Well I caught the sneak of Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Thursday night. I guess it was okay, no Elf by far (my favorite Ferrell movie so far), but enjoyable. It seemed like one of those where they tried so hard it turned out stupid to the point of being funny. There was some good laughs here and there, but I'm happy I didn't pay to see it.
The Dead Rising demo finally hit the LIVE Marketplace on Friday. Woo hoo! I've lost track how many times I played through the demo (it's not very long about 15 minutes if you don't trigger a cut scene to end it earlier) now. Each time was enjoyable, and I'm always finding something new while going through. There are a couple of 'hidden' weapons in the demo including a katana, and a machine gun. There are so many things to use in the demo that I still don't know if I've tried them all, and the demo only houses one wing of the mall (about 20 shops). I'm really looking forward to picking this up next week!
On a gaming related note check out the video from this story at Kotaku! If you ever wanted to work at a video game retailer (or currently do) check it out. :P This one is really over the top stupid (although unfortunately most of it is relevant at any game store) and it's not even that old (2004 roughly). If a perspective retailer showed me this before I started working there I would have to think twice about taking the job. I guess I'm glad we haven't got any Game Crazy's here in Wichita because these people scare me, I sure hope this video has been retired/replaced already. For those who don't know Game Crazy is a subsidy of Hollywood Video, and I believe are usually situated within the same buildings.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Movie time, HD inches forward, and Saint's Row.
Well I've caught up on some movies over the last couple days, first off there was World Trade Center last night. Oliver Stone directed this film based on the true stories of two 9/11/01 survivors. Nicholas Cage plays a NY Port Authority cops that was pulled alive from the tower rubble, and the movie recaps his experiences. Not a lot of 9/11 stuff in the movie, it's more of a character look into the lives of these Port Authority cops that go into the towers to help. Overall I enjoyed it, but definitely not something I would watch over and over again.
Next up was Miami Vice, unfortunately this one was somewhat of a let down. The movie is really dark compared to the tv series, while not a bad thing necessarily, it felt out of place.
Finally I got around to seeing Clerks II this one was the best by far. I seen the original a long time ago, and for the most part have always liked Kevin Smith films. This one just expands on the first one, and really picks on everyone. I don't think any ethnic group escapes some sort of racist slur. A very adult film, but also really funny.
I have passes to see Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby tomorrow so I'm hoping it turns out to be really funny, but Will Ferrel movies are hit'n miss.
I did find an interesting article at ArsTechnica that led me too this story at High-def Digest. There are finally some comparable movies available on both Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD it looks like right now HD-DVD has the visual edge.
I played quite a bit of the Saint's Row demo over the last week. I heard on the net that you could get past the demo barrier (a red wall that encloses the demo area) so spent the better part of a night trying to get through. Finally I came across a video that showed an easy way to do it. While there are a lot of glitches on the other side you can pick up an AK-47 which is a fun gun to tote around, and I think you can enter some of the stores. I'm sooo looking forward to this game. :)
Next up was Miami Vice, unfortunately this one was somewhat of a let down. The movie is really dark compared to the tv series, while not a bad thing necessarily, it felt out of place.
Finally I got around to seeing Clerks II this one was the best by far. I seen the original a long time ago, and for the most part have always liked Kevin Smith films. This one just expands on the first one, and really picks on everyone. I don't think any ethnic group escapes some sort of racist slur. A very adult film, but also really funny.
I have passes to see Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby tomorrow so I'm hoping it turns out to be really funny, but Will Ferrel movies are hit'n miss.
I did find an interesting article at ArsTechnica that led me too this story at High-def Digest. There are finally some comparable movies available on both Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD it looks like right now HD-DVD has the visual edge.
I played quite a bit of the Saint's Row demo over the last week. I heard on the net that you could get past the demo barrier (a red wall that encloses the demo area) so spent the better part of a night trying to get through. Finally I came across a video that showed an easy way to do it. While there are a lot of glitches on the other side you can pick up an AK-47 which is a fun gun to tote around, and I think you can enter some of the stores. I'm sooo looking forward to this game. :)
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Hello, and welcome to the update. :)
Wow, been over a month since I updated. Lots of little stuff going on but nothing that I was willing to get off my arse and post about.
So lets see, we've been looking for a new house (outgrew ours a long time ago, but hadn't really been motivated to do anything about it.). My wife will be starting a new job soon, and it's even farther NE so it would be nice to be a little closer to that side of town. Have some appointments today so I will see how those pan out. We would like to move before school starts so the kids will start the new year at the proper school, but that August 15th starting date is rapidly approaching.
A lot of new 'summer' series on TV now, and a few new surprises to the ones I always watch (Monk, and the Closer). I really have enjoyed the first 3-4 episodes of Kyle XY (on ABC Family, although now it's also being shown on ABC at the end of the week) a show about this teenager waking up in the woods not remembering anything before that point. He gets taken in by a social worker, and her family. Has some "Lost"esqe moments where each episode opens up a little bit more of his past. I'm also enjoying Blade: The Series, and really liking Psych a comedy/cop show about a fake psychic who joins the police department to help them solve cases. I updated the items on the left side of the page to reflect current reality as some of them were a little out of date. :)
I'm really enjoying the Saint's Row demo (yours free when you pre-order Saint's Row at EB Games/GameStop, or it will be on the August issue of the Official Xbox Magazine. Eventually it will show up on the LIVE marketplace also sometime after the 1st.). This is a next gen GTA clone all the way, but looks good and is a lot of fun to play. I found this video that shows off some of the multiplayer aspects of the game. I can't wait to join a gang, and open up a can of whoop-ass. :P I also really liked Prey, although I heard it was short (single player) it has the 'feel' of those older Duke Nukem games.
Took a couple days off last week and went to Denver, CO. Went to my first Dave & Buster's a cross between Applebee's, and an arcade. The food was great (soup du jour was Smoked Turkey Chowder really tasty, and had a kick to it.) and you can play video games (while drinking alcohol if so motivated.) all in the same place. Come to find out they just opened one in KC not too long ago, makes those 2 hour road trips even more appealing now! We also went through the Denver Museum of Nature & Science specifically to see Body Worlds 2 which was coming to an end last week, but spent pretty much a day looking around at everything. We also went through the Downtown Aquarium which was a great exhibit. The restaurant connected to it was a little pricy (it's owned by Landry's the same company that runs Rainforest Cafe) but the food was good and there is a aquarium that runs down one side of the restaurant. We sit right next to the aquarium glass, and my daughter didn't like the sharks coming by the table. One day we went to Golden, CO just outside of Denver, it was a really nice little town nestled among some mountains. This is where the Coors plant is and they offer free tours, so we took them up on it. At the end of the tour you get three free drinks (depending on your age) in the lounge area. My problem with beer is that I don't like the taste of it. No qualms with alcohol consumption just that damn taste. So I was hoping that maybe they would have something to try that would sway my stance, but their suggestion was "Blue Moon Belgian White" which unfortunately still tasted like beer. :( On the positive side I did find that I like Zima XXX Hard Ice which it turns out is an alcoholic slushee. I really liked the black cherry, and the fruit punch was fair didn't try the orange or green apple. I asked the server who sold them in my neck of the woods, she replied "Graham Central Station" (which of course closed down a while back) but she didn't know that. On an ending note I passed Invesco field at Mile High a lot, boo... Broncos suck.
I updated the movie list on the left side too, but I'm way behind seeing stuff. I hope to catch up today, and tomorrow on some of the ones I've missed (Pirate's, Clerks II, etc.). I did see Lady in the Water last night it didn't really seem like a M. Night Shyamalan film, but I enjoyed it anyway. I read something where he described it as a 'bed time story for grown-ups' he was right on.
So lets see, we've been looking for a new house (outgrew ours a long time ago, but hadn't really been motivated to do anything about it.). My wife will be starting a new job soon, and it's even farther NE so it would be nice to be a little closer to that side of town. Have some appointments today so I will see how those pan out. We would like to move before school starts so the kids will start the new year at the proper school, but that August 15th starting date is rapidly approaching.
A lot of new 'summer' series on TV now, and a few new surprises to the ones I always watch (Monk, and the Closer). I really have enjoyed the first 3-4 episodes of Kyle XY (on ABC Family, although now it's also being shown on ABC at the end of the week) a show about this teenager waking up in the woods not remembering anything before that point. He gets taken in by a social worker, and her family. Has some "Lost"esqe moments where each episode opens up a little bit more of his past. I'm also enjoying Blade: The Series, and really liking Psych a comedy/cop show about a fake psychic who joins the police department to help them solve cases. I updated the items on the left side of the page to reflect current reality as some of them were a little out of date. :)
I'm really enjoying the Saint's Row demo (yours free when you pre-order Saint's Row at EB Games/GameStop, or it will be on the August issue of the Official Xbox Magazine. Eventually it will show up on the LIVE marketplace also sometime after the 1st.). This is a next gen GTA clone all the way, but looks good and is a lot of fun to play. I found this video that shows off some of the multiplayer aspects of the game. I can't wait to join a gang, and open up a can of whoop-ass. :P I also really liked Prey, although I heard it was short (single player) it has the 'feel' of those older Duke Nukem games.
Took a couple days off last week and went to Denver, CO. Went to my first Dave & Buster's a cross between Applebee's, and an arcade. The food was great (soup du jour was Smoked Turkey Chowder really tasty, and had a kick to it.) and you can play video games (while drinking alcohol if so motivated.) all in the same place. Come to find out they just opened one in KC not too long ago, makes those 2 hour road trips even more appealing now! We also went through the Denver Museum of Nature & Science specifically to see Body Worlds 2 which was coming to an end last week, but spent pretty much a day looking around at everything. We also went through the Downtown Aquarium which was a great exhibit. The restaurant connected to it was a little pricy (it's owned by Landry's the same company that runs Rainforest Cafe) but the food was good and there is a aquarium that runs down one side of the restaurant. We sit right next to the aquarium glass, and my daughter didn't like the sharks coming by the table. One day we went to Golden, CO just outside of Denver, it was a really nice little town nestled among some mountains. This is where the Coors plant is and they offer free tours, so we took them up on it. At the end of the tour you get three free drinks (depending on your age) in the lounge area. My problem with beer is that I don't like the taste of it. No qualms with alcohol consumption just that damn taste. So I was hoping that maybe they would have something to try that would sway my stance, but their suggestion was "Blue Moon Belgian White" which unfortunately still tasted like beer. :( On the positive side I did find that I like Zima XXX Hard Ice which it turns out is an alcoholic slushee. I really liked the black cherry, and the fruit punch was fair didn't try the orange or green apple. I asked the server who sold them in my neck of the woods, she replied "Graham Central Station" (which of course closed down a while back) but she didn't know that. On an ending note I passed Invesco field at Mile High a lot, boo... Broncos suck.
I updated the movie list on the left side too, but I'm way behind seeing stuff. I hope to catch up today, and tomorrow on some of the ones I've missed (Pirate's, Clerks II, etc.). I did see Lady in the Water last night it didn't really seem like a M. Night Shyamalan film, but I enjoyed it anyway. I read something where he described it as a 'bed time story for grown-ups' he was right on.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Lite Brite! Woops we lost the cargo, and podcast.
Well I got my DS Lite the other day, and I must say WOW this thing is sooo bright. I started putting in my old cartridges to "see" the difference new technology makes. It was amazing, I've found that light setting 3 seems to be the best level for me. Setting 2 seems too close to the phat DS, but man 3 makes the colors so vibrant. I can't use setting 4 for any length of time it's way to bright I see spots when I look away (okay maybe not that bad, but you get the idea).
The nice thing about the vibrant colors is it makes all your old games seem new again. I put Animal Crossing Wild World in and it looks great. My animals were nice enough to tell me that I had neglected them for 3 months, but they were happy to see me and a couple new ones had moved in. There are bugs everywhere, although I'm looking for the "finned" fish like the sharks right now.
All of these snazzy DS Lites lead to one thing, theft. :) Play-Gadgets has a story about a cargo container shipped from Hong Kong full of Black DS Lites on there way to a European launch that went missing. $2.32 million worth of Black DS Lites soon to be appearing on eBay.
I'm still listening to DualScreen Radio, and the current episode 6/10/06 is a pretty good one. There is about an hour rant on Gamestop/EB Games, that is entertaining to listen to. They don't really say anything I haven't heard before, but I found it funny. I've also started listening to MajorNelson's podcast. He works at Microsoft and keeps the above blog, and also is the one that announces all the new content that gets placed on the marketplace. His podcast is mostly about the 360, and he usually has one interview each episode with someone within Microsoft. He has a DS (and loves it) so it comes up from time to time in his show.
The nice thing about the vibrant colors is it makes all your old games seem new again. I put Animal Crossing Wild World in and it looks great. My animals were nice enough to tell me that I had neglected them for 3 months, but they were happy to see me and a couple new ones had moved in. There are bugs everywhere, although I'm looking for the "finned" fish like the sharks right now.
All of these snazzy DS Lites lead to one thing, theft. :) Play-Gadgets has a story about a cargo container shipped from Hong Kong full of Black DS Lites on there way to a European launch that went missing. $2.32 million worth of Black DS Lites soon to be appearing on eBay.
I'm still listening to DualScreen Radio, and the current episode 6/10/06 is a pretty good one. There is about an hour rant on Gamestop/EB Games, that is entertaining to listen to. They don't really say anything I haven't heard before, but I found it funny. I've also started listening to MajorNelson's podcast. He works at Microsoft and keeps the above blog, and also is the one that announces all the new content that gets placed on the marketplace. His podcast is mostly about the 360, and he usually has one interview each episode with someone within Microsoft. He has a DS (and loves it) so it comes up from time to time in his show.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
I really should post about something...
Been a while since my last post, so I decided it was time to get off my ass and do it.
Took a mini vacation (since I didn't go to E3 this year I missed my "spring break" :( I was getting used to spending some time in California every year.) and went to Branson for Memorial Day weekend. Been there, done that but it was nice just to get away for a while.
Went back to Celebration City this trip, as we hadn't been since it opened a couple years ago. Think of it as a really nice/clean up-to-date Joyland, more of the "carnival" type rides, shops, and they do have a couple of shows. They had added the go-carts, and mini golf to your admission (so you no longer had to pay again once you were inside the park) which was cool. Their big ride is the Ozark Wildcat
Took a mini vacation (since I didn't go to E3 this year I missed my "spring break" :( I was getting used to spending some time in California every year.) and went to Branson for Memorial Day weekend. Been there, done that but it was nice just to get away for a while.
Went back to Celebration City this trip, as we hadn't been since it opened a couple years ago. Think of it as a really nice/clean up-to-date Joyland, more of the "carnival" type rides, shops, and they do have a couple of shows. They had added the go-carts, and mini golf to your admission (so you no longer had to pay again once you were inside the park) which was cool. Their big ride is the Ozark Wildcat
The ultra-compact wooden coaster reaches speeds of 45 miles per hour and has a toe-tingling 8-story drop with a one-of-a-kind 310-degree spiraling double-down drop, a high-speed swoop turn with a rabbit hop midway and a finale that'll leave you screaming for more!It's pretty cool fairly quick ride, that's a little on the rough side (that may just be me, as I get older it seems that wooden coasters rattle me more.). Probably the coolest thing about CC is the show they have at the end of the night called Ignite the night held in their man-made amphitheater with lawn seating. They created a rock wall canyon that serves as the back drop, with a water pool in front of it with all different sorts of fountains. The show includes stills/video (projected onto the canyon background, and mist created by the fountains), fireworks, laser lights, and of course music. It's kinda hard to describe, but it looks really neat in person.
The next day was Silver Dollar City which added a new area this year called Grand Exposition which is aimed at family rides. They consist of 3 (really) little kid rides, 4 older kid rides, and 3 even older kid rides. By far the best was the Electro Spin (pretty poor video representation, but gives the general idea). It's a giant disc with 24-30 outward facing bicycle style seats that rotates, and rolls back and forth like a pendulum on a U shaped track.
Does freakin' awesome do it justice!? My daughter and I rode this at least 8 times I think, highly recommended.
They still have two really good steel frame coasters though, Wildfire!, and Powder Keg. Keg is the newest, opened just last season. Silver Dollar City's blurb The new $10 million roller coaster sends riders into a thrill zone within seconds of climbing aboard, launching riders from 0 to 53 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds. A thrill ride unlike any other in the history of the theme park, PowderKeg combines the shocking speed of the compressed air-launch with spiraling turns, negative gravitational or "G" forces, and "floater" hills at speeds up to 64 miles per hour for a truly wild ride experience.
. I really like the "blast off" at the beginning it is amazing, it rivals my favorite coaster Mr. Freeze at Six Flags over Texas.
Okay enough of that, lets see... The Nintendo DS Lite launches June 11th (Sunday) for those of you who forgot. I guess they started arriving in stores about a week ago, and some overzealous clerks put them on the shelf. A couple of message forums I visit were buzzing with stories of people who found them early. I did finally get some "hands on" time with the enamel navy import unit, I like the size and feel of the new unit, but was put off by the casing. It's just like my PSP casing, a finger print magnet. As anal as I am with the PSP I can't imagine how much I would be cleaning the DS Lite. :( The good news is the crappy white doesn't seem to have that particular affliction, so I'm happy with that aspect. The new screens are sooo bright and colorful I can't wait to try some of my older games out on the Lite.
I played through the demo of Titan Quest on the PC (twice!). If you ever played Diablo or Diablo II the game will be instantly familiar to you. The only differences are you deal with more mythology based characters than D&D types. The demo plays really nice, and looks great too. The full game comes out at the end of the month, but if your a Diablo fan at least try out the demo.
As good as Titan Quest looks, it's time to update my PC a little bit. The easiest will be adding a stick of 512MB ram to hit 1GB of memory which is usually the "recommended" quote on all games now. My Nvidia 5900SE is still working okay (I can play Half-Life 2, DOOM 3, and others fine, not at the highest res and settings mind you, but perfectly playable) but its time for some more umph. My video card ***get or "limit" if you will has always been around $150.00 that is my break even line on performance vs. price. I just can't bring myself to pay $300/400 for a video card, so I live a little on the trailing edge of technology. I can also get one more upgrade out of my processor going to 3.06 GHz then that's it my motherboard will have to be put out to pasture. The only game I haven't been able to run lately was F.E.A.R. but since it's coming on the 360 I'll just wait for that, although I'm hoping to get another year out of the upgrades.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
A heaping helping of stuff...
Well it's been a while since my last posting (as someone likes to point out, you know who you are...). So here is an info dump of all sorts of cool little tidbits since my last post.
Major Nelson (an excellent 360 blog if you don't frequent it...) posted this info "Want to help the Vista team make sure that the Media Center Extender experience on the Xbox 360 is great?" Then sign up for their beta program, but only if you can answer yes to all of these questions:
* You have an Xbox 360 connected to the Internet
* You have a PC capable of running Vista Ultimate or Home Premium (Read the minimum hardware requirements here.)
* You are over the age of 18
* You reside in the US
MTV2 is running a special called "Gears of War - the Road to E3" that showcases behind the scenes the time leading up to E3 2006 from the developer's view. It was okay don't expect anything great, but it's worth watching once. I also enjoyed some of the marketplace behind the scenes footage with PMS Tart, and PMS Mary Jane.
Okay, I found that Nintendo-Europe posted that the DS Lite will officially hit the European market on June 23rd (only about 2 weeks after the US), but wait they get 2 colours. Yep you read that right White, and Black will be coming to the Euro shores at launch. What the #!@% is up with that NoA????
Circuit City has some amazing Xbox 360 sales starting next week (May 28th-June 3rd) so if you missed some of these now is your chance...
XBOX 360 GAMES:
Table Tennis >>>> $39.99
Burnout Revenge >>>> $29.99
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter >>>> $59.99
NBA LIVE: 2006 >>>> $29.99
Blazing Angels >>>> $59.99
Full Auto >>>> $39.99
FIFA World Cup 2006 >>>> $59.99
FarCry: Predator >>>> $59.99
X-MEN: The Official Game >>>> $59.99
Hitman: Blood Money >>>> $59.99 (Available 5/30/06 at 5 PM)
Madden: NFL 2006 >>>> $27.99
Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 2006 >>>> $27.99
Burnout for $29.99 is a steal (too bad I already have it), although I think I will pick up Tiger 06 for $27.99.
Major Nelson (an excellent 360 blog if you don't frequent it...) posted this info "Want to help the Vista team make sure that the Media Center Extender experience on the Xbox 360 is great?" Then sign up for their beta program, but only if you can answer yes to all of these questions:
* You have an Xbox 360 connected to the Internet
* You have a PC capable of running Vista Ultimate or Home Premium (Read the minimum hardware requirements here.)
* You are over the age of 18
* You reside in the US
MTV2 is running a special called "Gears of War - the Road to E3" that showcases behind the scenes the time leading up to E3 2006 from the developer's view. It was okay don't expect anything great, but it's worth watching once. I also enjoyed some of the marketplace behind the scenes footage with PMS Tart, and PMS Mary Jane.
Okay, I found that Nintendo-Europe posted that the DS Lite will officially hit the European market on June 23rd (only about 2 weeks after the US), but wait they get 2 colours. Yep you read that right White, and Black will be coming to the Euro shores at launch. What the #!@% is up with that NoA????
Circuit City has some amazing Xbox 360 sales starting next week (May 28th-June 3rd) so if you missed some of these now is your chance...
XBOX 360 GAMES:
Table Tennis >>>> $39.99
Burnout Revenge >>>> $29.99
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter >>>> $59.99
NBA LIVE: 2006 >>>> $29.99
Blazing Angels >>>> $59.99
Full Auto >>>> $39.99
FIFA World Cup 2006 >>>> $59.99
FarCry: Predator >>>> $59.99
X-MEN: The Official Game >>>> $59.99
Hitman: Blood Money >>>> $59.99 (Available 5/30/06 at 5 PM)
Madden: NFL 2006 >>>> $27.99
Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 2006 >>>> $27.99
Burnout for $29.99 is a steal (too bad I already have it), although I think I will pick up Tiger 06 for $27.99.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Pondering the E3 press conferences...
Well they've all wrapped up the pre-show conferences and a lot of info was divulged (except by Nintendo who didn't commit to hardly anything.).
Sony kicked off the week with a delayed conference Monday evening. They let it all hang out so to speak, and street dated & priced their new console (Nov. 17 US, and $499.99 20gb version, $599.99 60gb (bells & whistles) version). WOW! After researching the different versions (which didn't last year they say was a bad idea for Microsoft, because it confused the customer?) I found a .pdf with the info. The "core" 20gb version loses the media reader (Pro Duo/SD/Compact flash), WiFi (802.11 b/g), HDMI output, not to mention 40gb of HD space. I don't see the media reader as a big loss, but the WiFi (no PSP<>PS3 connectivity) and the HDMI port (no Blu-Ray DVD true res output) are huge. You could probably add the WiFi back in via USB dongle, but the HDMI port wouldn't be as simple. I think I'll call them the "crippled" and "premium" sets. I wasn't planning on getting one, and this helped me solidify that thought.
Up next was Nintendo's conference which was streamed live through various sites. Unlike Sony "they felt it was in their best interest to keep the launch specifics a secret for a while longer.". All they stated was 4th qtr 2006 you would be playing with your Wii, (sorry, couldn't resist). Then they went on to show off some of the Wiimote game play, and talked about Wiiconnect24 (the console is always on, even when it's off!? Internet connectivity specifically). He mentioned like you have a town in Animal Crossing your not at home playing (say your at work), a friend could still come by your town and leave you a message. So the next time you turned AC on you would see that you had a visitor. They didn't show a whole lot of DS stuff, but did say that by this Christmas there would be another 100 titles available. I was on the fence about picking up a Wii, but the gameplay they showed looked great. If the price is right I'll definitely pick one up at launch (I've heard $249.99, personally I'd like $199.99).
Microsoft followed shortly after Nintendo's conference. There was a lot of game talk including a Halo 3 trailer, and word about GTA 4 being release simultaneous on the 360/PS3 in October next year although Microsoft has an exclusive deal with Rockstar to get "episodic" add-on content through LIVE. Most of the video's shown at the conference are up in the Marketplace (the Halo 3 one was up before it was shown at the conference!) I've checked out quite a few and found some things I'm really looking forward to. On a side note if you haven't checked out the Lost Planet demo, do so now! I love this game. They were tight lipped on the release date for the HD-DVD add-on, as well as the price.
I got up today to find they have updated the Press site with screenshots, and info about upcoming stuff. They are evidently coming out with a 256MB memory unit (about time), and some interesting wireless items including a LIVE headset, and steering wheel. Although there was no mention of the larger hard drive units.
Sony kicked off the week with a delayed conference Monday evening. They let it all hang out so to speak, and street dated & priced their new console (Nov. 17 US, and $499.99 20gb version, $599.99 60gb (bells & whistles) version). WOW! After researching the different versions (which didn't last year they say was a bad idea for Microsoft, because it confused the customer?) I found a .pdf with the info. The "core" 20gb version loses the media reader (Pro Duo/SD/Compact flash), WiFi (802.11 b/g), HDMI output, not to mention 40gb of HD space. I don't see the media reader as a big loss, but the WiFi (no PSP<>PS3 connectivity) and the HDMI port (no Blu-Ray DVD true res output) are huge. You could probably add the WiFi back in via USB dongle, but the HDMI port wouldn't be as simple. I think I'll call them the "crippled" and "premium" sets. I wasn't planning on getting one, and this helped me solidify that thought.
Up next was Nintendo's conference which was streamed live through various sites. Unlike Sony "they felt it was in their best interest to keep the launch specifics a secret for a while longer.". All they stated was 4th qtr 2006 you would be playing with your Wii, (sorry, couldn't resist). Then they went on to show off some of the Wiimote game play, and talked about Wiiconnect24 (the console is always on, even when it's off!? Internet connectivity specifically). He mentioned like you have a town in Animal Crossing your not at home playing (say your at work), a friend could still come by your town and leave you a message. So the next time you turned AC on you would see that you had a visitor. They didn't show a whole lot of DS stuff, but did say that by this Christmas there would be another 100 titles available. I was on the fence about picking up a Wii, but the gameplay they showed looked great. If the price is right I'll definitely pick one up at launch (I've heard $249.99, personally I'd like $199.99).
Microsoft followed shortly after Nintendo's conference. There was a lot of game talk including a Halo 3 trailer, and word about GTA 4 being release simultaneous on the 360/PS3 in October next year although Microsoft has an exclusive deal with Rockstar to get "episodic" add-on content through LIVE. Most of the video's shown at the conference are up in the Marketplace (the Halo 3 one was up before it was shown at the conference!) I've checked out quite a few and found some things I'm really looking forward to. On a side note if you haven't checked out the Lost Planet demo, do so now! I love this game. They were tight lipped on the release date for the HD-DVD add-on, as well as the price.
I got up today to find they have updated the Press site with screenshots, and info about upcoming stuff. They are evidently coming out with a 256MB memory unit (about time), and some interesting wireless items including a LIVE headset, and steering wheel. Although there was no mention of the larger hard drive units.
Monday, May 08, 2006
E3 content Ahoy!
Well they just updated the LIVE marketplace content this morning and put up around 12 E3 2006 game trailers, the POSEIDON movie trailer, and the Test Drive Unlimited demo (480MB). So get online and start downloading, I feel sooo sorry for my 360 hard drive this week.
The game trailers are for Bullet Witch, Rain, Medal of Honor Hell's Highway, Dance Dance Revolution, Stranglehold, Battlestations, Dead Rising, Sonic, LotR Battle for Middle Earth II, and a couple EA Sports titles.
The game trailers are for Bullet Witch, Rain, Medal of Honor Hell's Highway, Dance Dance Revolution, Stranglehold, Battlestations, Dead Rising, Sonic, LotR Battle for Middle Earth II, and a couple EA Sports titles.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Walk towards the Lite, and my 360 blogs.
On the bright side of the DS fence it seems Majesco is going to release Cooking Mama stateside. I had watched videos and read quite a bit about this game before it came out in Japan, unfortunately it had way to much Japanese text to enjoy. This almost makes up for the #@*?! White lite.
In other news my Xbox 360 has decided to write it's own blog. Seems like it's insecure, and pilfers through my mp3's when I'm not around. If you would like your 360 to express itself sign-up on the main site.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Overdue, renamed Revolution, E3 Live, new views, and FFXI.
Wow, didn't realize it had been so long since my last update. I guess not a whole lot of stuff going on. The biggest news since last time was that Nintendo decided to call it's new console Wii (pronounced 'We'). Yeah, okay. I personally will be calling it "the console formerly known as the Revolution".
Microsoft has announced that they will be bringing E3 2006 into your living room this year. They have a lot of stuff planned including special downloads, and videos. If you only have a silver account, gold access will be free all week too. This of course will take the place of my pilgrimage to LA since they #*!$^ up admission requirements this year. :(
Part of the last week was spent rearranging my living room because I bought a new TV. 42" of HD widescreen goodness that of course wouldn't fit where the last one was so I had to move all of the equipment around. I will try and post some pics later on, but since it's a rear projection model I'm supposed to let it 'burn-in' for about 100 hours before I start tweaking the settings. I can state that the 360 looks really good and HD content is beautiful, the only thing I haven't watched is a DVD yet.
Well the expansion for FFXI came out and I picked up the 360 version (full game & all expansions) because I really enjoyed playing in the front room sitting in my recliner and playing in HD. I got around to finishing the Blue Mage quest Monday morning so I'm looking forward to leveling that job soon. The new areas I've seen so far look great and it actually took a bit time to finish the quest to go there. Most of the areas are intended for higher level players (60~75) but so far I've done a few quest without dying (insert knocking on wood sound here).
Microsoft has announced that they will be bringing E3 2006 into your living room this year. They have a lot of stuff planned including special downloads, and videos. If you only have a silver account, gold access will be free all week too. This of course will take the place of my pilgrimage to LA since they #*!$^ up admission requirements this year. :(
Part of the last week was spent rearranging my living room because I bought a new TV. 42" of HD widescreen goodness that of course wouldn't fit where the last one was so I had to move all of the equipment around. I will try and post some pics later on, but since it's a rear projection model I'm supposed to let it 'burn-in' for about 100 hours before I start tweaking the settings. I can state that the 360 looks really good and HD content is beautiful, the only thing I haven't watched is a DVD yet.
Well the expansion for FFXI came out and I picked up the 360 version (full game & all expansions) because I really enjoyed playing in the front room sitting in my recliner and playing in HD. I got around to finishing the Blue Mage quest Monday morning so I'm looking forward to leveling that job soon. The new areas I've seen so far look great and it actually took a bit time to finish the quest to go there. Most of the areas are intended for higher level players (60~75) but so far I've done a few quest without dying (insert knocking on wood sound here).
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Chibi Robo, movies, KC and more...
I recently tried out a Chibi Robo (GameCube) demo the other day after work, and I must say it was kinda strange but in a good way. It has a very "Japanese" gameplay vibe to it. I had checked it out before release, but came away thinking that it sounded kinda stupid, and it didn't sell very well so I didn't pay much attention to it. I mean who wants to play a game where you clean the house, and cook? After trying the demo though I think it might kinda fun, I just wish it wasn't priced at $49.99. If it had been released at $19.99 I think a lot more people may have given it a chance. Now I'm on a mission to find a cheaper used one somewhere, because we know Nintendo doesn't drop prices on their first party titles very quick. :(
Didn't post about them, but I did go see a few movies a couple weeks ago. Trying to catch up on some. Not working at the theater anymore I don't keep up on everything coming out, it's not like I see the previews 20~30 times a week anymore. Anyway I caught The Shaggy Dog, She's the Man, and 16 Blocks in my catch up attempt. The Shaggy Dog was great, I'm a big fan of Tim Allen anyway so it was really easy to like.
I didn't think I was going to like She's the Man as much as I did. I know I'm nowhere near the target audience (12-18 female??), and I had even mentioned when I first caught the preview that it looked like a remake of Just One of the Guys (1985). The stories did have a lot in common, seemed like they just changed the setting. This wasn't a bad thing though as I laughed a lot during the movie (as did the other guy in the auditorium (not part of the target demo either)). If you have never seen Just One of the Guys, rent it. It's a cheesy 80's flick, but one of my favorites.
Then I finally got around to watching 16 Blocks, it was almost ready to leave the theater so it's probably 2nd run by now. I had caught previews of this one, and probably came to the conclusion most of you had that Bruce Willis is getting kinda old to be an action hero. I was relieved a bit when it started, and behold here is Willis playing an old drunk, dried up police officer (which he does very convincingly!). Turns out that this was really good. I think Willis was great, and this is an above average police drama/thriller. I had wanted to see Firewall when it was out also, but never got around to it. I will probably check it out when it hits DVD, and see which one I like better.
I made a quick trip up to Kansas City Thursday afternoon. Went up to help a friend pick up a rear projection TV he bought on eBay. Didn't really have a lot of time to do too much, ate at Rainforest Cafe because another friend wanted to, (it's a little on the expensive side, especially for lunch) but the food was really good. Stopped in at Isle of Capri casino (I lost $5.00). I don't know what it is about the casinos in KC, but I just don't get that "betting fever" that I feel in Vegas. We had some extra time before we could pick up the set, so we decided to waste some time at the mall. The mall we happened to be close to was Great Mall which it turns out is one of the worst malls I think I've every been to. Stores you've never heard of, and some of the ugliest carpet/decor I've ever seen. I found out the next day that I guess it started as an outlet mall then tried to make the transition to a "real" mall later in life. It failed, pretty badly.
I heard today that Miklotov got an Xbox 360, and he picked up Oblivion. Imagine my surprise when I came home tonight and found a friend invite on LIVE. :P
Didn't post about them, but I did go see a few movies a couple weeks ago. Trying to catch up on some. Not working at the theater anymore I don't keep up on everything coming out, it's not like I see the previews 20~30 times a week anymore. Anyway I caught The Shaggy Dog, She's the Man, and 16 Blocks in my catch up attempt. The Shaggy Dog was great, I'm a big fan of Tim Allen anyway so it was really easy to like.
I didn't think I was going to like She's the Man as much as I did. I know I'm nowhere near the target audience (12-18 female??), and I had even mentioned when I first caught the preview that it looked like a remake of Just One of the Guys (1985). The stories did have a lot in common, seemed like they just changed the setting. This wasn't a bad thing though as I laughed a lot during the movie (as did the other guy in the auditorium (not part of the target demo either)). If you have never seen Just One of the Guys, rent it. It's a cheesy 80's flick, but one of my favorites.
Then I finally got around to watching 16 Blocks, it was almost ready to leave the theater so it's probably 2nd run by now. I had caught previews of this one, and probably came to the conclusion most of you had that Bruce Willis is getting kinda old to be an action hero. I was relieved a bit when it started, and behold here is Willis playing an old drunk, dried up police officer (which he does very convincingly!). Turns out that this was really good. I think Willis was great, and this is an above average police drama/thriller. I had wanted to see Firewall when it was out also, but never got around to it. I will probably check it out when it hits DVD, and see which one I like better.
I made a quick trip up to Kansas City Thursday afternoon. Went up to help a friend pick up a rear projection TV he bought on eBay. Didn't really have a lot of time to do too much, ate at Rainforest Cafe because another friend wanted to, (it's a little on the expensive side, especially for lunch) but the food was really good. Stopped in at Isle of Capri casino (I lost $5.00). I don't know what it is about the casinos in KC, but I just don't get that "betting fever" that I feel in Vegas. We had some extra time before we could pick up the set, so we decided to waste some time at the mall. The mall we happened to be close to was Great Mall which it turns out is one of the worst malls I think I've every been to. Stores you've never heard of, and some of the ugliest carpet/decor I've ever seen. I found out the next day that I guess it started as an outlet mall then tried to make the transition to a "real" mall later in life. It failed, pretty badly.
I heard today that Miklotov got an Xbox 360, and he picked up Oblivion. Imagine my surprise when I came home tonight and found a friend invite on LIVE. :P
Monday, March 27, 2006
DS Pr0n stylus... Fox find! and pod this.
Okay just couldn't wait to point out this post at gaming age forums that shows us the following new stylus.
Best DS stylus ever, would I ever use it in public? No.
Japanese only? I'd bet my life on it, no way NoA would produce that...
Best E3 giveaway ever? You bet!
I'm a bad fan. :( Samantha put out a new album (evidently in October 2005) that I didn't know anything about. Angel with an Attitude was released by La Chapelle Records Canada last year. It's a import so I wouldn't have found it locally, but there used to be a time I was on top of everything Fox. :P For those of you who don't know who Samantha Fox is, shame on you!
BTW I got the album last week, I didn't really like the title track but after listening to the tracks (over and over) it's grown on me. I would give it 4 out of 4 stars (because its Sam), really enjoyed over half the tracks. Some of the album almost seems to be trancelike, and I'm so used to Sam tracks being dance/pop that some of the songs I'm still warming up to.
I've added an iPod addition list on the left side that will update the latest things I've sent to my iPod.
Best DS stylus ever, would I ever use it in public? No.
Japanese only? I'd bet my life on it, no way NoA would produce that...
Best E3 giveaway ever? You bet!
I'm a bad fan. :( Samantha put out a new album (evidently in October 2005) that I didn't know anything about. Angel with an Attitude was released by La Chapelle Records Canada last year. It's a import so I wouldn't have found it locally, but there used to be a time I was on top of everything Fox. :P For those of you who don't know who Samantha Fox is, shame on you!
BTW I got the album last week, I didn't really like the title track but after listening to the tracks (over and over) it's grown on me. I would give it 4 out of 4 stars (because its Sam), really enjoyed over half the tracks. Some of the album almost seems to be trancelike, and I'm so used to Sam tracks being dance/pop that some of the songs I'm still warming up to.
I've added an iPod addition list on the left side that will update the latest things I've sent to my iPod.
Friday, March 24, 2006
GDC tibits aplenty, and onto Oblivion.
The Game Developer's Conference was held this week, so there has been a surge of news (and lack of news on some topics). So here is some of the best...
Joystiq has up a little newsbit about the PS3 being region free (like the PSP) with the only regional coding being on movies. :) Nice.
The following shots are supposedly "real-time" renders from the upcoming Getaway game for the PS3. I will admit they do look sweet.
Check out Playsyde.com to download a CAM video of the PS3 God of War II trailer shown at GDC. Scroll down to the "Direct Download" section and choose a mirror. This looks absolutely awesome, and I didn't even play the first GoW.
Last but not least check out 1up.com article for a video download of the PS3 tech demos shown at the conference. Note: The page seems to have disappeared from 1up, so the link is actually the Google cache of the page. This means the videos may disappear without warning also. So you may just want to try the links below. :)
Windows Media version zipped
QuickTime version zipped
On the Nintendo front there was news, but not exactly what people were expecting. There was no DS Lite US launch date mentioned (if they can't satisfy Japanese demand, I don't see how they could make enough units to launch here). Although I've read they will still make the "old phat" DS dropping its price to $99.99, and selling the Lite for $149.99 alongside the original.
There was also speculation that the Revolution would get a new name, but that didn't happen either. Engadget has a little rumor up about a Japanese slide they got ahold of supposedly naming the system Nintendo Go?
There will be a Zelda game coming out for the DS! Yes indeed big N announced Zelda : Phantom Hourglass. Check out the video.
Finally, Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion came out (even with weather delays... don't ask) for the 360 and PC. I started the game out in the dungeon/sewers where you have to carry a torch to see anything, then I got outside where it was still dark. I thought geez I had seen pictures of this game, it looked a lot better. Well then daylight rolled around, and let me tell you the outdoor environments are beautiful! This has taken over my top spot currently for the best looking 360 game available right now.
Joystiq has up a little newsbit about the PS3 being region free (like the PSP) with the only regional coding being on movies. :) Nice.
The following shots are supposedly "real-time" renders from the upcoming Getaway game for the PS3. I will admit they do look sweet.
Check out Playsyde.com to download a CAM video of the PS3 God of War II trailer shown at GDC. Scroll down to the "Direct Download" section and choose a mirror. This looks absolutely awesome, and I didn't even play the first GoW.
Last but not least check out 1up.com article for a video download of the PS3 tech demos shown at the conference. Note: The page seems to have disappeared from 1up, so the link is actually the Google cache of the page. This means the videos may disappear without warning also. So you may just want to try the links below. :)
Windows Media version zipped
QuickTime version zipped
On the Nintendo front there was news, but not exactly what people were expecting. There was no DS Lite US launch date mentioned (if they can't satisfy Japanese demand, I don't see how they could make enough units to launch here). Although I've read they will still make the "old phat" DS dropping its price to $99.99, and selling the Lite for $149.99 alongside the original.
There was also speculation that the Revolution would get a new name, but that didn't happen either. Engadget has a little rumor up about a Japanese slide they got ahold of supposedly naming the system Nintendo Go?
There will be a Zelda game coming out for the DS! Yes indeed big N announced Zelda : Phantom Hourglass. Check out the video.
Finally, Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion came out (even with weather delays... don't ask) for the 360 and PC. I started the game out in the dungeon/sewers where you have to carry a torch to see anything, then I got outside where it was still dark. I thought geez I had seen pictures of this game, it looked a lot better. Well then daylight rolled around, and let me tell you the outdoor environments are beautiful! This has taken over my top spot currently for the best looking 360 game available right now.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Big releases for the 360, more DS Radio, and YADLC...
Well this was a big week for Xbox 360 releases College Hoops 2k6, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, and Burnout Revenge all made an appearance this week. I picked up Burnout Revenge, and I decided to try out Full Auto also even though the reviews have been mixed. So far I've played more Full Auto, but since it's only "rented" I don't have as long to play it as I will Burnout. It really is basically Burnout with weapons, and destructable environments. It looks gorgeous though in HD, and is a lot of fun in single player mode. I will post more about Burnout when I get a chance to play it a bit more.
The guys over at Dualscreenradio have put up another show in .mp3 format, that brings us up to episode 4.
The Yet Another DS Lite Comparison is this video that is a nice hands on comparing the DS Lite, and old DS (now referred to as the phat DS).
The guys over at Dualscreenradio have put up another show in .mp3 format, that brings us up to episode 4.
The Yet Another DS Lite Comparison is this video that is a nice hands on comparing the DS Lite, and old DS (now referred to as the phat DS).
Saturday, March 04, 2006
DS Lite launch a success!
Well with the previous indication early in the week it came as no surprise that the DS Lite launch in Japan went well, and sold out quickly. Pick any of the major news sites and you can read about the launch, and check out pictures. Kotaku has posted a nice round up of all their Japanese launch coverage, and you can also check out some of the entries at DSFanboy.com.
Kotaku also posted a brief news item about a DS Lite kiosk they happened upon and the condition it was in. This was my biggest fear of the white unit. I realize that this is in a public area, and that people would probably not treat it like their own, but still. :(
Finally this Japanese web site put up some comparison pics between the new lite, and other units.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Race is on! So much DS luvin' its CRAAAZZY!
Well last night my favorite TV show started up again, that's right Amazing Race #9 kicked off last night with 11 groups of 2. In the first 10 minutes I was easily going to root for David & Lori self-proclaimed "nerds' from Manhattan, KS but after about the second "give us a kiss" I was sick. :( I am now rooting for Tyler & BJ the "hippies" from California, I also like the Mother/Daughter team of Wanda & Desiree, but Mother/Son/Daughter teams never do very well.
Okay where to start with the DS info... The DS Lite is now available in Japan/Hong Kong although it seems like there is going to be more demand than product unfortunately. 4colorrebellion has a little article about the Japanese getting in line for a launch system. I hope this doesn't delay my import unit, I'm anxious to see how the launch pans out.
Okay where to start with the DS info... The DS Lite is now available in Japan/Hong Kong although it seems like there is going to be more demand than product unfortunately. 4colorrebellion has a little article about the Japanese getting in line for a launch system. I hope this doesn't delay my import unit, I'm anxious to see how the launch pans out.
I found the DualScreen Radio site yesterday. They actually put out a DS themed internet radio show, and just recently put out the 3rd episode. I'm still listing to it right now as it clocks in at 3 hours+, but it is interesting and one of the better video game shows I've heard.
The Nintendo rep stated that they are releasing DS Download Stations this month here in the US (mentioned earlier on 2/10), but she didn't know yet where they would be located. I've read that GameStop/EBGames/Best Buy would be the likely candidates (although I can't see all of them getting the stations as some locations have all 3 clumped together). Evidently the Nintendo Store in NY has already set up their station and you can read about this guys hands on report.
On the last note I'm picking up Super Princess Peach for the DS.
I've still been playing quite a bit of Animal Crossing Wild World, and happy to report that the season's have changed and everything is green now. I've noticed some new plants growing in my town clovers, and Jacob's ladder flowers. This should also bring out some new fish, and bugs to catch! I finally finished my dinosaur exhibit at the museum so it's now complete, I'm soooo happy!
Friday, February 17, 2006
DS Lite nudies!
Okay JeuxFrance put up a article about the La Nintendo DS Lite jouable au Japon or the Nintendo DS Lite playable in Japan. :) Evidently they got the heads up from this article at Kotaku. The Kotaku article gives a nice "hands on" review, but check out the photos of the Lite kiosk at JeuxFrance.com. Looks like the screen is going to have the same Wow! factor as comparing the backlit SP, to the old non-backlit SP.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Time for some DS luvin!
Well evidently there was a DS conference yesterday (in Japan I'm assuming...) where they announced a web browser for the DS! Yes, you read that right Opera will be making their browser available for the Nintendo DS. It will come on a DS cart not a firmware upgrade, and you can read more about it here.
Some of the other tidbits gathered were that Tetris DS will be a ***get title in Japan (1,000y=about $9.00) less than a normal Nintendo release. So hopefully when it's released here it may hit around $24.99, which I would definitely pick up. They also announced a May release date of the new Super Mario Bros. in Japan.
Yesterday, of course was Valentine's Day. If you connected to Nintendo WFC in Animal Crossing you got a letter from Nintendo containing a "Lovely Loveseat" part of the Lovely furniture collection. It wasn't anything rare or cool like the Coin we got a while back, but a nice touch. You also received a new bulletin Board entry from Nintendo in your town square.
Some of the other tidbits gathered were that Tetris DS will be a ***get title in Japan (1,000y=about $9.00) less than a normal Nintendo release. So hopefully when it's released here it may hit around $24.99, which I would definitely pick up. They also announced a May release date of the new Super Mario Bros. in Japan.
Yesterday, of course was Valentine's Day. If you connected to Nintendo WFC in Animal Crossing you got a letter from Nintendo containing a "Lovely Loveseat" part of the Lovely furniture collection. It wasn't anything rare or cool like the Coin we got a while back, but a nice touch. You also received a new bulletin Board entry from Nintendo in your town square.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
360 Graphics overload... and #%!@ E3!
Well this has been quite a weekend for Xbox 360 news, first a developer put up a PC<->360 comparison video for Far Cry he said...
The link he posted has died already, but you can find the video here or here. Check out the water, simply amazing!
Hot on the heels of that, EA released some in-game footage of Battlefield 360 that is awesome as well.
There is also supposed to be a Nintey Nine Nights demo released on the LIVE Marketplace around March 1st in Japan. Of course you should already have your LIVE Silver accounts set up for Japan, and Europe exclusive content shouldn't you?
Hey Guys,
Want to see how the 360 version looks like ?
Look at this short video : http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=22950
It is suppose to be "internal use only" but I guess it's not a big deal to release it.
We made it to benchmark our version versus the PC one (with all the settings at the maximum).
The link he posted has died already, but you can find the video here or here. Check out the water, simply amazing!
Hot on the heels of that, EA released some in-game footage of Battlefield 360 that is awesome as well.
There is also supposed to be a Nintey Nine Nights demo released on the LIVE Marketplace around March 1st in Japan. Of course you should already have your LIVE Silver accounts set up for Japan, and Europe exclusive content shouldn't you?
On a sad note I just got my admission denial back from E3 2006. :(
They screwed the retail sector this year by distributing "buyer's passes" to each corporation (I'm assuming GameStop, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, etc...) that the home office people are to give out at their discretion. (So... Miklotov if your reading this I really need some help! :) I will try to pursue some other avenues, and hopefully come up with something.
Friday, February 10, 2006
DS goodness aplenty...
Well there's been more details on the DS lite coming in... Nintendo Japan has announced the official launch colors (Crystal White, Ice Blue, and Enamel Navy) that will be available in Japan on 3/2/06. Looks like the preorders are going for ~$169 on most of the import sites, personally I like the looks of that Enamel Navy one. :) I also like how they colored the d-pad, and other buttons to match the console color. The only thing that bothers me is my hands get kinda cramped from playing Animal Crossing for extended periods I wonder if the smaller form factor is going to make that worse? That was my big peeve with the GBA SP too, I preferred the grip on the original GBA so much better.
At the D.I.C.E. conference in Las Vegas big N announced some other juicy upcoming DS goodness. Retailers across the US will get Download Stations in a few weeks, (these will be like the ones currently in Japan, and the one set up last year at E3). The first DS Download Service stations will include free demos of Tetris DS (Yay!), Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Mario Kart DS, Meteos, True Swing Golf and Pokemon Trozei, along with a Metroid Prime Hunters video clip.
The news article goes on to announce that Metroid Prime Hunters will have voice chat built-in so that players can talk to each other before/after wi-fi matches.
At the D.I.C.E. conference in Las Vegas big N announced some other juicy upcoming DS goodness. Retailers across the US will get Download Stations in a few weeks, (these will be like the ones currently in Japan, and the one set up last year at E3). The first DS Download Service stations will include free demos of Tetris DS (Yay!), Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Mario Kart DS, Meteos, True Swing Golf and Pokemon Trozei, along with a Metroid Prime Hunters video clip.
The news article goes on to announce that Metroid Prime Hunters will have voice chat built-in so that players can talk to each other before/after wi-fi matches.