Contest!

I apologize for not posting the contest question on time.  I also found out that we weren't being broadcast live over the 'net due to a technical problem.  So to be fair to everyone I will post it after next week's show at 9:00pm.  Blogger is already set to post the question at that time through the autoblog feature.

Thanks for listening!

Vanilla: Come here. I need you. To clean my diapers.

The next installment of the Legend of Zelda has a tite and some video.  LOZ:  Spirit Tracks continues in the Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass tradition of cell shaded graphics.  I will be buying three of these:  one to play, one to display, and one to lay.

Wii HD revealed. 2011 release

Miyamoto and his posse have revealed a true successor to the Wii.  Slated for release in 2011 this new console is not an upgrade but is instead presented as the next gen console from Nintendo.  Huge news.  Developing...

DJ Killface's Resident Evil 5 Review

Dear Von Kaiser and Vanilla Assassin,

I write this letter amidst a pool of unrecognizable muck and a whole pile of burning shells. Am I at war? Yes. Am I scared? Maybe a little. Am I having fun? You bet your pocket-sized dog I am. I’m also shooting at African natives in Africa, but this is no genocide…no, this is a bloodbath of African non-zombies. My partner is Sheva and before you accuse me of being racist. She’s from Africa too.

What I’m talking about of course is Resident Evil 5. I giggled with anticipation as I ripped the plastic covering off the case. It gave me the same high that I get from opening that little blue box from Tiffany’s Co. But the present inside, was more precious than any Tiffany jewel. It was blood. It was guts. This was bliss.

Just kidding! This is like, the WORST African vacation game EVER. There are like, these awful people all over the place and it seems as though they only thing they do is like drool or something. Is this what it’s like in Africa? They’re totally just like, these people with a poor fashion sense and poor hygiene habits. If I was there, I’d totally tell them to take a bath or something, but all I can do is shoot at them. I can’t even spray them with perfume. It’s totally stupid and all they leave is this bubbling mess. I totally got this game thinking that was like, about going a tour of the African savannah with like, my gal pal Sheva. I mean c’mon, she’s got a weird name, this was totally supposed to make me worldly and stuff. My boyfriend keeps telling me that like, I need to get out and see the world, but I don’t think I wanna see it anymore. Everything is like..so UGLY. I wish everything looked like a mall. OMG. There aren’t ANY malls!! What is wrong with these people?! No wonder they all look so bad.

Anyway, the game play in this is varied and isn’t limited to just shooting. There are things you need to push, levers you need to pull, mirrors you need to shift… you get the point. The graphics also deliver and still give the authentic resident evil creep factor even though sometimes you’re in broad daylight. It’s also great to see a game that really plays into its co-op aspect, but doesn’t leave you hanging if you’re playing alone because you have friends or something. I wasn’t too thrilled about not being able to run and shoot at the same time, but you get used to that pretty quick. However, the melee attacks you are able to perform are pretty freakin’ awesome and really make you feel like you’re kicking butt, while saving on ammo. Those are just some of the things that I currently love about the game. I haven’t yet finished it, but I’m sure it’ll deliver. Also, on a fun note, look out for some familiar critters that will make an appearance in this version of the game.

XOXO,

DJ Killface

P.S. Did I like, ever tell you I had personality disorder? My boyfriend totally thinks it’s hot. Although sometimes I like, think he likes the other me more…*sob*

The Numbers

They don't look good for Sony.  Tsk tsk.  Why don't they drop the price?  You may as well ask how you get from a banana to a dog.  Oh well.

The Ocarina of Rhymes

Check this interesting mashup using the little Ocarina tune from The Legend of Zelda:  Ocarina of Time.

Edit:  There are actually two and I prefer the second as it features Snoop.

Edit:  It's a whole damn album and it rules.  Just let it play.  Jay-Z!

Latest online offering makes Xbox Live look like PSN

Intellivision has a new online gaming service that makes Xbox Live look dated.  PlayCable allows you do download games to play on your Intellivision video game console. They've even got a celebrity spokesman:  Mickey Mantle!

First iPod vs DS and now...?

Looks like Apple may be ready to forget the Pippin and take on Nintendo a second time.  Someone with a lot of time on their hands has managed to dig up a Wii-like controller patent that Apple filed.  It's called The Wand.  Could Apple be getting ready to take on the Wii?

Hand-painted Mario shoes

Look like junk.  Just because it's Mario doesn't mean it's good.

What happens when you die?

A couple of companies will take care of your online gamer accounts if you unexpectedly kick the bucket.  So if you're sitting at the keyboard and keel over then Deathswitch will be able to tell all your little dwarf friends in WoW that "Hey man, he died."  Slightly Morbid can also help you inform your Everquest pals that you've shuffled off this mortal coil.

Miyamoto "very sad" during Gamecube era

Apparently Miyamoto was "sad" during the era of the GCN.

Brandon Crips: An Hero

Hey doodz, I think you'll all remember Brandon Crips; the young lad who took his dad literally when he said "Chill out."  Anyway, looks like CBC is going to be running a docudrama on Brandon and his favorite game:  "Tour of Duty."  Check it out!  Hey, here's a joke for all of you:  Why do they call it Xbox 360?  Because when you see it you turn 360 degrees and die in the snow.

A Couple Of Little Tricks For PS3's Street Fighter 4

Japanese Voices!
If you want Japanese voices then complete the arcade mode to gain the option to change voices at the options menu.

Gallery artwork
Complete your dude's character combo challenge and you'll be able to unlock that character's gallery menu.

~~ Vanilla Assassin

Vanilla's Interview With Frogger

This past week i caught up with a special somebody who allowed me to take a few moments out of his busy life to conduct an interview. The following is how it all went down.

Vanilla Assassin:

Good evening Frogger. How are you?

Frogger:

Excellent thank you.

Vanilla:

I appreciate you allowing me the time to talk to you.

Frogger:

Well i have a few moments to spare.

Vanilla:

First of all i want you to know that i am a huge fan of yours. You are a legend in the gaming biz and i can't believe i'm actually here, beside you.

Frogger:

Why thank you

Vanilla:

So Frogger, as a tadpole, what made you decide to star in a video game?

Frogger:

As a tadpole i did not want to star in a video game. As a matter of fact, i did not even know what a video game was. I always wanted to become a Jazz musician.

Vanilla:

Really??

Frogger:

Yes really. It was all actually accidental. You see back in the early 80's Konami was looking for somebody to star in a new game they had created called "Highway crossing Frog". After much search, them chaps happened upon me at a quaint little coffee shop over on the upper east side. What they told me was that as soon as they had seen me, they had made up their minds that i was the perfect frog for their game.

Vanilla:

Wow i didn't know that..You said the game was called "Highway Crossing Frog?"

Frogger:

Ah yes. I thought it was a bit rubbish so i demanded that they change the name to Frogger. After all i am the star.

Vanilla:

That you are. How did you like your time at Sega?

Frogger:

Oh it was fabulous.

Vanilla:

Were you and Qbert friends?

Frogger:

Ah, dear sweet Qbert. He was a bit of a piss. I mean i wanted a snake in my game, so he demanded a snake in his game. I jumped in the game so he demanded that he jump in his game. Those were good times. A little feud of sorts.

Vanilla:

How about Mario?

Frogger:

What about Mario?

Vanilla:

What do you think of Mario's success?

Frogger:

Let me tell you about Mario. I met him a couple of times when we did some work for Atari. I didn't care for him too much. I gave him pointers on what to do. He looked up to me. My game was supposed to transcend time. I was breaking barriers for all those amphibians you see out there and along comes this pissant upstart and takes the spotlight. He was a greedy little man.

Vanilla:

You'll still be second best in my heart Mr Frogger.

Frogger:

Hrmph

Vanilla:

You did some tv work didn't you? 

Frogger:

Ah yes, i did some work on Supercade with Pitfall Harry and Sheldon the turtle. I also starred in an episode of Seinfeld a few years ago.

Vanilla:

How about today? Whats goin on in your life?

Frogger:

Well i'm retired now but i do some bits here and there. I've worked with the folks at World of Warcraft. I was also a fill in for that movie..ohh... "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button". When Brad Pitt was a baby. I was one of the fill ins. I also keep an eye on the many Frogger clones out there.

Vanilla:

Great. Thanks alot for your time Mr Frogger. Like i said you are a legend in this biz. You broke down certain barriers. You paved the way for the younger amphibians. You helped change gaming for the better.

Frogger:

Thank you sir. All the best to you. Cheers.

Episode 6 Link Dump for Feature Story

Tonight we broadcast live at cfmu.mcmaster.ca.  Our Feature Story tonight is the growth of the trade-in biz amongst retailers.

Sauces:

A New Battle Over Used Video Games

Amazon's new game trade-in program examined

Goozex.com

Gamestop pounded by Amazon's entry into used game market

A Boy and His Blob

A Boy and His Blob is being remade for the Wii and you can find a couple of vids of the gameplay here and here.

Uncle Kaiser remembers Lemonade Stand

Hello True Believers!  Tonight at 7pm EST don't forget to tune in to cfmu.mcmaster.ca to hear the Leave Luck to Us radio show LIVE.  Of course you can also listen on terrestrial radio at 93.3 CFMU in Hamilton and Burlington.  Tonight Uncle Kaiser remembers Lemonade Stand.  Download a remake of the game here and play along.

Communist Secret Invasion

So we all agree that Communists and Nazis come from the same shit pile. I havn't thought much about Nazi invasions through video games but i do know of some Communist attempts to molest our emotions through the console. When communists realized that they could no longer rape the free world through nuclear, biological and other popular fads they resorted to more inconspicuous weaponry ,"games".

The first wave of attack came in the form of a game called Tetris. Those sneaky commies used geometry to lead the nice people into a zombie-like state hoping that when all of the nice people became electronically stoned, they could march on in and burn and pillage our cities. My hats off to the Reds. This was actually a genius plan. Most good people in the free world had no idea of how close we were to having to use the evil "Ruble" currency as opposed to our much loved "Rupee".

After playing at least a half hour of Tetris, North Americans, Europeans, Australians and even Japanese staggered around streets in a lazy zombie state with shapes such as squares and erect lines and T shapes and L shapes superimposed over their corneas. Dr Wright explained that if it wasn't for games like Sim City, Zelda and Bomberman, who knows, maybe we'd be eating ladles full of reindeer dung in Siberia.

The second wave of attack came in the form of Red soldiers trying to attack our emotions by becoming lovable characters.
In a recent interview with LeaveLuckTo.Us, Biff Slamkovich told the Vanilla Assassin, that he was forced into wrestling his heart out each saturday night in hopes of catering to the soft spot of a good gamer's heart and tricking him into thinking that a Ruskie communist could be just as lovable as an American. When in fact this was a ploy by the murderous communist government, trying to create an illusion that communists are our friends, not monsters. A Commie MMA fighter by the name of Zangief acknowledged the truth behind Slamkovich's comments. He added that as communists, they had to wear red tights so that North American Liberals would grow a liking to that evil colour, which in a communist politician's mind is one step closer to world domination. In an interview with another MMA fighter Chun Li, we were told that she wore a sexy outfit in hopes of Brits and Yanks falling in love with socialists. A drunken Soda Popinski was too punch drunk to answer our repeated phone calls.

The third wave of attack and is still in play today came in the form of powerful communist technology known as Playstation and Xbox. Vladimir Putin, head of Russia's Department of Torture explains that through the hippy commune theory, by offering Good Gamers soviet gaming technology, these good gamers can be weened away from Nintendo and tricked into the communist idea that we can love multiple gaming consoles. That we don't have to solely support a sinless console like Nintendo and eventually by loving all consoles we will drop our defenses, we will accept the commie notion that it takes a village to raise a child. Finally we will accept the evil truth that if you give communist technology a chance, that you will become like the communist. You will think like the communist. You will eat like the communist and you will brainwash like the communist and you will bow down to your communist superiors. This way they don't even have to drop a single bomb onto the good civilians. 

Even today in this "enlightened age", so many gamers have fallen into this trap. 

Be careful folks. The communist is lurking in games you wouldn't even think they would lurk in.

Peace,

Vanilla Assassin

Topps Nintendo Game Pack

Back in the day when it truly was the best time to be alive for gamer. Back when there was something truly magical about video games, came Topps Nintendo scratch cards.

I remember rushing down to Salvages, beside Min A Mart on York and Queen, to buy a cream horn and wagon wheels and pick up a pack or two or three or four Nintendo Game Packs. All you Magic nerds have no idea what it was like ripping open the wax packaging on these cards. I should know cause i used to buy those damn "Magic the Gathering cards" (original prints).

These scratch packs contained three scratch cards and two stickers (if you havn't read the package on the photo yet).

The scratch cards consisted of,  beautiful pictures depicting games such as Mario and Mario2, Double Dragon, Zelda, I remember Punch Out was in there as well.  On the pictures you would find a bunch of circles. You would have to scratch off certain ones to reveal very bad or good things. It was basically a simple little game on cards. If that makes any sense. Problem with us kids was that we would scratch the hell out of all of the circles on each card.

The stickers would say things such as "Mario Madness" or "Hit Me With Your Best Score". Simple slogans for simple times. 

On the back was a detective who would provide you with a secret Nintendo tip.

I used to have so many of these cards. I wish i still had them even though i scratched the hell out of them.

Peace,

Vanilla Assassin

Forumwarz

Are you easily offended? Then don't try this game.

http://www.forumwarz.com/

Little Big Planet REVIEW

By: DJ KILLFACE

OMG! This is like the cutest game to ever hit my sleek and shiny PS3. *hair flip* Actually, it’s the first game to ever enter its holy body of a gaming machine. Haha, it’s totally like that time I lost my virginity, NOT. I’m totally not like Sarah. Don’t tell her I said that.

Anyway, this game has the super cutest graphics ever and you can totally meet some hotties online, sometimes they’re like 13, but you can totally cougar it up. You go girl! You can even talk to them if you’ve got a Bluetooth set. You can also play online with others from the LBP community and together like totally kick butt on levels with multi-player stages. The stages are challenging. I mean there were times where I was thinking so hard I thought my brain was going to hurt. OMG! I totally forgot. You can totally customize your characters to suit your fashion sense. I made mine look like Lindsay Lohan, but it sucks cause I couldn’t get mine to diet and get skinnier like her. But whatever, at least it doesn’t look like that town bike Paris Hilton. What a hoe bag. Anyway, point is, this game rocks. It totally has some great replay value, you can like, play it again and again and again and...yeah. It is definitely a keeper and not a renter. The fact that you can totally customize your characters depending on the fashion season is a HUGE bonus and the multitude of levels created by the LPB community means you’ll never run out of places to explore. There was like, this one level, where this person totally made this calculator. I still don’t know how to do math, but it’s cool that they did that. Just don’t tell my b/f I said that, he’ll totally think that like, I’m dumb or something.

Vanilla's Retro Reset (Front Line)

Think back to 1985 when games were games and gamers were gamers. In the midst of the 1942's and Ten Yard Fights came a game by Taito, which became the trailblazer, the grand daddy, the predecessor to such games as Ikari Warriors and i think it's safe to say to games like Call Of Duty or even to another old classic Commando.

Front Line.

The graphics weren't much to write home about. But i actually thought it was cute and funny. You're basically a soldier moving up the screen shooting enemies. There were old school looking tanks that you could dive into and drive around in. I don't remember the game having a background tune. The toughest part of this game were the stray bullets you might have missed, only to see them last minute, hitting you in the gut or crotch.
Many of you might call this game.....crap. But personally i would slap this game on a top 20 fave games of all time list. If i had one. What i'd give to toss another Front Line grenade again.

Peace,
Vanilla

The Leave Luck To Us First Quarter Extravaganza Coming Soon

Looking for a free game? Stay tuned for our huge contest announcement coming soon!

Jimmy Fallon wants to mainstream gaming

Jimmy Fallon plans to have guests on to hype new releases in the video game biz.  So when the next Zelda is going to drop then he'll have Miyamoto on.  Why hasn't this been done before in late night?

New Mike Tyson Doc features exclusive interview with King Hippo

AUSTIN, TX—A new documentary titled Punched Out!!: The Mike Tyson Story, which follows the legendary boxer's career from his debut as a challenger to the infamous DREAM FIGHT!! against Little Mac in 1987, will premiere at the 2009 SXSW Film Festival.