ice-climbers
Latest
Ice Climbers won't be in the new Smash Bros, and here's why
Fans of the Nintendo Entertainment System launch title Ice Climber (yes, they exist) may be disappointed to learn that stars Popo and Nana will not return for the latest entry in the Super Smash Bros. series, due out this year for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. In a recent issue of Famitsu, Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai revealed that the pair's absence was due to technical limitations, rather than any ill will aimed at Ice Climber. Sakurai notes, via a Nintendo Everything translation, that the Ice Climbers were up and running in the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros, but the 3DS lacked the hardware horsepower to render the team, making a roster cut necessary. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Melee, players controlled both Popo and Nana simultaneously, requiring hardware capable of rendering eight playable characters at once in the event that all four players chose the Ice Climbers. As consolation, players can look forward to a similar retro-inspired team making its debut in Super Smash Bros. No, it's not Balloon Fight's heroes, sadly, nor is it a pair of whatever-they-ares from Clu Clu Land. You get one more guess. [Image: Nintendo]
Wii U Virtual Console launch: Punch Out, Excitebike, F-Zero, 5 more
The Wii U Virtual Console launch list is slim and trim, largely mirroring the initial list of games we got earlier this month: Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong Jr., Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Kirby's Adventure, Punch Out, F-Zero and Super Mario World. A handful of these games were already available on the Wii U, via the Virtual Console's early preview.If you've forgotten what all of these games look like (it has been a long time, after all), check out some screens on the Wii U Facebook page. Virtual Console is scheduled to launch this week.
Show and Tell: Off the beaten costume path
Okay, listen -- not everyone appreciates cosplay, and that's cool. Hopefully, even if you don't, you can at least give the creators their due. We sure like to, because some really dedicated fans can put together wonderful costumes ... costumes so wonderful we have no choice but to appreciate their cosplay!But we see lots of Mario and Link and the usual suspects, so during these special community spotlights, we like to shy away from the typical. In our last look at cosplay, we saw characters from some of the best DS games represented, but this time, we just looked for more unusual selections. Take the guided tour of our findings here, or just jump right into the gallery below.Four Swords cosplay image found here.%Gallery-42014% Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.
Top 5: Nintendo's Worst
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Nintendo_s_Worst'; 15 days ago, Guns N' Roses released their comically delayed album Chinese Democracy, giving hope to those who are still awaiting Duke Nukem Forever. Unfortunately, anyone looking for another Appetite for Destruction will be disappointed, as the new album's overcoming of its absurd delay overshadowed the album itself. One should question the album's association to the same band of twenty years ago, as Velvet Revolver contains more members of that legendary set. A more accurate title would be "Axl Rose solo project with some Buckethead." After hearing the album, I can confirm that it deserves a hearty "meh." If you truly consider this to be a Guns N' Roses album (which I'm not so sure that I do), it's undoubtedly their worst. This got me thinking about the bottom rungs of other quality serial productions. Being the nerd that I am, it didn't take long for thoughts to drift towards gaming. We're all aware that it's a bit redundant to bash Nintendo as a company. But one aspect of the Big N which is almost never called into question is the quality of their games. Certainly there's always a few outliers which stray from conventional feelings just for disarray's sake, and good for them. Yet one would have to be certifiably bonkers to label anything from the main Zelda or Mario series as a truly terrible game. But like anyone who hasn't sold their soul to the devil, there's bound to be a few slip-ups. When you're talking about a history as enormous to gaming as Nintendo's, it'd be suspicious if there wasn't a blotch here or there. These aren't quite at the top of the "worst games of all time" list, but they'd certainly be if the list was Nintendo-exclusive. NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.
Show and Tell: A stitch in time
We love sprites, the older, the better, and so do many crafters. After all, the blocky character figures are easier to recreate on quilts and cookies than are more rounded models. Sprites also lend themselves well to cross stitch, as reader Jenni can testify. Jenni, who also writes for Gamertell, has built up quite a collection of character cross stitch, and many of her efforts feature characters Nintendo fans just might recognize. Hit up the gallery for some of her work -- and if you're interested in getting started yourself, Jenni has a good piece on how to go about it. Got something you want to show off to all the other DS fans? We like just about anything with a little Nintendo flavor, so snap a few pics and send 'em off to tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. %Gallery-20236%
Dojo update: A double whammy of special moves
It would be something of a stretch to describe today's dojo update as a spoiler, but we're not taking any chances -- our protective spoiler barrier remains! Further details are past the break.
Dojo update: Ice Climbers' Final Smash
Oh sure, we might be celebrating wildly this week in the Wii Fanboy offices, but in between the reckless necking of alcohol and bare-assed photocopier antics, there's still the daily grind to take care of. Like the latest dojo update, for instance!Today's instalment has a distinctly chilly feel about it, as we learn all about the Ice Climbers' Final Smash. Ominously titled "Iceberg," this Smash does exactly what it says on the tin, with a whacking great slab of ice crashing onto the stage at your behest. The result? Smaller, slippier ledges, and extra damage to contenders who aren't the Ice Climbers.%Gallery-10206%%Gallery-6869%
Dojo update: The Summit
The dojo reveals the stage that s belonging to the Ice Climbers, The Summit. Aside from its look, the stage is also different than you might remember in that it has a bit more action going on within. The large glacier will become detached from the ground, sliding downhill and finally making its way into the sea, as you see above. Once out adrift, the environment becomes a bit more dangerous.
Dojo update: Ice Climbers and the Golden Hammer
We knew we forgot something on Friday. The dojo updated and we surely dropped a big ball in not informing you of the return of the Ice Climbers. We're quite happy to see them returning, just as you undoubtedly are.Today's update brings news of a new kind of item: the Golden Hammer. As a more powerful and rare form of the normal hammer, it allows players to float in the air. And, like the normal hammer, it's also known to occasionally be a dud.%Gallery-6869%%Gallery-3347%Read - Ice ClimbersRead - Golden Hammer
VC Friday: Climbing turtles
Another week and another round of old school games for your weekend enjoyment. This time, there's some variety, so we'll hope that everyone who is so inclined can find something worth playing. As a special bonus, they're all toward the lower end of Virtual Console pricing, which isn't bad, either. Any of these tickle your proverbial fancy? Ice Climber (NES) -- 500 Wii points Splatterhouse (TurboGrafx) -- 600 Wii points Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) -- 500 Wii points
