Hey kids, remember when Sonic still starred in cool games and had a shred of credibility?  No?  Well, he did once, and that credibility was used to endorse Honey Nut Cheerios.  Yes, Cheerios do seem like the perfect fit for a blazingly fast rodent.

(more…)

Posted by Justin | 2 Comments »

The general economy may be down, but video game sales are up in a big way. Compared with the same period last year, games sales are up 40%. This is obviously a very good sign for the industry’s ability to weather an economic downturn.

Of interesting note among the numbers, the PlayStation 3 topped the Xbox 360 for a second month in a row. Of course, there are apparent shortages of the Xbox 360 in stores, but it’s still a good bit of positive news for Sony’s flagship console. The Wii, of course, continued to sell the best despite its scarcity in stores. (more…)

Posted by Justin | No Comments »

As April Fool’s Day looms ever closer, things seem to be popping up everywhere that one would assume are clever pranks. For example, on THQ’s website recently it was announced that they would be venturing into the unexplored realm of cheerleading games. This, however, is no joke and THQ is hoping that it will take advantage of, as they put it, “the explosive growth of the girls gaming market in recent years due to the continued success of Wii and DS.”

All Star Cheer Squad for the Wii will follow a year in the life of a cheerleader from learning cheers to creating new routines and eventually become captain of the squad. You’ll use the Wiimote and the nunchuck to perform real cheer and dance moves and to ensure real cheerleading authenticity THQ has even signed on Tony G, who is best known for his work in the Bring It On movies. (more…)

Posted by Dennis | 2 Comments »

The Wii has been an unquestionable retail success so far. No one would have expected over a year after its launch it would still be difficult to find in stores, and it would still be outselling both the PS3 and Xbox 360. In the mindshare of so-called hardcore gamers, however, it has had a much rougher time. “Where are the games for us?” they cry out. The problem is that it’s rather difficult to see with both eyes closed.

The Wii has suffered through a drought of games on par with the PS3 and Xbox 360 in their first years of life. Not only those systems, but it has actually fared better than some classic systems such as the PS2 and N64. So, what is everyone complaining about? While the games are there, they aren’t exactly there the way many ways would want.

While Super Mario Galaxy was a true AAA title, many gamers were disappointed not by a lack of innovation or decent control, but instead by a lack of high-resolution textures. Similar criticism was leveled against The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Still, many hardcore players seem to miss the point that right there they have three AAA titles within the first year of a console’s release. The fact that the Wii is not the hardware equivalent of the PS3 or Xbox 360 is simply something they’ll have to get over, or miss quality games. This is the same as bringing one’s self to term with the concept that the DS and PSP will never be the graphical equal of their big brother consoles. (more…)

Posted by Justin | No Comments »

Nintendo’s Wii Fit title has done pretty much what everything Nintendo has touched lately has done-turned gold, and then platinum, as the case may be. Wii Fit has sold 1,283,000 units and reigned at the number one spot in Japanese game sales for the past four weeks. That’s a pretty impressive feat for any game, but all the more so for one based on a peripheral.

There has been a long standing joke about peripheral based games-mothers’ attics across the nation are filled with them. Everything from the Power Pad to the Power Glove (are we noting a pattern developing here?) to the Super Scope 6 and more have come and gone almost in the blink of an eye. There was ROB the Robot, who occasionally turns up in games, and who can forget Sega’s 3D glasses for the original Master System? This is to say nothing of the add-ons that let you play different games, such as the 32X, Sega CD, etc. All of these have been failures, to one extent or another, so why not Wii Fit? (more…)

Posted by Justin | No Comments »