion
So, what do I think of this game? For starters it is not a $59.99 game. Even with the added USB microphone it should not have been more than the price of Wii Play. Do the math and you will likely agree.
Is the game fun? Yes, it is a lot of fun to stand up and dance to the beat of the songs. You could sit on the couch and play but, if you are going to look like a goofball playing this game you might as well go all out.
How about the songs? They packed a bunch of classic dance tunes onto this game and you might think that is what drove the price up but... They are all covers! They couldn't land any original artists doing their songs? I understand about Guitar Hero being a new game and all that but we are talking about EA here, you know, the guys who have been putting out a new Madden football game every year since about forever? The only other problem I have is that some of the songs are ones that I prefer not to have played in my house.
How does your wrist feel? Yes, your wrist will get tired after a while of playing this one so be sure to take a break now and then.
Should I buy it? Sadly I would have to say that most people will not get the full enjoyment out of this game to warrant the high price tag. It is good as a party game and will likely appeal to the "Wii Sports" crowd but not too "real" gamers. It is also a good "kid" game.
Imagine my surprise this morning when I found the front of my Wii glowing blue. That is the signal that you have mail waiting. So, what did this mail tell me? It told me that there was something new in the Wii shop for me to download for free, something to do with Metroid Prime 3!
Yes indeed, Nintendo is making the Wii better and better by adding a preview option for new games. If only it was a playable demo! I guess we will have to wait until Nintendo allows us to plug in a USB hard drive for that though.
It's about time Nintendo starting offering content such as game trailer previews to the Wii. What better way to advertise a new game than by putting a preview channel right on the Wii? The only problem I had was that the preview trailers were somewhat jerky at times due to connection problems. See, the trailers are not downloaded to the Wii but are instead being streamed.
Either way I'll be getting this game when it comes out! That and a bottle of motion sickness meds.
Have you heard the news? The Wii is kicking major butt all over the place! Not bad for a 
