[AP] Miyamoto says new Mario will still sell a year from now

BOLDSTATE– “Even if a year passes, Mario [will still sell],” Shigeru Miyamoto said to Japanese retailers during a demonstration of New Super Mario Bros. Wii last week according to retailer Games Maya.

Chas in Real Life

Hello. My name is Chas, and I’m a video game addict.

It’s been over a month since my last post, but I’ve been playing more games than usual lately: Scribblenauts, Okami, Final Fantasy VI, Modern Warfare, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, and I’m about to play through Lost Winds again. I also have a new addiction thanks to Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. It’s not the game, however, that has me obsessed, but the tea brewing mini-game.

An in-game hobby of the professor’s has become a real-world hobby of my own.

[Review] Bit.Trip Core

My review of Bit.Trip Core is live on Game Positive. The game joins its predecessor and several other games that make me glad Nintendo hasn’t canceled its download services outright. Core consists of only three levels, and it doesn’t take long to complete overall. Of course, it doesn’t cost much either, and the number of times you’ll play through each level (without frustration) will more than guarantee the six dollar purchase.

The Mad Dictators

When most students return to Nicholls State University this week, they’ll find every vehicle in the school’s various parking lots showing off the university’s new interpretation of their controversial mascot, Colonel Tillou. The controversy is new again, however, as instead of seeing a supporter of the confederacy, some students and alumni feel the new mascot resembles a Nazi.

Others, like myself, will see a different evil dictator while on campus.

Have a great school year, everyone!

Bit.Trippin’: A Tale of Discovery & Exploration

I’m sitting in my living room, listening to the same chip tune play over and over on a loop as I type this post. Bit.Trip Core’s title screen is displayed on my television, and it’s indicating that I have yet to beat the game’s second level.

Discovery was easy enough, but I’m having trouble beating the boss of Exploration, an homage to Missile Command. I want to beat the level as soon as possible so I can play the third and final level of Core and get started on my review, but I know that when I reach it, I’ll be in the same rut I’m in now. In fact, I’ll be there longer.

I know, because I’m also stuck on Growth, the third level of Bit.Trip Beat, which is Mega Man hard. And like Mega Man’s sequel, Bit.Trip Core is even harder than its predecessor. Also like Mega Man 2, Core is a much deeper game.

Dismissing & defending claims of racism in video games

The video game community is quick to dismiss the occasional claim games are becoming racially charged, but many fail to fully understand the issue, posting shallow arguments on popular gaming blogs.

In response to an article in the Houston Chronicle citing Left 4 Dead 2 as an example of racism in video games becoming “the norm”, Chet Faliszek, a writer for L4D2, said, “when two of the characters in your game are African-American, it’s a weird thing to be accused of [racism]. (src)”

Faliszek is correct in that, as far as anyone can tell, his game is in no way racist, but his argument is in the same vein as those of countless posters on Kotaku: shallow and flawed.

[Review+Critique] The Conduit

I apologize for the late review, but several important revisions were necessary for the final draft of my take on The Conduit. Originally, I compared The Conduit to first-person shooters on other platforms in order to make the broader comparison of the Wii’s lesser position to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. That was a bit ambitious and out of place for a simple review, so I decided to take my opinion and expand upon it here in my blog.

The Conduit begs players to ask,

“Is good for the Wii good enough?” The answer is a strong “no.”

[E3] Project Natal impressions

Last year, Microsoft’s big E3 announcement was Final Fantasy XIII coming to the Xbox 360. Some Sony fans complained about Microsoft moving in on their system’s coveted franchise, but this year, Microsoft is moving in on Nintendo, and in a much bigger way by introducing their motion controller, or lack thereof, Project Natal.

“The controller is a barrier seperating video game players from everyone else,” Don Mattrick, senior Xbox VP, said in his introduction of Microsoft’s rumored motion controller. The term “controller” is actually a bit misleading as the motivation behind Natal is eliminating the physical controller and replacing it with the player’s entire body.

While the idea is obviously linked to that of the Wii’s motion controls, Natal looks to expand far beyond Nintendo’s current reach, if only because the technology appears to be far superior to that of the Wii remote and Nunchuk. I’m a bit skeptical, however, that Natal will usher in the revolution in gaming Mircrosoft’s presenters implied.

[Review] Punch-Out!!

My review of Punch-Out!! is live on GamePositive+, but there’s not much to say about the game other than “Punch-Out!! fans, go play it!!” The motion controls might be a gimmick that only hampers the gameplay, but Next Level Games delivered a solid experience that recreates the Mike Tyson experience and expands it into a great new direction. Play it!!

Demoman Returns

Demoman is a feature in which I make (incredibly harsh) assumptions about upcoming games based on their (horrible) demoes, while making observations about the purpose and importance of video game demoes.

Today’s victims: Miami Law and Knights in the Nightmare