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  • Super Mario Galaxy

    “A Mario Adventure of Cosmic Proportions!”

    Mario’s latest adventure on the Nintendo Wii is nothing short of awesome. Featuring awe-inspiring visuals, a superb OST, excellent camera controls, and a simple (yet varied) control scheme, Super Mario Galaxy is a “must-have” for any Wii owner and Mario fans alike. Luigi followers will also have a surprise waiting for them if they are dedicated enough. But the Red Plumber’s new game is much more than a Beautiful trip to wonderland (or space). Mario’s new adventure takes him to countless Galaxies, each featuring their own dangers and hazards. As Mario progresses throughout the game, more planets and Galaxies will be discovered. An interesting new feature is Mario’s ability to “spin-attack” with the help of a friendly Luma. A whole new cast of characters is also introduced (including the Lumas), and memorable characters are also thrown in to re-create the Mario experience. Koopas and Goombas will still stand in your way, and as you may have already guessed, Bowser is the one reigning havoc once more. New Bosses will be waiting for you on each Galaxy, and even Bowser Jr will be sent out every now and then to do his Dad’s dirty work. Although the story revolves around Princess Peach’s kidnapping, Mario must now save the universe as well. With the help of a very dainty new character, Rosalina, Mario is given the power to travel through space and put an end to Bowser’s evil plot. Expect lots of goosebumps from this emotionally motivated adventure as you fight your way through countless villains, obstacles, and more.

    *This game also supports a 2 player co-op mode, but nothing out of the extraordinary

    Graphics: 10

    Gameplay: 9

    Music: 10

    Replayability: 8

    Final Verdict: 9.5

  • Smash Bros. Parodies

    With the growing success of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it comes to no surprise that people all over the world are making all kinds of creative things with it. As I was browsing through youtube, I came across the user MALRWiiStation360 who uses the game to create funny videos. Here are two that are basically the intro’s to old tv shows, only done with ssb brawl

  • Mario Pown Remix

    This video is one of the many awesome game synchronizations people have posted on Youtube. I came across this one when searching for miscellaneous Brawl Videos. The song is Super catchy, and it features the Classic video game of Super Mario Bros, plus other minor effect transitions that make this video truly awesome. Ya-hoo!

  • Console Wars – What to/not to Expect

    “The console wars ravage on ’til even today, and there are no signs that it will end anytime soon. But what does the future hold for these fighting vets? Well, here are some personal opinions on what to expect, and what not.”

    First off, lets talk about the the popular Xbox 360. Is it really as popular as the commercial media portrays? All I know for sure is that the 360 sports wonderful online capabilities and excellent graphics. Not too shabby for Microsoft. This just might be what gamers would call “next-gen”, but unfortunately, the Xbox 360 doesn’t provide that unique intuitive feel expected for this new millennium. The Xbox 360 only provides updated graphics and performance that any video game company, such as Sony or Nintendo, can pretty much deal with. Hopefully Microsoft feels the need to “step-it-up” and come up with something a little more unique. Just recently, I have seen motion-based peripherals for PC gaming, and surprisingly enough, one of those devices looks alot like the Wii Remote. With Microsofts’ competing power, we can expect something “Wii-like” in the future. But don’t expect any other updates. The console is as good as it gets (performance wise), so why upgrade?

    Next comes the PS3. Nothing much to talk about, really, except that it boasts great graphics, and same ‘ol playing style that’s been going on for years. Sure, the PS3 has good online games, but it doesn’t necessarily focus on that category. The PS3, like the first edition of the PS2, is a large bundle itself, and could use some Wii Fit to lose some of that weight. The only thing I can think of would be a larger selection of Party games for the PS3 in order for it to appeal to a larger, more friendlier environment. I mean, seriously. I guy was shot at trying to get one of the first PS3s on release date. The PS3 is in fact, the Sexiest console around, but looks can be deceiving, starting with its price (too high to even mention here). Sony doesn’t seem to be interested in bringing intuitive gameplay in the near future, so don’t expect anything that may be called “next-gen”. Hopefully the PS3 will shift its weight from Sexy to Hot, so lets expect the console to be a little lighter in the future. Since it is expensive to a majority of people, Sony may decide to lose the Blue-Ray and reach a more average audience. Does anyone have $450 I can borrow?

    Finally comes the Wii. As the number one video game Global sensation, one would think the Wii doesn’t need much of an upgrade. But like everything, it isn’t perfect. Nintendo obviously ditched the DVD ROM Drive in order to make the Wii more affordable. Good call. Besides, everyone who has a TV probably has a DVD player already. The Nintendo Wii also provides an intuitive new way of playing video games, all while preserving classic gameplay. With tons of accessories, and more games than you can shake your Wii-remote at, it couldn’t get any better than this. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), it can. Although we won’t be expecting a more intuitive video game console anytime soon, there is lots of room for improvement in the graphics department. Some great games, like Mario Kart Wii, lose all their gold when you realize you are playing on a Gamecube engine, or possibly even an older one. I honestly can’t believe the character’s appearance in this game. Nevertheless, Mario Kart Wii is grand and fun. All in all, we can expect some serious improvement with the Wii’s graphics, and from what I’ve heard/seen/read, the Wii might have its very own DVD drive sometime in the late future. Oh, and Nintendo, please send me a robust online system for Christmas. The one currently used for Wi-fi is not as good as it could get. Besides, I’ve been a very good boy…

    P.S. We can also expect Wii owners to be more fit by the year 2012… Just kidding!

  • Character Highlight – Green Alloy

    Today’s highlight… SSBB’s very own Green Alloy! If you haven’t seen or heard of him (or her), then you most likely haven’t purchased Super Smash Bros. Brawl. But don’t worry! Whether you are a Brawl veteran or not, we are here to give you a little more insight on these rather unique green Humanoids.

    Fighting alloys appear in the “multi-Man Brawl” section of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There are four Color alloys in total (red, blue, yellow, green), but this one stands out from the crowd. With the ability to hover like Kirby, and equipped with punching prowess, this guy can repeatedly and rapidly raise your damage percentage. After playing through the 100-man brawl (one of the any options for multi-man brawl) with every character, I noticed this guy was the one that usually caused me to start the challenge over again. While barraged with a kirby-like combo of punches, you are unable to move, making you a perfect target for the approaching enemy alloys. Hand-down, this is the most annoying Alloy of the team. The green alloy is not the strongest, but their presence is crucial to your demise. All in all, avoid getting into this weirdo’s way. And remember, knock this guy off the stage whenever you can!

  • Animal Crossing… for N64?

    With the announcement of Animal Crossing: City Folk as a future Wii title for this year, let us look at the past an see the game that started it all. Of course, many of you might say the Gamecube version was the first AC game that introduced talking animal neighbors. This is in fact only “partly” true. While North America did see Animal Crossing for the first time on the GCN console, there was actually a N64 version before that, and was only released in Japan. Take a look at a bit of gameplay of Dobutsu no Mori – Animal Forest.

  • Character Highlight – Luigi

    Let’s face it Mario fans, Luigi is much better at everything. Just kidding! Before barraging us with fireballs and hammers, let’s take a look at our first ever character highlight. Luigi takes the spot for this memorable occasion for a reason: he is and has been my favorite video game character of all time! Luigi is Mario’s younger “twin-brother” (and yes, I said twin brother). Although Luigi didn’t quite appear beside Mario in the Red guy’s first game, he was, according to Nintendo’ ever-changing series of events, born at the same time. It really isn’t a mystery, seeing as how the first games in the Mario Bros. series often portrayed Luigi as a green version of Mario. Pretty identical, if you ask me. Luigi got taller and leaner, however, and eventually gained a mysterious jumping prowess that rivaled that of Mario. Luigi is significantly faster nowadays, and and is now gaining a rapidly growing fan-base of its own. While Luigi seems to have the upper hand when compared to Mario’s basic moves, it is not really true. In theory, Luigi just has a different skill set to master, providing a new “Mario” experience. It also depends on a player’s tastes. Luigi’s seemingly higher jump can be bothersome to many, as well as Mario’s regular jump can be seen as “stale” or “old” to others. But one thing will forever stand out: Luigi is the mean green machine, while Mario is… The Red Fed Guy?