Tag: Mario

Review: Mario Kart 8

A little bit of a warning here at the beginning. This won’t be a long, in-depth review of the why’s and where’s, ins and outs of Mario Kart 8. I know some of you are breathing a sigh of relief (or have already scrolled down to the score), and I have a good reason for this:

It’s Mario Kart…and it’s effing FUN.

I am assuming by reading this you are already a Mario Kart fan and know the gist of it. You pick your favorite Mario character, your mode of transport, wheel type and glider, then proceed to let a string of obscenities fly out of your mouth that would make Samuel L. Jackson smile in approval.

You think I am joking? I wish you could hear a tiny bit of what it is like to play with me but I will just give you a small typed out sampling.

-Cockface

-A**hole/hat

-Fu**ing Sh**

-Peach/Daisy/Rosalina can suck various parts of me

-Jailbait bit** (a favorite of my gf)

-Sh**face Cockmaster

-Donkey fu**ing Kong

-Bowser, you fat fu**

-Bi*** baby

-Eat my dick (this is said as I cross the finish line in first)

This is what happens when a grown man plays Mario his whole life and gets tired when he keeps getting red shells in his ass and only gets a coin from a box when he is in first.

The first Wii U Mario Kart game is loaded with 32 tracks consisting of 16 new tracks and 16 classic tracks from every previous Kart game including the hell that is Rainbow Road from Mario Kart 64. The new tracks are as imaginative as ever and make good use of the underwater and hovercraft effects that make you pine for the F-Zero sequel that will never be. Tons of unlockable characters, karts, tires and gliders await as you win each racing class. The character variation is nothing out of the ordinary for a Mario Kart game, but does it really need to be?

I only had a few hiccups with online play at first, but since then, it has been smooth. Online is where you really test how good you are. You may think you are a drift master until you come across some guy in China that shows you know nothing, Jon Snow. It is like when I would play Tekken 3 at the arcade and absolutely own people…then a ten year old picks Eddy Gordo and whips my ass.

Don’t worry about being shoehorned into playing Mario Kart in a way you are not comfortable with. The game supports the Gamepad, Pro Controller, Wii Remote (for motion driving) and Wii Remote and Nunchuck. I am old school and have to use an analog stick and R trigger for power sliding where my girlfriend uses her Wii Remote and motion steering. The Gamepad screen has multiple features like seeing the track map, a horn and off-screen play. Yep, if you are playing two-player and have to take a poop, you can keep the game going. Believe me, this will happen.

Like I said earlier, it’s Mario Kart. You know if you have enjoyed previous installments, you will love this one. It is beautiful to look at and the variety in tracks make sure that even after you have played them all, there is plenty of fun left to be had by going back again. I believe that combined with the lineup Nintendo showed at E3, Mario Kart 8 could be the beginning of a Wii U redemption.

Sorry for the cursing.

June 12, 2014
All The Trailers Shown At Today’s Nintendo Direct Event

Bayonetta 2

Hyrule Warriors

Zelda Wii U
http://youtu.be/gTMhGg5mtp8

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Xenoblade Chronicles

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Mario Maker

Yoshi’s Woolly World

Splatoon

Super Smash Bros. Goddess of Light Reveal

June 10, 2014
This One Time, On The Internet- March 12, 2014

Here are the quick hits from the world of movies, TV, video games, air fresheners, bowling shoes, whatever catches our fancy.

Movies

Fletch

Jason Sudeikis is in talks to take over the role of Irwin M. Fletcher in Warner’s reboot of the Fletch franchise. Chevy Chase played the role twice (perfectly) in Fletch and Fletch Lives. Go back and watch them and realize that Sudeikis will own this role.

Fantastic Four

It seems the hunt for Doctor Doom has been narrowed to four actors. They are Toby Kebbell, Sam Riley, Eddie Redmayne and Domhnall Gleeson. Never heard of them? Good. I think more unknowns should get some of these comic roles going around.

The LEGO Movie

Chris McKay has been picked to direct The LEGO Movie 2. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of the first movie, will return as producers. McKay has directed Adult Swim shows Moral Oral and Robot Chicken. Let’s get Seth Green involved and everything will be awesome.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

A new IMAX poster has just been released for the robots in disguise. You could take off the Tranformers graphic and put Titanfall on it and it would work.

TV

iZombie

Rose McIver has been cast as Liv, the lead character in The CW’s show based on the DC/Vertigo comic. Gwen is the character’s name in the comic so who knows about the name change. I read Volume 1 of the comic a couple of years ago and found it entertaining. It does lend itself well to a TV show.

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon, Penny, Leonard and the rest of the gang will be around for at least a decade. CBS has renewed The Big Bang Theory for three more seasons taking it through season ten. I will never complain about more Bernadette.

Video Games

Mario

Mario will be invading Happy Meals at McDonald’s in March and April. For those adults (me) that will be buying them, just remember they have double hamburger meals with them for us fatties. I got fat off of regular Happy Meals, I shudder to think how much larger I would be if I could have gotten double hamburgers in them when I was a kid.

March 12, 2014
Scott’s 2013 Game Of The Year

The Last of Us

2013 was one of the strongest years ever for video games. So many games that deserve recognition for being incredible in their own right. When it comes right down to it, as I sat and looked at my list of possible picks, there was only one choice that was easy for me to make.

The Last of Us is a game that defines a generation and it comes at the very end of the current one. Naughty Dog’s reputation as a premiere developer was already sealed with their Uncharted trilogy, Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, but with The Last of Us they married the gameplay and story so seamlessly it reimagines what is possible in video gaming. Not just very good at one and slack at the other, rather a symbiosis created and learned over 30 years of gaming.

Led by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who set a new bar for voice acting, The Last of Us is the story of Joel and Ellie and their journey across the country, which spans a year, and set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic outbreak twenty years prior that has left mankind hanging on by a thread. We have seen the apocalypse scenario before. In fact, we are inundated with it in pop culture with the current zombie craze which makes Naughty Dog’s ability to make it feel fresh all the better. The lines of “video game as art” are blurred further the more you play.

It has been a long, long time since I felt so much emotional connection to characters in a game, not since the original Mass Effect in 2007. As Joel and Ellie’s relationship grows from contentious to so much more you can not help but have your own attachment to both of them, especially if you have experienced the type of loss that both of them have. I can not thank Naughty Dog enough for creating such a fully realized world and characters that will always stick with me.

The Last of Us is a journey that reveals just how good…and horrific humanity can be in its worst hour. As a species on the brink of dying off you are focused on these two engaging people who show you that The Last of Us isn’t about the last of humanity, but rather, the last of humanity left in us.

The best of the rest

-Bioshock Infinite

Any other year. Any other year this would be sitting at the top of my list. Taking the fun Bioshock formula and add in a host of mindfucks and you have only just begun to realize what awaits you.

-Tomb Raider

Welcome back, Lara Croft. It has been awhile. Where Uncharted was a spiritual successor to the original Tomb Raider this brings it full circle and the new Lara is a spiritual successor to Uncharted. Smooth controls and beautiful to look at.

-Assassin’s Creed IV

I had all but given up on the Assassin’s Creed franchise then Ubisoft goes and does this. Who doesn’t want to be a pirate on the high seas? It lets you live out your Jack Sparrow fantasies and reinvigorates the series.

-Super Mario 3D World

It looks like I bought a Wii U just in time. Crazy level design and co-op play that will make friends enemies. It is easily the best Mario game since Super Mario 64. Should be a system seller.

January 13, 2014
Quick Wii U Impressions (A Year Late)

Photo courtesy wiiudaily.com

I finally did it. I knew it would happen eventually. I bought a Wii U. Despite dismal sales and severely lacking third party support I am a Nintendo fanboy at heart and I can only deny Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda and the rest for only so long. I thought I would give you my quick impressions of Nintendo’s successor to the Wii now that I have put more than a few hours into the system (a lot of hours actually).

1. The Wii U feels like Nintendo’s “Dreamcast”. Now I know when Sega released the Dreamcast it was far and above better than the PS1 and I felt was a better console than the PS2 for the short time it lasted. The Xbox One and PS4 have already surpassed the Wii U by leaps and bounds in the horsepower department. Where I am making the Dreamcast comparison is that it is something completely new for Nintendo to attempt and it feels very fresh because of it. Sega teamed with Microsoft to bring the Dreamcast into the online world and had the VMU memory card that went into the controller for a second screen experience never seen in consoles. Likewise Nintendo is accepting that online play is the future of games (a little late) and incorporated the MiiVerse which feels like a simplistic, yet fun online experience. Think of it as Xbox Live without all the dickheads.

The Wii U gamepad has had its importance lessened over the past year with the various apps that Playstation and Xbox offer for a second screen. Smartglass is a fun add-on but has not made me need it in any way and remote play on the Vita is the closest thing to the Wii U gamepad. Nintendo should not downplay the use of the gamepad in the future. They should embrace it more because it is still unique even with Sony and Microsoft doing their best to emulate it.

2. When you actually own a Wii U Nintendo’s marketing of the system is even more horrible than you think. Some people still think the Wii U is a controller that goes with your Wii. Some people know it is a new system but don’t care because they think it is too similar to the Wii. Nintendo is doing nothing to help themselves in this department and it boggles the mind because while the Wii U will never match the numbers of the Xbox One or PS4 with the better marketing it could sell way better than the paltry numbers it is putting up. No commercials I have seen have played up the ability to watch Netflix on the gamepad from room to room or that you can control your TV and cable through the gamepad and Nintendo TVii. The name of the system doesn’t help matters. It is not as sexy or cute as Wii U but Nintendo might have been better served calling it the Wii 2 at least to give consumers (the ones who do not pay attention) a better idea that this is a new console.

3. There are actual games to play. Yes I know for people that bought a Wii U last year this was not the case and there were months with no releases at all but now that the system has been out for a year there are plenty of titles to pick up and get your money’s worth. A lot of people just spent $500 (me included) for an Xbox One for the hope that March’s Titanfall will be as amazing as we want it to be. You have Dead Rising, Ryse and Killer Instinct to hold you over until then but I will be honest and say I am counting down the days until March 11th. For $299 I now have something to play Super Mario 3D World, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Zombi U, Lego City Undercover, Super Mario and Luigi Wii U, The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 with Donkey Kong coming in February and Mario Kart shortly after. Then comes Super Smash Bros. I know the other next-gen consoles will always offer more but for right now I feel justified with the purchase with what I just listed. Only two of those games are third party. I am fine with that. I have no problem playing the Wii U as a Nintendo game only machine especially when their releases are almost always worth the wait.

4. I can’t help but play the “what if?” game. Now that I am entrenched in Super Mario 3D World I am convinced that only a few changes would have made Nintendo’s console a success. If they could have just released 3D World when the system launched instead of Super Mario Bros. Wii U (which we have seen a lot of over the past few years on Wii and 3DS) there would have been a true system seller. This game is getting wonderful reviews (9.5’s and higher) and for good reason. It is the best 3D Mario since Super Mario 64 but more on that in my review when the game is done.

If Super Mario 3D World could not be released in time for November of 2012 why not just hold off the console until it is ready? Nintendo had a whole year head start and it got them nowhere. Imagine a world where Nintendo holds off the Wii U until a September 2013 release, still two months before the Xbox One and Playstation 4, and launches with a 3D Mario game that people see is getting near perfect scores along with Pikmin 3, Lego City Undercover, The Wonderful 101 as well as third party games like Batman: Arkham Origins and Assassin’s Creed IV releasing on the system in October. Then hit them with the news that there won’t be a post-holiday drought with Donkey Kong coming in February and Mario Kart in March. I believe the Wii U could have sold the same four million units worldwide from September to January that it took them almost a year to sell.

Oh if only for that.

December 12, 2013
Nintendo Reports Wii U Sales. There Is No Good News

Photo courtesy geek.com

It appears the Wii U price drop had a positive affect on the console’s sales but not enough to really make a difference. Nintendo says the struggling console sold 300,000 units in the last quarter which is an almost 50% rise from the previous quarter sales of 160,000.

Nintendo dropped the price of the Wii U to $299.99 and focused on only selling the deluxe model and it is still not the push the console needed. Total Wii U sales sit at just under 4 million consoles and is going to need a miracle to reach the 9 million Nintendo forecasted to sell before the end of the year.

Super Mario 3D World is the only big release of the holiday season after Donkey Kong was delayed into 2014. Mario Kart 8 will not release until April 2014 and Smash Bros. won’t see shelves until holiday next year. With horrible sales there is no use in hoping for third party support especially with next-gen consoles a few weeks away.

Nintendo is offering different bundles to push sales including one with Skylanders: Swap Force and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

This hurts as a lifelong Nintendo fan. I have yet to buy a Wii U because I still see no value in paying $300 for it. I have bought every Nintendo console but won’t think of getting one until it hits $199 which is what I was hoping would happen with the price cut a few months ago. I felt Nintendo needed to do like they did with the 3DS and just cut it way down to get sales moving. Alas, it did not happen and the Wii U looks like a defunct console as it heads to its first birthday.

October 30, 2013
First Video Of The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past 2

http://youtu.be/6oaS9yBGbmU

We brought you some shots yesterday from A Link to the Past 2, but here is the official announcement video which features the first look at gameplay of the 3DS sequel.

With Fire Emblem and Luigi‘s Mansion both selling huge and Mario Party, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Bravely Default, Donkey Kong Country Returns and A Link to the Past 2 coming it is hard to deny that the 3DS has the best looking lineup of any system going right now.

April 18, 2013
Wii U Sales Cross 3 Million, Nintendo Cuts Sales Forecast

Nintendo has sold just over 3 million [amazon_link id=”B009AGXH64″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wii U’s[/amazon_link] between launch and December 31, 2012. This is a decent number but still behind what the Wii sold back in 2006. The company had forecasted to sell 5.5 million consoles by the end of March, but have scaled that number back to a more modest 4 million. 3 million is still a good number for a console that not everyone was sold on. If Nintendo expects the Wii U to sell like the Wii then they are in for quarterly disappointment.

[amazon_link id=”B00A9L2TZE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]New Super Mario Bros. U[/amazon_link] led the way for game sales on the Wii U with 2.3 million copies sold which is an insane 75% attach rate with the system. NintendoLand was the next best seller with 2 million copies, but I am assuming that the copies sold inside the Wii U Deluxe Set were counted.

Nintendo also updated the lifetime sales numbers of the Wii (99.38 million), 3DS (29.84 million) and DS (153.67 million).

January 30, 2013
Nintendo Drops The Mic For Wii U This Morning

OK, so Nintendo needed that.

At this morning’s Nintendo Direct Stream, the company revealed their plans for the Wii U leading into 2013. Games for the system are slowly trickling out and people were wondering just what Nintendo had up their sleeve to get Wii U’s into as many homes as possible before Microsoft and Sony take the spotlight and it turns out they have quite a lot. The video conference this morning should give Wii U early adopters and ones thinking of taking the plunge (raises hand) a better feeling about the future of the console, at least for the rest of the year. Let’s take a look at what Nintendo announced this morning and see if it will sway you into buying a Wii U.

1. Look at all the pretty games!! Smash Bros., Mario Kart, a new 3D Mario and so much more!!

-We knew about Smash Bros. already but the fact it will be playable at this year’s E3 is a huge deal. Mario Kart is always a staple on any Nintendo system and is always a insta-buy for me. The biggest news of the games is that a new 3D Mario is not only coming, but will be shown and played at E3. Whether this is a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy is unknown. I would hope for a new direction for Mario on the Wii U but won’t complain as long as we are getting a true 3D Mario game.

-The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is getting a full-HD re-release on the Wii U this fall complete with off-screen Gamepad play. It’s Zelda, so we’ll call that a win.

-Along with those biggies, it was also announced that Yoshi Yarn would be making its way onto the Wii U. It is being developed by the team that handled Kirby’s Epic Yarn on the Wii.

-Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem are joining together for a crossover game. Atlus and Intelligent Systems are working together on the Wii U project and had a short trailer to show off.

-The Wonderful 101 showed off a new trailer including more unique Gamepad play and aerial gameplay. It will be released by June, 2013.

-The latest game from Monolith (Xenoblade) was shown. No name was given for the title. A red X was shown at the end of the preview.

-Bayonetta 2 had a behind the scenes trailer but no gameplay was shown which says to me that this game is still a way off.

2. Nintendo Virtual Console coming to Wii U this spring.

Starting this spring you will be able to download original Nintendo and Super Nintendo games onto your Wii U and will be able to play on the Gamepad as well. People that already own the same games on their Wii Virtual Console can get the games for reduced amounts ($1-NES, $1.50- SNES).

3. Miiverse app coming to smartphones.

This will also launch in the spring and allow you to look at and make changes on you Miivers via your smartphone.

4. Updates are coming to improve Wii U’s load times.

A spring update and another in the summer will boost the Wii U’s load times which have been described as too long.

January 23, 2013
Nintendo Wii U Buyers Guide
Get Ready For The Big N’s Next Console.

The time is almost here. On November 18th Nintendo will release their sixth home console, the Wii U, to the masses. The system has already filled its pre-order limit at virtually every outlet that will sell it. If you are one of the lucky ones picking one up on Sunday or hoping to find one out in the wild during the holiday season we have a handy buyers guide for everything you will need.

Take a look at the system bundles, games and accessories below.

Console Bundles

[amazon_link id=”B009AGXH64″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wii U Deluxe Set[/amazon_link] $349.99
- Black Wii U Console
- 32GB Hard Drive
- Gamepad
- HDMI Cable (Thank you Nintendo)
- Sensor Bar
- A/C Adapters for both system and Gamepad
- System stand
- Gamepad charging cradle
- Nintendo Network Premiuim Subscription
- NintendoLand game
[amazon_link id=”B0050SVHZO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wii U Basic Set[/amazon_link] $299.99
- White Wii U Console
- 8GB Hard Drive
- Gamepad
- HDMI Cable
- Sensor Bar
- A/C Adapter (system only)
Games

Launch Day Games (Available November 18th)
Accessories

[amazon_link id=”B009AFLXQQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wii U Pro Controller (Black)[/amazon_link]

[amazon_link id=”B009AFLXJS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Wii U Pro Controller (White)[/amazon_link]

Wii U Energizer Charger Station

Wii U Write & Protect Kit

Universal Afterglow Wireless Headset

Wii U Gamers Essential Kit

Keep checking back for all Wii U news and follow us on Twitter.
November 14, 2012