There was this video game character I grew up with. I sorta looked up to him, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way through several titles. Things were good, we made the most of it. During the N64 era, we collected lums in 3D for the first time… made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on there was an idea to make a game for him that would be in true 3D for Nintendo’s new portable system. That character’s name was Rayman, and the new game that he intended to star in was Rayman: Origins for the 3DS. This was a great mascot, and the game promised to be one full of vision and guts. And then when it was time for the game to hit store shelves it was nowhere to be seen! Someone delayed it for several extra months. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn’t angry; I knew Ubisoft and the game’s lead designer Michel Ancel, I knew they were head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when I realized I had to wait even longer for a portable version of this game that I loved on Wii, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the hobby I’ve chosen; I didn’t ask who gave the order, because it was probably a smart business decision!
I do not consider myself a fanboy. I have all of the systems and if there is a good game made for any of them I will play it and enjoy it. The closest I come to being a fanboy about any game is Zelda. When I was around 22 I had kidney stones but didn’t know I had kidney stones. Kidney stones are INSANELY painful and I honest to god thought I was going to die. When my mom was driving me to the emergency room I told her that I thought I was dying and that I loved her, I told her how sad I was I wasn’t going to live to play the next Zelda game, I can’t remember which one. I have beat Ocarina of Time at least 20 times. My only tattoo is a triforce tattoo. So yeah, I may be a little bit of a Zelda fanboy. READ MORE
The Mario power up figures were the first video game clay project I did and this is the most recent. I just finished it the other day. It’s the masks from Majora’s mask. I freaking love this game and have been wanting to do this project for a long time. It is actually not quite done. The mounting is a picture frame and I plan on eventually printing a screen shot from the game and putting it in the frame so it looks even more like the pause screen it is based on, but my printer is currently out of ink and that shit’s expensive. I made the edge gold rather than the weird green that it is in the actual game just because I thought it would look better. Also it is important to note that the masks are based on the pictures of them in the pause menu, not the actual ones in the game. There are some rather big differences with a few of them.. Specifically the great fairy mask and the midnight mask. I have to say I am pretty freaking happy with it. I hope you like it as well. READ MORE
This game, like many Wii games, is underrated. It has become fashionable to dismiss Wii games as not worth playing. I could go on about this phenomenon at length. In fact I probably will in a post specifically for that relatively soon. But now the task at hand is discussing Wario Land. READ MORE
My Wii is giving me the good old “System files are corrupted” song and dance yet again. And not even a month after I finally forced myself to muscle my way through that boring ass Subspace Emissary shit in Brawl to re-unlock all of the characters. Y’see this actually happened once before and I learned the hard way that any data that isn’t saved to an SD card goes bye-bye when those knuckleheads fix your system. Fine, whatever. The only problem is that both SSB: Brawl and Animal Crossing are delightful enough to not even allow saving to an SD card as an option.
GOD.DAMN.IT.
The really terrible part about this is that I’m going to have to re-download all of my hundred plus VC games again.That is both a brag and complaint.
Alrighty, this is the first big video game clay project I took on. Obviously it is power ups from most of the Mario games. It is a few years old. I made it probably about six months after the first Mario Galaxy came out. If I am honest, I am unhappy with a lot of aspects of it. The clouds in the back are not placed ideally. Every single one is covered up with some power up. I wasn’t planning correctly. Also, I could make some of the figures look better if I was making them now. The thin blocks the figures sit on bother me a little too. They are good enough but they could be better. I forgot about the carrot from Mario Land as well and that drives me insane. I made it later but there is no place for it on here. You are probably starting to learn that I have the tendency to be a perfectionist. Don’t think I am too hard on myself, I also think some parts are amazing. Usually when I finish a craft I put it up on the shelf then over the next few days take it down for no reason other than to look at it. It always makes me feel like a bit of an asshole but it makes me happy that I made it. Also I google pictures of other people’s similar crafts and think about how much better mine are than the ones I see. I know that’s terrible and a little pathetic but it’s true and so what? I put a lot of work into these and also other justifications. READ MORE
On the heels of Super Street Fighter II (again) coming to the Virtual Console (but now with online play!), Sega have put out three more releases over the last couple of Thursdays, with at least one of them being kind of a big deal in some gaming circles. Yesterday saw another two Wonder Boy/Monster World titles make their appearance: the arcade title Wonder Boy in Monster Land, whose Sega Master System port has been available for some time; and Monster World IV, a 1994 Sega Genesis game, the final game in the series to date, and which makes its Western debut with this release. Not only is it another VC import title, but Sega have actually gone through the trouble of translating the whole thing, making it another Virtual Console first five and a half years into the Wii’s lifespan. I’ve played a bit of it today and it’s lovely- like a polished Zelda II in some ways. READ MORE
Striking while the iron is hot, Nintendo have today released the Sega Genesis version of Capcom’s Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers to the Virtual Console, with online multiplayer, and at the standard Genesis price point of 800 points, or $8 US (unless you took advantage of a sale on video game accessories that included point cards.)
By the way, I was being sarcastic. Not about the release—that actually happened, and has been expected for some time. That first part, though, that was sarcasm. What with multiple versions of Street Fighter II having long ago seen release—in fact, every console Street Fighter port for a system featured on the VC, save for today’s release but including the SNES port of the exact same —as well as the Wii being nearly six years old, the decision to finally add online play to a Virtual Console game, and it being a different port of a game that is already on the service and that some people presumably already own, seems to be striking while the iron is, in fact, COLD, and is a puzzling one to say the least. Still, that beguiling quality and curiosity as to how online play is implemented is almost enough to entice one to check it out. Well-played, Captendega? READ MORE
I’ve been watching these limited to 500 Samus Aran action figures come and go on Ebay for about 10 years now. Sure, the sculpting isn’t really all that hot but it comes with a pretty sweet interchangeable head and what can I say? I’ve just always wanted one. There’s an auction currently going with the lowest price I’ve ever seen: A Buy it Now option for $114.99. So uh, if any of you dear readers are feeling…you know, uh…generous or somethin’. Just sayin’.
Outside of my post about running out to Best Buy the morning The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword launched without a pre-order like some kind of psycho, you may have noticed that this site has been relatively quiet about the game. No impressions, no full review, nothing. Sort of odd for a title that received so much critical praise across the board that these nerds aren’t yapping about it you may have asked yourself. Well I hate to say it because the Zelda franchise has been my favorite outside of Mario since I was 6 years old but Skyward Sword really left me underwhelmed. I don’t want to get into too much detail about what I don’t like about it (maybe I’ll save that for another day) but in general next to nothing really clicked for me. Anyway, today I came across this video and it made me smile. I haven’t touched the game in months but I feel oddly compelled to maybe throw it on and give it another shot after watching this. We’ll see how that shakes out.
Nintendo just announced via their Twitter account that to celebrate Kirby’s 20th anniversary, a special Wii compilation of the pink puffball’s classic games is on the way! Also, have a look at the first screenshot from that new 2D Mario game they mentioned was in the works a while back:
No you’re not reading your calendar wrong. Earlier today Nintendo unveiled its new online “home” for their famous mascot cleverly dubbed www.Mario.Nintendo.Com. A webpage filled with lazily written summaries for every retail and downloadable 3DS and Wii title featuring the fat plumber (isn’t this already IGN’s thing?). They’ve even added a little scroll at the bottom of each page suggesting other games you might be interested in based on the one you’re currently browsing. What’s that, guys? If I really like Super Mario Bros. 2 then I might also dig Samurai Showdown IV? Um, ok. There are actually a couple of cool little bits to be found on the site including a fun take on “Memory,” featuring familiar faces from the mushroom kingdom and also a quiz to test your Mario knowledge which you should have no trouble burning through if you’re above 6 years old and have ever played a Nintendo game in your life.
Check out the card game by clicking this and have a go at some Mario trivia right here. I’m positive you have nothing better to do.
And you know why? Because this NES classic is one of my favorite games of all time and Nintendo didn’t have the goddamn decency to give it the 3D classics treatment. Let’s see, so far Excitebike, Twinbee, Xevious, Kirby’s Adventure and Urban Champion (!?) make up the entire list of games available with a fancy new coat of 3D paint. WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SHIT SELECTION IS THAT!? READ MORE
Look, it’s the teaser trailer for Mario Tennis Open!
Looks awesome, yeah? I agree. But wait, isn’t somebody missing? Hmm, no sign of Wario. Or Donkey Kong. That’s weird. Oh well, it’s just an early teaser trailer, I’m sure those guys will all be in the final game, along with a bunch of other Mushroom Kingdom superstars and superfreaks.
Hey Toad, I'm new to this game, so I'm legally obligated to inform you that I'm a registered sex offender...
Including this douche, more likely than not. Sigh. The thing is, if he “belongs” in any game, it’s a sequel to the game that unfortunately spawned him. The funny thing is, after stinking up the joint for twelve years, he’s not even my least favorite “filler” character in the Mario series anymore. To be honest, I was shocked this gangly, unlovable, purple and black sack of festering chinchilla turds wasn’t featured in Mario Kart 7. Maybe even a little let down? Let’s explore the Waluigi back-lash… and the back-lash to the back-lash! READ MORE
New dates have been confirmed for Symphony of the Goddesses, the Legend of Zelda concert series touring North America. Before you do like me and get all excited that it might be coming somewhere near you, take a look at the up-to-date concert listing, with the new dates in bold:
March 14 Vancouver
March 26 Seattle
March 28 San Francisco
April 7 Denver
April 20-21 Phoenix
May 12 Atlanta
May 31 Montreal June 6 Los Angeles
June 22 Austin July 7 Houston
July 12 San Diego
July 14 Orlando July 25 Philadelphia
July 26 Vienna (Virginia, not Austria… or sausage)
Sept. 15 Toronto Sept. 22 Minneapolis
So yep, with six new dates on the board, the closest one for me is still an eight hour drive away. It’s cool, I’m totally not bitter. If you can actually go to one of these things, click here for info on buying tickets… and so I can vicariously experience it through you.
