Thursday, January 31, 2008

Dr Kawashima doesn't want any money


Here's a story as refreshing as a summer ham. The good doctor featured in the Brain Age franchise hasn't played the game based on his research. The reason? He's too busy studying brains! More interesting than that however, is that Dr Kawashima doesn't earn any royalties from the series. He doesn't want the money preferring to earn cash by working. His family isn't too impressed with that decision but the Doctor responds "If you want money, go out and earn it." This guy really is pretty smart.

Via Go Nintendo.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Harvest Moon & Some Animal Crossing

Vanilla Assassin here once again. Welcome to another edition of my HIT LIST. There are loads of games out there for people to choose from. Many are good but there are quite a few which suck. That's why i like this site. Myself and the other authors try to give it to you straight up, No beating around the bush with eights and sevens out of ten style reviews. Really, what exactly does a seven out of ten mean? I've seen people rate games as 7.5/10 and raving about the game. I always thought a 7.5/10 means its pretty mediocre and not worth the buy. At Leave Luck To Us, we tell you if it's worth your dime or not. PERIOD. The viewer isn't left hanging by loose ends. Thank you for all your emails.
A few years back i made the mistake of purchasing Harvest Moon. What a pile O' Crap. I've even misplaced it. I didn't even want to think about it. The character was stiff and it didn't even intice me to play past the first half an hour of turning the power on. I still can't even remember what it was all about. Who cares.
A few months back i made the mistake of purchasing Harvest Moon DS. What a pile O' Crap. Why did I repeat the same grave mistake again? Because i'm an idiot. That and the fact that i wanted to setup a farm, get hitched and raise cows...and maybe some chickens. By the time i finished watching the intro with all those gnomes or oompas or munchkins or whatever you call those elfish creatures being transported into some alternate dimension, i was so sick to my stomach. I didn't have enough tums to go much farther into the game. The characters looked retarded. The whole thing was all stiff and amateurish-looking. The typical Natsume sorta feel. Once i got to the play mode part i barely had any enthusiasm to play much longer. My character felt like a man trying to walk after taking a bath in starch. I had a dog with me and when an old man came at me giving me shit i let my dog bite him and the game was over. I think that if the flow was as smooth as Animal Crossing, the game would feel much more real and fun.
Totally pass on this hideous mess.
Speaking of Animal Crossing, that game is so messed up. Is it just me? Or does everybody who plays that game get stuck in it, never to come out? The game is like crack and everytime you play you want more. AC is by far the best damn game i've played on the DS. It's fun, it's smooth, even some of the repeated lines don't bother me. How many of you are like me and want to kick the insurance policy out of Lyle? No Lyle, i don't want what you're selling. Three Grand up front and if by chance i get into an accident you give me 100 bells? If i get stung by bees, i'll shake a tree and find more bells than you can throw at me. Because i don't want to buy his insurance or whatever the hell he's selling, he follows me around. I wish Copper was selling restraining orders. I messed up once and talked to his rabid ass and i got stuck having to buy 3000 bells worth of insurance. I didn't want it but because i had over 3000 in my pockets, he didn't give me a choice to walk away. Do yourselves a favour and save your bells in your account. Make sure you don't have 3000 or more with you just in case you accidentally talk to that scam, Lyle. He also annoys me by saying "BAM" all the time.
Anyway, until next time.
Peace.
V

Changing the Background in Animal Crossing

I know there are people who don't know this cool little feature in Animal Crossing. Hell, i figured it out by accident. So if i didn't know it was there, there MUST be others who don't know.

Go into your inventory. Grab a Design(pattern) and swing it over to the left corner at the bottom of your screen. A green cursor will show up when it's aligned correctly. Now drop it. The inventory background changes to the pattern you dropped. I tried it with a shirt too and it works.

PS. Gracie told me i look FAB and that i think similar to her. Then tossed me a butterfly shirt.

Peace y'all

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Cobalt Blue DS coming soon

Several sources have reported that a new DS color is coming soon: Cobalt Blue. Looks great. I'd still like to see Nintendo release the full line of Japanese colors on our shores though. They're gorgeous.

Guitar Hero on DS title revealed.

No, it's not a joke; Guitar Hero is planned for the DS. But now we can put a name to the face thanks to this application to the US Patent and Trademark Office. Guitar Hero: On Tour. I love it.

RockBand coming soon on Wii?

Harmonix has started to release standalone instruments for its hit game RockBand. Of course, this normally wouldn't be of much concern to Wii owners since RockBand has inexplicably not been released for the world's best selling home console. That oversight may soon be corrected however. Check out this forum wherein a user posts a picture of the standalone mic. Examine the top of the package and you can barely make out the word "Wii." Has Harmonix let it slip that the Wii version will be released soon?

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Populous DS

Not the greatest translation but Famitsu has some information about the upcoming Populous DS. Includes some nice artwork too. I loved this on SNES; looking forward to this remake that was 17 years in the making.

Some thoughts on Animal Crossing on the Wii

This article is a little old but it's new to me. It includes some nice ideas on what we might expect to see in Animal Crossing when released on the Wii.

Space Channel 5 beaming over to the Wii?

There's a rumor that the Dreamcast cult classic Space Channel 5 will be making a landing on the Wii. It'd be a great fit as would other Dreamcast titles like Seaman and Jet Grind Radio. Thankfully Samba De Amigo is already in development for the Wii.

UK schools hand Phys Ed over to Wii

UK schools are so concerned about the growing number of little fatties they've taken to outsourcing their Phys Ed classes to Nintendo. Gym class in Worcestershire now consists of a coupla hours on a Wii. Hey, whatever sells more consoles.

Wii focus of Family Game Night

The Wii's appeal has allowed it to be embraced by the entire family according to this story. Best part of the article? This quote: "She says systems like the PS2 and XBox 360 are drastically different from the Wii. What happened to the PS3?" Oh, right.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

SNES is the greatest console of all time

Well duh. In other news, the sky is blue. Nothing you haven't heard here first but still worth a read I suppose.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Master System: The software is provided to the Virtual Console!

Even if you're not excited by the addition of the Sega Master System to the Virtual Console--and you should be--you'll enjoy reading this translated Japanese news release about the development.

So far the Master System will only be available to the Japanese market but North American audiences should expect to see the Master System and Game Gear added shortly. Start saving now!

Personally, I'm most looking forward to Shinobi. I haven't played that since grade school.

Top-Selling Nintendo Wii Titles--According to The Onion

The Onion's StatShot this week is "Top-Selling Nintendo Wii Titles." I lolled.

A curious letter from Professor Layton

















I was delighted to find this letter from Professor Layton in my mailbox today. I'm anxious for this title to release on February 10th.

Top 25 SNES games

Nice list of Retrojunk's favorite SNES games. I agree with the author's assessment that the SNES is the best console ever made.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Geometry Wars: Galaxies


Didn't I just review this? Surely I did. Oh, that was for the DS version of course. This is a review for the Wii game. I just grabbed this one for under $30 and I wanted to assure fans of this title on the DS that the Wii game is well worth adding to your library too.

In fact, I prefer it. If you read my DS review you'll see that I felt the controls were lacking a bit. With the Wii you can now plug in a Classic Controller and use the dual analog sticks for the full experience. Also this version includes the space warping effects that were left out of the DS cart. Even better, I can connect my DS to my Wii and unlock that last DS level and I can play two player; versus or co-op.

I played it on a 70" television and the experience was mind blowing.

This definitely rates a buy. If you can only afford one version of Galaxies grab the Wii one. It offers better value for your money and it's worth it just for the smoother control scheme.

(I just want to remind everyone that this is Geometry Wars: Galaxies. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved was the title of the original XBLA game and it's included as a bonus on this disc. Galaxies is an entirely new title. It includes levels organized by galaxy and planet, an upgradeable drone, and geom collection. Whereas Retro Evolved was a little $5 game, Galaxies is a fully-featured and deep SHMUP well worth its list price.)

Crowd outside Nintendo World Store for Advance Wars launch

Check these exciting photos of the Advance Wars launch at the Nintendo World Store. I grabbed my copy yesterday but these photos left me wishing--again--that I lived in New York so I could participate in launches like this. Looks like they were handing out free Advance Wars toques too. I feel so left out.

Iwata Asks: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Nice interview with Nintendo President Satoru Iwata about Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He "hopes you enjoy this interview."

Nintendo is totally missing out

Sega: Ladies and Gentlemen, can we have your attention please?! Who is the Icon?!
Vanilla Assassin: Me.
Panasonic 3DO: Who is the Gaming Diva?!
Vanilla Assassin: Me.
Atari: Who is the the Gaming Virus who slays all of us crappy consoles?!
Vanilla Assassin: Me.
Xbox: Who drops all us shitty consoles to our certain doom like a mad gamer does a couple of dollars at an arcade?!
Vanilla Assassin: Me.
Playstation: Who exposes us filthy consoles to the world for being the boring, pure waste of your buck pieces of plastic donkey dust that we really are?!
Vanilla Assassin: Me.

My dear viewers, it's been a while since I wrote. I'd like to let you in on a little secret. Xbox and PS3 suck.
But enough of that. I'm not here to bad mouth inferior consoles. But i am here to talk a little bit about something that Nintendo is missing out on. An amusement park. So sit back and relax. Have a world famous pigeon milk blend in a well stained mug while you read....

Mr Miyamoto, listen to me. If Sanrio can make a fun park, Nintendo can make a better park. Think about it, a haunted house complete with Boo. A Mariokart track that we can ride on. Hell, toss a few oil slicks onto the track and even give us drivers Koopa shells to toss at each other. Nintendo has a junkload of characters who they can utilize to walk around shaking kids hands like wanna be presidents. All kinds of rides can be themed around Nintendo characters.
Smack dab in the middle of the park can sit Princess' castle which would make Disney's castle look like yesterday's puke.
The ideas are endless. There's so much that can be done.
Nintendo, if you build it, i'll definately empty my wallet and visit the park's version of the Roost. Hell, i'll even let Brewster mix some pigeon milk in with my coffee.
Ahhh, an earthy flavour yet slightly sweet.

Peace folks and remember..if it ain't Nintendo, it ain't worth your Dime.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin


Did you know that the "D" in "D-Day" stood for "Day?" It did. And the "H" of "H-Hour" stood for "Hour." It's a popular myth that D-Day was a shortening of Doomsday.

I bring this up because today is D-Day in two senses: Today is the Day that Advance Wars dropped and the game begins with a depiction of Doomsday.

It was safe to say that I was going to be picking up this title regardless of outside influences. Firstly, now that I'm reviewing games myself I find that I don't read other reviews as much as I did because I don't want to be swayed by them. Secondly, I like Advance Wars: Dual Strike so much that I felt that I owed the developer's a free shot at my wallet on the next title.

So I picked up my pre-order today and I've only just started playing it but I felt that I should post something as soon as I could to assist readers in deciding whether or not to pick this up. I hope to follow up with a more detailed posting but as of right now this game rates a strong buy. The art and music are sublime. I've already been drawn into the post-apocalyptic scenario. The new COs are very exciting and the controls are spot-on. All in all, so far so great and I don't foresee any changing of my initial assessment. I haven't even taken a crack at the Wi-Fi game yet. As far as I can tell there is no risk in picking this up right away.

Grab it today because tomorrow you might be hit by a bus.

Buy.

Ten Rare Gamecube Discs

The Gamecube is dead, long live the Gamecube! But this is a golden opportunity to pick up cheap 'Cube titles to play on your brand new shiny Wii.

There are lots of great titles to play and when you're talking about Metroid or Mario Kart: Double Dash you're not going to have too hard of a time finding a copy on the used racks.

But there is a group of games that collectors are looking for to complete their 'Cube collections. These are rarities that you're going to pay through the nose for unless you get lucky at a garage sale or junk shop. If you spot any of these titles at a bargain basement price, snap 'em up without even thinking! Even if you don't like 'em you'll be able to flip 'em on eBay without any problems.

1. Ikaruga. The grand-daddy of sought after GCN tites. I was lucky and scored this off of eBay for around $25 but I recently saw it in a retro gaming store for over $80 unsealed. It's a valuable title and one of the most beautiful SHMUPS out there. Very difficult to find and even harder to master.
2. Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest. A sealed copy will net a Benjamin. Unsealed you're still looking at 50 to 60 bones. Strange title where you have to evolve your Cubivore through mutations and mating to be able to defeat the killer Cubivore. Earning mixed reviews on release, Cubivore has since become a cult classic.
3. Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde. One of the few RTS's for the 'Cube. Very limited run on this disc.
4. Wavebird Controller. You might get lucky and find one brand new at Best Buy or someplace like that. If so, buy as many as you can. An amazing controller that's going fast because people like me are racing to complete a set of four.
5. Mario DDR. I've never seen this one for sale used. I'm gathering it's rare from the Internet chatter about it. The first party dance mat is probably rarer still. Luckly, I bought the set at launch.
6. Beyond Good and Evil. Pops up from time to time but those times are becoming increasingly rare. People know about this one and they want it. You'll have to be fast or have deep pockets.
7. Skies of Arcadia Legends. Still trying to find this one for a reasonable price for my own collection. Last I saw it it was over $50. RPGs were rare on the GCN and good RPGs were rarer than that. This is a great RPG. Good luck finding this one.
8. Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. Never played it. Never even seen it IRL. Love to get my hands on it. I'll probably find it in a lot or something like that. The longer I wait, the more I'll probably pay. Right now $35 fora used copy is probably where it's sitting. The limited edition would fetch $50 plus.
9. Doshin the Giant. From what I read this game probably wasn't all that great to begin with but its rarity has caused its price to skyrocket. For completists and collectors only for the price you'd have to shell out to own it.
10. NCAA Baseketball 2K3. Most likely the rarest Gamecube disc out there not counting demos, promos, or Japan-only releases. I recently spotted the disc on eBay--no case, no cover, no manual--for $70. From what I understand, only a few thousand were ever sold. I have a sick feeling I actually found this once in the dollar bin in a used record store but passed on it. I had no idea about this title being so rare. Live and learn.

If you find any of these rare discs I'd advise you to buy them while you can. If you can't find them I guess you can always cross your fingers and hope for a Virtual Console release.

Sow Joan's Stalk Market-Update

I'm not prepared to declare I've found any pattern to the White Turnip Trade in Animal Crossing: Wild World for the DS but I would like to share a few quick thoughts. For the uninitiated, you access the Stalk Market by talking to Sow Joan on Sundays between 6am and 12noon. That's when you buy. You sell through Tom Nook. Ask him for his Turnip Price first.

So far my best guess--based on the limited data I've collected--would be that we're dealing with a random number generator. The number is thrown out if it is outside of a predetermined boundary. Sow Joan's price for turnips is generated the same way but with a much smaller set of numbers to "choose" from. That is a number is generated but if it falls outside of say 90-115 then a new number is generated until the number is greater than 90 but less than 115.

The point is that on initial inspection it appears that it may be impossible to determine a pattern from the data set. Of course, if the number is pseudo random some useful pattern may yet appear. The DS could be generating true randoms from ambient mic noise, stylus inputs, clock outputs, or analog button presses however. Only a statistical analysis of the occurence of given numbers in the data set would be conclusive.

Since we know that the game uses random numbers to generate dinosaur fossils from unidentified rocks it might be possible to use fossil data as well. I'm sure the same random number generator or array is used. That might make it possible to determine the array or the boundaries of the numbers.

I will continue to collect data in an effort to resolve these theories.

You can always find my data and graph here.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Gamecube is alive and well and living in the Persian Gulf

Right now is tough time to be a Nintendo fan. Tough on the wallet that is. If you find your gaming dollar stretched as thin as Uncle Scrooge's boxer shorts then I've got a hot tip for you: the Gamecube section of your local gaming shop holds a loadful of treasures for you. Right now is the time to stock up on any Gamecube titles you may have missed the first time around. If you're new to the Nintendo universe you may not even be aware that the Wii is backward compatible with the Gamecube. Just slip any 'Cube title into your Wii and you're ready to play. If you didn't have a 'Cube you're going to need to pick up a controller for the system but you'll be able to find one in the used bin for just a few dollars.

I've compiled a list of bargain 'Cube titles that you'll want to keep an eye open for.

1. Resident Evil 4. Hailed as the best horror survival game ever made and only for Gamecube. Just spotted this one for $19.99
2. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Currently available for around $25
3. Beyond Good and Evil. Hard to find and you might end up paying a little more than you would have at launch because of its popularity among those in the know. If you do see one at a junk or thrift shop grab it!
4. Animal Crossing. Chances are slim you'll find one complete with the AC themed memory card but that's okay. You don't need it to play the game and this is another title I've found for only $19.99
5. Soulcalibur II. A common find in the used section and an incredible value for a fighting game.
6. Tony Hawk's Underground. Stacks of these available for less than $15.
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour. 2003 was the best year for this title and I found it for under $10!
8. NHL 2006. I found a copy for under $5 at a used record store. Great title at a great price.
9. Crazy Taxi. Super fun for about a sawbuck.
10. Metroid Prime. If you missed out on this or Echoes now is the time to buy. Piles of them for around $20 out there.

So hit your used record shops and check the used section at your game shop and pick up some great 'Cube bargains before they're gone.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Help! Where should I put my money?

The whole idea behind this site is that Jimmy, Vanilla Assassin and me, Von Kaiser, the German Steel Machine, help you the reader decide where to put your money. That's why our rating system is based on the same rating system that brokers use to rate stocks.

We just got through a couple of months of absolute diarrhea titles but this is a fresh year and the new releases are going to start pouring in. The danger is that Nintenders are so starving for new titles that they'll grab whatever is put in front of them. I know I'm getting the itch to buy something, anything for DS. The good news is that the new release schedule is going to include a lot of greatness too. So you can tell the monkeys from the elephants I've composed a little list of what to watch for this quarter.

  1. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (January 21) DS
  2. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (January 22) DS
  3. Bomberman Land Touch 2 (January 29) DS
  4. Bomberman Land (January 29) Wii
  5. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (February 10) DS
  6. Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (February 12) DS
  7. Nanostray 2 (February 12) DS
  8. Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (February 26)
  9. Super Dodgeball Brawlers (March 3) DS
  10. Super Smash Brothers Brawl (March 9) Wii
  11. Don't forget to save a few bucks for at least 2 Virtual Console titles too.
Watch for this feature each new quarter.

Daigasso! Band Brothers


One of the first 50 games ever released for the DS you may wonder why I'm only reviewing this now. This is a new site and I've only just now managed to get my hands on this title. And if you've been sitting on the fence then a review like this one for a Japanese import can never really be "late."

Yes, the menus are in Japanese. Yes, it will frustrate you until you figure out what the heck is going on. Yes, it is worth it.

Normally when I get frustrated by a game for any reason I drop it like it's hot and move on to the next one. After all, there are hundreds of DS titles to get to so why waste any more than a few minutes on a stinker? Daigasso! Band Brothers frustrated me. Navigating the menus was like trying to get across the Atlantic with a New York subway map and a broken compass. But I saw something underneath the murk; underneath the haze. Something grabbed me and pulled me in wanting to play more. I stuck it out and now that I have half a clue of what's happening on the dual screens I'm hooked.

Daigasso! Band Brothers is a rhythm game that can be compared to Rock Band but with some key differences. It was released four years prior to Rock Band, costs a lot less, fits in your pocket, supports more players and more instruments, and allows users to compose their own tunes to play with their bandmates. Don't have any friends? Don't worry because the single player campaign is every bit as addictive.

You choose your song, choose your instrument (some songs feature 8 different tracks) and then it's your standard "hit the button when we say" rhythm game. The fun is in learning all the different instrument parts which all have their own difficulty ratings. Then you've got to unlock all three difficulty levels. When you start you've only got to worry about hitting D-Pad or ABXY; it doesn't matter which direction on the D-Pad or which button you hit as long as you differentiate between control cross and buttons. The higher levels indicate exactly which buttons to hit and then level three has you concerned with sharps and flats using the triggers.

The one downside may be that many of the songs are not going to be instantly recognized by your average North American. Didn't bother me any and, as mentioned, if you're handy with the composer you can edit in any song you like. New songs are available in Japan as downloads. But really it's all about the gameplay so don't worry about the J-Pop and Japanese television themes. Smoke on the Water is included so there's at least one you'll know.

Really makes you wonder why Nintendo decided to skip their plans to bring this to America as Jam with the Band. Maybe current successes like Guitar Hero and Rock Band will change some minds at NOA HQ. Please?

However, don't risk waiting too long for a release stateside. Import this one now so you'll have it.

Strong buy.

Nintendo seizes crown, places it on own head

This will only come as a newsflash to those of you who were living on Opposite Earth: Nintendo was number one in sales for 2007. And this was no squeaker. Nintendo's sales blew the roof off the sucker and the resulting debris buried its competitors. Bow down to the King baby!

Monday, January 14, 2008

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Dark Motives


This game is about as good as the television property it's based on. In case you don't know, the show is shite

After powering up the cart you find that the top screen is entirely occupied by tabs and menus. It looks sort of like the MS Word Options dialogue box. There are more menus on the touch screen. It just seems really amateurish. Not what I'd expect from Ubisoft but exactly what I'd expect for a licensed game like this one. You can tell that the developers had a meeting, probably on a Thursday night, and decided that the game was done, it was working, and they could either take the day off tomorrow or come in and add some polish. I guess they couldn't resist the call of the long weekend.

If I were to do a detective game I'd give the character an equipment bag with his equipment in it; not a Tool Menu, an Evidence Collection Menu, an Evidence Detection Menu, a Locations Menu, a Case File Menu, a Suspect Menu and who knows what else. There are enough menus here for a dieter's convention.

Seems like a small issue but clicking through all these menus takes away from the gameplay. I didn't feel like a CSI, I felt like an administrative assistant trying to keep my filing cabinets straight.

The first investigation could have used a better story too. When I heard the details of the case I thought to myself "Isn't this really a civil matter?" Without giving too much away a stuntman has an accident but he's fine. He feels there was nothing suspicious about the incident and doesn't feel an investigation is warranted. Who called the CSIs in then? No death, no charges, no motive, no payoff, no suspicious circumstances; he's a stuntman for gosh sakes. Surely accidents are part and parcel of this guy's lifestyle. We're supposed to think that the motive has something to do with the low ratings of Mr. Stunt's television show. I guess an accident would up their ratings. Dudes, why not just make up a better stunt? Or make crashing the stunt. You seemed to be able to pull that one off without a hitch. I really didn't get it. After talking to the stuntman in the hospital--he was only there to visit the cafeteria I guess--I felt like the whole thing was wrapped up and let's get back to the office and wait for someone who actually needs Crime Scene Investigators.

Brass felt differently though so off to the scene of the events in question. Everyone was a dead end and since there was no money or murder involved I wondered why I was bothering and if there was a Coffee Menu. At the crime scene you sift through menus to find your fingerprint lifter or swab to collect evidence. The game mechanic can be described as "Find the hotspot." You sweep your stylus over the crime scene and when the cursor arrow turns to another, different kind of arrow you know you should take a closer look. Then you cart your evidence back to the lab and some jackass in a white coat tells you that the broken spring you found is a broken spring and that the metal broke. Thanks Einstein. Did all these computers tell you that?

Then you show your fingerprint you found and scan it in the computer and guess what? Every suspect has priors so you've got your man as soon as you lift a print. Just like in real life.

At this point I started falling asleep and pulled this cart out of my DS. I was done.

Skip this and dig out your copy of Policequest. Now there was a cool game. Remember that old Sierra title? Or try these DS alternatives: Hotel Dusk: Room 215, the Phoenix Wright series, or Trace Memory.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Dark Motives: Sell 'er.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Stalk Market Analysis: Turnip Workbook

I've become very interested in the Stalk Market lately and the Sow Joan's average. I've started recording my white turnip prices on Google Docs and will publish the raw data here as it comes in. Of course, your prices will differ from mine but the goal here is to find a pattern that may be present in the stalk market that spans all Animal Crossing: Wild World games. Hopefully that pattern will make itself apparent after enough data has been collected.

Here is the spreadsheet on Google Docs. In the future I hope to add a dynamic web graph to Leave Luck to Us.


Saturday, January 12, 2008

Half Of 26-Year Old's Memories Nintendo-Related

Half Of 26-Year-Olds Memories Nintendo-Related

The Onion

Half Of 26-Year-Old's Memories Nintendo-Related

BROOKLYN, NY—According to an fMRI of Philip Jenkins' brain during memory recall, his parietal lobe is activated equally for the words "mother" and "Banjo Kazooie."

Time For A New Animal Crossing Mayor

That stinkin turtle Tortimer is lazier than team Florida on NES Little League Baseball. Let's get rid of him! Who's behind me?! Go into the town hall. Talk to Pelley on the Civic Center side of the desk. Stand on the left side of the green mat and when she's talkin to you, peek into the back. You can see that wrinkled old mess snoring away at his desk. You guys might have known that already. But i just had to get it off of my chest.

My Spanish Coach


Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinqo, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince.
(i hope that was correct)


How did i do? Did i spell them correctly? Less than half an hour ago if somebody said those words to me i would respond by praying that their condition is not contagious and i'd be out the door. BUT, less than half an hour ago or there abouts, i opened up the seal on "My Spanish Coach" for the DS and powered that sucker up. I always wanted to learn Spanish, but, there was never a book that would hold my interest long enough for me to get anything out of it.

Recently i found out that the newest contributor to this site,"Jimmy" sang the praises of "My French Coach" (which he will probably write about soon, i hope) so i crossed my fingers and gripped my teeth and avoided black cats and didn't walk under ladders and hoped that "My Spanish Coach" would be just as awesome to me as the French version is to Jimmy.


Now, because of the power of the Nintendo DS, i can count to BLOODY 15 in Spanish! I sware i wrote that list at the top by not looking at my DS.

The cart teaches you a certain amount of words and only when you master a certain amount of words can you unlock the next phase. If you don't master each section within a phase you have to retry. But, you know what? I love retrying. The games being used to teach you each word or number totally writes the book on kickassness when it comes to language learning games. Not like i played many, but you know what i mean.
There's even a dictionary in the cart, a list of phrases. Hell, now with my Nintendo DS there is no way i can go to Spain fearing to ask somebody where the nearest pisspot or bathroom is. Say you run into Sanchez, and you don't know how to actually pronounce a phrase properly, the chick in the game pronounces alot of important phrases and words and numbers. There's also a scribble pad you can draw funny Spanish doodles onto with your stylus, or scribble something onto. It's like a piece of paper. A vital tool when travelling.


Anybody out there wanting to learn Spanish and has had a difficult time learning through books, PURCHASE THIS CART! Schools wanting to teach Spanish, burn your old Spanish teaching tools and purchase a Nintendo DS with this cart for each one of your pupils! This game rocks more than Bree and Tabby trying to do a "dance-off" in Animal Crossing. This game has all the tools you need to confidently travel Spain.


Purchase this game NOW!

Jackass: The Game

I love Johnny and all his jackass buddies but I hate this game. After playing for five minutes I thought my DS was broken. The audio was muddy and the levels were all off. The graphics were blurry. I've played a lot of junk but this takes the cake. I made better games in BASIC in my ninth grade computer class. I'm stunned by this dreck. The only explanation is that this game is the ultimate Jackass stunt and its victim is its audience. Nah, even Steve-O wouldn't be that big of an ass.

Meet me at my house tonight and we'll hunt for the bastards that unleashed this monstrosity on the world. I'll have enough pitchforks and torches for everyone.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Wii outsells PS3 three to one in Japan

I know I'm a Nintendo fanboy but as a person with a pair of eyes I'm wondering when Sony and Microsoft are going to pack up their failing game divisions? Microsoft has never made money in their gaming channel and Sony hasn't made any money since that two year window at the end of the life of the PS2. Meanwhile, Nintendo makes money on every unit they push through the door. And we're talking millions and millions of units here. Glad I don't hold any Sony or MS stock. Just saying is all. It's not sour grapes when you're on top.

He loves the Powerglove. It's so bad.

Jimmy has joined our team meaning the other Nintendo Brothers have been united right here on Leave Luck to Us. If the only thing on this kid's resume was singlehandedly beating Contra III: The Alien Wars that'd be plenty but he also holds a PhD from Nintendo University. Can't wait until Jimmy's reviews start rolling in.

Games for girls.

Here's a cute UK advert for the DS that's aimed at girls. But what does it mean that all the games shown are among my very favorites? I even put my DS on my nightstand like the girl does at the end of the ad.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Queen of England addicted to the Wii

I guess the Queen isn't all bad. Turns out that Prince William's girlfriend gifted him a Wii but he's having a hard time getting any time on the console because QEII is hogging it. I'd love to see her Mii.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck


Remember Duck Amuck the 1951 Warner Brothers classic about Daffy battling an unseen animator? It's a classic and may seem like an odd choice on which to base a DS title but bear with me. Fifty seven years after the release of Duck Amuck we have a ubiquitous handheld that includes a touchscreen and could conceivably allow anyone to take the role of Daffy's tormentor in that remarkable film. It's a daring idea and one that doesn't always work but I have to applaud the effort and the few lightbulb moments this title triggered.

The game starts with a white screen. And then Daffy walks on. This is by far the most delicious moment in the game. You have a blank canvas with Daffy Duck flappin' his bill at you and you hold the animator's brush. Think of the possibilities. Instinctively, I tried to erase his head so I could redraw it as a flower remembering one of Bugs' gags. This is where the game disappoints. Nothing happens and it's a real chore trying to find what will make something happen. Admittedly, when I stumbled upon a gesture that would get Daffy going it felt good. Real good. But if a title ever screamed out for an action palette this is it. I'd love it if the bottom screen was bounded by Bugs' blotter, pens, and paint that I could click on to give this a bit more structure and to provide a clue of what to do. If you wait long enough something will appear on screen that you can tap on. Tapping on it will unlock a mini game that breaks you out of the experience but allows you to earn some points that will fill up Daffy's rage meter. The idea is to get Daffy so enraged you break his...spirit. What can I say? Chuck Jones is a sick man.

The mini games aren't that bad and can even be engaging but as I was playing them I would find my mind wandering back to that blank canvas and the possibilities it might hold. Of course, I was also starting to realize that this game was heading in a much different direction than the one I wanted it to.

The blank canvas serves as a skeleton to hold together the meat of the title: the mini games. I was crossing my fingers that the canvas part of the game was the game. And as a menu it doesn't really work because you have no clue what to do to provoke Daffy in unlocking a mini game. Normally, that kind of "figure-it-out-yourself" gameplay would appeal to me but the rewards aren't good enough for me to want to explore too much. The better you do the quicker you're into a mini game and away from Daffy.

My vision for this title would have been the blank screen, Daffy, the player as the hidden animator and ditch the mini games. Without a doubt, keep the free play aspect. Don't even include a hardcopy manual with the game. My title would probably be closer to a tech demo than an actual game but it would be a very satisfying way to spend a couple of hours. I guess what I'm describing is an illustrator's version of Dr. Sbaitso based on the Duck Amuck flick.

Overall, this title is good and like I say the mini games are pretty nice actually. The graphics are amazing; vintage Chuck Jones artwork which brought out a smile from me. Daffy's character is humorous and endearing and talks up a storm which really gets you into the game. You could do a lot worse for a mini game compilation than Duck Amuck. The only thing it didn't live up to was my imagination and my assumption of what Duck Amuck was going to be about which isn't really fair. I have to applaud Warner Brothers for going out on a limb and realizing this title.

You can find this title for $20 so I wanted more than anything to rate this a buy but I can't; it's a hold.

Ahoy hoy! Getting SvSIP to work for idiots.

Cross one resolution off my list and mark it as "Complete." After several frustrated hours of trying to get various versions of SvSIP to work on my DS I found this guide via DS Fanboy and its step-by-step approach led me to success! I'm not a hundred percent sure what my problem might have been. It was a surreal moment when I dialed my home number from my DS's touchscreen and heard my telephone ring. I was delighted with the quality of the calls. They're very crisp. Skype needs to release an official app for the DS now.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Episode 4 of The AC "Trouble in The Hood"

"From Pigeon Milk You Will Find Coffee. From Ashes You Will Find A New Friend" ~~ Rev

Last time on the Hood.....

Some of the townsfolk from The Hood continue to speak about Suri from the town of Peachee. Mitzi on the other hand mentioned Biff from the town of Juniper as being some sort of a posh style person. But Rev just shrugs these comments off.
New Years, came to the town of The Hood and Mitzi in her own words not realizing what came over her thanked Rev for being such a good friend this past year. This was followed up by hearts floating awckwardly from her head.
But problems continue for Rev as Mitzi approached him today and asked if a certain item belonged to him. Rev, being greedy exclaimed "Yes it's Mine." To his surprise Mitzi found a name "Opal" written onto it and she berated (sp) Rev for this. She asked Rev why he would lie to her and said that Rev's untruthfulness creeped her out. She then stormed off.
Confused, Rev panicked and so continued planting flowers. As he planted his final "Sun Cosmos", he was given support from the unlikeliest of sources, "The Star". Because Rev spoke to The Star the night before...star mailed Rev a green pantry. How did The Star know that Mitzi was a die hard green furniture collector? How did The Star know that if Rev gave Mitzi the green pantry, Rev would be in her good books? Whatever the reason, Rev went with this plan and Mitzi was so Happy that she almost kissed Rev.
But as it is in The Hood, Rev's joy would soon turn to question. Later in the day Mitzi approached Rev and asked him what he thinks about Her and Bill the duck's friendship. Rev told her that Mitzi and Bill seem almost like best friends. Mitzi then smiled and said that's right. She said there are problems but the relationship could be more. At this point Rev was thinking that if he had the golden shovel he would surely jab himself with it until it would hurt.
Lies and deceit continue to dominate The Hood. Just a few days ago Chief told Rev that he is a "The Hood" boy through and through. That is until Rev caught him in the act of packing up his furniture and getting ready to run. Embaressed and sweat dripping down his head Chief explained to Rev that he's going to a better place. This did not go over well with Rev. Especially after Mitzi and himself were the only two people who showed up to Chief's sad sack of a birthday party with Chief proclaining how happy he is about the turnout. Rev even gave Chief his Reggae shirt which was by far Rev's favourite shirt. Chief always had a grumpy demeanor but Rev didn't mind, until now. When Chief totally put down the town of The Hood, Rev snapped and when Chief asked Rev if he wants him to stay...Rev replied "Get your ass out of my town! Go to Peachee if you like it so bad!" and with sweat pouring off of Chief's head he snarled "I'm outta here. Good Luck Kid." Rev later on finds a note in a mailbox from Chief saying "I'm finally FREE!"

I hope a football fish swallows you Chief....meh

Bree the mouse is collecting furniture. She told Rev that she is collecting white. But said that she cannot divulge to him at the moment what the theme is. It's a secret. Bree then got into a steamy fight wih pango. Bree called Pango "Yeti Legs". Pango then yelled back that Bree has teacake legs and wants to eat them.
Rev realizes that his best friend Bill the duck is putting the moves onto Mitzi he also noticed one evening that Bill came from the direction of Bree's house whistling. Rev then caught upto Bree and found her whistling. As Bill the duck seems to be taking over as the town's ladies man..Is Rev becoming more paranoid? Will Bill's advances toward Mitzi put the two best buds at odds?

Tune in next time for Episode 5 of The Hood

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Nintendo no longer supports or makes the WFC USB connector

While surfing Nintendo's site I was surprised to find that Nintendo has discontinued their WFC USB connector. Seems like quite a short product cycle. A speculator might conclude it has something to do with Nintendo's plans for WII-DS connectivity this coming year.

It doesn't mean the USB connector will no longer work but that Nintendo won't be updating their WFC USB connector application software or hardware nor will they be providing help to consumers trying to connect it.

Last night I grabbed the final application installer Nintendo is going to release and I've provided a mirror right here.

Nintendo is asking consumers to use a standard wifi router instead which may or not be a problem for some. I don't think I remember seeing any wifi routers that cost the same as the $14.99 connector but I could be wrong. My best advice would be eBay if you need to upgrade.

WordJong


Seems like we're being overwhelmed by a tidal wave of crap lately but that's to be expected around this time of year. Companies shovel out the garbage before Christmas in an effort to capture a piece of retail's hot game-on-game action. It's also the nature of the beast. The DS is the most popular system in history and its library of games seems to expand at the same rate as the universe so you're bound to get a lot of stuff that ain't worth playing. Don't despair though because the DS is still home to hundreds of remarkable titles for you to enjoy. When browsing Gamestop's shelves you might get lucky or you might not so instead leave the luck to us so you know which is which.

Soon enough the good stuff is going to start right back up. Not soon enough you say? Here's a title that isn't absolutely terrible and, in fact, is pretty darn good: WordJong.

What if Scrabble and Mahjong hugged real close and made a little baby? That baby might very well be christened WordJong.

If you haven't played Mahjong (and unless you're a wrinkled old bat you probably haven't) the idea is you match up tiles in an attempt to clear them all. Tiles that are covering other tiles can be matched but not ones that are covered. WordJong gets rid of the obscure Chinese pictograms and instead uses good old American lettered tiles. A matching set won't help you here; you'll need to come up with a word instead and the longer the better.

My biggest surprise with this game was how complete the dictionary seemed to be. One of my problems with playing computer Scrabble for example is the limits of each dictionary: SOWPODS, TWL, OSPD. So far WordJong hasn't rejected a word that I've played and knew to be valid which impressed me. Good stuff.

Best part of the whole deal is you can try it free right now from the WordJong website. Now that might be a deal breaker for some who don't see the need to pay for something they can have for free but I'd say this cart packs enough value to justify its $19.99 pricepoint. Shoot, the ability to play anytime anywhere is enough of a deal maker.

The game features a calming soundtrack and some real head-scratching gameplay that should occupy you until the next round of quality releases.

I'm going out on a limb here and rating WordJong a buy.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Dragon Ball Z Supersonic Warriors 2


Skippin down and continuing along pile o' crap video games road, i stop and smell the flowers and come across our next disaster, Dragon Ball Z Supersonic Warriors 2.

Now i'm a die hard Dragonball Z fan. Well, i don't go out and and eat a wad of burgers and paint myself pink in order to purposely look like Majin Buu. But in my own little Dragon Ball Z world, i consider myself a hardcore fan.

I wish there was a DBZ game that truly caught the feel of the cartoon series. Unfortunately this particular version caught my hands wiping the tears away from my eyeballs. To be blunt, this game sucks! With a capital X.

The game would have been fun if the combat wasn't so damn easy. I love how all the enemies are in the game but every single enemy is just so easy to beat. There's no excitement to it. The script blows chunks more than a badger does after each of it's meals. There are grammamaticalla...gramma..gr...grammatical errors throughout the game. I like the art in the game and the fighting is actually nice N smooth. The weapons are pretty enjoyable. If only more time was spent fine tuning this game i'd probably sleep with it under my pillow case, but sadly, i'm not even sure i remember where i put the cart.


If you're a DBZ fan and want this game as part of your collection, then i advise you to purchase it, but keep it sealed up in it's original package. Otherwise if you're just lookin for a good game to play......don't buy this horse crap.