batmyke

DARK KNIGHT RISES TOYS!!!

2012-02-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

HOLY RAINSTORMS!

2010-01-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

I wonder where I can pick up one of these fine items...

Collected: 1974 Batman Electric Toothbrush

2010-01-05T23:07:00.001-08:00

Wow. My co-worker and friend, Cameron, has gifted me with this vintage electric toothbrush, including the dilapidated (falling apart) box! I took one look and told him I'd have to add it to the blog tonight, so here we are!

I would have been only four years old when this thing was available on store shelves, and I'm fairly certain that lifting the dual c-cell powered device would have built up at least one of my biceps, but alas, I was not fortunate enough to own one - until now! Here are a couple more shots:

Going forward, I'm only going to post a photo and vitals on each item, unless there's a great story attached to it, so look forward to that (I can be pretty wordy).

Collected: The Batman Vault

2010-01-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always a great time for my collection to expand, and this year was no exception. Case in point: The Batman Vault, given to me by my awesome wife.

I have several 'coffee table' books about Batman, including Chip Kidd's excellent 'Batman Collected', but the Vault is a little different from those books. It's more like an already-made scrapbook/library of Batman history and memorabilia. There's plenty to read, make no mistake, from the beginnings of the character and his creator's inspirations, to documentary-style narrative about the comic book's different ages and development.

Plenty of beautiful photos are included as well, but what sets this book apart in my opinion, are the various re-creations of actual Batman nostalgia scattered throughout the pages. Every so often, you'll find the regular stuff interrupted by a clear plastic sleeve, and inside it there are replicas of some truly rare printed items, such as color-by-number activity pages from a 1966 kids' book, a 'How To Draw Batman' booklet from 1978 and a 'Batplane' paper cutout model from 1943.

Needless to say, this is a phenomenal addition to my little museum, and any avid fan owes it to themselves to pick it up!

Collected: 2009 Batman Hallmark Ornament

2009-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

I figured it would be appropriate to begin the 'Collected' series of posts I mentioned earlier today with my most recent acquisition; the 2009 Batman Hallmark Ornament.

My wife began gifting me with these each year a while back, and I will include the whole series eventually, but for now I'll just go with the newest one.

This year's addition is not based on any movie title, but just some good ol' comic book inspiration, and I LOVE IT! Bats is wearing his more traditional (and friendly) blue and grey, and his pose, grasping the cape to glide down (freaking some ne'er-do-wells out, no doubt) to a landing is absolutely classic.

This ornament is larger than most of the previous entries, and is designed purely for hanging, which just makes it that much more fun!

My apologies for the low-quality iPhone photos - I really need to get a better camera!

A New Idea!

2009-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I watched 'Julie & Julia' with my wife last week -- AND I LIKED IT, OKAY?! It's not so much a 'chick flick' as an underdog story in my book (yes, I'm rationalizing).

But it got me thinking, 'How can I make my blog more unique and interesting?' And I had a brainstorm...

Starting today, I will begin chronicling my ENTIRE collection of Batman stuff, with photos, descriptions, and, where appropriate, stories. I've no idea how long it will take me, because I've never actually done a complete inventory of my collection, but it stands to reason that it could easily be more than a year, even if I posted once a day!

I'll continue adding in those little points of interest that I find along the way, like videos, images and other stories, but the majority of the posts going forward will be about my collection.

So it begins... I hope you'll enjoy taking this journey with me, and feel free to weigh in by commenting on any of the entries!

Sweet Video

2009-12-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Having a sense of humor about my favorite non-super hero on earth, I was thoroughly amused by this great video from keyofawesome.com:

Elementary... or Perhaps Not

2009-11-26T07:13:00.001-08:00

As a consummate fan of The Dark Knight Detective, I am also a fan (even going back to childhood) of his inspirations. One such inspiration is a figure whom many deem the original detective, and a master of deductive reasoning, the fictitious Sherlock Holmes.

Recently I've been enjoying the excellent BBC television series, 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' on Netflix, starring Jeremy Brett. I was first introduced to this remarkable program back in late Jr. High/early High School when my parents would watch 'Mystery' on PBS every Thursday night. Quite a few of the shows on 'Mystery' were of British origin, and none of them impressed me so much as Sherlock Holmes.

I've also read several of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories published in British newspapers, and my respect for Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes, along with this series' recounting of the stories has only been reinforced by this. They are highly accurate and fascinating to watch or read, in my humble opinion.

Which brings me to the trailers and commercials I've seen lately for the new Sherlock Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr. While I have no doubt this movie will be fun, action-packed, witty and highly enjoyable overall, I am certain of this; it will be no Sherlock Holmes story.

The Holmes depicted in these ads is definitely brilliant, intelligent and clever. He is quick-witted and I'm sure he is also an amazing detective. He is also a womanizer, slob, vagabond and rogue - all qualities that Holmes would never have.

If the writers, director and producers of this film believe that 'artistic license' is a sufficient reason for these alterations to Holmes' character, they are sadly mistaken. Holmes' gentlemanly nature, his nearly OCD level of hygiene and his use of violence only as a last resort are all just as much a part of him as Batman's cape is to The Dark Knight.

In short, I may go and see Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in this 19th Century action film, but to call it 'Sherlock Holmes' would be an insult.

SANCTUARY - Batman Room update

2009-10-24T10:43:00.001-07:00

As you can see, we've just finished some additions to the Batman Room (much thanks to my father-in-law, Dan Knowlton, for the awesome corner shelves!)

Believe it or not, these new shelves, along with what I already had up in the room, only accommodate about a quarter of my total collection! AND I haven't avidly collected stuff for several years - people just keep giving me things to add to the total bunch, and once in a while I find some cool purchase that I save up for.

I've posted more detailed pics on my flickr stream, so go check them out!

HOLY REPLICAS!

2009-10-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

I don't really know what to say about this... just look at it! What I'm wondering now is, did some guy build this thing, or is it one of the four original vehicles built for the 1989 movie?

Rampant Speculation: The NEXT Movie...

2008-08-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's natural, as a Batman FREAK, even while The Dark Knight is still breaking records at the box office, to turn one's thoughts to the future and ponder questions about what the next Batman film might be like...

VILLAINS: Of course, this is the chief thing on everyone's mind. Who can possibly compare to the arch-enemy class of the Joker, let alone the mind-blowing performance of the late Heath Ledger? In Chris Nolan's real-world grounding of this franchise, characters such as Mr. Freeze, The Penguin and Clayface are all a bit over the top and would not make the translation successfully, in my opinion. Some of the more ordinary characters, such as Catwoman or Deadshot, would either bring unwanted complications into the story (romance) or are too obscure to the general public to work well.

What about the Riddler, though? No super-powers, no supernatural origin, nothing so far-fetched about him at all that he could not be used in a sequel. Of course, Jim Carrey's over-the-top performance would have to be forgotten, but Nolan and writer David Goyer have been successful thus far, with Ledger's Joker easily outshining Nicholson's interpretation, and Eckhart's Two-Face doing much the same to Jones' version.

Then there's Bane. Yes, most have the wrong view of this guy, born of Joel Schumacher's atrocious Batman and Robin. Unlike the brain-dead, steroid-infused Hulk-wannabe in the WORST Batman film ever, Bane's comic book inspiration is cunning, intelligent, ruthless AND inhumanly strong. He is the only villain to have bested Batman in combat, and his story is not too far outside the realm of reality to be used.

Mad Hatter? No one knows him. Poison Ivy? Again, with the science fiction. Killer Croc? Hmmm... nah, too crazy.

My favorite idea of all, though, is the one I haven't heard anyone put out there yet; the villain, as perfectly set up by the final scene of The Dark Knight, is Bats himself. Make the film about that, and you might really shake things up!

THE. DARK. KNIGHT.

2008-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am DOG tired. I went to see an opening showing of The Dark Knight this morning at 12:01 am, and with previews, the two-and-a-half hour film kept me up until 3:30. I would have slept in, but being a good Bat-dad to three little ones, and having to go to work this morning, I did my due diligence and got up.

Let me tell you, all the positively glowing reviews of this movie are true. Chris Nolan has created an epic crime drama, set in a near-reality inspired by a comic book character, and he does so with deft expertise like I have never before seen. I thought Batman Begins was outstanding, but compared to its younger sibling, it is a simplistic, straightforward introduction and little more.

The Dark Knight is sophisticated in its storytelling, with plot twists peppered throughout, and this remarkable tension that is maintained with almost no interruption from beginning to end. Every member of the cast does an excellent job, but the truth is, even if he were still alive, I'd be singing Heath Ledger's praises from morning 'til night. The man simply disappears into his character, and though you might search for him during the entire duration of the film, you will be hard pressed to find the tragically deceased young actor underneath that makeup.

So, 'nuff said. The Dark Knight? See it. I'm going to... again!

The Dark Knight Review on IGN.com

2008-06-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

IGN just posted their review of The Dark Knight, giving it a rare 5 stars, or 10 out of 10 score. I read the two-page review from beginning to end, and it is a must-read if you care at all about this movie, Batman in general or just good movies in general. There are no spoilers of any kind in the review, so it's quite safe if you don't want to know too much, but discusses the themes and ideas put forth by the film, as well as the quality of the acting and directing. GO. READ. NOW!

NEW LEGO TOYS SIGHTED!

2008-06-29T18:24:00.001-07:00

So, every now and then I 'Get NUTS!' (to quote Michael Keaton), and Google search for Batman collectibles. It's pretty interesting what you can find out there, but often times I am more excited by things I find that are not yet available...

...such as these all new Lego Batman sets! As I have confessed before, I am a lover of all things Lego, as well as all things Batman, so new sets are a HUGE find! These apparently will debut in July sometime (around when the new movie hits), and feature some new characters, like Harley-Quinn, as well as vehicles like the Tumbler!

Lego.com doesn't have these listed yet, but various other toy outlets are already accepting pre-orders, so if you are feeling generous, you can get me one or two of each! (Just kidding...)

Viral Marketing Extraordinaire!

2008-06-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Holy ad campaign, Batman! With The Dark Knight imminent, releasing in just a few weeks, Warner Bros. has launched an awesome viral marketing campaign to promote the film. There are no less than seven satellite websites out there, each with unique content and all aiding in the 'suspension of disbelief' surrounding the new movie. My favorite so far is 'Gotham Cable News', which is made up like a complete network news site, complete with headlines and updated weekly for the past month or so with new episodes of 'Gotham Tonight'.

If you want to see just how extensive the illusion is that Warner Bros. is creating to support The Dark Knight, head on over to Gotham Cable News and see for yourself!

2008-05-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

A few things that can be seen when viewing this trailer frame by frame:

1. Opening clip: Bruce Wayne, standing atop the skyscraper, does not have his 'Bat-helmet' on yet. He's holding it in his right hand. Also, it's not totally clear, but his belt appears to have a pair of hand grips on the front, ala Kingdom Come.
2. 11 sec: Batman, now with helmet on, has an unusual backpack on instead of a cape (you probably noticed this at full speed. Just making observations)
3. 21 sec: Again, this is probably obvious, but a police funeral is taking place... I wonder who died?
4. 22 sec: Jim Gordon is wearing 'pounds', or a bullet-proof vest, as he exits the car. He's attending the funeral, I think.
5. 25 & 30 secs: The Joker enters a room full of crime bosses from Gotham. Note that they are extremely diverse; representatives from the mob, European gangs, African Americans and even Asian crime lords are all present. Much broader group than one might usually think of when the words 'organized crime' are uttered.
6. 34 sec: panic overtakes the many cops attending the funeral; what could make so many armed law enforcement officers run in fear, I wonder?
7. 32 & 40 secs: (sorry, skipped ahead) The Joker proposes killing the Batman to the crime bosses; he appears to be offering his services to them, as he leaves his card.
8. 49 sec: The Batpod, as we have noticed, has guns! This is not in accordance with Batman's self-imposed code, so I'm curious if that will be a plot point in this film.
9. 58 sec: On a rooftop, Lucius Fox is seen escorting several Asian businessmen off of the helipad. Who are they?
10. 1:06: The van Batman drops onto has a driver in it: is it just me, or does that guy look a bit like the Scarecrow? Cameo, anyone?
11. 1:11: Alfred doesn't seem the least bit put off by the Joker's arrival. I guess he's just an old pro at this stuff!
12. 1:14: On the left, one of the Joker's thugs doesn't wear a clown mask! Seems like an odd inconsistency.
13. 1:16: Is it just me, or are there playing cards flying out of that exploding Mercedes?
14. 1:31: The Joker is standing in front of a huge pile of BURNING MONEY! Looks to me like he's not after the millions...
15. 1:35: In the background, a Gotham P.D. SWAT van can be seen, and parked in front of it, the Batpod!
16. 1:51: The guy smashing the Bat Signal is Jim Gordon, and he's accompanied by a bunch of Cops and Reporters!
17. 2:02: Yeah, everyone has already mentioned this, I know. Harvey Dent's left side is concealed, but you can see the evidence of his disfigurement on his eyebrow, nose and chin, as well as what appears to be a half-burned suit.

I know, I know... I'm obsessed. There are a couple of other noteworthy observations to be made here:

- Batman's new outfit makes virtually no appearance in this trailer, which begs the question: is most of this footage from the first half or two thirds of the movie?
- Have you noticed how often the Joker licks his lips? I thought it was just in the scene with Maggie Gyllenhall (sp?), but he does it in other shots, too! Dehydrated?
- Again, probably a 'DUH!' for many of you, but Batman is operating out of a Penthouse Apartment, as Wayne Manor is being rebuilt.

Okay, I'm done!

New Dark Knight Trailer airs, Obama fans switch teams!

2008-05-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

The much-anticipated third trailer for The Dark Knight, which hits theaters on July 18th, was put online today, and also debuted in front of the just-opened Iron Man at many locations in the US today.

I for one have been on the edge of my seat over this trailer, ever since a viral marketing campaign launched at www.whysoserious.com offered hardcore fanatics a chance to get an early peek one week ago. The trailer was originally aired at a New York comic book convention several weeks ago, and many fans and aficionados have declared its praises since, but I have not seen it until today.

I won't go into a play-by-play of the trailer itself, but rather encourage you to view it yourself at www.whysoserious.com/happytrails

I'll also be posting some impressions and detailed analysis of the trailer soon, so keep your eyes open!

BAT-VAN!

2008-03-04T22:54:00.001-08:00

Gizmodo posted a great story with video about a Dodge Caravan modded by its owner to include a Rolls-Royce Nimbus helicopter jet turbine. Seriously.
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Why am I not out fighting crime?

Bat-Van

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin laid a... TOMATO?

2008-01-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's after Christmas. Well, after New Year's for that matter, but I couldn't help but think of something slightly silly when I saw this story at Gizmodo. Apparently this guy cuts open a tomato and sees a Bat-symbol in the center, so he puts it up on ebay, and well, you know how these things go.

I swear, I'm gonna shape some earwax into a likeness of the Joker sometime and see how much cash I can make people cough up...

The only thing I wonder about this is, how would Bruce Wayne respond if he cut open a tomato and saw this? Would it send him running to the bat-pole down to the bat-cave?

Link

The Dark Knight: Trailer

2007-12-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

So, rumors of a real trailer for The Dark Knight (not just a teaser) have been circulating the intertubes for a while now, but the wait is over. Thursday night, some enterprising fellow with a video camera and violently shaking hands captured the entire 2 minute trailer at the opening of I AM LEGEND.

The footage was on YouTube briefly before Warner Bros. shut it down, but now a much higher quality version of the trailer is on The Dark Knight viral marketing website, whysoserious.com.

Click the link to check it out, and it's also available for download! More thoughts to come soon...

ZAP! (per)

2007-11-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

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!

Invasive Shirts

2007-04-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

The good folks at 4 Color Rebellion recently hosted a t-shirt design contest, and while I didn't have much time to come up with anything, I did enter! I basically tweaked my "Nintendo Invasion" image to look sharp on a black shirt, and sent it on in. You can see it here.

I didn't win, unfortunately, although I did get some kudos in the comments section, so I was thinking about actually making the shirt myself and selling it online... what do you think?

High in Iron (man), and 8 essential vitamins and minerals!

2007-04-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am, as you all know, a big fan of comic books, and some comic book film adaptations. So, when I hear that a certain famous billionaire industrialist comic book guy turned superhero via the combination of a life-altering tragedy and cutting-edge technology, I get all excited, because I know that a new Bat-flick is on the way.

That, or I get kinda excited, because someone decided to make Iron Man.

In reality, I am very excited about this flick. Iron Man is one of my all-time favorite Marvel characters, and I have long wanted to see someone make this film. Add in the Oscar-nominated and real-life problems driven acting of Robert Downey Jr. and I think you have a winner! IGN posted the above picture of the first Iron Man suit that Tony Stark makes (this thing is very accurate; I have a reprint of the first issue of Iron Man), and USA Today added fuel to the fire by posting the below photo of Downey Jr. as Mr. Stark, forging the suit ala John Henry (that's a famous fictitious blacksmith, for you illiterate types).

So, you can probably see why I'm pretty amped about this movie now! The glowing round thingy on Tony's chest is a bit puzzling (not featured in the comics), but it could simply be for the transition between Stark's life-threatening injury and getting into the suit, the torso of which he never removes after that (or he'll die).

What about you? Are you looking forward to this one?

Game Store Employees

2007-04-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, sorry I haven't updated in a while! March was a busy month for me, but I am back in the groove and hopefully can post more frequently for a while...

Having managed a Game Crazy for two plus years, I have a pretty good insight into the workings of game stores and employees. So naturally, I was delighted to find this article on UK site Games Radar, in which several game store employees are interviewed candidly about what it's like to work in the industry, how they feel about gaming, co-workers and customers. Let me tell you right now, everything these guys are saying is TRUE!

I found myself cracking up especially at the descriptions of customers, as they easily matched many of my own worst-nightmare customers at Game Crazy!

GDC Amazingness!

2007-03-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Not being a "professional" blogger has its downsides, to be sure. One of them is that I don't get invites to industry events such as this week's Game Developer's Conference. *sigh* On the upside, however, I, like any of you, can access most of the news that comes from such a conference, from the convenience of my desk at home, without the fuss, muss and expense of travel!

Yesterday and today have been fairly significant news days for Nintendo at GDC, with several key announcements being made and Shigeru Miyamoto's keynote speech this morning. A major highlight of the whole thing, to me, is the new video footage of Super Mario Galaxy that was shown during the keynote, and is now viewable at GameTrailers.com, among others. Here are a couple of stills:
This first shot, with Mario nearly dead-center, zooming through space as he seems to do a lot in the game, shows just how vastly, hugely, big and enormous the environments are! I also like the variety of objects Nintendo has put in the space, and the sweet franchise-themed items, such as the Dr. Mario pill and Yoshi egg...I put this second still up because as I was watching the trailer, there was just a momentary flicker in the background of the awesome airships you see here. They really grabbed my attention, even though we've seen them in some E3 footage, because in this shot you can see them in their entirety and from a distance. Also, is Mario running on a Martini Shaker? Is this a hint of a new non-game coming from Nintendo... Mario Bartender?Lastly, this shot, which doesn't really do the video justice. Mario is in the blue bubble, center screen (I forgot that he's always center-screen, which eliminates camera problems!) These are those crazy bubbles that you point at to make them grab Mario in a kind of force-field, and then carry him along. Here the mini-suns are spewing out fireballs and flares, which Mario has to navigate between without getting burned!

I guess I'm pretty jazzed about this, because I never post more than one screenshot with my entries! In any event, click on over to GameTrailers and check out the footage!

Spidey the Third

2007-03-05T22:23:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of NBC's Heroes, and my wife and I curl up every Monday to find out what events have transpired with Peter Petrelli and company. This week's episode was no disappointment, which is a darn good thing, since there won't be another new episode for over a month (poop).

But sweetening the pie even more is the fact that Sony saw fit to reveal some new Spiderman 3 footage during the show, and still more footage at NBC.com during this 24 hour period.

I don't want to ruin anything for you, so let's just say that the new footage is very character development-oriented, in addition to having just a touch of... venom. If you want to see more, you'll have to wait and see!

Blurring Definitions

2007-03-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

I picked up SSX Blur yesterday, like many other people, and I am really hooked. What's interesting about this game is the huge disparity between different reviews. The game has scored everything from a 5 to an 8 out of 10, and reviewers (as is often the case with Wii games) seem to have wildly varying opinions concerning the controls in particular.

GoNintendo's Raw Meat Cowboy has a great write-up about this crazy gulf between reviews, and I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with him; SSX, like many Wii titles, has a bit of a learning curve, but mastering the controls is very rewarding and makes the game that much more worthwhile. If you have a chance to pick it up, I highly recommend it!

So, that brings me to my review! That's right, I am going to start reviewing games myself, but since there is such a wealth of reviews out there already, I am going to try a different approach. Rather than a lengthy write-up, I thought I would simply put down a couple of impressions about the game, then why I think it's worth picking up or not! So, without further ado, here goes...

SSX Blur
- Control scheme: solid, steep learning curve, especially on Uber-tricks.
- Visuals: great! Some of the best thus far on the Wii, and looks good enough to eat!
- Gameplay: again, very solid, but with some challenging aspects.
- Design: very nice. I especially like the music and the menu interface.

Pick Up? Absolutely! I am not a past SSX fan, although I do enjoy the games somewhat. Blur takes a tried-and-true game genre and draws you into the game even more with the immersive controls. Heck, I like just carving snow to enjoy the sensation of tilting the nunchuck and watching my character lean into curves, trailing a wake of powder behind them.

The Turnaround

2007-02-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

Wow. I never imagined a year ago that I'd be writing things like this, or discussing the amazing success of the Wii with friends. I did predict that the system would be out-selling the PS3, but my faith in Nintendo to come through was not nearly great enough to anticipate what we are witnessing these days.

Just in the past few weeks, we have seen an incredible surge of third-party support for the Shiny-White-Goodness, with a wide variety of both ports and original IP's showing up in the lists.

For the mature gamer, we have The Godfather: Blackhand Edition, Scarface, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon and Manhunt 2. For just about anyone, there's DDR: Hottest Party, Guitar Hero, Godzilla Unleashed, Transformers: The Game, Dewey's Adventure, Zorro, Spiderman 3, SSX Blur, Alien Syndrome and Heatseeker, to name a few.

These titles are not all going to be triple-A, but that's beside the point; Nintendo is garnering WAY more third-party support, both here in the States and overseas, than the Cube ever had! There are even rumblings about certain key Square Enix franchises moving over to Wii (Kingdom Hearts, anyone?), which could be earth-shaking as far as long-term ramifications are concerned. And perhaps even more significant is the fact that the above list doesn't include many already-announced third party efforts, such as Resident Evil, or the amazing first party lineup Nintendo has in store for the coming years.

Yes, it's early. Yes, some analysts still foresee PS3 rising to the top in the future. Yes, there are some very sloppy ports and gimmicky games being made for Wii. In my mind, though, none of those things matter; what matters is, Wii is rocking the house, and I imagine it will for a good long time to come!

One day, while I was shooting Nazis...

2007-02-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

I am a WWII FPS nut. I own each Medal Of Honor for GameCube, plan to buy each one for Wii, and I'm playing Call Of Duty 3 for Wii right now.

I must say that I am quite pleased with the game; the controls are solid, story compelling (of course, it's history!) and the visuals, while nothing to write home about, are a notch or two above the GameCube quality.

As I've played through the campaign over the last couple of weeks, a funny thing has happened, though. See, COD3 incorporates "Battle Actions", not only on Wii, but on PS3 and XBOX 360 as well. Battle Actions add some immersion to the game by requiring motions (or button presses) in a sequence at various times, such as installing a timed charge for demolition, fighting an enemy in close quarters for a weapon or rowing a boat across a river. I have been very pleased with some of these, as they must be considerably better on the Wii than on the other platforms, and disappointed in others, as they just don't work very well.

But there has been a side effect, I think, to these actions; I have completely adjusted to the FPS controls in the game. Whether it's because of the stark contrast to the unusual nature of the Battle Actions, or simply because FPS control in COD3 is very well done, I realized this afternoon that moving, pointing and shooting in the game have become totally second nature to me.

I can't say this yet for other FPS'es on the system; while I love Red Steel, the control is still somewhat wonky to me, and Far Cry's control, though improved over Red Steel, still doesn't quite make it.

So, there it is! I'm sure that FPS will only get better from here on out, but know this; COD3 has done it right. Now I only have to wait for Metroid Prime 3!

OH...MY...GODZILLA!

2007-01-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

I have long been a fan of the Godzilla franchise - the films, toys and games! Naturally, none of this can compare to Batman, but it's still awesome. I was ecstatic, of course, when I read tonight at IGN that an entirely new Godzilla Melee-style fighting game is being released exclusively for the Wii!

The visuals look great, monster models are all new, details on destructible environments sound marvelous and best of all, the controls sound like what they should be; catered just for Wii. I was disappointed when Godzilla: Save The Earth wasn't released for Gamecube, but this more than makes up for it!

Check the article out here.

Taking the world by storm

2007-01-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

So, even though I'm on a gaming fast, I have followed the industry pretty vigilantly, and I'm pleased to observe our favorite game company doing very well indeed.

Of the three major console producers, only Nintendo posted an increased earnings forecast for 2007, only Nintendo's stock has risen to record heights, only Nintendo's system continues to be sold out everywhere and only Nintendo has succeeded in setting new records for systems sold since launch. It seems like the Big N is on its way to once again become the juggernaut of gaming that it once was, ironically, by becoming a kind of gaming company that it forgot how to be for a long time!

To celebrate the onslaught of Nintendo dominance that we are seeing, I have crafted a graphic and some fun desktops for your pleasure! Download here or follow the link at the right!

I think, therefore iPhone

2007-01-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Each January, Apple holds their annual "One more thing..." keynote in San Francisco at the MacWorld expo, and today was the day. I actually forgot about this (I've become so Wii-ified lately, my perusal of Mac news is all but dead), so I was shocked and thrilled to see two awesome new products when I went to Apple.com this afternoon!

iPhone

Rumored for years now, the iPhone is finally here. Or at least, it will be. In June. DANG! I can hardly wait for this widescreen iPod, 2 Megapixel camera, PDA cell phone! I'm really glad that I'm a Cingular customer, and I will be saving my pennies between now and June to become an early adopter...

Apple TV

This is the death knell for DVD. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD are doomed to remain storage options for pc's and video games, as a result of this move by Apple. We all know that iTunes is the most popular place to download music and television shows for use on our iPods, and now Apple has announced movie downloads, starting with Paramount Studio's entire back-catalog! All I need now is a way to watch this stuff on my television - cue Apple TV. The device, for less than a Blu-Ray player or HD-DVD player, streams all your iTunes content to your televsion!

Pretty sweet stuff! Now, if only I could play video games by moving my body around...

Metroid Prime 3 Preview

2007-01-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

Computer And Video Games has posted an awesome preview of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption here. If you don't already know, I am a crazy-go-nuts Metroid fan, and the two Prime games are among my favorites of all time. Prime 3 already sounded incredibly promising, but this preview ups the ante quite a bit! Woohoo!

Blocks Are Fun!

2007-01-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

I know I have mentioned my passion for Legos before, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up...

I received a couple more Batman Lego sets for Christmas, including Arkham Asylum and a second Batman/Two-Face set. Since I already owned one of the latter, I decided to try something I had been considering; building my own mini-scale model of the Tumbler, the awesome vehicle featured in Batman Begins.

Considering the limited supply of pieces I had to work with, and the goal to make it as accurate as I could, I am rather proud of the results! More pictures of it can be seen here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=batmyke

Hiatus

2007-01-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Hey gang, just fyi, I will be taking a *gasp* gaming hiatus for the month of January. I know this sounds INSANE, considering the recent arrival of Wii in my home as well as the wealth of awesome DS games out right now, but nonetheless, I will not be playing for one month.

I am doing this because I feel the need to focus more heavily on other things right now (see my other blog, Solus Invictus), but rest assured that I will probably still post to some extent during this month!

A Word About Reviews

2007-01-02T11:16:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of thoughts here...

I've noted, as have many others, a disparity among many reviews for Wii titles. Where games like Zelda have come out with solid and consistent numbers in the 9's, other very good games have received everything from 3's to 8's, depending on who reviewed them. This is pretty strange, in my view, and also unprecedented as far as I know.

So, what's causing this? I have read terribly negative opinions of things like Wii Sports Boxing, only to later read blog posts that state that the game is really quite good, but you have to spend some time learning it and working on it. I've read everything about Red Steel from "It SUCKS!" to, "Must Have". Even Excite Truck, which I can't really find much fault with, has had it's share of stinker reviews. What's going on? Have the critics lost their minds? Do these titles change dramatically in quality as they get out there more?

Neither. The reality is, this disparity between poor and good reviews of Wii games reflects something that many of us already know; Wii is changing things, often times dramatically.

When a critic picks up the Wiimote and Nunchuck to try a new title out, right now it doesn't matter how seasoned a gamer they might be, or what other platforms they have played the game on. It doesn't even matter how much they have played Wii titles at this point; the fact is, they cannot really be prepared for what new things the game may ask of them. Will they be waggling the Wiimote around a lot? Will they be comfortable aiming a gun with the pointer while moving with the nunchuck? Will they quickly and easily adapt to new styles of play? There are so many more factors at work here than with games on the competing systems, it's really ludicrous to go into a review with any kind of expectations, except to ask, "Am I having fun?".

So, forgive me if I sound like a raving fanboy (which I am) when I give higher marks to many of these titles (see Rampage) than some do, but I really believe that one must try to be devoid of preconceptions when reviewing these games.

A Nice Surprise!

2006-12-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas day, we drove up to Santa Barbara to be with my family and exchange gifts. We had already spent Christmas Eve with my wife's fam, and I scored some great gifts, but none game related...

So, my brother Brian, who is a gamer, got me something unexpected and also really fun! I opened up his gift to find *drumroll, please* Rampage: Total Destruction for Wii!

Now, I hadn't planned on purchasing Rampage, as it was poorly reviewed (across the board) and my play impressions of the Gamecube version were not good. I am, however, a gracious gift receiver and thanked my brother sincerely for the gift.

The next day, I popped it in, to give it the old college try, and was very pleasantly surprised! While the visuals are nothing to jump up and down over, and the gameplay is very straightforward (it is Rampage, after all), I found myself truly enjoying the silly fun it offered! The addition of motion controls to a crazy arcade brawler of this kind breathes new life into it! I especially like swinging the remote downward to smash both fists into the ground... very satisfying.

Add the fact that the game offers multiplayer for four, over 40 selectable monsters (I like the shark/man) and both the original Rampage and Rampage: World Tour to play, and you've got a pretty cool little package, albeit not "triple A" material.

Again, no depth whatsoever, but who's looking for it? If you can find this one used or on sale, and you just want some mindless goofiness, give it a shot!

Wii: The Goodness Keeps On Coming!

2006-12-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

I was away yesterday, enjoying the Happiest Place On Earth... I wondered, somewhere between Tomorrowland and Frontierland, what a Nintendo theme park would be like. Not the "Nintendo Amusement Park" some folks have seen on the net, but a true, Nintendo sponsored park, with all the quality and trappings that the Big N could bring...

I digress. Some great things have come to pass concerning Wii this week, as well as on the DS. I don't have time to write about them in detail, so here's a quick list:

1. Wii forecast channel can affect gameplay; first example? Madden NFL 2007. I guess the folks at EA Tiburon knew this was coming, so they set up Madden to use real weather info in their game, if you prefer! Nice! I wonder what this could mean for games like Animal Crossing....

2. Rumors of Metroid and Mario delays for Wii are apparently unfounded, as NOA president Reggie Fils Aime stated that Metroid Prime 3 would still be released in early 07 and Mario by the end of 07.

3. Rumor has it that we may get a free treat from Nintendo on Christmas day. No one knows exactly what, but speculation is that Super Mario Bros. will be available on the Virtual Console.

4. EGM is reporting a rumor (grain of salt) that Namco/Bandai will be bringing new Katamari Damacy games to all next gen platforms, including a unique version for Wii! If you've never played Katamari Damacy, you owe yourself a shot at this quirky, fun title. I got hooked back when I owned a PS2, and I've always regretted that the game didn't come for Cube...

5. Square Enix continues to show love to Nintendo; Dragonquest IX will appear ONLY on Nintendo DS. This, alongside the Wii exclusive Dragonquest Swords and DS exclusive It's A Wonderful World (not to mention the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles games for both), would seem to indicate that the third party tide is turning...

6. With the Forecast channel out already, what else can we look forward to in the way of Wii extras? Well, the Opera web browser trial is hitting in just two days, Dec. 22nd! The full version will apparently be available in March, for free until June and for a mere $5 afterward.

Lotsa good stuff! Yahoo!

Weather or not to Wii...

2006-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

THE BLUE LIGHT IS ON! THE BLUE LIGHT IS ON!

I awoke this morning and walked out into my living room to find the delightful pulsating blue LED light on my Wii glowing... This means I have a message, so I powered up and went to the message board, and, as I suspected, Nintendo informed me that I could perform a system update to receive... (drumroll, please)

THE FORECAST CHANNEL!

That's right, the marvelous Wii Forecast channel is now up and running, just in time for our family trip to Disneyland! I'd write more about it, but we have to get on the road and ride Pirates of the Carribean at least 3 times...

A Pleasant Diversion

2006-12-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge online gamer. That is to say, I'm not very into online games (not that I'm not a giant, obese, fat player of online games. I mean, I'm NOT a fat, obese gamer, but the point is, that is not what I was referring... nevermind).

Despite my lack of fondness for online games, I do occasionally stumble across something that captures my attention like nothing else has before it, and once in a while it is an online game!

Meet flOw. I know it's been around for a while, so forgive me if you've seen it, but I have only recently discovered the joy of playing this little school project, and it is sublime. flOw casts you as a strange creature, swimming in what could be an ocean, or just as easily the atmospheres of an alien planet. You simply move the mouse to direct the creature, and you eat other creatures to grow. You descend to deeper levels by eating the red marker, or ascend by eating the blue one. As you descend, sometimes you encounter other creatures that also try to eat you...

Anyhow, it's definitely worth a try. Click the link on my sidebar to give flOw a whirl...

The Triple "R" Threat

2006-12-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Once again, I find myself LOVING a game that has received mixed reviews from many members of the press! Rayman Raving Rabbids might be quirky, shallow and (more significantly, it seems) not a platformer, but it is FUN!

Seriously, I didn't think anything was going to supercede Wii Sports in terms of getting me up off of the couch and making me move, but RRR did it. If you don't know, Raving Rabbids is essentially a mini-game collection, loosely built around a simple Gladiator style story. Rayman is captured by the Rabbids (bunnies), who have plotted world domination for a long time, and he is forced to participate in all kinds of weird contests a la Gladiator.

You find Rayman locked in a cell at the games' beginning, and you can choose to go out and participate in the challenges by approaching the cell door. Each arena level has four challenges, represented by gates, and one giant gate that leads to a "boss" challenge and the next arena level. Only three of the regular challenges need be completed to advance, but succeeding at all four will win you new costumes and music tracks, which can be played in your cell.

Some of the challenges get repeated, like the point and shoot game (remeniscent of Time Crisis or Area 51, but funny) or the dancing game, but they are altered enough to keep things interesting. The shooting game, for example, changes venues, from an old west town to a tropical beach resort, there are several different environments to play in.

The best thing about this game, I would say, is the unique uses of the wiimote and the HILARIOUS behavior of the Rabbids. There is a multiplayer mode, which mostly involves turn-based play through the challenges (there are a few that are simultaneous multiplayer), offering versus, score co-op and timed co-op.

If you enjoy a game that is just plain old fun and especially if you have new gamers or kids in the house, pick this one up!

Steeling Third

2006-12-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

I have posted concerning two of my game purchases at Wii launch, but what of the third? What of Ubisoft's controversial FPS, Red Steel?

Truth be told, I wavered a bit during the months leading up to Wii Day where this one is concerned. Early images, videos and reports made me thirsty for this title, because of the sheer level of style and also many control innovations brought to the game.

Then, the Game Developers Conference and E3 hit last Spring, and the press pretty much panned (sorry for the aliteration) the game, citing poor controls and somewhat sketchy graphics. I removed Red Steel from my pre-order list, but some lingering hope remained, as Ubisoft promised that they were still tweaking the controls.

As launch day drew near, reports of a near-final build came out, and the press renewed my hope that Red Steel would be a worthwhile purchase. Ubisoft had indeed re-worked the control scheme, to better represent sword movement and to offer three levels of aim sensetivity. I promptly put the $5 deposit back down to own the game at launch.

Now that I own the game and am playing through it, I am happy to report that I feel my hope was justified. I know that some members of the media have continued to decry this game as 'broken' and 'unfinished', but I just cannot agree. Even some of my friends, who tried the game out without a purchase, told me they were disappointed, but I have truly found it enjoyable, engaging and well-designed, for the most part.

Here is the breakdown:

1. Style - Red Steel is oozing style. The visual presentation of the game, from the menus to the in-game graphics, speak Japanese Action Movie. Ubisoft stated early on that they would set out to make this game from the viewpoint of the "Gaijin", the outsider, as they view Japanese culture, and I think they have succeeded. The whole concept of the Yakuza is foreign to us Westerners, and this is well illustrated by the story. Although there isn't tremendous depth in the plot or the characters, this is an action game, not an RPG, so I have no complaints. The greatest use of style, I think, is in the environments. While not the most interactive or destructible, many of the areas you encounter are beautifully designed and make excellent use of lighting, texture and color.

2. Play - Though there have been gripes about the control scheme in Red Steel, I have to give Ubisoft props; they took a huge risk and developed an original game for Wii launch, using a control scheme that is new and untested by the masses. That is no small feat, and the benefits are already evident, as they are releasing their second Wii FPS this week, Far Cry: Vengeance. Early reports are that Vengeance improves dramatically on Red Steel's controls, so as an excersize in development, Red Steel is already a success. Most players will need a few minutes playtime to get adjusted to Red Steel's controls. Sometimes the aim will go a bit buggy, and your character will spin in place if you accidentally aim off screen. This is an oversight, but not so vast that it detracts from the game experience. Aside from this, I find the FPS control to be very responsive and sensetive. The sword control, however, needs a bit more work. When fighting a Yakuza, I have no trouble at all parrying attacks with my short sword (unlike many members of the press, apparently), but I did have trouble early on with the long sword. I did check out an option to change the sword control from long strokes to short ones, and I have done much better since.

3. Versus - On Thanksgiving I had the chance to try 4 player versus out, as my brother had brought two more Wiimote/Nunchuck combos with him. The verdict was a bit divided, as the other guys playing had never laid hands on Red Steel before. Some were aiming wildly all over the place, others were struggling with strafing and turning. We played several matches, and when everyone was finally getting used to the control, it started to get fun. I read one comment in a review that the multiplayer is reminiscent of Goldeneye 64, and I have to agree, except without the bad framerate, and no bots. There are fun character choices, decent level design and just overall mayhem. The thing that stands out the most to me is "Killer" mode. This is the unique mode in Red Steel where your remote rings like a phone and you receive a unique objective. I didn't know that everyone's remote would ring, and that it would continue several times throughout the match! This makes for a pretty cool new way to play, although I think it does need some work.

So, there you have it; Red Steel isn't my favorite game on Wii, but I still recommend it to anyone who wants a decent FPS with a fun multiplayer mode. Controls are somewhat on the rough side, but I can forgive that in a first-gen launch title. I think FPS will only get better from here on out...

Exciting

2006-11-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

While there seem to be a number of titles for Wii that have received justifiably poor reviews at launch, there are several that have been panned by some critics, but given decent scores by others. Following are my thoughts and impressions concerning one such title, Excite Truck from Nintendo.

Excite Truck was one of three titles I picked up at launch, and while it hasn't sucked away so much of my life as Zelda, it has logged a pretty decent amount of time in the glowing blue slot... First off, let me state that I am not a huge racing title fan, or at least, not a fan of racing sims, such as Gran Turismo or Forza. I prefer arcade racers, if any, and am definitely partial to games like Mario Kart, F-Zero and Burnout.

And I guess that is why I find Excite Truck to be such a fun title! Really, it takes some of the best elements of those titles and blends them into an adrenaline-pumping, gotta-get-an-"S"-on-this-track, how-many-trucks-can-I-unlock? package. Here are the highlights, in bullet-point form:

- Tracks: There are only five or six locales in Excite Truck, but each is unique and well-designed. Not only that, but there are multiple course variants in each locale. I am not finished with the whole game yet, but I have unlocked 15 tracks in Excite mode, and there another 5 available in Super Excite mode, not to mention the Mirror Mode flipped tracks that become available when you score an "S" ranking on all tracks (That's 40 tracks, if you count the reverse tracks).

- Trucks: The variety of vehicles is quite decent, for an arcade racer. The trucks and buggies available are un-licensed clones of very recognizable cars, from the Dodge Ram to a Hummer (no, not an H2 or H3-a REAL Hummer), and they all have differing driving characteristics, including speed, boost, grip and acceleration. When all are unlocked, you get something like 20 trucks, including, I have read, a monster truck that becomes unlocked after all paint jobs are unlocked for the previous 19! Which brings me to the paint jobs! I was content with the prospect of earning 19 trucks when I saw the silhouetted shapes on the selection screen, but after playing a while, I managed to earn an "S" ranking three times with the first truck, and was rewarded with an alternate paint job, complete with striping, some sponsorship decals and extra crash bars and lights. Very slick! In addition, a third paint option becomes available after 10 races are won with any truck...

- Tricks: Boost is the name of the game. You can hold down the D-Pad to boost, but if you press it too long, the temperature gauge on your screen hits the red zone and your truck will overheat. Thus, keeping the boost going without over-doing it is critical. In addition, you can earn boost by performing various tricks, such as Turbo Jumping by tapping boost right after you leave a ramp. Tricks also earn you stars, by which your race performance is ranked. Drifting around a turn, for example, gets you stars, and the longer you drift, the more stars you get, maxing out at 5. The same is true for big air, jumping through rings, dodging trees at high speed, etc. In fact, if you race well, it's possible to earn a high ranking without winning the race! Many critics have called this trick system "tacked on", I think largely because the only air trick is a 360 or 720 degree spin, but I disagree. When you play Excite Truck, you find yourself constantly trying to get 5 star awards, because it's all about your ranking.

So that is the bulk of the game. There is also a Challenge Mode for single player, which offers three challenges on two tracks each. They are Ring Mode, Gate Mode and Crush (my favorite), and my only gripe is that none of these are available in Versus (PLEASE add this, Nintendo!). The games' graphics are actually quite good, although I haven't played it in 480p yet, and the control, once you get used to it, is very responsive and tight. Add to all of that the custom soundtrack option (with an SD card inserted) and I really think Excite Truck is one kickin' racer.

Now if only we had online...

Zelda Awesomeness

2006-11-27T08:55:00.000-08:00

Let's get one thing straight; I am definitely biased. I have owned virtually every Nintendo system ever made (with the exception of Virtual Boy - get it?) and am absolutely partial to the Big N's games and hardware.

Okay, now that we've established that, let me say this:

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS IS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED!!!!!!!!1

Yeah. 15 hours in, only two dungeons finished (out of 9) and no time spent on side quests, and I can say with complete veracity that I've never played better. Every aspect, from control to character development, has me mesmerized. True, the visuals aren't completely "Next Gen", but that takes nothing away from the amazement that this game produces.

I would say that, aside from the phenomal new control mechanics (sniping enemies with the bow is sheer bliss) and the excellent level design, Twilight Princess ups the ante over previous Zelda titles with its epic and immersive storyline. I remember being moved by Ocarina of Time and shocked by Wind Waker, but Twilight Princess brings a new level of emotional connection to the characters, in part due to better animations and facial expressions.

So, congratulations, Nintendo, Miyamoto and Aonuma; you have succeeded. You have built the greatest Zelda game ever, and possibly the best video game ever.

Turkey Day Shenanigans

2006-11-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

So, like many of you out there, I picked up a Wii on the 19th, and I've truly been blown away. My own expectations were quite high, being the rabid fanboy I am, but Nintendo has outdone themselves once again.

But more on that later...

Thursday, we had about 30 people in our home for Thanksgiving Day Dinner, including some of my family, some of my wife's family and a few friends. The age range spanned between 2 years and 65 years. There were only 4 self-proclaimed gamers present, including my brother and two cousins, and there were more women present than men...

I set the Wii up in the main living room after a while, knowing it would draw some people to it. After all, in the few days I had owned it, my wife had already played some baseball and tennis, without being dragged into it! Both of my boys had taken to Excite Truck and Wii Sports Baseball, and my brother reported that both of our sisters and our niece had all been asking to play as well (he picked up a unit on launch day, too).

I was totally unprepared for just how big a hit the Wii was going to be, however, as we started up with Wii Sports Tennis. At first we had the usual suspects trying it out, including the core gamers and a few casual or non-gamers. But after we started bowling, everyone got involved. In a short time, my own father in law (not a gamer, pictured below) was throwing strikes and spares, and soon afterward, my wifes uncle, a self-professed ANTI-gamer, was rallying at tennis! I couldn't believe my eyes.

True, neither of these older guys is likely to go out and drop $250 on a system. But to have the entire family playing together was truly a testament to Nintendo's strategy with Wii. And, I did receive one check that day, from a couple of friends who haven't played games in over a decade, to go and purchase a Wii for them as soon as possible.

Blue Ocean!

TEH AWESOME!

2006-10-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

First off, sorry for the long delay between posts... I guess frequent blogging just ain't my forte!

Last night two friends of mine and I hopped into the bat-cruiser and hit the freeways to make our pilgrimage to San Diego, where we attended the latest stop on the Nintendo Fusion Tour! Needless to say, we were there for one reason, and one reason alone - THE SLEEPING! I kid, I kid! We were there for Wii, of course (yes, I avoided a terrible pun...must be losing my touch)!

We arrived later than I planned, about 5:30 pm, and I was concerned, as there was a block-long line outside the venue, a little rock club named SOMA. But apparently my concern was unfounded; about ten minutes after we got in line, everyone began filing forward and into the theater, where we were told to go straight ahead for the bands, or down a hall to the right for Wii games (no DS kiosks were set up at this stop - apparently not enough level floorspace). My buddies and I stopped first at a counter where we could enter a raffle for a signed DS Lite, grabbed some minor swag (guitar picks, mini-buttons and a keychain) and made a beeline for the Wii room.
The room was basically a gutted movie theater room with five Wii kiosks at the front end, and the lines had already begun to form at each station. The games on display were the same bunch almost every Fusion Tour report has mentioned; Wii Sports Tennis, Wario Ware Smooth Moves, Wii Play Shooting Demo, Excite Truck and Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I had already made up my mind that if the line looked reasonable in length, I would head straight for Zelda, and so I did.

I must say that I'm so glad I made that decision; even though I was privileged enough to play Twilight Princess on Gamecube two E3's ago, trying it out with the Wiimote and nunchuck is an incomparable experience. I'll write up my full impressions and a few noteworthy details in my next post.

I only had to wait about an hour to play Zelda, and the bands, which had been playing in an adjacent room (we could see and hear them through a glass-less window between the rooms), had progressed up to the second to last act, Relient K. I happen to like them a lot, so I sort of paid half-attention to them and half to the rest of the Wii games in the room.

The lines were still present, but those for the Wario Ware and Wii Play kiosks were shortest, so we got in the queue for those. I chose Wario Ware, shedding a tear for my lost opportunity to try Excite Truck (looks outstanding, by the way), and soon enough got a shot at the zany micro-game title. The game is great fun, as are all of the Wario Ware titles, and I really got into the creative ways they used the Wiimote. One of my buddies pointed out, however, that the game did seem to lack a bit of polish; some games used the rumble, while others did not, and it didn't make much sense to us that the feature was missing in some places. Hopefully Nintendo will iron this out before the game launches in the Spring.

By this time, Relient K was winding down their final song, and we knew that the Fusion Tour staff had instructions to shut down the Wii kiosks before the headlining band, Hawthorne Heights, came on, so we called it a night. Driving back home to the desert, all three of us wore smiles of contentment on our faces, knowing that we were among the few fortunate souls to have tried Wii out before its launch.

Winging It

2006-09-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, you may not be into handheld gaming; heck, you may despise all Gameboys, NeoGeo Pockets, Gamegears, etc. But the truth of it is, if you haven't given the Nintendo DS a try, you are seriously missing out. I know some of you are die-hard PC gamers, and the mere thought of purchasing a console, let alone a handheld system, makes your spine shake like a suspension bridge in a 7.5 quake, but you are mistaken, my friends!

Since jumping on the DS bandwagon (right at launch, of course), I have had nothing but pleasant, enjoyable and often addictive gaming experiences with it. I am pleased to say that the latest outing, Starfox Command, is no exception!

I picked up the latest installment in the canine-goes-dogfighting (get it?) series last week, and I have had little time or mind for anything since! The controls take a moment of getting used to, as you can only use the stylus for your flight control, but after a brief adjustment period, I found myself very much hooked. The game is all air combat, which remedies the flaws of the last two Starfox titles on Gamecube, and there is a new turn-based strategy element that breathes new life into the game. This, combined with great visuals, excellent control, a plethora of pinatas (characters) to unlock and play as and both local and online wifi multiplayer make this a MUST HAVE! If you have a DS, go get it (and I'll look forward to shooting you down on WiFi Connection), and if you don't, you should be shot.

Well, at least bludgeoned.

Time to try again

2006-09-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Okay gang, sorry it's been soooooo long! Now I'm done with school (yay!) and starting a new job soon (also yay!), so hopefully we can keep this thing going...

Keep your eyes and ears peeled (and unplugged?) for plenty of gaming news here in the next few days and weeks; there's tons of stuff about to break all over the web, and I'll be linking to it and offering my thoughts, as usual!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

2006-06-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

I found these bad boys (and girl) at the LEGO store in the Glendale Galleria mall on Sunday as we drove home from Santa Barbara. Couldn't resist... If only the Dark Knight had been available as well!

2006-06-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

More fun stuff

2006-06-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, one of my other great passions is Lego building sets. Especially Star Wars (and now, Batman) sets. Well, I couldn't resist posting this picture, as this set was just announced...

SHINY... SO SHINY...

2006-06-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Can't...stop...looking...at it!

Okay, I know everyone and their mom has already posted pictures of their precious DS Lites all over the intraweb, but I couldn't resist... I picked this baby up, pre-paid, at my own Game Crazy store last night just before closing. I must say, the pictures and descriptions don't do it justice. The Lite is so much slicker and sexier than the "Phat" DS, and the difference in weight, size and screen brightness is just INSANE! My poor Mario Kart Red DS will now be relegated to Nintendogs sessions for Hayden and Sudoku for my wife... until I get a Lite for them!

Notice some of the nicer details; the AC adaptor is grey, not black, so easily distinguished from older adaptors. White would have been nice, but oh well...
Extra white stylus is included, just like an extra grey stylus was included with previous DS models. The packaging itself is just great; very Apple, as many have noted.

Alright, enough posting... time to play!

Cubetoons

2006-05-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS SITE! I've added it to the list on the right, as you can see. I guess JKR began creating these great comics about the staff at IGN, my favorite gaming site, and I just can't get enough of them! Anyway, there it is.

Alright, here we go...

2006-05-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! I finished a 10 week stint this past Saturday night of homework and study, and I have this week-long breather now before my next class session. The downside? I have to start studying my butt off again in a few days. The upside? Five more weeks of that and I'll be a degree-carrying graphic artist!

So, my hope is that I can do a bit more regular updating here since I have some time this week...

Let's hope!

Zelda Video Goodness

2006-05-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't had much time to post stuff lately, so I'm slipping this one in to tide you over...

If you haven't seen any of the great videos for Zelda: Twilight Princess as played on Nintendo Wii, you need to. NOW! So here's one for your viewing pleasure!

The party's over

2006-05-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

Another E3 has come and gone, and I personally am still atwitter about all the amazing news that has come out of this show. I'm more than ever looking forward to Wii and all it has to offer in the way of fresh gaming experiences, as well as some great follow ups to classic franchises. It sounds like Sony and Microsoft had some great offerings as well, but I really think Nintendo stands a chance at taking back their crown, so long owned by Sony...

I guess one picture can sum up what I am most excited about now that the show is over:

LONG LIVE NINTENDO!

Soon... very soon...

2006-05-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

As I type this, we are a mere 23 hours or so away from total disclosure on the (gaming) secret of the decade... At 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, Nintendo will hold its annual pre-E3 press conference and undoubtedly stun even the most fanatical with their announcements and video footage of its "New Generation" home console, Wii.

Already, the hype machine is working at full-capacity;

1. Time magazine has run a preview article, in which the author recounts his visit to Nintendo's world headquarters in Kyoto, Japan and test drives the Wii controller in WarioWare, Zelda and a previously unannounced Tennis game.
2. Ubisoft let loose the first volley weeks ago with screens and an in depth look at their premier Wii title, Red Steel (Stiil?).
3. Activision has already officially announced the development of a unique version of Tony Hawk: Downhill Jam and Call Of Duty 3 for Wii. They reportedly have one other title in development (Spiderman 3?) for the platform.
4. EA added fuel to the fire with the announcement of a completely new version of Madden tailored specifically to the Wii's unique controller, including over the shoulder passing motions and nunchaku juking. Furthermore, the publishing giant has opened a new studio in Canada dedicated purely to the development of Wii titles!
5. Other confirmed third party developers include Sega, Konami, THQ, Atlus and Bandai, each with unique Wii versions of software or completely exclusive franchises for the system, including Super Monkey Ball, Trauma Center and Dragonball Z Tenkaichi 2.
6. Finally, the big N themselves have, of course, many tricks up their sleeve. Titles that they have mentioned include:
- A Mario Title
- A Zelda Title (not Twilight Princess)
- A Donkey Kong title
- Pikmin
- Battalion Wars
- An un-named racing title
- An un-named flight title
- An un-named Tennis game (mentioned by Time magazine)
- Wario Ware

While I'm sure I've left some stuff out, this makes for a very impressive showing, even if not all of these are playable at the big show! You'd better believe that I will be glued to the intraweb tomorrow morning and most of the week!

But I was going to Tashi station...

2006-05-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

I absolutely loved the first Lego Star Wars: The Video Game! As many of you know, I am an avid collector of the toys, not merely because they are Star Wars but moreso because they are Lego; my collection ranges in the 10,000's of pieces and while I don't own every set out there, the assortment is pretty impressive.

Needless to say, I'm excited about this:

Yeah. Coming this fall... Preorder, anyone?

MAY AND JUNE!

2006-05-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Wow... so much to look forward to for us gamers!

Nintendo announced today that it's ultra-cool looking DS Lite would hit American shores June 11th at a base price of $129.99. Of course, I've already slapped down my $50 for a pre-order at work, so it's a given that I will be the first on my block to own one...

And how could I resist? Being an admitted Nintendo fanboy and lover of all things Apple, any piece of video game hardware wrapped in gorgeous shiny white plastic is catnip to me...

Before that, however, comes New Super Mario Bros. on the DS, and I'm guessing I'll be playing through at least 60 of the 80 levels on my new ipod-esque handheld system when it arrives.

So, to recap:

Tuesday, May 10th, 9:30 am PST - Nintendo Pre-E3 Press Conference (all the Wii details)
Sunday, May 15th - New Super Mario Bros. arrives
Sunday, June 11th - DS Lite arrives

If Wii could alter reality...

2006-05-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the pun... I couldn't resist!

Game Daily has an interesting article about "augmented reality", which is a crazy kind of virtual reality technology in use by the auto industry as well as city planning and other high end stuff. Check out the video if you go there... the possibilities are amazing, and if Nintendo does indeed plan on something of this kind it could be so far beyond what any of us had thought.

Augmented Reality

Oh yeah, funny stuff!

2006-05-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

Joystiq posted a link to something hilarious: a Castlevania random subtitle generator... Just click the link to the right!

Now if only naming kids was this easy... (no, that's not a hint).

Castlevania Random Namer

E3 Expectations

2006-05-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Being a video game industry professional, I was privileged enough to attend E3 last year. It was a great experience, and a very eye-opening one at that; the sheer mass of the crowd attending was quite overwhelming for me, and the cacaphony of lights, sounds and game demos kept my brain at near-overload most of my day there.

A highlight of the entire experience was, of course, waiting in an hour-and-a-half long line with my two staff members to play the single most amazing game demo I've ever enjoyed; the Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Seriously, we stood in that insanely long line, rubbing elbows with fellow Nintendo fans and playing DS demo games, all the while eagerly anticipating what would be a very satisfying gamers' experience. I can safely say that the four small samples of the game that we tried when we reached the end of that line were more enjoyable and impressive than most of the finished games I have purchased or played this entire past year (maybe even few years!).

All of this to say, while I won't be in physical attendance at the event this year (darn VIP passes), I do have some very eager expectations:

1. Nintendo Wii - like the name or not, this system promises to blow us all away at the show. I have been a strong believer in Nintendo's Revolution from the day it was unveiled, and I am confident that Iwata and co. are not going to fail us here. BRING ON THE GAMES!

2. Nintendo DS - new titles like Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and New Super Mario Bros. will surely keep the lines at the DS kiosks long and busy, but I am curious what interesting third party offerings will be shown. Nintendo has showcased the system's unique capabilities in the past year, but I really think many third parties are starting to "get it" too... This is a promising precedent for Wii as well...

3. Zelda: Twilight Princess - I am literally frothing at the mouth for this game *wipes drool away from chin*; ever since I tasted that small sampling last May, I have longed for more, and I believe that Nintendo will deliver, if only in the form of video for us non-attendees, this year.

4. Metroid Prime 3 - Again with the froth... if this game plays anywhere near like I think it will, I expect to be floored. Quite possibly my favorite game series ever, I love both Metroid Prime games on Cube as well as Hunters on DS, and Prime 3, with 1.5 to 2 times the graphics power of the Cube versions, could very well leave me catatonic.

In any event, if you cannot reach me next week, or if you see me wandering some street with a zombified expression, you'll know why - E3 Fever will have struck!

So it begins...

2006-05-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

I had a blog once... ONCE!

Oh, wait, this is the second one...

Welcome one and all to my blog! Here I'll be sharing my thoughts on whatever; of course, some of my favorite subjects will dominate the posts, including Nintendo, Music, Movies and Batman (what else?). I will also comment occasionally on world issues, politics and other more serious fare.

Please feel free to respond to my posts, send me an e-mail or just scream at the top of your lungs while standing on one foot outside a Tibetan monestary... uh, not sure how that relates.