ZAP! (per)

This past Saturday, I experienced something that normally only an elite few in the world of game blogs get to; I received a soon-to-be released hit title several days early!

That's right; I went over to my local Game Crazy (you know the one; I used to manage it!) to get a system selector for our 42" LCD TV, so I wouldn't have to keep switching cables just to use the Wii and/or XBOX 360 (the what?). The trip was a major brouhaha (more on that later), but while I was there, I thought I'd try to verify my pre-order for Link's Crossbow Training and Wii Zapper.

If you're not familiar with the Zapper by now, it's essentially a plastic casing that holds the Wiimote and Nunchuck in it, sort of approximating the feel of a tommy-gun when you hold it with both hands. So far it has met mostly negative reviews.

Link's Crossbow Training is included with the $19.99 accessory, and is an entertaining target-shooting game set in the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess universe. You all know what a Zelda freak I am, so this was a must-have.


Much to my surprise, when I asked the clerk to check on the arrival date of the Zapper and pack-in game (due out 4 days later), he said, "Wait, I think it's already here!" and stepped in the back to check. He emerged a moment later, my prize in hand, exclaimed, "Yep, the only one we got!" Naturally I purchased it post-haste.

So, while many are just now getting their feet wet with Link and his trusty crossbow, I have had all weekend to enjoy the title and accessory (much better than people are giving it credit for, believe me), as well as to try it out with another game, Medal of Honor: Heroes 2.

I'll get reviews for both posted soon, but for now I must get busy ZAPPING!

Anticipate: Nanostray 2

I was a HUGE fan of the first Nanostray for DS, and I just read a brief post on aeropause about the sequel.

I have had a long love affair with top-down shooters (sh'mups for those of you in Rio Linda), going all the way back to Xevious. Even now, when I visit a pizza place or swing by the arcade at Disneyland, I cannot resist the siren song of Raiden, R-Type or the very rare Terra Presta. Ikaruga is one of the few third party titles for Gamecube I cannot part with, and I've already filled my virtual console on the Wii with the likes of Gradius and Star Solider.

Nanostray (and its sequel) are in good company with these fine titles, except that they can be played on the go. The writer at Aeropause points out that the visuals in Nanostray blew everyone away, and the second game looks to be no exception to that rule. Click on over to Aeropause to check out their thoughts and see some awesome video of the game, courtesy of Gamevideos.com

WORLD FAMOUS!

So, I went to 'E-for-All' a couple of weeks back, and it was great. Don't let anyone else (Mark Bozon of IGN) fool you, the event was a hit, and it is already in the planning stages for next August, so I'm pretty confident that more players will jump in this time...

That being said, it was actually pretty cool, being a Ninty fan and all, to walk in and experience Nintendo Sensory Overload (NSO). I had experienced NSO once before, at E3 2005, but not like this. I guess the real reason it had such high impact on me was that Nintendo had unfettered dominance of the show-floor, and as soon as you entered via the South entrance of the L.A. convention center, you could see nothing but Nintendo, Nintendo and more Nintendo (and also MGS4).

I, my brother and two friends roamed the show floor a bit, but as we had registered early and were in at 11:00 am (everyone else had to wait until 3:00 pm), the lines for game play were very short indeed. We got into some Smash Bros. Brawl (Camel, Brent!), Mario Galaxy, Battalion Wars II and more with very little effort, and we were able to go back for more when we were done!

I've no doubt that next year will not be so easy, so we relished this opportunity to the max. While I was in line for Link's Crossbow Training, I spotted Kevin Cassady, a.k.a. RawMeatCowboy of GoNintendo.com. I called out to him, introduced myself and asked how he liked the show. One of his associates, Nicky Hill, was with him, and when I mentioned that I had submitted a couple of weekend banners (they accept readers submissions for their site header) that had never been used, Nicky remembered some of my work!

Long story short, I e-mailed Kevin a new banner heralding the arrival of Battalion Wars II, and they used it later that week. The REALLY cool part is that shortly afterward, Kevin e-mailed me, mentioning that he had been briefly interviewed at E-for-All by Spike TV's Game Head, hosted by Geoff Keighley, and that the snapshot of the site used on the show featured my creation! What an honor!

I've posted a link to the video clip here, so check it out!