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Hand crocheted Mario 1-Up Mushroom scarves - pricey yet priceless
Posted by Sparky Categories: Culture, Internet, Nintendo, Retro,
Etsy user UrbanPrincess is offering up custom Super Mario 1-Up mushroom crocheted scarves. At $150 a pop they are kind of pricey, but at the same time a priceless addition to the winter wardrobe of any true gamer. Each scarf is hand made and custom made-to-order so if 1-Up mushrooms aren’t your thing you could elect for the delicious delicacy of a mega-mushroom here or there.
Etsy: UrbanPrincess
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Wii shortages continue, Nintendo partners with GameStop on rain check program
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
I just got off a press call with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime where the focus was on the availability of the Wii console. Reggie made it clear that Nintendo never expected the success that Wii has been enjoying since launch, and therefore has remained hard to find despite ramped up production. Nintendo is hoping to help out just a bit with a couple of short-term initiatives.
Manhunt 2 Review: The Good, The Bad and The Grisly
Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Nintendo, Reviews, Survival Horror, Take2, Wii,
Along with the release of “Halo 3” and the unfortunate postponement of “GTA IV”, one of the biggest video game stories of the year is the saga of Rockstar’s “Manhunt 2”. First, it was banned in England due to its graphic violence. Then it was given the kiss-of-death “Adults Only” rating here in the US by the ESRB. Sony and Nintendo do not release games with that rating—and they’re not carried by Blockbuster and Walmart. Undaunted, Rockstar made some revisions, and eventually the game received a “Mature” rating.
So now “Manhunt 2” is available in stores for Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2 and PSP. Having followed the saga, and very curious about the game’s content (plus I’m a huge fan of previous Rockstar games), I made it my business to rent the Wii version and play it. Having never played the original “Manhunt”—and not being a fan of stealth games—I had little idea what to expect. After completing the tutorial of Wiimote and Nunchuk moves (which includes some very funny, if grisly, sound effects), I dove in.
Click to continue reading Manhunt 2 Review: The Good, The Bad and The Grisly
Latest Gear Live Videos
“Mario” Goes Zero-G to Promote Super Mario Galaxy
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Culture, Nintendo, Release Dates,
If you’re a hardcore gamer with a Wii, you don’t need to be told that Super Mario Galaxy is looming large on the horizon. With only a week to go until launch, though, Nintendo thought that they should take the time to try to reach those last few folks that’ve been living in a cave for the past year. How did they decide to point your attention towards Mario’s latest space-faring adventure, dear reader? By plunking down a few G’s to send Mario Zero-G, of course!
That’s right, that poor bastard you see pictured above had to ride the “Vomit Comet” in a Mario suit. I’m guessing some intern at Nintendo has been stuck with the task of finding the best way to de-barf a Mario costume right now.
Super Mario Galaxy launches on the Wii on November 12th for $49.99. And it’s going to be awesome, I dare say.
GoNintendo
Super Mario 64 beaten in 6:47 with only one star
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Adventure, Culture, Nintendo,
Now this is something any hardcore gamer would enjoy, we think. A couple of guys got together to figure out how to use Mario’s awesome jumping skills to beat Super Mario 64 in under 7 minutes. While you may watch it in awe of the lightning-quick hand-eye coordination of the person behind the controller, this is actually a tool-assisted speed run. What they did was run the game in an emulator with slow speeds, and went frame-by-frame looking for exactly what to do to accomplish what they did. It is totally not meant to show off gaming skill, but rather, a game pushed to it’s limit. What you end up with is a run through the game with Mario collecting just one star, and using a glitch that allowed the character to pass through a couple of doors without the need for stars or a key. Definitely an interesting look at what can be done with a game using tools the designers never intended their game to run on.
Games With Online Multiplayer Sell More
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Corporate News, Downloadable Content, Internet, Microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Sony, Wii, Xbox 360,
A research paper from Electronic Entertainment Design and Research has been released that suggests that games with online support can be crucial to a game’s retail success. Not surprisingly, another way to boost sales is to create a quality game (defined as those with a 90+ score on Metacritic), with these well-reviewed titles outselling the average release well above 5-to-1.
While making good games typically means making good money, naturally, it is a bit surprising to see the report indicate that sales can be doubled by dropping in an online mode. With online games selling twice the number copies that offline titles do, it’s curious to note that over half of games released don’t offer even basic online support.
Click to continue reading Games With Online Multiplayer Sell More
Read More 
| Ars Technica
“Trauma Center: New Blood” Premiere Trailer
Posted by Steve Van Neil Categories: Action, Nintendo, Puzzle, Trailers, Wii,
It looks like the Wii is turning the corner as far as compelling third-party content goes. Joining Zach & Wiki, Manhunt 2, and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles at the cool kids table in the not-too-distant future is Trauma Center: New Blood, the sequel to the popular medical/supernatural/arm-flailing/impossible-to-categorize DS and Wii game. Hot from the Atlus oven is this premiere trailer, which shows off more of that cool anime-inspired character design, a brand new co-op mode, as well as some pretty stilted voice acting. Looks like a must-buy. What other game lets you draw five-pointed stars on an unconscious patient’s gaping wound to keep him from flatlining?
The Wii-exclusive Trauma Center: New Blood is slated to come out this holiday season.
Read More | IGN
MarioKart on Wii Supports 16 Players Online
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Driving, Internet, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, Wii,
Nintendo‘s popular arcadey racing game, Mario Kart is inevitably coming to the Wii. When it does, a blurb clipped from the Official Nintendo Magazine UK says it will support 16 players in the popular battle mode.
Mario Kart DS solidified the WiFi features of the handheld unit and it’s quite possible that the Wii version is being positioned to do the same.
As with earlier versions the Wii Mario Kart will include updated versions of older tracks (in this case Wii translations of DS tracks) as well as all new racing locations. Mario Kart for the Wii is scheduled to be released next spring.
Read More | Go Nintendo via Evil Avatar
Bloomberg: Wii Still Dominant in Japan
Posted by Steve Van Neil Categories: Corporate News, Culture, Hardware, Microsoft, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Sony, Wii, Xbox 360,
In what has become a regular occurrence, Nintendo’s Wii handily outsold its closest console competition three-to-one in Japan for the month of August. However, it is interesting to note that the gap between the Wii and PS3 has lessened. In June, Nintendo’s console outsold the PS3 six-to-one and four-to-one in June and July, respectively.
Bloomberg reported the final August numbers as follows: Wii at 245,653, PS3 at 81,541, and the Xbox 360 lagging behind at around 11,000. The Wii’s August numbers bring the console to a whopping 3.4 million units sold in that country since its launch last year.
Read More | Next Generation
Despite Nintendo packaging the Wii as an internet-ready and capable device, they seem to still drag their feet whenever it comes to online gaming. The latest evidence of this is the eerie quiet surrounding the online features of the upcoming Guitar Hero III, broken by The Bits Bytes Pixels and Sprites when they contacted a Red Octane PR specialist, Bryan Lam about what Guitar Hero III will be like online with the Wii. He distressingly told BBPS, “We’re working closely with Nintendo for an online solution, though at the moment we’re unable to confirm the status of the online multi-player.”
Considering the other GHIII versions are all set to have online modes and there ought not to be any technical hurdles, this can really only mean Nintendo is having a hard time letting go of the secret to their ultimate online strategy which is so secret not even the consumers can figure out what it is. Online versus and co-op modes may be bad enough as possible omissions from the Wii version, but a follow-up from BBPS suggests that the same hurdles exist for downloadable content as well. While it’s difficult to determine why Nintendo would want to feature-deprive third party developers from online action, it’s even less comprehensible why they would cut off money-making endeavors like song packs as well.
Read More | The Bits Bytes Pixels and Sprites via 4 Color Rebellion
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