A Call for Something New!!

Hey everyone, I'd like to take this time to post an opinion piece about what I would like to see out of Nintendo.

First off, I'm enjoying Nintendo's offerings so far this year. With "No More Heroes 2" and "Tatsunoko vs. Capcom" I feel the Wii is getting some much needed exposure to the gaming community. And with the news that "Super Mario Galaxy 2" and "Metroid: Other M" will be set to release this summer, it looks like the Wii will finally be able to match up if not surpass what the PS3 and Xbox are offering game wise.

But there is something I feel has lacked for the Wii since its creation. Consistent releases of good one-player adventure games.

I say this because I feel that the Wii releases games that are very multi-player friendly. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but it's not great either. I have this conversation with many of my friends and family members about the various systems. And the consensus with the Wii is that it is a great console for when you have people over but if you are alone and want to play a game, you are better off with PS3 or Xbox.

This is a problem that Nintendo shouldn't turn a blind eye too. Sure, the "party" kind of game is what has made the Wii very popular but I feel they have become too comfortable with this "niche" (for lack of a better word).

While the Playstation and Xbox are dropping first-player adventures like "Halo" and "God of War", they have increased their fan base from all generations.

How did they do this?

Well it's simple, Sony and Microsoft have found more and more original people to create games. Original stories and original characters help make consoles new and fresh every time.

Nintendo sometimes feels like the same thing over and over. Rehashing old characters and putting them in new environments. While that may be good for some, and some of these games are outstanding, (see Mario Galaxy and Metroid) they can only go so far.

Sure we love Mario, Link and the rest of the Nintendo universe cast, but when have we had a brand new Nintendo character or story that has become a mainstay in our consciousness?

Hard isn't it?

And I really don't know why this is the case. Xbox has given us Master Chief for the "Halo" series and Playstation has introduced Kratos of "God of War" but why couldn't these titles have been created for the Wii?

Why can't the Wii have a game like Heavy Rain? A game that is quickly changing the way games are played. And with the Wii motion capabilities, Heavy Rain (or a game like it) could easily cause the gamer to be fully engulfed in the story as every movement made is essential to the story.

There is no excuse, Nintendo needs to find developers who have a game changing concept and adapt it to their console. Cause the Wii is quickly becoming a console that gamers do not take seriously.

Create original stories, come up with new and exciting characters that will change these perceptions and make the Wii deserving of the "most owned console" title. Just because many households own it, doesn't mean they're being used.

So come on Nintendo...give us fans something to be excited about....give us something new.

Christmas in Summertime

Yesterday, Nintendo Australia announced that two of their most highly anticipated games for 2010 will be released much earlier than expected.

Of course I am talking about Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M.

Super Mario Galaxy is the sequel to the ground-breaking first installment which allowed everyone's favorite Italian plumber to venture through a 3-dimensional Space Land (or Galaxy whichever you prefer). But this time you will be able to use Yoshii, Mario's dinosaur companion. And come'on who doesn't like Yoshii?

But personally the game I'm most anticipating is the next Metroid game. The side scroller turned first-person shooter has made Samus, the star of the Metroid franchise, one of the leading ladies in Nintendo.

For this adventure, Team Ninja will be helming the production of the game, and by the looks at the teases given during the E3 convention, Metroid: Other M will incorporate both side scrolling and first-person shooting which looked like a hybrid from heaven.

IGN confirmed the information when they spoke to Nintendo Australia's Greg Arthurton who stated that both games will not be hitting the Wii consoles during the holiday season but instead between June and August.

This confirmation now leaves room for Nintendo to bring in more games slated for release next year to be brought in for the Christmas rush.

The announcement came a day before Nintendo is supposed to hold a press conference in the US today. Stay tuned as I will be updating as the news rolls in.

Here are the E3 trailers for both games. Enjoy!!

Kirby Super Star

This post is going to be a nostalgic trip for me as the game I'm going to be talking about is probably the game I played the most as a child and quite possibly my favorite game of all-time. Kirby Super Star.

The "Kirby" franchise is a very simple one. It's a side-scrolling platform game where the main protagonist is a pink puffball that inhales just about anything to protect his world of Warp Star. What makes Kirby different is that when he inhales an enemy and swallows them, he gains their powers allowing for a variety of attacks based on the power acquired.




This had led to many games based on Kirby but this one in particular holds a special place in my gaming history. "Kirby Super Star" was released in America in 1996 and was packaged and advertised as having 8 games in one. This console had 8 different Kirby games that you can get through for hours of gaming.

This not only made the game an enjoyable sit down so a person can play and for many hours but it gave a variety of different tactics and stories to get through. Whether it was fending off Kirby's arch nemesis King Dedede from his plans to rule Warp Star, stopping Meta Knight's invasion of the planet or fighting Dyna Blade, the mechanical super bird,


Kirby would travel the planet sucking up powers on his way to victory.

But what made this game a candidate for "Best Game of my Gaming Life" was the co-op experience that it allowed. This was the first game where me and a friend could go through the story and fight side by side. One as Kirby and the other as a special comrade that Kirby could manifest. Each comrade would be different depending on what power Kirby had at the time giving us a new world of different characters to enjoy.

It was a life-changing experience that I still remember vividly to this day. Me and my older brother never really did too much together but this game kept us sitting in front of the TV screen side by side. We joked together, tasted defeat and victory together.

Kirby Super Star is a simple game that allows for anyone to pick up and understand. But the mechanics and game play make this game a classic to gamers everywhere.

Heres a little video demonstrating all the abilities gained in the game. Enjoy