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Nintendo Selects budget line adds Super Mario Galaxy, Punch-Out!!, and more
Faced with drooping sales and waning retail interest in its platforms, Nintendo's been exercising its price-cutting muscle with some regularity. Before the unexpected 3DS price cut, there was the $50 Wii price cut that also included a bundled copy of Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel accessory. At the same time, Nintendo introduced the budget-priced Nintendo Selects game lineup and, on August 28, it's dropping four more games to the $19.99 price point. Super Paper Mario, Mario Strikers Charged, Punch-Out!!, and Super Mario Galaxy join The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario Super Sluggers, and Wii Sports in the bargain aisle. While it's hard to argue with the new, lower price, our secret, inner box-art snob wonders, "Is a measly $30 savings worth the shame of having that on the game shelf?" A look at the art for the latest Nintendo Selects selections is after the break.
Top 5: Worst. Cutscenes. Ever.
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Top_5_Worst_Cutscenes_Ever'; According to Activision (and after all, they made Pitfall!), video games will "eclipse" all other forms of media. Head honcho Mike Griffith went on to say that "Movies, recorded music and TV - these are all stagnating or contracting entertainment sectors." I'm not sure how much I agree with that statement. Strictly in terms of cash flow, it's already happening. Gaming is a fairly pricey hobby, and it's been outpacing the other forms of media for several years (in terms of growth). Yet I have a difficult time imagining a time where video games are everyone's preferred form of escapism. Although their respective industries may see drastic changes with direct, indirect, or unrelated connections to gaming, music and film will always have a place. As much as I love gaming, it's not rare that I find myself preferring to zone out with TV or just listen to music and read instead of playing a video game. What I do see is a further merging of the three into ubiquitous, all-purpose media devices. Microsoft and Sony currently do this, and it's only a matter of time before Nintendo catches up. While most households currently don't rely on gaming consoles as their sole provider of film / TV and music, I imagine that this will change. Perhaps the mediums will start to bleed into one another. With Metal Gear Solid blurring the lines between game and film and Audiosurf doing the same for games and music, perhaps media will merge and propagate a completely new and unique form of entertainment. Interesting stuff. What was this Top 5 about, again? Oh, right: cut scenes. A lot of them stink. Here's the 5 worst ones. 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.
Super Paper price cut
Paper Mario might not be our favorite franchise, but it's definitely a key staple in Nintendo's repertoire. If you don't have the Wii's Super Paper Mario, then, you might want to consider getting it -- especially since Amazon dropped it's price by $10. As per usual, this Amazon price cut is without rhyme or reason (it may be permanent, it may not be), so we recommend taking advantage of it while you still can should this deal interest you.We can imagine, though, that your plate of Nintendo games might be pretty full from some recent releases and upcoming titles.%Gallery-12013%[Via CAG]
Best of the Rest: Zack's Picks of 2007
Phase (iPod)A must-have game on the iPod? Yep. I'm as surprised as anyone. Apple's music player puttered through Tetris remakes, solitaire, and other obvious clones until Phase established some gaming muscle. (And sure, Musika gets some credit for being unique, but it's more visualizer than game.) Developed by Harmonix, Phase is a simple Guitar Hero-style beat-matching game. Tap a fifth-generation (video) iPod, Classic, or recent Nano's left, center, and right buttons in time with the music and on-screen prompts. Slide a finger around the wheel to catch falling dots. And that's it. The game becomes so much more because of its quirky visuals and ability to sync to your own songs. Nearly any genre works, especially music with a percussive bass line. While the console rhythm games let you buy new track downloads, Phase's unlimited replay with your own songs makes it a no-brainer for a portable music player.
NoE finally doing something about busted Super Paper Mario
So, it's been a whole two months since Nintendo of Europe acknowledged that a special glitch existed in the PAL version of Super Paper Mario and what have they done about it? Bupkis, that's what. Today, however, changes things as the European arm of the seven-headed hydra that is Nintendo has offered a fix for the issue.Details on getting a new, glitch-free disc are finally revealed, as they would like you to either send them an email at NintendoServiceCentre [at] codestorm [dawt] co [dawt] uk or hit them up via the telephone at 0870-6060-247. In doing so, they promise to rush you a new disc as soon as they can, however it isn't said how long that will take, exactly.Going to get your new disc?
'Zero Punctuation' covers Super Paper Mario, gives us lulz
If you've been around the internets, you might have heard of a fellow named Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw. If not, we can assure you that you're missing out. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing Mr. Croshaw, let us explain. Every week he does a video game review for The Escapist aptly titled "Zero Punctuation," since he never seems to take a breath between words and sentences. So, why did we wait so long to bring this joy to you? Well, because "Yahtzee" did his first review of a Wii game, huzzah! That's right, folks, we bring to you a "Yahtzee" review of Super Paper Mario. Even when he's being downright mean (er, all the time), we have to love him because he makes us laugh in the process.Now that we've built up this video so much that it won't meet your expectations (oops), watch away! But fair warning: Mr. Croshaw's potty mouth and vulgarities make this video slightly NSFW.
Europe gets special Glitch Edition of Super Paper Mario
Nintendo of Europe released a statement today acknowledging the existence of a game-freezing bug in the European release of Super Paper Mario. If you only play games for the excitement of seeing them fail, you're in luck. Everyone else: read where and how it happens, so you can avoid it.The offending bug occurs in Chapter 2-2. A character named Mimi will speak to you and send you on your way. Before the next time you meet her, you should be able to find a key. If you speak to her again without first picking up the key, the game registers its disapproval with you. In other words, it freezes. This only occurs when playing the game in UK English, German, or Spanish.Nintendo will have information soon about how to get a replacement copy, so you'll be able to talk to Mimi whenever you please. Until then, you know, don't do that.
Trade in your old ports for a new port
If you're lucky enough to have a Hastings store nearby, the entertainment retailer is offering to exchange your moth-eaten copies of Super Paper Mario or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for a waggle-fied edition of Resident Evil 4. They'll also accept Rainbow Six Vegas (360) and God of War II (PS2), but not without scowling at you first.According to the rest of Hastings's weekly ad, there's a buy-1-get-2nd-for-free sale on body jewelry, so be on the look out for that deal too! Put away the other two RE4 games you've already bought for previous platforms, throw on a shirt that shows off your belly-button-ringed midriff, and check past the post break for the full flyer.
Nintendo Media Summit: Planet Puzzle league hands-on (DS)
One of the DS games on display at this week's Nintendo Media Summit was Planet Puzzle League, the newest title from the developers of Tetris Attacks and Super Paper Mario. The game is a block-based puzzler along the lines of Bejeweled and Tetris and offers easy, accessible touch controls. You use the stylus to grab blocks and pull them left or right to line up three blocks of the same color to make them disappear. Like many games of its ilk, the goal is to create chains and combos by lining up multiple sets of blocks at once. All the while as you do this, the game is constantly shoving more blocks up from the screen, forcing you to react quickly.While playing the game, you hold the DS like a book, something thats always felt a little awkward to me. The controls are entirely touchscreen based, and the top screen (or left screen in this situation) gives you level detail and your score. The levels themselves look nice, with lots of bright flashing lights and pleasing music and the gameplay was entertaining, if not particularly original. The game also offers online play with full voice chat for two players and supports up to four players over ad-hoc wireless. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any versus play in while I was at the event, but I heard from some other writers that the game really started to shine when in a heated battle over WiFi.Planet Puzzle League comes out next month, and it should definitely make puzzle game fans happy, as long as they're not too burnt out on moving blocks around for points. And really, who ever could get tired of that? %Gallery-3414%
Friday Video: Hot paper action, chapter by chapter
This week's featured video may be a little spoileriffic if you're not rolling through Super Paper Mario yourself, but at least it's only early game footage -- creator Josh has tons of other video from the game if you are dying to see what you could be playing. Between this and the guide we were talking about a few days ago, we're pretty sure people may be just a little fond of this game. So we've gotta know -- if you're not playing this, what the heck are you playing?
Does Super Paper Mario have future DS connectivity? No
Will Super Paper Mario add DS functionality in a future upgrade? Joystiq sister site Nintendo Wii Fanboy was sent the following picture where Mario is hanging around next to a paper-thin DS Lite while the text displays "Awaiting data upgrade ..."Before you start speculating as to how your DS Lite will be used in conjunction with the game, allow us to disappoint you. The DS Lite here, found in the kitchen on the first floor of Flipside, is just a recipe database that is upgraded every time you collect one of the 96 recipe cards found in the game. Wii Fanboy reader jeffoverweg also reminds us that Nintendo has been self-referential with its portable devices before: the Game Boy Horror in Luigi's Mansion, the use of the DS phat and GBA in Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door, etc.If Nintendo were to add DS functionality with Super Paper Mario, there is no way they would have kept it a secret, especially not if it meant they could sell a few more DS units on connectivity alone. For those looking to link up their Nintendo hardware, you'll just have to wait for Pokemon.
Rumor: DS to play a role in Super Paper Mario
What's this -- a DS in Super Paper Mario? Could this beautiful image indicate that we'll soon be seeing more of the vaunted DS-Wii connectivity that we've been waiting for? Since it says the DS is "awaiting upgrade," we can't help but think that's what it could be! But maybe we're reading too much of our own hopes and dreams into this simple image. Nintendo Fanboy reader David was kind enough to let us know about this shot, taken around the kitchen on the first floor of Flipside, and we can't wait to dig around and see if there's anything else. After all, it could be a red herring, albeit one of the most tragic red herrings ever. If you see anything else, let us know ... and we'll be watching for any official announcements as well.[Thanks, David!]
Circuit City: Super Paper Mario guaranteed in-store or $20
Circuit City in their most recent flyer guarantees Super Paper Mario to be in-store April 10 by 2 PM or the bamboozled customer receives a $20 gift card. Those addendums you see there represented by "3" and "**" are that the offer is only good this week and the $20 needs to be used on a future purchase, which means if the game isn't "in-store" tomorrow that's an insta-twenty bucks off -- that's a free greatest hits title on any system.We really are having a hard time seeing the downside to this deal. If the product isn't there, that's an automatic $20 gift card. Or the product is there and we get a new game -- and not Gamestop's definition of "new." Then again, we could check Gamestop today and maybe they'll have a video of the Super Paper Mario ending and save us $50 right from the start. Definitely worth the trip to Circuit City if you were looking to pick up Super Paper Mario, the newest Gamecube title for the Wii.[Via WiiFanboy]
Today's "looks good on paper" video: Super Paper Mario commercial
You've already been able to see some of our impressions of Super Paper Mario from GDC and watch the first 30 minutes of the gameplay, but watch the first TV commercial? Not until now.The "Wii would like to play" campaign is slightly creepy, just because we don't want shadowy Nintendo agents watching us while we get our game on ... but if they come bearing Wiis and games, we wont complain too loudly.You can also watch the introduction of the game after the jump. It's a lot shorter than the 30 minute gameplay video, and much easier on the patience. With all of the videos available, where's the game already? Looks like fun.
Wii Warm Up: Reusing assets
The unreleased Gamecube Kirby looked to be running on the Super Smash Bros. Melee engine. Most of the character art in Super Paper Mario Iooks a whole lot like that of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and we don't think that's just consistency in style. Nintendo seems to be reusing art and code from previous games. The advantages of such a practice are obvious: reduced cost, quicker development cycles, and less need for debugging.But does it bother you to have a new game that isn't entirely new? Should Intelligent Systems have redrawn Mario for their new game? Or is there no reason to redo perfectly good work? What do you all think about the reuse of assets in new games?
Today's flattest game video: Super Paper Mario
We fought through the GDC crowds to give you our impressions, and this GameTrailers interview about Super Paper Mario shows off the game's creative controls. While it's just one of the Wii's titles, here's hoping this April game brings showers to counter the perception of the Wii game drought.Anticipate the rain -- and watch the video -- after the break.Paper cutout Mario and friends image from Paper Forest and GotOrion.
GDC 07: Super Paper Mario impressions
Super Paper Mario might've been the happiest game at the Nintendo booth at GDC. This 2D/3D platformer features a lot of character and charm, something the Paper Mario series has been known for. This ex-Gamecube title gathered the largest crowds and lines at Nintendo's booth, and it's clear why: it's simply a lot of fun.You hold the Wii Remote sideways, in classic NES form. Because the game plays homage to the early 2D Mario platformers, the Wii Remote may actually be superior than the Gamecube controller for this game. The D-Pad obviously moves the character, while 1 and 2 allow you to do the basics, like Jump. The game's unique feature, dimension changing, comes through the use of the A button. By simply hitting A, the game world rotates, revealing depth to Mario's once flat world.Even without the dimension-shifting mechanic, Super Paper Mario would've been a fun and imaginative game. There are tons of environmental effects that take Mario to new, surprising places. Also, you'll finally be able to play as multiple characters, such as Peach. With her parasol in hand, you'll be able to go far distances, a la Super Mario Bros. 2. Also, although the game doesn't feature any significant Wii enhancements, it's nice to see the game running in widescreen and in 480p. The game might not feature any truly spectacular graphics, but the playful paper art style still looks great. Definitely keep an eye out for this one when it comes out in April.
Super Paper Mario GDC '07 impressions
If you only saw screenshots like the one above, you'd be forgiven for mistaking Super Paper Mario for an All-stars-style update of the original Super Mario Bros. When you see the 95 percent complete build on the GDC show floor, though, it's easy to see that the game is a true continuation of the Paper Mario series, with a few significant changes thrown in.Everything you remember from Intelligent Systems' two Paper Mario games is here -- the irreverent writing style, the smoothly animated flat characters set in a detailed polygonal world and the items and leveling structure will all be familiar to Paper Mario fans. The now-familiar Paper Mario sidekicks also return in the form of Pixls -- little hovering companions that can perform specialized functions like turning into bombs or grabbing nearby enemies.What's changed is how you interact with the enemies -- through platform-style jumps instead of turn-based battles. It's amazing how the lack of jarring, momentum-stealing battles every 30 seconds transforms the game into a more fluid and much more enjoyable experience.The other major change, as has already been shown in countless online videos, is the ability to switch between a 2D side-view and a 3D over the shoulder view with a tap of the A button. It's interesting to see the familiar 2D environments converted into sometimes-complex, layered 3D environments, though the puzzles that used this mechanic in the demo seemed pretty facile.The Wii's motion-sensitive controls allow for some occasional aerial acrobatics, but for the most part, the game brings back the simple run and jump control scheme of the NES Mario games with little embellishment. Which is just fine by us. Just because the Wii allows for motion-sensitive controls doesn't mean they should be shoehorned in when other, simpler controls work just as well or better.
New Super Paper Mario Wii screens (in our favorite ratio)
Since its announcement at E3 2006, Super Paper Mario has made a format shift and still managed to keep a suspiciously low profile. It's a game that has been developed in the shadows, with only occasional flashes to give the poor gaming press anything to write about. At last, though, Super Paper Mario is coming out into the open. Nintendo today confirmed an April 19 release for Japan, which means that Super Paper Mario (like the Wii itself) is going to debut in North America. The new 16:9 screens here show how beautiful the game has become and, although Wii Remote functions are yet to be properly explained, Famitsu reports that Peach's umbrella can be used to access secret areas. (Here come the Super Mario Bros. 2 flashbacks.) We're intrigued to see how Super Paper Mario can flit from 2D to 3D at the press of a button and retain some sort of consistency. America can discover on April 9 whether Intelligent Systems' ambitious project has succeeded -- and more importantly, find out whether Bowser ends up marrying Peach. The horror.%Gallery-1722%[Image credit: Famitsu]
Super Paper Mario releases April 9
Portly paper plumber platforming news now, with Nintendo announcing a release date of April 9 for Super Paper Mario. Initially developed as a Gamecube title, the Wii adventure sees Mario switching between charming 2-D and 3-D landscapes in an effort to thwart the ill-advised marriage of Princess Peach to Bowser. Who knew a mere platformer could provide such sweeping social commentary on the liberal, inter-species marriage laws of the Mushroom Kingdom?The platformer also underlines the state of the ongoing Wii games drought. Short of Sonic's Wii debut later this month and Wario's notable appearance early this year, the console's Q1 release schedule has been decidedly barren. Ideally, Super Paper Mario will kick off a more vigorous second quarter, complete with the evolved form of an overlooked Gamecube ape. %Gallery-1586%
