Monday, May 31, 2010

Sonic Colors leaked info

Written by pikaby


You get the feeling that some degree of hype is building up for Sonic when info is leaked from the latest magazine. In this case, a rumor is going around that Sonic Colors info was leaked from the latest Nintendo Power. Are people actually getting excited for it now?

- Sweet Mountain zone and Tropical Reservoir zone featured
- Sweet Mountain - mountain of pastries
- 3D sections focus more on running from A to B, much like the daytime stages of Unleashed
- 2D sections feature more platforming
- DS version is much like Sonic Rush series, complete with a tension guage
- Tails is in the story mode, but not playable there
- story is simple, light, and goofy
- Knuckles and Shadow may also make an appearance
- Eggmanland returns as well
- a level with giant cheeseburgers, and you also bounce off of Jello

Sourced from GoNintendo.
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I got And Kensaku

Written by pikaby


That weird little partnership game between Google and Nintendo? I got it! Above is my first gameplay video showing the basics of the game, choose the terms that have the higher number of hits to win! It's not always this shallow though: there are 14 games to play, some can be done with friends, and if you have Japanese-speaking friends with you this could be a great other way to spend an afternoon's time going nuts. I've yet to play all 14, but from what I've seen it's definitely not as shallow as one might think upon first impression.

And the search terms and hits aren't set in stone- you can update them with Wi-fi and download new questions too! Quiz games take notice.
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Who's car is this?

Written by pikaby


GRSOFWAR? Doesn't belong to the producer of Gears of War, sadly. Sourced from Kotaku.
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Molester lured Boys with Nintendo Wii

Written by pikaby

Sex offenders have come a long way from using candy to lure children to them, eh?

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Sunday, May 30, 2010

pikaby's Flipnote Feature! - May 30, 2010

Written by pikaby

And here we are again! I found a lot of bright new Flipnote-making talent this week. No star beggars and lame spin-offs guaranteed! Which flips will I be showing today?

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Sega plans to invest in 3DS, more info

Written by pikaby

First the announcement of Sonic Colors for all the Nintendo consoles. And then Sega went ahead and pledged support for 3DS. From what I've heard, many insiders at dev houses have already seen and tried out the new machine, and are very positive about it. The Pokemon Company is getting a 3DS game.....even more reason to get excited about E3. But enough about that. It came from a list of information pieces from Sega's Naoya Tsurumi (pulled from GoNintendo.com)

- Wii and DS versions of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games shipped 6.53 million units worldwide
- SEGA was hoping for 7 million units
- sales were lower-than-expected in NA
- SEGA feels that Hollywood-style, big-budget games do well in NA
- "We won't be focusing just on this market, but we are developing this type of title."
- "I believe 3D will become a big wave. The Nintendo 3DS is a landmark hardware. We'd like to invest heavily in it."
- SEGA also plans to support 3D on consoles
- plans of releasing 12 to 15 titles this fiscal year, including new IPs
- SEGA is working on a game conversion of the anime Keion, but no platforms were announced
- "No comment on that." was said when asked about more Mario and Sonic Olympic titles
- SEGA will be focusing on downloadable games as well, including Virtual Console-style releases of past titles as well games developed from scratch
- "Just so there's no mistake, our core is in package games. This is an area that's packed with high-end technology and knowhow. We cannot lose that strength. I don't believe we can do away with that and focus on titles with simple technology."

What? I didn't expect the Wii and DS versions of that Olympic games thing to ship so many units. Come on Sega, be proud of yourself for once. Or were you a bit overambitious in thinking a Mario vs. Sonic game would sell like crazy? Especially after Smash Bros. Seems like the Olympic trend might just continue into Nintendo's next cycle of consoles.

Downloadable games are always nice, and 12 to 15 new games can't be bad. Unless half of them are Sonic (hopefully not). I know two of them are Okamiden and Ghost Trick, and a third being Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the high-def consoles. Good to see Sega still chugging it out, eh?
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Saturday, May 29, 2010

My Impressions of Super Mario Galaxy 2

Written by toadster101

There are some games that simply need no introduction. This is one of them.


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Why there weren't any blogs on May 27 and 28

Written by pikaby

Hey, I'm the main blog writer in these parts and I guess all of you deserve some sort of explanation. It's real-life taking it's admittedly more important toll on my cyber life. I was out of state for a university admission interview. I might be going into the course I want too.

Oh, and before you ask it went pretty well, and now I'm back and ready to work online again! For another few months, hopefully.

Want to see pictures of my stuff I bought during the day trip? Check this out.
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de Blob 2 Scans

Written by pikaby

Scan from Nintendo Power, sourced from GoNintendo.com. Looking bright and radical as usual, but hopefully the borked controls get a much needed fixing. It's not de Blob 2 though, its official name is de Blob: The Underground. Check out the story snippet in the scan. Mario Sunshine much?
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And Kensaku released?

Written by pikaby

I didn't know. Then this box grabbed my attention (I wasn't allowed to take photos there, so this stock photo will have to do) because of the large cute blue face (as always is the case with me), and I read the fine print. And-Kensaku. Holy crap. I missed its release date by a whole month too. It was out on April 29th and I lost track of it in all the excitement of new Pokemon and Mario Galaxy 2.

I haven't bought it yet, but I might because I've wanted to give this Nintendo-Google partnership game a try. It might not increase my prowess at searching for stuff, but at least I have an excuse to use my Miis again after Wii Sports Resort and Tomodachi Collection. Yeah, maybe I'll get this.

Oh, the blue face belongs to mister-obligatory-cute-mascot of And-Kensaku(bottom left corner of the box), to ease in non-gamers and all the cute-loving people of Japan into this game. I'm about as gullible as them.
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Pokemon 5th Gen: Reshiram and Zekrom

Written by pikaby

The two flagships of Pokemon Gen 5 was revealed simultaneously on BOTH Pokemon of Japan and in the US as well. Details? Read on.

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Friday, May 28, 2010

NIntendo Power reveals Sonic Colors

Written by pikaby


Another new Sonic game and it's on both Wii and DS? It makes the same promise as the WiiWare-bound Sonic the Hedgehog 4, to 'return to Sonic's roots', but so far I don't know anything about it yet aside from this lavish opening shot.

It looks promising, but I'm not holding my breath yet.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Phoenix Wright 1's Final Episode available now as WiiWare DLC

Written by pikaby

OBJECTION!

Why is the fifth case separate from the rest of Phoenix Wright 1, and not as part of the package? I call ripoff!

Ah, but remember, the original version on GBA (Gyakuten Saiban) didn't have five cases in it, but ended on the fourth one. The final case is exclusive to the DS remake and is now being brought to Wiiware for a mere 100 extra points. Considering this particular case is a long, meandering conspiracy, it's well worth those points. The final case is called 'Rise From The Ashes'. It's a real fan favorite.

But strange, I had the impression that the final case was released long ago in tandem with Phoenix Wright 1 on WiiWare. Guess I was mistaken.
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Six minutes of Xenoblade

Written by pikaby


First full-length trailer for Xenoblade, coming to the Wii whenever I don't know. I'm actually more interested in The Last Story, though having a swordy, slashy game like this wouldn't hurt (the last game of this ilk I played was Dragon Quest Swords....ack, why did I bring that up again). It's not bad, but the graphics could have been better. Xenoblade devs could learn a thing or two from Tokyo EAD (Mario Galaxy 2) and Capcom (Monster Hunter Tri). Hey, Xenoblade's a big budget game, technically they could do better graphics than this.
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Super Mario Galaxy 2 soundtrack CD to be available on Club Nintendo

Written by pikaby

Man are those discs beautiful...and proves again that everything in Galaxy 2 is even more fun, bright and happy than the dark-o-colors of Galaxy 1,everything from the boxart to the game itself to even the discs for the official soundtrack.

And proves that the guy who uploaded the Galaxy 2 soundtrack to Youtube is not the composer himself, as the covers are different. The poser got the Yoshi part right, but anyone could've guessed that, I'm sure. The real deal is infinitely more elegant, but still you can't argue with the music.


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Super Mario Bros. League of Extraordinary Heroes- Chapter 2

I'm counting the prologue out of this, so number 3 is technically 2. Credits to fellow member Daisyfan for the fanfic!

Chapter 3: Castle in waste

Peach looked downward, her castle consumed with flames. She thought about all the lives that were likely lost. She looked over at Mario “Mario, what are we to do, my castle. . .” Peach started to tear up. Mario looked into Peach’s eyes “I have faith in our comrades, faith in Luigi, faith in Daisy. All cannot be lost.” As they finally landed on the ground Peach ran towards her castle, Mario tried to stop her but knew it was useless; she needed to see for herself. As she came closer she noticed something to the side of her. She turned around to see Toadsworth, Toadette, and dozens of other toads. “Peach, the castle was completely evacuated, but. . .”. “But what, what do you mean?” Peach replied. “The last time I saw Daisy and Luigi, they were in the castle milady. I’m not certain if they survived.” Toadsworth broke his stare at Peach.

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Why Ranger 3's Multiplayer will Kick Your Butt

Written by pikaby

It's in Japanese, but usually when Pokemon Ranger is the subject, people automatically file any achievements under 'meh' and turn off the DS, seeing as both of its previous incarnations were less than challenging. But the multiplayer mode in Pokemon Ranger 3 changes all of that. For all future reference before the US release and to clear this up once and for all, I'll show you why this specific multiplayer mode is unlike those in any Pokemon game ever. And why the above screenshot is worth fawning over.

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1-up Mushroom Lightbulb Flame

Written by pikaby


This was taken by photographer John Beard and this particular one is pretty popular around the net. This guy breaks lightbulbs and burns the filament inside to take some beautiful pictures. Believe it or not, that's a green flame around the flickering yellow. You can tell the eyes and spots were Photoshopped in though- that's far too outrageous to be true. If it was then....
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Girl gets free DS from Nintendo Part 2

Written by pikaby


It's in the local news and it's confirmed to be true- little miss Helen got her wish from NoAu and received a free DS in the mail. And naturally together with this comes a warning to all future potential freeloaders who want free DSes from Nintendo.

"Nintendo always calls the school, hospital, retirement home, or whatever it may be to ensure the letter is legitimate," Nintendo Australia's PR rep Heather Murphy told News. "In this particular case, Nintendo called the school and spoke to the school principal."

After a little chat with the principal, NoAu sent her a DS and a game suitable for children's play. I bet it wasn't Brain Age or New Super Mario Bros or *shock* Imagine: Babiez (urgh).

Murphy, in response to the giveaway, said: "Nintendo does not routinely give away products in response to letters. From time to time, we may donate product to schools, hospitals or retirement villages".

So put your pens away, Nintendo's not going to give you anything for free unless it's Photo Dojo.
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WarioWare DIY: Nintendo Power

Written by pikaby



Is it safe to say now that Nintendo have run out of developers to feature microgames online? Two weeks ago we had Gary and Alison's microgames from their stint on Nintendo Week(which is nice), and now they turn to their official magazine, Nintendo Power, for content. This microgame called Funky Boxing, is a Punch-Out-esque game made by said magazine's chief editor, Chris Slate. Punch when the opponent has his guard down, three times. Magnificent sprite work there.
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Monday, May 24, 2010

Monster Hunter Tri Review




Written by PF
And the Monster Hunter series comes to the Wii for the first time! As the third console game in the series, is the third time always the charm? Here's our review.

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Monster Hunter Tri- Bnahabra

Written by pikaby

Gee, their name sure is hard to spell. And harder to pronounce. Bnahabra are the annoying insect things you'll see in Monster Hunter Tri that will continue to bug you from early in the game onwards. And I've recently uncovered something pretty interesting about them. Now to mess around with their design.

No difference, right? Bnahabra looks like a sleeker version of the Virtual Boy. I always knew the Virtual Boy will have some sort of usefulness down the line.
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Girl gets free DS from Nintendo by doing her homework

Written by pikaby


And the WTF gaming news of the week is....

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

pikaby's Flipnote Feature! - May 23, 2010

Written by pikaby


Well hello again! Due to how busy I was I could only compile two good flipnotes this week, but I'll be back for more next week after I've finished my own DSiWare games! So, which pair of flipnotes am I featuring today?


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Mario Galaxy 241th star

Written by pikaby

WHAT?! Completed 100%, even BEFORE the official game release? Some people are completely out of whack. Anyway, since today's THE day for Mario Galaxy 2's release in stores officially, why not treat your eyes to the biggest spoiler of the game? Hah, maybe not. But just try and see if curiosity can overpower you.

Note: I didn't watch the video. Too much for me to handle.

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Miyamoto keeps Mario from being too childish

Written by pikaby

"Unless you're careful, there's a tendency for games like Mario that can be played by children to gradually become childish. Those making the game tend to unconsciously make them that way. Taking how Mario's line can be scripted as an example, they even propose to write, 'Where'd my mommy go?' When someone in their fifties like me hears their player-character speak childishly like that, it doesn't quite sit right. After all, Mario wasn't a game only for children in the first place. As I make a game, I try to keep in mind that guys in their fifties will play it, too." - Shigeru Miyamoto

Mario, childish? I don't think so, though there is some sort of perception that all Nintendo games with colorful graphics and cute characters are for children. You can blame the 'mature' people online in Halo 3 and Modern Warfare 2(note: 'mature' people who play those games that are under the age of 15). Hey, Nintendo has always been family-friendly.

As for 'where'd my mommy go?' it'd sound deeply wrong for Mario to say it, but if it was a Luma, that's just perfectly understandable. It's not childish.
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A Tale of Two Magazines

Written by pikaby

I still buy gaming magazines regularly, they're great fun to read, and contains lots of content that sometimes can be hard to find on the Net. I always have a choice of two while browsing at the bookstore, but only walk away with one. They're both British magazines, they're both about games, and they're by the same company, Future Publishing(my all time favorite magazines publisher right now).

One is NGamer magazine, dedicated to Nintendo, and the other is EDGE magazine, which covers all formats.

You'd think it's unfair to compare a Nintendo-specific mag to one that encompasses all forms of console gaming, but that isn't the point here. I'm talking about which magazine is the better read, and which has the better value for money.

EDGE is usually unwrapped by the time it hits my bookstores, and NGamer is tightly bound in two layers of plastic bags(because they have monthly free gifts in each bag), but I still buy NGamer over EDGE every time. It's not because of my inherent interest in Nintendo games though. Read both magazines and even you can tell the difference between the two.

NGamer is more lighthearted and full of inside jokes, and the loony bunch of editors just keep on adding to the pile and keep on entertaining. In particular is that guy, Matthew Castle, who's always at the butt end of jokes and humor, references in the magazine many times. He could double as the Pokefreak of NGamer. The magazine is packed full of bright colors and pictures, and the articles witty and well-written, referencing lots of movies, literature and themselves for the sake of squeezing laughs out of every reader.

Oh, and if they get their hands on a game which allows them to add in their own pictures (Photo Dojo, WarioWare DIY, Drawn to Life, Tomodachi Collection), they're always the ones with the craziest ideas. Insofar they're the only magazine I've seen which actually made a Chuck Norris Mii and didn't use stock screenshots from the Net. And they have a strange passion for comparing Nintendo exec Reggie Fils-Aime to Chuck Norris and God.

'Reggie has never met a man whom he hasn't accidentally crushed with his Citroen Saxo-sized fists...lives in isolation in a small cave in the Nunavut region, where he sustains himself by biting the heads off seals'

You don't see that very often.

They're full of laughs. I started on them during the Mario Galaxy 1 review and they haven't got any less fun to read since.

Now on the other end lies EDGE magazine. EDGE thrives on its comprehensive articles and exclusive interviews and features, each of them longer and more complete than most of NGamer's articles. Some of the blogs about Miyamoto that I've done the past month(the one about the 'paying for online' thing and the 'having regrets every time he finishes a game' blog) came directly from EDGE Magazine's interview with the man himself. And their reviews? Some of the fairest and strictest standards any game critic has ever set.

But this comes at a price. The group of editors are like jaded vampires who are as enthusiastic about gaming as that teenage sales promoter at the fashion shop no one ever comes into.(read: extremely bored) This is most apparent in their reviews and the inbox section at the back of the magazine. It doesn't seem like any of the good or great games seem to excite them in the least, though I know they've played a lot of games. They gave Mario Galaxy 2 a perfect 10, an unprecedented score they've rarely ever doled out, but was it mentioned even once, outside the review? No, not a one. Instead they'd rather be playing all three versions of Halo all over again. And their reviews are less fun to read and contain less pictures, and even less clowning editors poking fun at themselves. It may be mature and comprehensive, but it's utterly joyless and devoid of soul or any love for gaming, something which I feel is needed if you're in this journalism line. You gotta have the love for it.

The verdict? NGamer by a mile. Still, EDGE does have one edge over NGamer:

Best magazine cover EVER. Even if it was during the Wii Music period.
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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Art Style PiCTOBITS Review

Written by pikaby


Art Style games are usually abstract takes on the puzzle genre with some abstract, fresh ideas and some quirky rules that probably won't last very long on retail against the likes of Tetris. And PiCTOBITS does resemble Tetris in some way, but the play style is completely different.

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Gamespot gives Super Mario Galaxy 2 a perfect 10

Written by pikaby

Left and right, nearly every glaze-eyed critic has been handing down a perfect score for the sequel to 2007's Game of the Year. EDGE Magazine's 10 was amazing enough. Then came the 10 from IGN. Then the near-perfect 9.7 from Gametrailers. And now, even the usually Nintendo-shafting Gamespot has handed down its verdict for Mario Galaxy 2- another perfect 10. It's a miracle. Galaxy 2 was so great as to break their trend of never awarding a single DS/Wii game with their Editor's Choice awards since Mario & Luigi 3 from last year. The perfect 10 even eclipses the score given by Gamespot to Red Dead Redemption (a 9.5), another stellar game released alongside Galaxy 2 for the PS3/X360.

Galaxy 2 earned 12, yes twelve, achievement emblems from Gamespot, including 'Outstanding Graphic Design' and 'Great Sequel' among others. What a rare feat for a Nintendo game to please even Gamespot. Or maybe they're trying to avoid another Twilight Princess-like outbreak of angry fans. Ah, who cares, everyone enjoys the game.

Read their review here.
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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 16

Written by pikaby



A month has passed, and we're at the last mini Galaxy 2 trailer before the Launch Star on the 23rd. Nintendo finishes with a bang- yet another montage with the same Galaxy 2 theme song and some more new footage for those who've been keeping up with these videos but have kept their eyes closed to other sources of potential spoilers. And after all this, I'm still excited like nuts just to be able to play Galaxy 2. Bring us the Launch Star!
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Friday, May 21, 2010

Sonic 4...Delayed!

Written by pikaby


From a summer release, Segs's moved Sonic 4 out and delayed it again, to nearly the end of the year. here was never any official release date, but if there were you can still expect to tack on another few months of waiting.

According to Sega the delay was to receive feedback from its fans and try to use their suggestions. This was written on their blog:

"For the first time ever, we've mixed internal suggestions alongside fan feedback to make some new, positive changes to the game. Yes, you just read that correctly. You're not dreaming."

I'm not sure what you mean, though. Sonic was built to run fast. It only makes sense that his games should be released fast.
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Buildings modeled after Games Consoles

Written by pikaby

Once in a while something outrageous related to games pops up. Today it's massive. Some French magazine decided to dream up what a few popular games consoles would look like as real buildings. If you were President you could probably do this. If you had billions of dollars in bribes, a penchant for games and too much free time.

That DS one loos way too precarious though. Hopefully the top screen is well supported, else it'll fall off if an ogre decides to pick it up and slot in a giant concrete-made copy of New Super Mario Bros.
The DS as made out with bricks, tiles, glass, and a D-pad shaped helipad. Smug.
Another Nintendo homage! What's in the cartridge slot?
The only one which won't have engineers up in arms when asked about structure stability. A Wii would work fine too, mind.
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

(Nearly) a Year in the Life of Animal Crossing

Written by pikaby


Animal Crossing is the pinnacle of casual gaming, and yet offers deep collecting-em-all gameplay for the more compulsive gamers. You can trash the entire town and leave it with weeds, or you can spruce it up with ten flower patches every square inch of the town (imagine how busy it must be to maintain them all). You can be friendly to your neighbors or you can make them move out. The more hours you pour into Animal Crossing, the more it rewards you.

Provided you don't get bored of it.


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Metoid Other M new cutscene

Written by pikaby

At the risk of receiving an overdose of pre-launch Galaxy 2 trailers to the point of us being sick to the core of it until the day we get the game, it's refreshing to see a new trailer for something that isn't Mario Galaxy 2, even if half of it is stuff we've all seen before. Here's the Japanese cutscene for Metroid Other M, comparing the final scene in the SNES game, Super Metroid, to the opening scene of Other M, where Mother Brain fries the Metroid carrying Samus.

Following that is new footage and *shock* Samus speaks perfect Japanese! Let's see how she handles French and Italian.


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Dragon Quest 9 hits the US this July


After many delays and securing a place in the top ten charts in Japan for ages, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is FINALLY heading State-wise. My thoughts? Dragon Quest isn't something to just pass over, I might give it a go. Even though the only DQ game I've ever played was the embarrassing Dragon Quest Swords for the Wii. Which I actually liked. Oh, shut up, I know what you're thinking.

Source
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Super Mario Bros. League of Extraordinary Heroes- Chapter 1


 With Daisyfan's permission I'll place his fanfic on the blog chapter by chapter. It's a pretty good read, so check it out if you have the time to read long paragraphs on a screen. Click 'Read more'!


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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Super Mario Galaxy 2: 6 minutes of footage

Written by pikaby



No, not a leaked gameplay vid, but from Nintendo's official site. I won't watch it(keeping my eyes closed to all Galaxy 2 spoilers until I get the game), but tell me what you think about it.
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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 15

Written by pikaby



Almost at the last one! Hang in there!

Wait, this stage...Doesn't it look a bit...familiar? Note to whoever wanted Mario 64 levels in Galaxy: Nintendo (somewhat) listened to you.
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Super Mario Galaxy 2: All Galaxies Revealed

Written by pikaby



With the date right now being so close to May 23, Mario Galaxy 2's release date looms imminent, and as May 23 arrives we'll all explodes in a shower of Star Bits and clog up all the stores to buy it, online or not. (hint: may not be as huge of a revelation as you'd think)

Since Galaxy 2's been all but completely leaked to the media, the complete list of galaxies in the game plus a few other secrets have been revealed by game guide maker Prima. Well, since this is a GoNintendo article I'll link you over there, but I'll be keeping my eyes covered as I copy and paste that list of galaxies over here...

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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 14

Written by pikaby



We're nearly at the end of the transmissions and this is number 14 out of 16! Featuring a not so peaceful Galaxy with Mario being chased by a horde of Cosmic Clones- Marios made out of Dark Matter and who also know how to spin attack.

Click our Launch Center banner on top to view all the blogs on Mario Galaxy 2 up to now!
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DSiWare is go!

Written by pikaby


I've developed a penchant for downloadable games. Also, too many gems I've missed out on DSiWare.

So I ordered a points card off eBay, the seller sent the code to me digitally, and I had 2000 points ready to use! Ha! Take that, Flipnote star scammer! (see Flipnote Feature of May 16)

I'd already planned out what I would use all those points on, so here's what I bought.

DodoGo! 800 points (finally!)

I'd been wanting this cute little egg-saving game for a while now, and I finally get to play it for real! This is the game DSiWare was made for! Aww...look at them smile.

Art Style: PiCTOBITS 500 points

Because you just can't go without at least one Art Style game. Their abstract graphical styles and even more abstract rules make this an essential purchase. (even if you chose an AS game other than PiCTOBITS). This one involves completing an 8-bit picture on the top screen by lining up tiles on the bottom.


Bird & Beans 200 points

Pyoro and Pyoro 2 from WarioWare Inc. Mega Microgame$ reincarnated for DSiWare. Arguably I love these two games, so I just had to own it for the nostalgic factor (and the fact that the DSi can't play WarioWare Inc. Mega Microgame$)


Looksley's Line Up 500 points

Rittai Kakushi e Attakoreda, the head-tracking 3D head-spinner and the most clever use of the DSi camera to date. The DSi's camera is used to simulate 3D effects, tilting it around to find hidden letters and objects. Even if the camera is a bit wonky(same problems faced by WarioWare Snapped because of the camera's quality), it's still worth it just for the innovation alone.   


I could review them in more detail later, so watch this space!

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WarioWare DIY: Nintendo Week

Written by pikaby



Watched Nintendo Week lately? Hosts Gary and Alison may not be the best actors on the planet, but they did make a clever little WarioWare DIY feature spanning two weeks of shows, which resulted in them 'graduating' from a game-making university headed by a crackpot professor, and succeeded in making their own games. I've always wondered why their games never showed up here for download by fans of the show, even if they are just simple tap microgames.


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Monday, May 17, 2010

Super Scribblenauts

Written by pikaby

Scrubblenauts 2 is out of its working title and will now be called 'Super Scribblenauts'!. There was a rumor about the name recently, when it was listed shortly on Amazon but was taken down quickly. The title was leaked out.

It's due out this fall for DS and will have the same gameplay from the original. Even the graphics are completely identical...Well, if it ain't broke...

New features include being able to modify the objects you use with adjectives, though how flexible this system is, we have yet to see. Flying bullets and bathtubs? Looks like it. Now all that's left is the borked control scheme, fix that and Super Scibblenauts should be all good.
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American Heart Association approves of Wii Fit

Written by pikaby


It's May 17 and the American Heart Association's joint announcement with Nintendo is due today. So, what's it?


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Nintendo 3DS going Widescreen

Written by pikaby

Image and new source from Kotaku.

An FCC filing submitted by Nintendo and Mitsumi, an electronics manufacturer, seems to be for the new Nintendo 3DS handheld.

That board above looks like it might just belong onto the 3DS, and though it looks like a mess right now you can see the two screens pretty clearly, though it didn't betray any secrets of how Nintendo's magic 3D effect would work out. That's the bottom screen and the top screen, the bottom one being of a regular 4:3, but the top screen is 16:9.

If this is what the 3DS would be? HD portable gaming, by Nintendo.
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Mario Galaxy 2 US commercial!

Written by pikaby


Still the same old 'lifestyle' Wii ads showing how the whole family apparently enjoys looking at one person playing Mario Galaxy(or, at a stretch, two in co-op mode). Still, much better execution than any of the Wii games' early ads(the whole house being turned into Mario Galaxy-ish planets, including the garage and obviously the living room which houses the Wii is pretty clever stuff). Twilight Princess pales in comparison, but hey, four years have passed.
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Photo Dojo Review

Written by pikaby



Photo Dojo is one of the shallowest fighting games I've ever played in my entire life. Your on-screen character can only have one punch, kick, fireball and a last-resort final move to use, and you use it to defeat on-screen enemies. In single-player mode, you beat a hundred, and the game ends. Shallow.

But saying that would be completely missing the point. Photo Dojo's real purpose is really to extract laughs out of everyone in the room as the fighter fumbles around doing his nonsense, basic attacks. And the on-screen character can be anyone. Out goes Street Fighter and Tekken, instead, you can register up to eight people or things using the DSi Camera to record poses and sounds for each fighter. In comes your granddad, Chuck Norris, Captain Falcon and yourself.  You truly have to play it just to see how hilarious it can get when you're fighting off a giant version of yourself with a 'fireball' shaped like your nan's face with all your rubbish voices. Don't forget, you provide the game with 'fighting arenas' too- all the backgrounds in the game are also taken with the camera!

It would have benefited from a little more gameplay, but then again it's not meant to have any real depth or substance in it. Photo Dojo thrives by being completely shallow and empty and you'll just be truly entertained by it until you get bored.

This has to be played with company(and probably several crates of beer) to get the full effect, and I'd say it could be the perfect ice-breaker at parties. And at the unbeatable price of absolutely free, why not give it a go? (it's worth 200 points after June 11 this year, but I'd say it's still worth it)

Score: 7.5/10
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Sunday, May 16, 2010

pikaby's Flipnote Feature! - May 16, 2010

Written by pikaby
 
And here we are again, another week's of compiled flipnotes made by great people for your entertainment! Which ones will I be featuring today?

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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 13

Written by pikaby


13 already? Man, does time fly by quickly. We're just a week shy from it's release date! Catch all the hype in our forum too if you want.

Footage of Rock Mario showing off his moves. Nothing really new, but these videos still keep me excited for some reason.
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Pokemon Black/White features slightly revamped battle system

Written by pikaby

Some of you may want to take the title for granted, since it hasn't changed from the turn based combat we all know and love, but some new things have been added in the heat of a Pokemon battle.

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Sorry!

Written by pikaby

Couldn't blog yesterday because of some family things we had to sort out, which of course, if more important than any blog I could write, right? We all have our own real-life responsibilities to take care of. Cyber-life is great, but not as great as real-life. There, I said it. But anyway...I'm back to usual today onwards. Summer's coming, and we have tons of things planned here at Nintendo 5-Star! Stay tuned!
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Friday, May 14, 2010

Japanese Weekly Sales- May 3 to May 9 2010

Written by pikaby

While PSP sales were still going strong thanks to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (I didn't blog about the sales last week, but the PSP was through the roof that time- more than 100k units!), Nintendo is fast catching up. Again. DS sales buoyed partly by the release of Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2, and the Wii still riding on New Super Mario Bros. Wii's success. I'd love to think that people are buying Wiis because Galaxy 2 is nearly out, but then I don't know if that's the case.

PSP 35,233
Wii 31,399
DSi LL 26,733
PS3 26,185
DSi 15,739
Xbox 360 4,278
DS Lite 3,921
PS2 1,491
PSP go 1,464

I won't type out the entire software list, but the top ten are still predominated by Nintendo games, which mysteriously still sell so well even after a year of being released (heads up, Wii Sports Resort, Tomodachi Collection). And something even older that still makes the top ten charts(what the F, Mario Kart Wii. What're you still doing here?)

1. Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
2. Metal Gear Solud: Peace Walker
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
4. Tomodachi Collection
5. Mario Kart Wii (what!?)
6. Wii Fit Plus
7. Super Street Fighter IV
8. Pokemon Ranger: Tracks of Light
9. Wii Sports Resort
10. Nier Replicant
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American Heart Association and Nintendo to make Joint Announcement on May 17

Written by pikaby

WHAT: The nonprofit American Heart Association is recognized as the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. Nintendo is a worldwide pioneer in interactive entertainment, known for revolutionizing the video game industry with its top-selling Wii™ system and video games such as Wii Fit™ Plus and Wii Sports Resort™. On May 17, the two organizations will make a special joint announcement.
WHO: Top executives from the American Heart Association and Nintendo of America Inc.
WHEN:
Monday, May 17, 2010
10-11:30 a.m.

Thoughts? If it's not related to the Vitality Sensor I'm eating my hat.
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Artwork/Screenshots of Pokemon Black/White

Written by pikaby

No one's waiting for CoroCoro any longer, not even the Japanese official Pokemon site. Just look at all these gorgeous shots! Attack animations look largely the same though, but the environments are given a huge facelift.

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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 12

Written by pikaby



A big blowout of Yoshi's new power. And I mean literally. It's 2D platforming on crack with Balloon Yoshi in the mix...this is one creative level design!
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DS about to become World's Best Selling Console

Written by pikaby



After many long years the PS2's sales record is about to be shattered by a console 5 times smaller and less powerful that it. Nintendo DS isn't just another games player, it's a phenomenon.

While DS sales have obviously slowed over the past few months(in Japan, at least), that doesn't stop its figures from climbing higher and higher and higher. It already bested the Game Boy's lifetime sales just a week ago, and if current trnds continue, the PS2 shall fall to the dual-screened handheld.

Not bad for a little thing like it.(stands at 129 million as of the end of March)

Oh, and DS lifetime sales are combined from all sales of the original model, the Lite, the DSi and the DSi XL. Don't try to tell me that's cheating- every other console has had at least one remake in its lifetime. Even the PS2.
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Super Mario Galaxy 2 disc

Written by pikaby


Image from Kotaku.

Game discs are becoming an art form of their own, just look at how detailed the Mario Galaxy 2 disc is! As if beating every other game in terms of quality wasn't enough, it also out-arted them on the game's disc itself. Wonder if the instruction manual is just as pretty.

Wait, what's that on Mario's face?

Mascara? Lololol.
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What if Megaman 2 had Lyrics?

Written by pikaby



Brentalfloss shows how it's done. Warning: contains epic laughter.
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E3 is in a month!

Written by pikaby

It's that time of the year again. The most exciting time in the year for gaming, always positioned strategically art the beginning of summer so we can all stay up late with our eyes all focused on the live stream...oh wait, the press conferences are in the morning? My bad, it's just my time zone making things just a little bit more inconvenient.

What do you think Nintendo will show us this E3? Zelda Wii? How about the 3DS? Imagine being able to finally see it....oh, I can't wait...and Metroid Other M too. Also there should be a few surprise games from Nintendo- what E3 has gone by without one?
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Pachter: Nintendo has nothing interesting for E3

Written by pikaby

One of the most notorious gaming analysts on the Internet gave his two cents in a Eurogamer interview on how well the three big ones would perform this E3, and as usual with this guy, predicts dark days for Nintendo.

"It really depends on this 3DS and how good it is, because I don't think Nintendo has anything else. Nintendo is on the verge of - certainly not dropping into third place or anything - losing its dominance, because I really truly believe that Sony Move is the Wii HD. I really believe it. That's been my quote: I told everyone a Wii HD was coming this year, it just happens to say PS3 on the box. It is the Wii HD"

Sony Move, succeeding the Wii in terms of motion controls, this late in the game? As people move on to the next cycle of consoles, the PS4 will most probably use its own motion control scheme, making Move more of an afterthought. And then Nintendo will pull out another big idea out of their hat waiting for Sony and co. to imitate, and the cycle just repeats itself.

"If the 3DS is anything like those little 3D point-and-click cameras, because that screen technology is pretty cool and I'm sure it is that, it will really get people excited. Question is: what does it cost? If they get $189 for a DSi XL, do they think they're going to get $300 for a 3DS? I don't know. Maybe they will, but that's a tough purchase for me. The 3DS is coming along at a really good time for them. I don't think it's good for the DSi XL. If they launch the thing [the 3DS] prior to holiday, I can't imagine why anybody would buy a DSi XL this holiday.

Longer term, Nintendo does really start to look bad as Apple really starts to push the iPod Touch as a gaming device, and that's happening this holiday. Again, the gaming press hasn't figured it out. The gaming press doesn't really understand the 12-year-old customer, nor do you guys care. Who plays DS games? Them, not us. Nintendo's got problems this year but the 3DS will make them look great at E3."

DSi XL is more of a niche product, no one expects it to sell well. Obvious much? 3DS was accidentally revealed because of the information leak, it's not like Nintendo could do anything to stop it. It was supposed to be their big E3 surprise and them somebody went and ruined it. That's why Nintendo may not have much more up their sleeve this year, because everything they want to show is already out in the open.

Wait...what am I saying? Of COURSE Nintendo has something else to show. The Vitality Sensor may just be meh, but that's just because we still don't know a single thing about it. And who's forgetting Zelda Wii, Metroid Other M, and probably a surprise game? I'm pretty sure Nintendo isn't just banking on 3DS alone, though that console and its launch games will probably eclipse everything else that's on show.

And Apple's iPod Touch being a serious gaming console? Please.
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Pokemon Black/White Starters revealed- Pt. 2

Written by pikaby

Pokebeach.com had the names for a day already, but they weren't confirmed so I didn't write them out here but now they're, so far, confirmed to be true.

The Grass starter is 'Tsutaaja', the Fire starter is 'Pokabu' and the Water starer is 'Mijumaru'. So we have a snake, a pig (why do Fire starter Pokemon get all the generic animals? Lizard, mouse, chick, monkey?), and a sea otter. I wouldn't be surprised if their US names are once again some uncreative mashups of two different words, but who knows? Wanna try guessing what they'll be called in English?

More updates from Pokebeach about the 5th Gen games.

-That picture of the Isshu region above is a shot of a city, known as Hiun City. How high-tech can you get?
-Zoroark's ability mimics its power from the movie, Illusion, which makes it take on the appearance of other Pokemon(though how this will affect its ability to fight is still unknown)
-Trickery and Claw Sharpen are two new 5th Gen attacks, presumably also from Zoroark.
-The shiny Raikou, Entei and Suicune brought over from the movies can be traded into Black/White for a chance at snagging Zoroark (Lv25). Does that mean Zoroark is an event legendary? If so damn him. There goes all similarities to Lucario.
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3DS...or Not?

Written by pikaby

With the 3DS looming right on the horizon for this year's E3, pulses are racing as we struggle to find out what the prototype casing would even look like. Let's see if any of these fan-made creations on the Net will look exactly like what Nintendo is planning.



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Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 11

Written by pikaby




Brand new footage of Mario Galaxy 2! Just five more transmissions to go and we all won't leave our houses for months after buying the game.

This one is a timed minigame like the garbage destroying game from the previous Galaxy- clear out the entire group of enemies in a set time. Not bad.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops

Written by pikaby

I wasn't expecting much out of Black Ops after Infinity Ward shattered to nought but a dead studio, but Activision is continuing development on a new CoD game. Why am I blogging about CoD when I have totally zero interest in it?

Because it surprised me that it's also coming out on the Wii alongside the PS3, X360 and PC versions...that makes all of us then. Oh come on- don't try not to be surprised- you know how the Wii always gets the shaft when it comes to games like this.

All versions will be out on November 9 this year.
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Miyamoto regrets games he does, hints at Wii Music 2

Written by pikaby

"As soon as we've finished a project, I always have regrets about what we could or should've done. But then there are these great ideas that we can utilise with future projects, one way or another. Some people might say Wii Music is a good example. It's been said that it could have sold much more than it actually has to date, but it simply means that I have some assets right now that, by tweaking something, we might be able to have great success with in future." - Shigeru Miyamoto

So he doesn't regret making all those games to melt children's brains and turning them into basement-dwelling zombies? Oh wait, that's World of Warcraft.

So he finishes a game, and right after finishing it he regrets that more features weren't put in? Don't they have like, a testing center or something? If anything Shigsy himself should be invited to test the finished product and see if he's satisfied with it. I guess if that were to happen, Nintendo games would all be delayed years and years.

'A delayed game can turn out to be good, a bad game is bad forever' suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

He mentioned Wii Music, of all things. Hinting at a sequel? More contemporary songs and game music, please!
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Pokemon Black/White Starters revealed!

Written by pikaby


Image from Pokebeach

No more fakes. This is how it's going to be laid out for us this generation. Shocked?

The three starters are to the right of the scan, and although we now know what they look like no official names have been confirmed. The Grass/Water/Fire trinity remains for a fifth time, but the region and main characters are all but the same.

The new region is the region of Isshu, located far away from where Johto/Kanto and Sinnoh are. That's not the continent map, but that's a handsome-looking sea port. Is this going to be in 3D too?

The main Pokemon Trainers of Isshu are much older than all the children/teenage trainers from all the previous games, being portrayed as adults. Is this supposed to mean that Pokemon has now matured? I do remember vaguely about something like that in Ishihara's blog.... Still doesn't prevent them from being shrunk to one unit tall in-game though.
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Super Mario Galaxy 2: Transmission 10

Written by pikaby



This bit was shown in a screenshot during the media summit demo, but finally we get to see it in motion! Mario, gliding down in a flying race. With it's stylish graphics, it's much more accomplished than Twilight Princess' offering.
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Nintendo's way of promoting Mario Galaxy 2

Written by pikaby

GoNintendo got it, I ignored cause I assumed it was their exclusive property. Then Kotaku got it. Fine, I'll talk about it here then, for posterity.



This was a Yoshi egg sent to Kotaku, and like GoNintendo's egg, there was a small Yoshi and an SD card inside it. (read more~!)

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