Donkey Kong Country Returns out this week!!

My apologies for the lack of a post yesterday. I was feeling really sick and could only think about going to bed. I really hope I'll be well again by Friday though, as that's when DKCR is out here in Ireland! I can't wait!

Using the Wii's Internet Channel web browser

I'm currently without a computer to update but I can still use the Internet Channel on the Wii. It's not too bad, it's quite noisy when writing posts! - every key I type makes a noise on the screen.

Back when the Wii was brand new a lot of people made websites especially for the Wii. I bookmarked some of them and well, now when I try them out I see most of them are gone. The only one I still see online so far is Wiicade.

Some other sites made it handy for the Wii to browse on such as youtube and wikipedia. It's quite nice using those sites with this browser. I also have a USB keyboard so that makes typing in stuff alot easier! I'll have a better poke around and see what sites are still good for the Internet Channel. It's nice that it's free by the way.

Remember when the Dreamcast came out?? It was marketed heavily for browsing the Internet, although noone seems to remember that.

I learned something new about Super Mario Bros. 3 today

After you complete the game and you're back at the title screen, start a new game to have your inventory full to the brim with p-wings!

This may not be exciting to anyone who knows the game inside out but it was a cool discovery for me!

Late Late Toy Show 2010

This year the only Nintendo thing I saw on the Late Late Toy Show was a statue of Link. There might've been other Nintendo stuff but if there was I missed it.

Mysterious Last Window perforated instruction manual pages

I mentioned the perforated edge on a page in the Last Window instruction manual already in a previous post:

http://irishnintendofan.blogspot.com/2010/09/last-window-secret-of-cape-west-for.html

but I didn't reveal what was inside as I was waiting until I completed the game. However, now that I have completed it there is one thing about it I'll reveal about the perforated page if you would like to know:

There's a puzzle with an offer to win a wallpaper for your mobile phone. Nice little bonus there!

Game and Watch style game found in Last Window

A good ways into the game, Kyle Hyde obtains a handheld LCD game. This game is called "Pinkie Rabbit Land" and is fully playable. It's not necessary for the story at all but you can just play the LCD game to your heart's content. The gameplay consists of a rabbit going up ropes to catch carrots tied to balloons and climbing back down to put them in baskets whilst avoiding ninja projectiles. It looks and feels very closely to a Game and Watch game. The downside is you can't save your score.

There's also a billiards game where you slide on the touchscreen to hit the ball with the cue. It's a nice addition but for me the Game and Watch style game has more appeal!

So yeah, if you didn't want to play Last Window but like the idea of these maybe you can find a copy of the game that has an appropriate save point.

Just completed Hotel Dusk - I recommend it!

I guess I should've saved yesterday's post for something to write about today!

Oh well, might as well say a few words about it. If you like reading then it's definitely worth checking out. The game's really easy too. I was never too stuck to figure out anything and the use of the DS was pretty neat as well, even though people don't really praise that aspect of the DS anymore since it's what we've come to expect now. I never got a chance to use a rumble pak with the game but I would've if I had one. Also, when I say the game's easy I mean it's mostly about watching the way the characters talk with each other and then you already know where to go so you just go there to have another scene where the characters talk... as is the nature of adventure games. If you're a fan of them then it really is a slice of heaven. That "cosy" feeling I get when I'm playing a really good adventure game is definitely present here and the fact that it isn't too difficult serves well in terms of the game's pacing. In fact there's only one instance where I used a guide and that was when I was looking for a penny. I don't believe for a second that a penny would be a nuisance to find and I didn't want a game making it so!

The tone of the game has a grown up, dignified feel while at the same time not being too stuffy and boring so most people who like reading would enjoy it I'd say.

Another cool thing about this game is that it contains its own novelisation which unlocks chapter by chapter as you play through the game with features like its own bookmark and everything. It's a nice bonus!

There are a couple of other really cool things about this game but they deserve their own post! Stay tuned!

Still playing Last Window!

A game like Last Window wouldn't normally take me this long to complete after buying it about two months ago but I like it so much I'm actually savouring it.

It's an extremely easy going game and it's great to relax to. There is a looooooot of talking in it but hey it doesn't pretend to be anything else than what it's sold to be - an interactive novel. It's just a couple of puzzles that are tricky. I just completed one particularly cryptic puzzle by myself and I'm delighted with it. I normally just play it when I don't have podcasts to listen to, which has helped spread the game far and wide over these dark Winter days for me!

Even right now I'm looking forward to snuggling up with it when I've other stuff done.

Wii Remote Plus

I'm not sure how I missed this. Earlier on in the month official Wii Remotes with MotionPlus built in got released in the above colours. Must get one!

Donkey Kong Country Returns is getting some good reviews

The reviews are just coming out for this game and many of them have very high scores, which is great to see. It's coming out here in Ireland on the 3rd of December and I can't wait to play it!

Shantae coming to Ireland and the rest of Europe!!

Yes! Wayforward has come out and said that Shantae is on it's way to be approved for release on the DSiWare store in Europe! This is brilliant news! Yes!

NGamer Issue 56

This issue comes with reviews of Kirby's Epic Yarn for the Wii and Golden Sun for the DS. It also has a big feature about Donkey Kong Country Returns. It comes free with DKCR skins for Wii and Wii remotes as well as a big poster of the game's title.

A beanie with the Nintendo logo also comes free with it which sounds cool but the material seems a bit thin for these cold winter months.

Retro Gamer Issue 83

This month as you can see Retro Gamer is doing a retrospective on the Donkey Kong Country series in order to celebrate the release of the new installment for the Wii being released in a few weeks time.

See where the hands come out? You can open those two flaps to reveal the cover art for DKC Returns and a tiny little timeline of the seven games spanning the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, the Donkey Kong Land trilogy and Donkey Kong 64.

Unfortunately they make the dumb mistake of calling DKC 3 the "weakest game in the core trilogy". None of the DKC games are the weakest anything!

Shigeru Miyamoto is 58 today!

Happy Birthday Shigeru Miyamoto! I hope he and his team continue to make really good games for many more years to come!

I want Dragon Quest VI to come to Ireland!

A good while ago Dragon Quest VI was announced for release in Ireland and Europe. But we haven't heard any news whatsoever about it for a long long time.

Recently, on Square-Enix's twitter account, people have been asking them about Dragon Quest VI and when it's going to be released over here. First they said it wasn't on the cards, the next thing they said they just had no news. No confirmation, no cancellation.

Naturally this makes me worried because I really want to get this. I have IV and V and VIII and IX, the only ones that got released here in Ireland and Europe so far and I've become a fan so I really want the chance to play VI. I know there's lots of excitement over the 3DS right now but I still really want DQVI. Please release it here Square-Enix!

Funny Dr Eggman PA announcements from Sonic Colours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDlwgQN9pU

When you play Sonic Colours on the Wii you can hear Dr Eggman's voice faintly giving PA announcements during levels. Some of them are quite humourous! Here's a good compilation of them on their own without the ingame music playing over them. Don't worry they don't spoil anything, it's just for laughs. It'll also give you an impression of the quality of the game's dialogue. Enjoy!

Oodles of Donkey Kong Country Returns Trailers

Lately there have been a lot of DKCR trailers making the rounds on the net, including the Japanese one which still has the title "Donkey Kong Returns" along with some Kanji characters before it. Does it mean "Super"? I'm not sure since Japanese titles of games often have "Super" written as it is. I wonder what it translates as?

There's also some new features like the super guide that Super Mario Bros. Wii had and a shop where you buy stuff. Not sure what that's for yet.

Sonic Colours on the Wii has NO LOAD TIMES

I got this today and I'm going to immediately gush praise where its due. After selecting the "New Game" option and setting the tutorial to "off" on the title screen BAM! The first level hits me in the face straight away! Loading is amazing in this game, you just do not see it happen. More games should be done like this!

Sonic Colours out tomorrow for Wii and DS in Ireland

I'm looking forward to this! Haven't checked much out for the DS version but I'd like to play the Wii game. It's been getting significantly better reviews than other recent Sonic games so now I'm excited!

Special Shigeru Miyamoto video message for Mario's 25th Anniversary

http://www.twitvid.com/R8MVM

Nice promotional vid for video game fans who don't know about the cool Mario stuff that's coming out before Christmas!

Some thoughts on Gamespite.net's Dragon Warrior article

Gamespite.net recently published an article recently about the first Dragon Warrior on the NES. One quote in particular stood out for me:

"rather than a watered-down port of a complex PC game, it was built from the ground up to work with an interface consisting of a D-pad and two buttons."

This made me immediately think of the Mario and Luigi games on DS which could be described more or less the same way - built from the ground up to work with the DS' interface. In "Partners in Time" each of the four characters had a jump button mapped to one of the A, B, X and Y buttons. This made me realise how little I use the X button in games apart from opening up a menu or something secondary like that and that it was fully taken advantage of in this game. The game was made especially with the DS controls in mind, just like NES RPGs were for that system. This might be a good thing to consider when making an RPG for a specific format.

Ghost Trick set for release on January 14th in Ireland

Shu Takumi, the man who brought us the compelling Ace Attorney series has a new game coming out over here for the Nintendo DS. It'll be an adventure type of game which is always a nice thing to look forward to!

I recommend Earthbound Zero

I completed this RPG for the first time recently. It's probably best known as "the game that's not as good as Earthbound" which is true but it's still worth trying out, especially if you're a fan of the SNES sequel.

The best place to start though is with the story of its localisation and cancelled release posted on lostlevels.org. Do a quick google of that and read about some really cool stuff(such as the added dash feature which wasn't in the Japanese version) that'll help build some excitement for you to check the game out.

As far as gameplay is concerned, it does a wonderful thing which sets it apart from other RPGS - if you lose all HP then you will go back to the point you previously saved at with all your newly gained experience intact. You also don't lose any money(unless it's carried money) because your dad deposits any money you win from a battle into your bank account. This effectively makes grinding irrelevant and the game in general a lot less discouraging to play since you'll feel brave enough to explore the unknown as much as you can.

Try this game out if you can find it and try out its much improved sequels also!

It is a pity though that none of the Earthbound/Mother games have been released officially in Ireland. I'd love it if they were though. I'd gladly buy them. Oh well, at least I can spread my love for these games!

Some thoughts on the upcoming Sonic Colours

Sonic Colours will be released not too long from now here in Ireland for the Wii and DS. Some reviews are out already and they've been quite positive. There are still many though that are worried about it being bad. I liked the other three Sonic games for the Wii well enough, not that I'd call them classics or anything but they were okay.

I'd like to play the Wii version of Colours alright. I'm expecting it to be okay too and maybe even slightly better than okay but I'll definitely check it out. I believe in it.

I'm thinking whether or not to buy it first day since Sonic games tend to fall in price very quickly after they're released. I'll see. Watch this space!

Limited edition gold Classic Controller Pro released today!

It may cost a lot more than a normal Classic Controller Pro but it comes with a free remake of Goldeneye64!

Angry Video Game Nerd Episode 96: Lester the Unlikely

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/706970

Woo! New Nerd video up! The tone of this episode was very unusual and I kept wondering what was up. I guess it kept me interested enough to watch it throughout and I even watched it a second time straight afterwards. It feels like it was made by someone who was exhausted! The effort is definitely there though and it is very entertaining.

There's something very odd about the whole thing though, including the ending. It makes me wonder what he's going to do next. I'm really curious about it.

Eating like Kyle Hyde

In my recent sessions of Last Window I've come across sections where Kyle Hyde sits down to eat in the café on the bottom floor of his apartment building. The first was a burger and I've just finished the scene where he eats pasta carbonara.

I've never eaten pasta carbonara before so I thought I'd try it out for myself. So I went to a restaurant that served it and had some there.

It's not bad but I prefer tomato based ones like napolitana or bolognese. It's a pity I couldn't have it like Kyle did with extra mushrooms. I bet it would've been a lot tastier! It wasn't cheap either... How could Kyle afford it? Earlier in the game I got the impression he was strapped for cash!

I want Snatcher on Wii!

Snatcher is pretty much the best thing ever released on a SEGA system. The Mega CD version really ought to come to the Wii in some shape or form since it's the perfect console for it. I'm of the opinion that it's the best thing Hideo Kojima ever worked on making it better in my eyes than Metal Gear anything.

Creepy Majora's Mask Story

http://www.zeldainformer.com/2010/09/haunted-majoras-mask-cartridge.html

Following on from the Pokémon one I posted about yesterday is this story of a haunted Majora's Mask cartridge. It's still fun but the better story in my opinion has to be the former!