AeroZeppelin

Man tries to cash check worth $360,000,000,000

2008-05-01T20:18:00.001-07:00

A man has been accused of attempting to pass a $360 billion check, which he claims was given to him by his girlfriend’s mother to start a record business, Fort Worth police said. The Check would have made the suspect the richest man on earth.

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Killzone 2 Looks Bad-Ass

2007-07-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

I'll admit--like most others, I was skeptic of Killzone 2 being Playstation 3's "Halo-Killer". The trailer it had was (surprise, surprise) pre-rendered using a computer, but the real graphics are nothing short of the prerendered ones. The game looks superb and can indeed steal Halo's thunder if its online integration on Playstation Network delivers.

Contra 4 DS

2007-06-28T17:04:00.001-07:00

After a rocky sequel on the Genesis and some few ho-hum appearances on the GBA and PS2, Contra is back and in it's purest form on the DS.

I, like most other Contra-enthusiasts, was a bit concerned that this game is developed by Wayforward Technologies (the guys who brought you that lovely Ping Pals game). 1up did a hands-on preview of the game, which relieved all my worries about the game.

Basically, it does everything you want and expect from Contra. Powerups, great controls, countless baddies, shirt-less men running around. It also adds its own elements with the help of the dual screen of the Nintendo DS.

"All of this would be empty bravado if not for one important fact: Contra IV really does feel like its classic inspirations. It's an interesting mix of elements, paying homage to the stages, music and events of the original trilogy without feeling like a copy-and-paste retread.... Even so, Contra 4 has its own distinct flavor. This is due in large part to the dual-screen design of Nintendo DS; both screens feature active play space, and players can easily swap between the two by dropping down from above or using a grappling hook to instantly move upward."

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Smash Brawl Updates

2007-05-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

After the seven day countdown that seemed to last forever, the Brawl website is finally giving us the goods. Currently, there's not much besides music, how-to-play, and battlefield stages, but Sakurai will be updating it consistently, and will hopefully reveal the release date and full character roster.

From what it looks like currently, Brawl is going to have the best, freakin' music ever. Nearly every single well-known Japanese video game composer in existence is collaborating with this game.

Source: smashbros.com

Ninja Gaiden looks sweet.

2007-05-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (for the DS) looks frikkin' awesome.

I had no idea the DS hardware was capable of producing these graphics. Most DS games have semi-crappy 3D visuals, which make developers stick with 2D with most of the games. So far, Ninja Gaiden has shown much promise. The graphics look insane for DS (far better than any DS game I've seen), and looks around PSP quality, which is not too shabby.

The touchscreen gameplay looks very intriguing and entertaining. I'm going to keep a good eye on this game particularly.

8 Month Hiatus

2007-04-16T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's been an 8 month hiatus for me (yes, exactly!). As you can tell from my last post all the way in August 16, I've been caught up in a ton of school work and some other things.

Yeah, I'll begin posting again. Right... now.

Nintendo Online

2006-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Nintendo, albeit is still new to online play, has a huge opportunity with the Wii. One of the biggest reasons the Gamecube didn't do as well as people hoped was because it lacked online play which its chief competitors both had.

Online play is a very important part of Nintendo Wii because of the 1st party games Nintendo has which are excellent for online play (Super Smash Bros, anyone?). Although Nintendo is going in the right direction of online play with the DS's WiFi capabilities, Nintendo still has a lot of learn. The online integration Microsoft is doing with the Xbox 360 is just brilliant, and I hope Nintendo follows that. I know Nintendo's online with the Wii won't be as complex and hardcore as Xbox 360, but Wii will correct some of the problems with online that DS had.

Friend Codes - Nintendo DS WiFi is notorious for this feature. Having a different friend code for each online game is a very tedious process especially when you have to dump each friend code for each game. It'd it much better if they'd have a friend code for each system, and when you do that, you'd see the player's games, stats, and information.

Rooms - Another feature the DS lacked were rooms you could join. This way you can choose which mode/feature you want just by browsing through the rooms.

Chat - Voice chat or atleast IM is a staple feature for all online games. Although it's voice chat and instant messaging is an inevitable part of smack-talking and profanity, it's still a needed interaction and fun. DS WiFi is going the right direction in having voicechat in Metroid Hunters and future games like Tony Hawk Downhill Jam and Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.

Stats - Having stats for your profile is an essential part for most hardcore gamers. Seeing player profiles that show the games you have, last time you logged on, and most of the stuff you'd see on Xbox Live would be another great feature.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

2006-07-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

It has been confirmed that the upcoming Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for the DS will have co-op locally and online! This is some great news. I'm a huge Castlevania fanatic, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin goes right on top of my most anticipated DS games.

"When asked about Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin's wireless features, Iga explained that the game will offer a two-player cooperative mode that can be played either locally or online. Cooperative games will be played on special stages which, although the translation wasn't entirely clear, we're assuming refers to levels different to those found in the single-player game, and the monsters contained therein will vary according to whether the game is online or local because of technical limitations. Also supported locally and online will be a shop mode, where you can buy, sell, and trade items with other players."

Source: Gamespot

Nintendo gives George W. Bush Brain Age and a DS lite!

2006-07-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Regards to President George W. Bush's 60th birthday, Nintendo has unexpectedly given him a new Nintendo DS Lite and Brain Age. At first, I thought this was a joke to *ahem* ridicule Dubya's intelligence, but this looks like the real deal! Good move on Nintendo's part. Here's the letter.

Nintendo of America
4820 150th Ave. NE
Redmond, WA 98052
July 6, 2006
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:
Happy Birthday!Don't worry, turning 60 is an exciting milestone. As you know, you've joined millions of other baby boomers in an invigorating new decade of your life. And, like many boomers, you may be looking for ways to keep your mind sharp. That's where we come in.

Please accept our gift of a new Nintendo DS Lite system and a copy of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day. You now join millions of people around the world who have fun challenging themselves with Brain Age. If you have never played a video game before, don't worry. Brain Age is part of our new Touch Generations brand, which includes games that are easy for people of any age - regardless of their video game experience - to pick up and start playing immediately.

It's obvious you don't have a lot of time to play games, which makes Brain Age such a great activity for you - just a few minutes a day with more than 15 daily training tests will help keep your mind sharp. Training tests include categories like math, reading and memorization. Try it for a few days and watch your score improve. Brain Age also comes with more than 100 sudoku puzzles - these could make your next long flight on Air Force One a bit more fun! (Perhaps copies of Brain Age for journalists joining you on your next flight would be a nice distraction!)Have fun exploring Brain Age with your Nintendo DS Lite and be sure to let us know your brain age!

Have a tremendous birthday!

Sincerely,
Your Friends at Nintendo

Awwww...

source: Kotaku