Nintendo World Report Blog

Nintendo World Report Blog http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/ Worldwide Nintendo Coverage 24-7-365 en-us Copyright 2008, Nintendo World Report Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:34:26 EST Your Princess is in Another Castle ... If You Bought Your Game New http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17205 Some recent comments from Epic President, Mike Capps really have a number of gamers quite angry. Capps has proposed the concept of selling games with unique codes only available to those who have purchased the games new. Those who purchase used would need to go online and purchase the end of the game, clearly in an effort to discourage purchasing used. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:26:59 PST http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17205 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 122659 The Neo-Geo Problem http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17167 My TV is too good for the Wii. I have no idea what the specs are, but here's a brief rundown: It's a 32" LCD (Olevia) with two component intputs, two composite inputs, two S-Video inputs, and one HDMI input. I can plug all my systems into it, and use a switcher to play my older systems. However, two GameCube games (Mega Man Anniversary Collection and Mega Man X Collection) do not show up on the screen. The sound is there, but the screen is black. This problem is annoying, but not nearly as persistant as in Virtual Console Neo-Geo games. This is a problem Nintendo has to address. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:54:09 PST http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17167 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 125409 Reflections After Hudson's Gamer's Day http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17162 Hudson didn't have a lot of holiday titles at their Gamer's Day Event in San Francisco, but then again, it wasn't that kind of event. Leave all the hoop-la over holiday blockbusters to the Capcoms and Namcos of the world: Hudson sets its own pace. Carmine "Cai" M. Red <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:12:53 PST http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17162 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 041253 The DSi and What it Means for Wii HD http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17153 The Nintendo DSi is now out and about in Japan. We probably won't hear any official sales numbers until toward the end of the month, but initial reports are saying that the thing has sold out of its initial run already, which isn't that surprising. What is surprising, at least to me, is what Nintendo was thinking when it cobbled together the DSi, and what that thinking could mean when it comes time to put together a successor, sequel, or other upgrade to the Wii. Steven Rodriguez <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:57:46 PST http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17153 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 085746 Screaming is the New Blowing http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17099 I've long been a critic of DS games that involve blowing into the system's built-in microphone. It's a forced, cynical use of a hardware feature that should either be used properly or not at all. Microphones are for speaking into and recording sounds, not for blowing. Lazy developers have turned this potentially revolutionary aspect of the DS into a glorified button press, much like the plague of "waggle" in Wii games. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:19:53 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17099 Wed, 29 Oct 2008 111953 Overload http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17045 With the fall gaming season now fully in swing, I feel more overwhelmed than ever before. Part of it is that I have more games than usual, having recently purchased another, non-overlapping system (Xbox 360), not to mention my total lack of will power when it comes to the wealth of downloadable games coming every week. Another factor is that my time is more divided than ever, with school taking top priority (my Ph.D. comps are coming up in three weeks), while my entertainment menu is filled with not only games but also Netflix, multiple books, and a few TV series that I'm watching online and/or on DVD. I bet a lot of you feel the same right now. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:16:50 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17045 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 061650 World of Goo : WiiWare :: Braid : XBLA? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17026 I just downloaded World of Goo after succumbing to its <a href="http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/reviewArt.cfm?artid=17003">superb review scores</a> and playing it made me realize one thing: This is WiiWare’s Braid. Neal Ronaghan <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 20 Oct 2008 03:51:53 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=17026 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 035153 Shaken, Not Stirred http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16920 Now that all of my work from the Activision Press Event has been posted, I can detail how absurd the Santa Monica, CA event got. Even more so because this was the first time I had ever been on the west coast of the United States. Neal Ronaghan <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:20:07 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16920 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 072007 Wario Land and Azhdarchid Pterosaurs http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16869 Azhdarchids are a group of pterosaurs that rose to dominance during the Late Cretaceous period. They alone were the rulers of skies once flooded with the membranous wings of vast swaths of other pterosaurs. But azhdarchids were special: they arose during a time of great upheavel in the flying vertebrate biosphere. Birds, little upstart theropods with small beginnings in China, were quickly overtaking the niches once held by such specialist pterosaurs as Pterodaustro and Dsungaripterus, as well as filling gaps apparently never filled by those bat-winged archosaurs. In time, only the azhdarchids remained. Enormous, long-necked creatures, the azhdarchids produced the largest flying vertebrates the world has ever seen. Hatzegopteryx had a 40-foot wingspan. The greatest pterosaurs were also the last, and at the end of the Cretaceous period, they left the skies forever. The decline of pterosaurs is, oddly enough, strikingly similar to the decline in the platforming genre in video games. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:46:28 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16869 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 034628 Why the DS is Dominating the Portable Market http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16790 There has been plenty of speculation since the DS and PSP war began as to why the DS is so effectively dominating the market and why the PSP is not. Some speculate it's Nintendo's blue ocean strategy. While this is clearly a factor I don't think it completely accounts for the monstrous discrepancy of sales between the two machines. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:21:51 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16790 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 122151 Welcome to the Bit Generation… on WiiWare http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16753 Regular readers will know that we have been critical of Nintendo's WiiWare support. Before today, their only releases were a bland port of Dr. Mario and the mostly useless Pokemon Ranch… and neither was developed in-house. With no more WiiWare games announced, we didn't expect any first-party downloadable titles until at least 2009. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:47:49 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16753 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 074749 N+: A Semi-Formal Review http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16746 After recently picking up N+, I felt it was absolutely necessary to put together a review for the game. I picked up the PSP version, which disqualified me from writing a review of the DS version of the game. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:57:00 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16746 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 085700 Who Turned Out the Lights? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16729 I was recently replaying Metroid Prime 3 when I noticed something peculiar. Corruption has virtually no dynamic lighting. What makes it particularly odd is that the first two Prime games, despite running on lesser hardware, had plenty of it. What makes it odder still is that no one seems to have noticed its absence. I always thought that something about Metroid Prime 3 didn't look quite right, but I was unable to put my finger on it until now. It's a testament to Retro's artists that they were able to cram the world with enough glowing displays, bloom lighting and shiny things that no one noticed that the dynamic lights were turned off. And when I say no one noticed, I'm not exaggerating. David Trammell <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:06:37 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16729 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 010637 SimCity Creator DS and the Global Warming Age http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16718 In SimCity 2000 I went crazy with Wind Turbines and Hydroelectric dams. My city (the great urban metropolis known as "Caizmany") was a paragon of renewable resources, clean energy, and powerplants that didn't threaten to have radioactive meltdowns. Carmine "Cai" M. Red <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:57:05 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16718 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 125705 Gaming's Graphical Future http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16706 Traditionally a game's graphical prowess has been determined solely by the number of pixels it was able to push on the screen. Everything was about the latest and greatest technology and the everlasting quest to attain life-like graphical output in real-time. While this quest is a noble one, I don't feel that it will truly pave the future of graphics in gaming. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:59:05 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16706 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 105905 Praise for the Wii Menu http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16696 I've been a vocal critic of the functionality of the Wii Menu system and its associated channels. The menu itself is a bit slow, useful features are buried too many layers deep, and many of the channels are nigh pointless. But stepping outside my engineer's instincts, I can appreciate the care put into designing the whole interface. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:08:39 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16696 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 090839 Soulcalibur IV: An Informal Review http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16695 In general, I hate fighting games. I'm traditionally very bad at them, especially the 2D kind. God, get me behind the controller of a King of Fighters or Street Fighter game and you will see some first-class button mashing. As I struggle to land a single hit, my opponents often tease and jest, keeping just a few pixels from my position, and then let loose with some punishing 118-hit combo which basically ends the round. What about Tekken? That's a 3D fighter that actually feels like a different animal, but again, my performance makes that of a blind chimpanzee seem fairly hardcore. No, dear readers, Soulcalibur has been my one and only fighting game, from the Dreamcast onward. It is the only fighter, 3D or otherwise, I feel somewhat good at. And now that franchise has hit the PS3...and I love it. You might, too. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:38:33 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16695 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 123833 Retaking 'Fanboi' http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16647 I was a member of the NintendoWorldReport.com forums long before I wrote for the site proper, and I’d like to think that all of the regulars there can vouch for me: I am a Nintendo fanboy. Heck, I’ll even spell it with an "I." I am a Nintendo fanboi. Carmine "Cai" M. Red <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:09:16 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16647 Thu, 04 Sep 2008 080916 Too Human: An Informal Review http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16631 Silicon Knights earned my respect back in the early days of the Cube with their release of Eternal Darkness. The game was a solid action-adventure title with interesting settings, provocative lore, and a great story tying it all together. I followed the company into their next venture and my first foray into the Metal Gear Solid universe with The Twin Snakes. Though a remake, it was another solid title and another reason for me to keep endorsing the company. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:17:46 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16631 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 111746 PAX '08: The Home Stretch http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16629 Sunday, August 31st was my last day at PAX. I didn't even stay the whole time. I was exhausted, paranoid about the time (I didn't have a watch), nervous that I'd miss my bus to the airport, and worried that somebody at the hotel would crush my Fallout 3 poster (signed by Gabe & Tycho) while it and my roller sat in their luggage waiting room. So that morning found me a bit frazzled! However, I still managed to have a fairly good time at PAX, and even played some of the games I'd been wanting to play. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:48:44 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16629 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 114844 PAX '08: The Return of Rocky Road http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16618 After being totally overwhelmed yesterday, I awoke this morn knowing what to expect, and went in with fresh eyes. Today, I learned that PAX amounts to a whole lot of "hurry up and wait" segments, punctuated by brief moments of triumph. I had a pretty packed schedule today, so I started early. Among my achivements: Playing lots of demos, meeting one of my readers, seeing awesome demo screenings, and of course, getting the autographs of our esteemed hosts. Tomorrow will not be so hectic, as my bus leaves in the late afternoon and the expo hall will be winding down earlier. Luckily, today was a freaking blast. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:31:00 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16618 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 073100 PAX '08: Day One http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16615 Well, here it is: My first PAX. It's hectic, stressful, crowded, and at times a little freaky, but I'm happy to be here. As this is a new experience, I am totally unfamiliar with the layout and general "flow" of the event. Well, there is no flow, and the layout is best described as "random." So many things to complain about, right? Well, here's the thing: I love it. And while today was a day of generally figuring things out, I can assure you that tomorrow will be far more awesome and enjoyable. This post is to explain how PAX works to people who've never been there. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:45:51 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16615 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 094551 Fanboyism or: Cutting off Your Nose to Spite Your Face http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16599 Fanboyism isn't anything new, especially on the internet. People have been picking sides with games, consoles, and companies for years, but in the end it is all pretty meaningless. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:40:09 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16599 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 114009 The Problem with GameFly http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16563 I recently signed up for GameFly through their Xbox Live promotion. I got a full month of service for $5.95 (one game at a time). They also threw in 400 Microsoft points (worth $5), although that takes a few weeks to be deposited. It seemed like a great way to catch up on a few games for my new Xbox 360. This isn't the first time I've tried GameFly, actually. I took a two-week trial a few years ago to test out the service, which was new at the time. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:12:25 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16563 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 051225 Defecting to the Enemy Camp http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16527 I was recently given an opportunity too good to pass up: a ridiculously cheap, 6-month old, 40 gig PS3 with three games, a Blu-Ray movie, two controllers, and an HDMI cable. The asking price? Are you ready for this? $300. It just doesn't get any better than that. I won't bore you with the details of how this transaction took place, or under what bizarre circumstances, but I'll simply say "HOT DAMN!" and leave it at that. I am now able to play games I genuinely care about at my leisure, and I'm finding that...*gasp*...Sony's machine is strengthening its grip on me. Aside from reviewing games and hopping onto the Mario Kart online community once and awhile, my Wii sits virtually unused. Why? Oh, here comes the relish... Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:38:20 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16527 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 023820 Lindy's Most Anticipated Wii and DS Games http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16519 As many of our forum regulars are already aware, I’ve had a somewhat negative view of Nintendo lately. You see, I’m what you could call a traditional gamer, and as such I’m not a huge fan of Nintendo’s blatant pandering to the non-gamer audience at the apparent exclusion of everyone else. I think it’s really cool that they’re bringing new people into the gaming fold – it’s what the industry needs to sustain long-term growth – but when your actions leave your long-time audience all but alienated, I can’t help but get a bitter taste in my mouth. With that said, here are the upcoming Wii and DS games that I’m really excited about. Sadly, Nintendo is only involved in the creation or release of one of them. Jon Lindemann <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:01:28 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16519 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 060128 Raise Your Standards http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16432 Want to know why so many Nintendo fans are looking to The Conduit as their system's messiah? High Voltage may not have the greatest track record, but they're actually putting some effort into making their game take advantage of the current technology. We should expect this from every full-price Wii game, regardless of genre or art style. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:23:37 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16432 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 032337 Why Nintendo Hasn't Abandoned the Hardcore http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16415 With all of the recent stirrings of E3, I felt it necessary to talk a bit about the sentiment of Nintendo abandoning the hardcore. Since Nintendo presented it has been all doom and gloom from the gaming media and fans alike. Though at first blush this seems true, I'm not sure that there is significant proof that Nintendo has abandoned us hardcore gamers. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:11:24 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16415 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 081124 An Expected, but Unwelcome Turn http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16385 I had always expected that Nintendo's Press Conference for E3 2008 was going to be heavily centered on the "casual" market. That doesn't mean I had to like it. James Jones <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:52:28 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16385 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 095228 Press Conference Thoughts http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16377 You can read my summary of Nintendo's E3 press event <a href="newsArt.cfm?artid=16375">here</a>. What you will not find in that article is anything that gets me excited. Michael "TYP" Cole <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:04:29 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16377 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 040429 A Reaction to Microsoft's Avatars http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16358 Since I used my last blog post to chronicle the major events of the Microsoft E3 press conference, I figured I would make another post to offer up some of my feelings, particularly on their interface redesign and their avatar system. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:50:09 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16358 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 075009 Microsoft E3 Press Conference: Mii … too? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16352 Microsoft just wrapped up their E3 press conference, revealing a number of new ideas and concepts. The fabled X-Mote did not show its face (much to my own dismay), but Microsoft managed to unveil some other Wii-like concepts in an attempt to capture the non-gamer crowd Nintendo seems to have cornered so well. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:18:25 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16352 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 011825 The Space Invaders Extreme Paddle http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16324 For my first blog entry, I decided to do something a little bit different and create a video blog. In this edition I show off the Japanese DS paddle controller that's compatible with Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme. Jon Lindemann <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:27:15 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16324 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 022715 Beer is the Watchword http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16289 With the <a href=" https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16287">recent news of the controversy</a> surrounding the WiiWare game no one has heard of, Frat Party Games – Pong Toss, Nintendo is being very contradictory of <a href=" http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/06/27/reggie-on-his-big-plans-for-a-little-nintendo-wiiware.aspx ">their own prior statements about WiiWare.</a> Neal Ronaghan <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:20:27 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16289 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 062027 Vacation Games http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16283 As RFN listeners already know, I've been traveling for a week now and have a couple more days left in my journeys. Then I'll get just three or four days at home before heading out again for E3. Since I am missing two weeks of "New Business" in a row and have gotten to play so many games, I decided to vent some impressions in the blog. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:44:23 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16283 Sun, 06 Jul 2008 054423 MGS4: An Informal Review http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16258 Well, friends, an era has come and gone. The adventures of Solid Snake, which began in 1987 with the MSX2's Metal Gear, has come to a close on the PS3. While it's sad to see our hero walk off into the sunset, he's earned his rest. For 20 years, Snake and his friends and enemies have captured our hearts and imaginations. It's a final farewell, one that longtime series director Hideo Kojima seems reluctant to acknowledge. Despite some forced plot reveals and a few overlong cinematics, MGS4 is a worthy end to an epic journey. By the way, SPOILERS AHEAD. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:42:22 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16258 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 114222 Mega Man the Way it Should Be http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16226 The past few weeks have been pretty devoid of big news, which is understandable during the run up to E3. However, there's always that first big story that is a a sign of bigger and better things to come, and Mega Man 9 on WiiWare might just be the catalyst that triggers off a lot more big news. But I'm not here to talk about E3. I'm thrilled at the prospect of a brand-new old-school Mega Man game. Steven Rodriguez <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:45:42 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16226 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 124542 $100? No Thanks, Mr. Tyler. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16206 Since when do Wii games cost the same as Xbox 360 & PS3 games? To my knowledge, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is the first instance of this happening with a multiplatform release. All three game + guitar editions are $100 in the U.S., while the game-only packages are $50. This represents a ten dollar increase for the Wii version over Guitar Hero III, released less than a year earlier. And what are we getting for the extra ten bucks? Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:04:53 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16206 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 090453 Going to California http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16194 I'm very excited to make my return to E3 in about three weeks. After attending seven years in a row, from 2000-2006, I missed last year's event due to a lack of time and money, and because I didn't think it would be as much fun. Various circumstances conspired to lure me back for the 2008 show, and it helps that the ESA has brought the event back to the LA Convention Center that I know so well. Jonathan Metts <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:50:27 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16194 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 095027 Hello, My Name is Nick … and I'm an Addict http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16176 An addict to collecting videogames, that is. It wasn't always this way; once upon a time I would only get one game at a time and enjoy it until it was entirely completed before I even thought of going after another. Around 4 years ago I must have caught some sort of bug. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:42:23 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16176 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 104223 The Game Industry is Run by Morons http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16169 You want to know what should be a rare occurrence? Walking into a game retailer and finding that they can't sell you a new game (less than a week old) because they accidentally ran out. However, it's not a rare occurrence at all. In fact, if the game isn't Halo 3 and you didn't pre-order, there's an extremely good chance that this will happen. Why? David Trammell <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:06:20 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16169 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 030620 First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage... http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16124 As some of you may already know, the past couple of weeks I was absent from both the forums and the site for my marriage and honeymoon. Now that I’m back I figured I would let everyone know that the marriage was a success and the honeymoon was a blast. No runaway bride, no chickening out at the last second, no major fubars, everything thankfully went smoother than I could have ever imagined. Nick DiMola <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:07:20 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16124 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 100720 Bye Bye, Wii! http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16109 Well, it finally happened. After fifteen years of loyally buying Nintendo consoles without an ounce of trouble, my Wii went bad last week and now I'm shipping it to Washington to get it fixed. I blame a rogue can of Dr. Pepper, spilled carelessly by a friend during the first week I had my Wii (which would also be the first week after the initial release), and perhaps those sticky, salty molecules just now made their way into the optic whatchamahoozit. At any rate, the machine won't read my Smash Bros. disk, and it might happen to you, too. Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:11:05 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16109 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 011105 How to Manage Your Forums http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16094 After the fall-out from Ubidays and after the fall-out from Capcom unveiling Spyborgs, we've seen two distinct ways to react to detractors in your midst. Whenever a corporation opens a forum they need to be aware of the risks that entails. Ubisoft clearly was not, where as Capcom was. James Jones <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:56:50 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16094 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 105650 How Digital Delivery Can Save the Pack Rat http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16087 Digital delivery is one of the most popular buzz words in the game industry as of late. Allowing players to directly download games is a fast way of getting a product out there and it saves the costs associated with packaging and distribution. Those aren't the only benefits passed on to the customers though. It also helps cut down on the clutter, and I I'm not talking about the most obvious of ways. Mike Gamin <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:42:51 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16087 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 084251 Wii Channels: Worth It? http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16083 I'm a sucker for Wii channels. I think I have them all except the Internet Channel, and that's only because my computer is mere feet away from my Wii. But seriously, I've got the Mii Channel (MC), Everybody Votes (EV), Check Mii Out (CMO), Weather, News, Nintendo Channel (EC), Shopping, Mario Kart (MK), and Wii Fit (WF). But do I really need them all? Honestly, I probably don't, especially considering that my Wii's internal memory is beginning to wane. If Nintendo doesn't release some kind of a hard drive sooner rather than later, some of the Wii channels will probably have to go... Zachary Miller <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:43:41 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16083 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 114341 Server Downtime Update http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16069 If you visited Nintendo World Report over the weekend you might have noticed that the site had mysteriously disappeared. We're back up now, but it was a frustrating weekend for us. We learned that our database hosting provider, located in Houston, Texas, experienced a major outage. "Major," in that a major electrical component shorted out, creating an explosion big enough to knock down three walls surrounding the room in which it happened. Steven Rodriguez <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:22:45 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16069 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 102245 Darkrai Drive By? Not Quite http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16061 Toys R Us and Nintendo teamed up for another legendary Pokemon event this weekend. Darkrai, one of the newest legendary monsters, is being handed out. There isn't much time left, as the event ran yesterday and today, from 12pm to 4pm. You may want to head out soon if you are interested! (Note: This post was supposed to go up on Sunday, June 1st, but due to down time, it was delayed.) Mike Gamin <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:06:01 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16061 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 070601 A New Cycle of Extreme Sports http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16049 I have had the pleasure of writing up two recent news stories for Nintendo World Report about two upcoming extreme sports games, <a href="http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=15955">Skate It</a> and <a href="http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=16039">Shaun White Snowboarding</a>. As a big fan of the early Tony Hawk games, these games excite me because they will hopefully take the extremely stale genre and revitalize it like EA's Skate did for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Neal Ronaghan <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Thu, 29 May 2008 06:49:20 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16049 Thu, 29 May 2008 064920 How Talkback Flame Wars Kill Mockingbirds http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16035 In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, it was said that it was wrong to commit that eponymous act because Mockingbirds cause people no harm, only providing music for us to enjoy. Such entities are not merely confined to the pages of Harper Lee's work or the world of ornithology, however. Indeed, I would submit that the work of this very website is its own breed of Mockingbird. Greg Leahy <nospam@nintendoworldreport.com> Wed, 28 May 2008 10:55:23 PDT http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blogArt.cfm?artid=16035 Wed, 28 May 2008 105523