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Wii Warm Up: Super Smash Cho Aniki?
A GoNintendo reader was looking very critically at the new Gooey Bomb item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and discovered what is absolutely the origin of the item. And now that we've seen them together, it's so obvious that the Gooey Bomb is based on the Holy Protein from Cho Aniki Seinaru Protein Densetsu.You know, except it sticks to people and blows up instead of being orbited by two beefy dudes in Speedos, while shooting lasers. Too bad. If we were designing Smash Bros.-- okay, if I were designing Smash Bros. (I don't think I can speak for Wii Fanboy in this case) it would be heavy on Cho Aniki content.Now, something kind of looking like a thing from another game isn't strictly news, but Wii Warm Up is a discussion topic, and we can discuss whatever we feel like. And today we want to talk about the Cho Aniki series. So, if you've played any of the games, tell us why you loved them. If you haven't, go read about the series, then come back and express your shock.
Wii Warm Up: Safe for those with heart conditions
Everyone is expecting a massive flood of Nintendo megatons from the Nintendo Media Summit today (can you have a flood of megatons? Just go with it.) And, while we have a lot of great coverage of upcoming games to show you, there's nothing that could be called a "megaton." No exclusive new Mario Galaxy screens, no surprise game announcements, and no information about whatever the Wii download service is going to be.It wasn't as spanuuuund as we hoped it would be. We don't have an E3-level news day to give you. What we can offer you is a load of gameplay impressions of some highly anticipated new games. And delicious pie. And what's more, we can deliver on one of those offers!On the one hand, we're pleased with everything we have to look at, watch, and talk about. But on the other, no Metroid. No non-Striking Mario. No Smashing. How do you feel about a media event that ignores the biggest games in Nintendo's lineup?
Wii Warm Up: The slow reveal of Smash Bros.
After a ton of buildup, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl website began updating this week, which is exciting in principle. The actual content of the updates, however ... well, let's just say we had already guessed that Mario and Link will be in the game. Today we get a small amount of news about a new item-- a Gooey Bomb that sticks to opponents.The whole development cycle has been like this-- we've gotten very little information of any kind about this game except what we already know (for example, the rules of Smash Bros.) It's kind of a tease. Of course, this just serves to build up anticipation of the final product.Would you rather get a huge blowout of info all at once, or do you enjoy letting the excitement build as you're fed tiny little morsels of information one by one? If you don't feel like talking about that, we suppose we could talk about the Gooey Bomb. One warning, though-- we've heard enough about banning items from "serious play" for one lifetime.
Smash Bros. website finally updates
After a day of wearing out our F5 key, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl webpage has finally made its promised update. Unfortunately, we have yet to find any huge megaton announcements. In fact, some of the content is a little too non-megaton-- like an explanation of the (unchanged) basic rules of Smash Bros.There is neat stuff to be found, though, most obviously in the form of a few screenshots that, while they still don't show any new or new-to-Brawl characters, do show off a day/night cycle. Also, the list of composers contributing to the game is massive-- a total who's-who of Japanese game music. Some of the composers, we're sure, are only credited for having created the music from Smash characters' original games. But Jun Fukuda and Masafumi Takada from Grasshopper Manufacture are on the list, and that is really exciting.The website promises updates every weekday, so don't let the somewhat underwhelming first day put you off. Keep checking the site for the inevitable character announcements and control scheme explanations!%Gallery-3347%[Thanks, Tigeron Starfire!]
Rumor: Smash Bros and Metroid Prime press conference coming soon?
The clues are beginning to come together: there's a countdown on the official site of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and some rumblings of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption news coming around May 20th. In this month once reserved for the mighty E3, it's been quite some time since Nintendo has held a major press conference. Finally, good 'ol Matt has made it perfectly clear in a recent IGN Mailbag: he's on his way to Seattle next week for some mysterious reason, and it's not for Starbucks.About freakin' time, Nintendo. For a company still claiming that the big three will release in 2007, they've been awfully tight-lipped about the impending trio. We look forward to bringing you some surely awesome news coming next week ... uh, you know, assuming that this actually happens.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl site countdown
It might not be the final countdown per se, but that hasn't stopped us from dancing around our computer monitors to Europe's epic song, Nintendo's official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website displayed on our screens. The teaser page reveals little, but promises much after seven days time. Who knows what treasures the site will be laden with after its scheduled relaunch? Playable characters like Sonic or Tingle debuted? A new trailer as grandiose as the last?! 32-player online support, no friendcodes, and a free pony?!!!Ever the pessimists, we're not letting ourselves expect too much from the upcoming curtain-raiser. Still, we'd like to hear your predictions on what Nintendo will be showing off at the site a week from now![Via Joystiq]
'The big three' ARE coming in 2007 (to Japan)
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo confirmed that they do in fact plan to release Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl by the end of this year, as well as pretty much every Nintendo game announced for the Wii. This corroborates an IGN report to the same effect, and is also totally, totally rad. Here's the full list of Nintendo's planned 2007 releases. Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race is slated for June 28, and the rest are all "2007": Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race Wii Health Pack Disaster: Day of Crisis Mario Party 8 Project H.A.M.M.E.R. Wii Music Super Mario Galaxy Super Smash Bros. Brawl Battalion Wars II Forever Blue Mario Strikers Charged Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Keep checking with us for news of the inevitable delays of about half of these. Seriously, that's a lot of first-party Nintendo games for just half a year or so. Aw, we just made ourselves sad with our own skepticism. Still, if half of this stuff does get released in Japan this year, it'll be great news and do a pretty good job of ending any drought that may or may not be happening.Update: fixed some italics and formatting.
"Marco" pasta is a good match for mushroom sauce, litigation
NeoGAFfer Chittagong found this bag of pasta in a Citymarket in Finland. The package is sending a very clear message, and that message is "It's-a not quite me, Maaaario!" Apparently when Mario and Luigi took off on their Mushroom Kingdom adventure, Mario's less-famous identical brother Marco stuck around and devoted his time to making delicious dried pastas. Either that or some unscrupulous company has shamelessly ripped off Mario's likeness. We'll leave it up to you to determine which is more likely-- that this is the work of an unknown relative of a fictional character or of real-world jerks. Hey, maybe Marco will show up in Good Smash Friends Battle for the Nintenco Wuu!
If you shoved a giant TV through a wall ... you might be a redneck
GamerDeals shows off a pimped out redneck flat screen system that shows the wonders you can work in small spaces with just a little bit of ingenuity, some know-how, and a lot of muscle. This adheres to the old DIY adage, "If it don't fit, just give it a good shove." The real question here though is ... what makes that house redneckish? Other than the guy who submitted it calling it redneck-style, it looks fairly decent to us, although we're not talking about the giant hole in the wall. Hopefully he didn't have to go through anything load-bearing.[Thanks, Fargo]
Sonic & Mario finally team up for a game
Once embittered rivals, Mario and Sonic were at each others' necks during the 16-bit console wars, both of them vying for the Top Mascot prize that awaited the victor at the end of the battle. Tensions eventually eased between the two combatants and their respective companies, and after years of respectful neutrality, Nintendo and Sega are making their friendship official with a game that joins both franchises.Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games will be released during the holiday season this year for the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Mario, Sonic, Luigi, Tails, and the rest of the extended casts will be competing in events set in arenas modeled after the venues of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.Hisao Oguchi, Sega Corp.'s President and CEO, had nothing but praise for the project: "For the first time, two of the world's greatest games' characters come together to compete in the world's greatest sporting event and we couldn't be more excited." While we can't imagine anyone from the Mario troupe besting Sonic at the 100m run, the blue hedgehog might have trouble with swimming competitions if he has to stop and replenish his air supply with bubbles too much.This might not receive the same fanfare as a Sonic appearance on Super Smash Bros. Brawl would, but maybe this is just a hint of what's to come from Nintendo and Sega? There's not much at the video game's official site yet, but head over there to check out forum discussions and sign up for email updates.
Wii Sports and Wii Play sell one million copies each in Japan
Congrats are in order to Nintendo: both Wii Sports and Wii Play (Hajimete no Wii) have sold in excess of one million copies in Japan. Having two million-sellers already trumps the Gamecube, on which only Super Smash Bros. Melee reached that particular milestone.We know that the bundled Wiimote had a lot to do with selling Wii Play, though of course the degree to which it contributed cannot be measured. It makes sense that the two most casual, inclusive games on the system would sell to a Japanese audience that loves DS training games. We hope you guys like minigames, because it's safe to assume we're getting lots more of them!
The big three still on for 2007 [update 1]
According to IGN, "According to German magazine Gamefront, "According to a Japanese retail conference" (translated from German)"", Nintendo has released a list of first-party games tentatively scheduled for release in 2007. The full list can be found after the break, but it's quite notable to see that the big three of Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl are still scheduled to be released in 2007.Keep in mind, we still expect one of these games to be delayed into 2008, but the longer we go without hearing that news, the better. Also noted as that Disaster: Day of Crisis (recently screenshot-icized) is also slated for the Year of the Boar. Can it be true?[Update 1: Holy crap. Melee came out six years ago, Jason, get a grip.]
Smash my PSP: katana claims victory over Sony handheld
While a bevy of gadgets have been laid to rest for 15 seconds of YouTube fame, Sony's PSP has somehow eluded the brutal beatings that the iPod, PlayStation 3, Wii, and other highly coveted gizmos have suffered. Unfortunately, the PlayStation Portable has now received the same off-kilter treatment as the electronics that have come (and gone) before, as a couple of rowdy youngsters with a faux katana laid the smack down on a helpless PSP. Interestingly, the device seemed to hold up fairly well to the bashing it took, but we can't help but wonder just how sharp the sword was that was used in this melee. Seriously, we know how bad you want a PSP2 to finally surface, but we promise that getting medieval on your current rendition won't encourage those Sony execs to move their plans along any faster. If you dare, click on through for the ruthless obliteration.[Via PSPFanboy]
Wii Warm Up: Old-school flavor
As much as we want to believe that the Wiimote is the end-all-be-all for video games, we have to concede that there are several genres in which a traditional controller is a more appropriate choice. Nintendo has already noted that Super Smash Bros. Brawl will use a standard controller, but ... which is it? Though Gamecube controller support has yet to be officially confirmed, we have to assume a player may choose between the GC standard and their own classic controller, offered for twenty dollars.What's the problem? Well, the classic controller sucks. If you want four-player Smash (and my God you do), you'll need to spend an additional eighty dollars on peripherals that you might never use again. Furthermore, as it plugs into the expansion port, you have to deal with the awkward Wiimote just sitting in your lap. On the flip side, how many retailers have been carrying copious quantities of Wavebirds? They're still out there, of course, but Nintendo may have to conduct a Wavebird relaunch campaign for those of us who don't already have the gear. What are you hoping for, and how do you think Nintendo can pull it off?
The obligatory SmashMyiPhone.com debutes
Here we go again - as if smashing one's iPod (and Playstation 3, and Wii...) wasn't enough, someone has already registered SmashMyiPhone.com and is - obviously - taking donations to purchase an iPhone whose number is already up. Unless this site finds a workaround to purchasing an iPhone sans-contract, however, *someone* will also be paying for the next two years by being locked into a contract. Will it be worth it? Has the novelty worn off? If you want my two cents (respectively): no, and yes - a thousand times yes. Still - will they net enough donations to demolish one of the most anticipated mobile phones in history? Only time can tell.
Sonic confirmed for SSB: Brawl?
People have speculated for quite some time on what out-of-company characters would be joining Solid Snake in the upcoming Super Smash Bros: Brawl. Sonic was an obvious choice, of course, but check out the above picture, seen in the Swedish Nintendo mag +N.Yes, readers, we know, it's still quite dubious. Still, we can't resist such a beauty of a rumor. Now we just need a NiGHTs 2 confirmation, Goldeneye on the virtual console, and the ability for the Wii to hack into our brains and overwrite our senses with direct input from the game.
Smash my Zune: the Jim Cramer edition
The whole "smash my stuff" campaign was a tad comical at times, but we never really felt it connected with the 40-and-up age group per se. Au contraire, Jim Cramer from CNBC's Mad Money apparently felt that busting open a (cleverly chosen) brown Microsoft Zune would better illustrate how MSFT was a "loser," while AAPL was most certainly a winner. After (quite literally) ranting for a good bit about how Apple has single-handedly changed the way we listen to music, he informs everyone that the Zune was "beat before it hit the market," and proceeds to literally beat the Zune until it was (somewhat) damaged from multiple baseball bat blows. Notably, the Zune stood up fairly well to the torture, and still retained its shape after it took a lickin'. Of course, if you're really interested in whether the Zune or iPod give way to a brighter financial future for either company, you should probably hit up our pals at BloggingStocks for that, but be sure to check out the video of "Jim Gone Wild" after the break.[Via Digg]
Will it blend? If it's an iPod, you betcha
Considering the recent console launches, we've seen plenty of bizarre episodes of folks demolishing their precious goods just to get a few laughs, a bit of hate mail, and their 15 minutes of fame. But ole Tom Dickson over at WillItBlend.com added a touch of kitchen know-how to his rendition by squaring up various items with the oh-so-sharp blades of a Blendtec blender. Needless to say, the iPod didn't stand much of a chance, as it was thoroughly devoured in a matter of seconds, turning a once useful DAP into nothing more than shrapnel and dust. While we're fairly certain this isn't what Apple had in mind when it patented a blended display / interface, maybe all those metallic chunks wouldn't be too bad mixed in with your choice of fruity goodness -- click on for the delectable vid.[Via digg]
Viva Pinata invasion results in Mario Lopez dancing
How on earth did this guy not win? Check out the moves. Joystiq attended a Microsoft Viva Piñata event on the California coast yesterday, held at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. There must have been about a billion piñatas everywhere, but none of them were harmed during the event. Not a single one. How can you possibly set a bunch of kids loose on a bunch of papier måché animals and not expect them to a) want to whack the crap out of them, and b) grab all the candy that comes spilling out? Well, Microsoft is changing one mind at a time. This was an event for kids, and there was the requisite face painting, picture taking, game playing, and ... Mario López? We're still not sure what he was doing there, other than the fact that yes, he's Mexican ... and was on Dancing with the Stars. Okay, so in stretch maybe we cou ... no, we still don't buy it. In addition to the tons of piñatas, the Spanish-language L.A. radio station La Raza 97.9 was also there to kick up the Latino factor with some jams and prizes. Unfortunately, there was no spicy food served at this event, much to our chagrin. However, they did have this commercial for the game playing on some sweet HDTVs. We could laugh at that all day. Well, through at least three viewings. Check out our photocomic spread of the event after the jump. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
Watch out, SmashMyStuff: mountain men completely obliterate a PS3
We'll be the first to admit that the whole "smash this object" craze is getting a tad out of hand, but the latest rendition of demolishing a perfectly functional PlayStation 3 is just revolting. While we've witnessed Nintendo's Wii being cautiously dissected and publicly mangled, a couple of mountain men (and their canine companions) decided to take their newly purchased 60GB PS3 to the woodshed. After rambling about and capturing their mountaineer lifestyle in perfect fashion, they decide to crush the box with a large chunk of timber, only to make matters worse by busting out the ole hacksaw. Further abuse was bestowed care of a gas-powered chainsaw, and for the finale, it was set ablaze to cheers of evil laughter. While the motive here is certainly clear, and the tools used to inflict punishment are indeed respectable, you'd think someone willing to trash $600 (not to mention to probable near-death experience trying to acquire one) would actually show the PS3 within the box. But alas, no "real" proof is ever shown, so be sure to peep the YouTube vid after the break and chuckle at this glaring oversight.
