Thursday, November 27, 2014

Honest Pokemon Gold & Silver Game Trailer

Direct Link

Black Friday Trailer Gives A Chillingly Accurate Depiction Of The Dark Day

Black Friday is a disgusting symbol of America's obsession with buying stuff simply because "it was a good deal". In recent years, the dark day has really gotten out of hand with people going as far as shooting each other while others are tragically trampled to death in an effort to "save a few bucks". Every year, the day is manipulated by desperate retailers in a vain attempt to remain relevant despite their accelerated downfall brought on by online shopping.

To illustrate just how ridiculous Black Friday has become, YouTube channel Nacho Punch has crafted a movie trailer for the day which gives a darkly comedic portrayal to the day after Thanksgiving (or 6pm Thanksgiving Day which is just plain disgusting). Having spent the better half of a decade behind the retail counter, experiencing the darker side of the American shopper, I can personally attest that despite the dark comedy portrayed in this trailer it is actually far more accurate than most realize. While I am not a fan of the day for how it is exploited, I don't generally have an issue with it as a normal shopping day to be out with the family witnessing the idiots who loose their mind over it. Enjoy and please shop responsibly.

Direct Link

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Dancing With The Stars Gets Invaded By The Mushroom Kingdom

While the uneducated and gaming media in general love to take shots at Nintendo, there's no denying that the Big N makes an major impact whenever they pop up in culture. One of the more unexpected appearances came in the form of a recent Dancing with the Stars performance featuring a dance medley of classic Super Mario music. Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson and dancer Mark Ballas performed the impressive dance number earning a perfect score. It's quite impressive and is sure to bring a smile to any Super Mario fan.

If you like the Super Mario medley and would like to add it to your playlist, Nintendo is featuring the song on their website as a free download. Nintendo fans will be thrilled to hear that the medley was not only provided by the Big N but legendary Nintendo Composer Koji Kondo actually crafted the tune for the performance. Be sure to grab a copy as it is a catchy piece of nostalgic music. Enjoy!

Direct Link

The Gruesome Science Behind Link's Hookshot

Direct Link

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Teslagrad Gets Physical On Wii U In Early 2015!

The Wii U is home to a robust selection of excellent Indie games on its eShop service with many of the games being even better than the big budget AAA titles pumped into retail for $60. With this success, some indie developers are given the opportunity to actually release a physical retail version of their game. For fans of physical media in gaming (myself included), the opportunity to add these games to their gaming library complete with disc and boxart is something quite special.

This brings us to the excellent Metroidvania game known as Teslagrad which was developed by Rain Games and saw release on the Wii U in September. The game received great reviews and is up there with titles like Shovel Knight as one of the best Indie games available on Nintendo's criminally underrated HD console. It was announced earlier this year that Rain Games had worked out a deal to release a physical retail disc version of the game for the Wii U but the specific date has yet to be set. It has been revealed that SOEDESCO will be managing the physical distribution and the game is set for an early 2015 release on Wii U. If you're tired of the same old shit being shoveled out by traditional third party developers every year and want to support a developer with passion, you should grab a copy of Teslagrad (digital or physical) and experience this wonderful gem. Enjoy!

Direct Link

Ghostbusters And Mythbusters Throw Down In An Epic Rap Battle!

Direct Link

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Celebrate Donkey Kong Country's 20th Birthday With "Mix't Ape '94" Album

Donkey Kong Country has just turned 20 and to celebrate, a fan album titled DKC Mix't Ape '94 has just been released. The album is an eclectic mix of tunes covering the entire DKC trilogy over the course of 35 tracks. Over 20 artists contributed to the album and the variety of music and styles ensures that no matter your tastes, you will find something to like. DKC Mix't Ape '94 is available on Bandcamp right now with a name your own price option including free. Unleash your inner Kong and grab a copy of this excellent album ASAP. Enjoy!




How Well Do You Know Super Smash Bros.? ...Technical Play Special

Direct Link

Nintendo Showcases Upcoming (2014/2015) Wii U & 3DS Nindie Games

Nintendo has made it very clear that their Indie Developers (a.k.a. Nindies) are essentially the new third party developers for their consoles. This makes sense when you consider the decline of traditional third party's who have become overly reliant on annualized sequels which are seeing diminishing returns in recent years. In their continuing effort to support the Nindies, Nintendo has been doing everything from sponsoring Indie Developer conferences to featuring these games on their own website and YouTube channel. Nintendo recently revealed a release schedule for several upcoming Nindie titles and it looks like Wii U & 3DS owners are in for some excellent games. Enjoy!
  • Runbow (Wii U) – 2015 from 13AM Games
  • Chromophore: The Two Brothers Director’s Cut (Wii U) – Winter from Ackk Studios LLC
  • Citizens of Earth (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS) – Winter from ATLUS
  • Nihilumbra (Wii U) – Winter from BeautiFun Games
  • Thomas Was Alone (Wii U) – 11/25 from Curve Digital
  • Proun+ (Wii U) – Winter from Engine Software
  • Trine Enchanted Edition (Wii U) – Winter from Frozenbyte
  • Chariot (Wii U) – Winter from Frima Studio Inc.
  • A.N.N.E. (Wii U) – Winter from Gamesbymo
  • Gunman Clive 2 (Nintendo 3DS) – Winter from Hörberg Productions
  • SteamWorld Heist (Wii U) – Spring 2015 from Image & Form
  • Affordable Space Adventures (Wii U) – Q1 2015 from KnapNok Games
  • Gone Home (Wii U) – Winter from Midnight City
  • High Strangeness (Wii U) – Winter from Midnight City
  • forma.8 (Wii U) – Winter from MixedBag
  • A World of Keflings (Wii U) – 11/13 from NinjaBee
  • Treasurenauts (Nintendo 3DS) – Q1 2015 from Renegade Kid
  • Xeodrifter (Nintendo 3DS) – Q4 2014 from Renegade Kid
  • Swords & Soldiers II (Wii U) – Winter from Ronimo Games BV
  • Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians (Wii U) – Q1 2015 from THREAKS
  • 6180 the moon (Wii U) – Winter from Turtle Cream
  • RIVE (Wii U) – 2015 from Two Tribes

Direct Link

NOA President Reggie Fils-Aime Discusses Nintendo's Holiday 2014

Direct Link

Saturday, November 22, 2014

"The Last Goodbye" Hobbit Music Video Is Both Epic & Emotional!

With The Hobbit trilogy drawing to a close next month with The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson's brilliant vision of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic book series will finally be complete after 15 years. Unlike a more infamous double trilogy movie series, Peter Jackson has crafted a six movie series that truly feels like a cohesive whole despite the second trilogy being a prequel and having been shot 10 years after the original trilogy.

To give a proper send-off to the series as a whole, a new official music video has been released for the series final major song which will play during the credits of The Battle of the Five Armies. The song is fittingly titled "The Last Goodbye" and is brilliantly performed by Billy Boyd, the actor who portrayed Pippin in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Both the song and video are an emotional finale to a film series that will go down as one of the greatest tales ever put to film. If you are a fan of the films, the video will pull at your heartstrings in the best possible way as it features footage from The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit as well as behind the scenes footage of the making of the series. An absolute must watch that will make you want to experience the epic saga all over again. Enjoy!

Direct Link

Super Smashing Medley Covers 28 Classic Nintendo Tunes!

Direct Link

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Game Theory: Rosalina UNMASKED

Super Mario Galaxy's galactic princess Rosalina has become a major part of the Mario universe since her introduction in 2007 but her parentage has actually been a bit of a mystery. Generally speaking this wouldn't be a big deal but Super Mario Galaxy includes quite a bit of in-game story meant to flesh out her character more than the average Mario universe citizen. This has led to a lot of speculation on her history leading the YouTube channel The Game Theorists to spring to action and attempt to uncover the identity of Rosalina's parents. The resulting 2 part series of videos is a must watch for any Mario fan and is sure to blow your mind as it covers everything from genetics to special relativity. Enjoy!

Direct Link

Direct Link


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Duck Hunt Is Coming To Wii U Virtual Console!

The NES light gun classic Duck Hunt is finally coming to the Virtual Console service and could mark the start of other classics coming to the service. Since the Virtual Console hit the Wii back in 2006, many fans have wondered when Nintendo's light gun games would come to the service seeing as the Wii Remote would make the perfect alternative to the NES Zapper. For years, Nintendo remained silent and it seemed that games such as Duck Hunt would be lost in the past.

Fortunately, with the release of the new Super Smash Bros., Nintendo has brought back the Duck Hunt Dog and Duck as a playable team and used the opportunity to bring their classic game to the Wii U. To accommodate the move to the Wii U, Nintendo has added an on-screen reticle which is controlled by the Wii Remote. The games official page also states the the game will support 2 player and off-TV play (for those who don't know, the Wii U GamePad has a sensor bar built into it to support Wii Remote pointer control). With any luck, Duck Hunt's arrival on the service will lead to eventual release of other NES Zapper classics such as Hogan's Alley and Wild Gunman (fans of Back to the Future will remember this classic).

Monday, November 17, 2014

Club Nintendo November Rewards Update

Nintendo has updated their downloadable Club Nintendo rewards for November and for the remainder of the month they are offering 8 titles across 3 systems (Wii games can be played on Wii U)The expiration date for this offer is now December 14 and the price is between 150-250 coins for each title. Be sure to check back December 15 for the next reward update.

Pilotwings - Wii U eShop
200 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Vegas Stakes - Wii U eShop
200 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Clu Clu Land - Wii Virtual Console
200 Coins (Available Until December 14)

PictureBook Games: Pop-Up Pursuit - WiiWare
250 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Tokyo Crash Mobs 3DS eShop
200 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Kirby's Pinball Land - 3DS eShop
150 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Metroid II: Return of Samus - 3DS eShop
150 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Starship Defense - 3DS eShop
200 Coins (Available Until December 14)

Gorgeous New Armikrog Footage!

Armikrog, the spiritual successor to The Neverhood, is progressing nicely after a successful Kickstarter campaign last year. The game is scheduled for a 2015 release on Wii U and even includes gameplay features designed to take advantage of the Wii U's unique GamePad controller, something that indie developers seem to be able to do but big third parties can't grasp. To give eager fans and Kickstarter backers an idea of the games progress, developer Pencil Test Studios has release some new footage of the game in action and the game looks absolutely brilliant! The gorgeous visuals, quirky style/music and classic point-n-click gameplay will make this a must have for Adventure fans next year. Enjoy!


Friday, November 7, 2014

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Mini-Universes Galore Trailer

Nintendo has just released a new trailer for the anticipated Wii U game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and the game is looking quite impressive. The Wii U adventure boasts quite a bit of content which is sure to please fans who thought the game would just be a short little spin-off title from Super Mario 3D World. It has been revealed that the title will feature 70 levels complete with massive boss battles. The game will also include support for Nintendo's amiibo figures but the full details have yet to be revealed. The latest trailer indicated that players will also have the ability to play as Toadette. Fans will be able to start their treasure tracking on December 5th. Enjoy!

Direct Link

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Splatoon Single Player Trailer

Direct Link

Pikmin 3 Gets A Rebirth With Short Films And Wii U eShop Demo!

Pikmin 3 is easily one of more unique titles to grace Nintendo's first HD console but unfortunately never got the recognition it deserved due to the the unwarranted media bashing of the Wii U during 2013 and a lot of 2014. Fortunately Nintendo is giving the game a second chance now that everyone is crawling back to the Wii U due to it having the best exclusive titles of the eighth generation consoles (Wii U, PS4, XBOne). One way they are doing this is by offering a full playable demo of Pikmin 3 on the eShop. What makes this demo special is that any of your progress in the demo will be saved and carried over to the full retail version of the game should you decide to add this gem to your collection. I highly recommend giving this game a try if you have a Wii U or are getting one this fall.

Nintendo is also releasing a series of adorable Pikmin short films on the 3DS & Wii U eShop. The films were crafted and directed by series creator (and legendary game designer) Shigeru Miyamoto. These three short films titled The Night Juicer, Treasure in a Bottle and Occupational Hazards further expand on the cute little Pikmin and their lives outside of the game world. Your viewing preference will be based on the console of choice with Pikmin Short Movies 3D for 3DS and Pikmin Short Movies HD for Wii U priced at $4.99 each. Your film purchase will also include the animated storyboards Mr. Miyamoto used to plan the film which were created using Nintendo's own Flipnote Studio software from the Nintendo DSi. Enjoy!

Direct Link

Downfall Of Gaming Journalism #7: GamerGate

Direct Link

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Majora's Mask 3D Coming To 3DS In Spring 2015!

Ever since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D came to the Nintendo 3DS back in 2011, fans have been begging Nintendo for a similar update to the criminally underrated and often overlooked Majora's Mask. Nintendo will be making Zelda fans very happy as they have just announced The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D which is set to launch in Spring 2015. The game is receiving a similar graphical update as Ocarina of Time which will make the game look just like the concept art for the N64 original. Other upgrades are sure to be included but Nintendo has yet to reveal any of the juicy new extra features. Nintendo has also released a new trailer which gives a glorious sneak peak of the game. Enjoy!

Direct Link