Monthly Archives: December 2010

Nintendo Wii: Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary Edition

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Experience some of the most iconic platforming games in existence on one single disc.

Super Mario AllStars 25th anniversary is a lavish package. Not only does it come with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels it also comes with a soundtrack CD that covers the entire Mario series from the original Super Mario Bros. all the way up to Super Mario Galaxy. Also included in the generous package is a booklet which celebrates 25 years of Mario.

Super Mario AllStars 25th anniversary contains the remastered versions of the classic Mario titles with improved visuals to match the 16 bit Super Nintendo games, as well as improved sound. Whilst it comes with these added extras over its NES counterparts it’s difficult to recommend this unless you’re either a collector, haven’t played the originals, or just want the added soundtrack and booklet.

That being said, these games are the pinnacle of platforming games and the core foundations are still being utilised in the games we play today. All of the titles included in the package have stood the test of time, and whilst there’s nothing new here to offer, you’re still left with a solid package that delivers an abundance of fun for games of all ages.

8/10

Nintendo 3DS: Nintendo Talk Mario 3DS

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Nintendo’s Yoshio Koizumi who has worked on numerous Mario titles such as Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy believes it will be easier to create a 3D Mario game for Nintendo’s forthcoming 3DS console.

“I’ve been making 3D Mario games up to now, and it’s been difficult to grab or ride on objects floating in midair with these sorts of games since the beginning,” said Koizumi. “But if the Nintendo 3DS system can produce a sense of distance that can be easily understood at a glance, I feel I’ll be able to more confidently create the tense stages that require you to jump from platform to platform in midair without falling.

“There’s still a whole range of things I’ll be able to do with Mario games in the future.”

- Yoshio Koizumi

Source

Nintendo Wii: Pachter Says The ‘Wii 2 Is Too Late To Compete’

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Outspoken Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter claims that Nintendo will have a struggle on their hands to compete against the competition with their next home console.

“The question is what happens when the successor launches, as it is likely it will be too little, too late.”

“I think that Nintendo missed the opportunity to launch an HD successor in 2009, and again in 2010, and waiting until fall of 2011 concedes a lot of market share to Microsoft and Sony.

“Anyone with a Wii who bought a HD TV has to notice that the graphics on a very large screen don’t look as compelling as most HD content, and Microsoft and Sony will market to these people.

“Kinect is pretty unique, while Move is very Wii-like, but both run in full HD, and consumers will begin to appreciate that more as prices for the PS3 and 360 bundles approach the price of the Wii.”

He added that their next system could control similar to Kinect, or even use the Vitality Sensor in some form.

“I have no idea what they have planned, but suspect that they will be extremely proud of their ability to innovate. My guess is that they’re working on something similar to Kinect, but the Vitality Sensor could be the direction they are heading in as well.”

- Wedbush Morgan analyst, Michael Pachter

Source

Nintendo Wii: Wii Has A Good November According To NPD Sales Data

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Recent NPD sales data for November show that the Nintendo Wii is still selling incredibly well at retail.

Whilst the Wii was outsold by the Xbox 360, the console still managed have one of its best Novembers yet selling 1.27 million consoles, up by 0.8 percent from last year. Microsoft managed to sell 1.37 million Xbox 360′s, whilst Sony only managed to sell 530,000 PlayStation 3 consoles.

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Nintendo 3DS: Resident Evil Mercenaries For Nintendo 3DS Is 70% Complete

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Capcom have revealed that Resident Evil: The Mercenaries for the Nintendo 3DS is around 70% complete.

The game brings with it the ability to shoot at Zombies whilst on the move – something that gamers weren’t able to do in Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

“The Mercenaries mode was just bonus material up until now, so a lot of gamers never even got around to playing them. You had to finish the main games to unlock them, which made them tough to access in the first place, and a lot of the challenges were pretty sadistically balanced.”

- Resident Evil: Revelations director Koushi Nakanishi

Source

Nintendo Gamecube: Smash Brothers Melee Was “Too Difficult”

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Masahiro Sakurai, the creator behind the classic Super Smash Brothers Melee has claimed that the game was “too difficult”, and that any future Smash Brothers games will not be aimed at the same hardcore crowd.

“I had created Smash Bros. to be my response to how hardcore-exclusive the fighting game genre had become over the years. But why did I target it so squarely toward people well-versed in videogames, then?

“That’s why I tried to aim for more of a happy medium with Brawl’s play balance.”

“There are three Smash Bros. games out now, but even if I ever had a chance at another one, I doubt we’ll ever see one that’s as geared toward hardcore gamers as Melee was.

“Melee fans who played deep into the game without any problems might have trouble understanding this, but Melee was just too difficult.”

“If we want new people from this generation of gamers to come in, then we need it accessible, simple, and playable by anyone. You can’t let yourself get preoccupied with nothing but gameplay and balance details.

“That’s where the core of the Smash Bros. concept lies, not on doggedly keeping the game the way it was before.”

- Masahiro Sakurai

Source

Nintendo Wii: Donkey Kong Country Returns

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Donkey Kong Country Returns resurrects the classic SNES franchise and reboots it for a whole new generation of gamers.

Retro Studio’s have cautiously taken Rare’s original blueprints and have successfully created a game that faithfully builds upon its classic predecessors.

As soon as you embark on the first solo campaign, Jungle Hijinks’, everything seems very accessible and familiar which ultimately leads the gamer into a false sense of security.

Because as you embark further into the game the difficultly level turns itself up a few notches, leaving even the most relaxed and competent gamer with clammy palms and a headache.

If gamers inevitably find themselves stuck during some of the ingeniously devious levels you can call up the ‘Super Guide’ to complete the level for you, but of course, this takes away all the fun.

Graphically the game is absolutely gorgeous with an array of scrumptious looking locations that are bursting to the brim with minuscule details and secret areas just waiting to be found.

Along with Super Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Returns firmly stands out as one of the best games I’ve had the pleasure of playing this year.

9/10

Trailer

Any questions then please leave them in the comments section and I’ll get back to you.

Nintendo Wii: Wii Remote Plus

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In 2006 Nintendo unleashed a whole new concept of playing video games which has shaken the video gaming world to the core.

Now in 2010 Nintendo have updated the Wii Remote and have titled the new controller Wii Remote Plus. Wii Remote Plus is your standard Wii Remote with Wii MotionPlus built into the controller to allow pin point 1.1 precision.

Whilst there’s currently only a trickle of titles that fully support the acute accuracy of the device Nintendo are undoubtedly readying a stream of software that will utilize it. Zelda is one forthcoming title that will be reliant upon either Wii MotionPlus or the Wii Remote Plus controller.

The Wii Remote Plus controller is the same size as your standard Wii Remote and feels less cumbersome without the Wii MotionPlus attachment connected to the bottom of the controller which occasionally has the tendency to become loose.

The Wii Remote Plus is available in two retail packages: on its own in four different colors for $39.99, or packaged with the eccentric FlingSmash for $49.99. Both of these options are widely available for purchase now.