So, I had some friends come up a couple weeks ago for a bachelor party and one of the things we did was go to a Hawks game. After showing up like halfway through the second quarter due to poor planning, we kinda started to enjoy ourselves. That is, until the ridiculously obnoxious pack of 10 year old hyenas two rows down became almost unbearable. Ugh. I mean, is there anything more annoying than a group of 10-12 year old boys? I really don’t think there could be. If I was like terminally ill and got accepted to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, I’d wish that I could beat up an 11 year old boy. Don’t get freaked out, I don’t want to like cripple him or break his nose or do any kind of permanent damage. I’d want it to be like a videogame or something. Probably more Tekken than Mortal Kombat, even I may feel bad when I “FATALITY” an 11 year old. (Side-note: If the whole fight thing wasn’t allowed I’d wish that I could take an 11 year old to his favorite place or game or whatever and buy myself every snack, hat, jersey and anything else he’d want while I didn’t get him anything. The look on his face would be priceless!!) I’d want it to be like nothing happened to him afterwards, but he’d sure as hell remember it and that would allow me to go in peace…
Yesterday was Monday, and on Monday we get new WiiWare & VC games to download. The cream of the crop this week is Max & The Magic Marker. The game is your typical 2D platformer which stars Max as he uses his “Magic” marker to get around the world and defeat the bad guys. As you’d suspect, the Wiimote acts as the marker and everything you “draw” shows up in the game. If Max needs a bridge to get over a gap, just draw it. If Max needs a hill to roll down, just draw it. It’s that simple really. The game, and it’s developers Press Play, have received tons of awards and accolades for this innovative title, so you may want to go ahead and drop the 1000 points on this one. If you’re interested in checking out what the game looks like in motion, just look below. And, just for fun, here’s a link where you can see everything that’s new on WiiWare & the VC this week, which includes the SNES classic Final Fantasy 2. Finally, because I’m hyped over their return, I’m gonna give you the newest video from Reflection Eternal whose album is set to drop April 6. It rarely gets better than Kweli & Hi-Tek teaming up, and I can’t wait to hear the rest. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.
All day long the heavens have been dumping this horrible rain/snow/slush mix all over The A. It’s almost like it can’t decide what it wants to be, or exactly how much it wants to inconvenience me. I mean, snow I can handle, and we’ve had a bit this year. Sure, I won’t be getting off early or have a day off, but at least it looks nice. Rain is about the same, only without the pretty, though it is nice to curl up on the couch and stay inside on cold, rainy days. This, though, is about unbearable. I bet the weatherman have no idea what to do since it’s snowing in parts of what they call “The Atlanta Area” and other parts are probably only getting cold rain. (Side-note: Am I the only one who lives in a metro area who doesn’t give a damn what happens in the suburbs? Seriously, I don’t even know where some of these places are, yet I have to hear about a tree falling in someone’s yard, or a sinkhole eating someone’s house. I’m watching a news station based in Atlanta, just give me Atlanta news. Let those other places handle themselves. I mean, I really don’t care what happens in Kennesaw unless it’s like they found Santa Clause and he wants to give me the winning lotto numbers…) Maybe one of the “meteorologists”, I use this term loosely because I feel like they probably got their degree from Devry “University”, will get so confused his circuits will cross and we’ll find out he’s really a robot spy sent by the Decepticons to lead the first wave of attacks.
As I’ve mentioned here a ridiculous amount of times, I am retardedly hyped over the upcoming title, Red Steel 2. The sequel to Ubisoft’s launch title flop is more than just a game; it is, in my humble opinion, a measuring stick for the future of Wii gaming. The fact that Ubi has made WiiMotion+ a necessity to play the game is a bold move that many developers are sure to follow, especially if it’s a gamble that pays off. We all know the original Red Steel was a bit terrible, but RS2 looks like it will make us completely forget its flawed namesake. Not only is the game going to be stupid fun to play, it is also looking to set a major bar for game design and graphics. Everything I’ve seen of the game I’ve loved and shared. I truly believe that when Red Steel 2 launches in a few weeks, gamers everywhere will take a step back and realize how good the Wii is, and how amazingly fun it can be to play a game that incorporates motion control in an engaging manner without feeling like a dumbed down title, or even worse, a tech-demo. If you want to get a true feel of the graphics, there’s an amazing new video which shows the process of fleshing out one of the characters, Tamiko. It’s a speed drawing that, in my opinion, is jaw-dropping. Playing at 200% speed you can see almost the full process of the developers drawing out the badass love interest in the game. I will embed it in SD, but I highly recommend you checking the video in 720p, it’s absolutely gorgeous! There’s also a fairly new video showcasing some ridiculous gameplay elements that I’ll post for you guys too. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.
Remember how I was bitching about needing a vacuum but being in the conundrum of thinking that only a Dyson was worth buying, even though they are super expensive? Well, Mrs. Mike and I finally had enough and purchased the miracle vacuum yesterday. (Side-note: This is where I’m at in life. Excited about buying a vacuum cleaner. Is this as good as it gets…) We had kind of had enough of looking at the dirty carpet and trying to sweep stuff off it with our hands, so when we saw one for a great price yesterday we made the leap. It’s actually really nice. I didn’t get to use it yesterday, but once we deciphered the Ikea-style directions for assembly, Mrs. Mike put it through it’s paces. (Side-note: Seriously, whoever thought of including only pictures in instruction manuals should be shot. I don’t need to read a book about how to put together a vacuum, but more than some pictures and the word “Click!”, which is used to signify it clicks into place and is right, would be nice to see. I just spent $200+ on this thing, gimme something that doesn’t make me want to punch someone in the face!!) By paces I mean she cleaned the 8×10 rug that is essentially the only thing we bought the damned thing for. Still, that rug is nice and clean again, which is quite the relief. Supposedly we can use it on all floors, which will rock because I hate sweeping almost as much as loathe Gwyneth Paltrow…
You know something I don’t loathe? Old school videogames. There’s just something about the old school/8-bit games that will always make you feel good. That’s why it’s kinda awesome that Capcom has stuck to its roots when it comes to the Mega Man franchise. Today sees the launch of the tenth game in the series, Mega Man 10. Catchy name, huh? Anyone remember the Mega Man cartoon? That was my junk for real! The game will be the one everyone has come to know and love, but will also be the first one in the series to feature an Easy Mode. That’s awesome because these games are notoriously and stupidly hard. If you’re dying to play as Proto Man, then hop onto the WiiWare channel and buy the game today for 1000 points. For a full list of all the titles hitting WiiWare & Virtual Console today, I’ll post it just below.
I also want to send big hopes, well wishes and love to Guru (of Gang Starr) and his family. The MC half of one of the most influential hip-hop duos of all time, Gang Starr, had a heart attack over the weekend and is now in a coma. Guru was a long time staple in my top 5 of all time, and his Jazzmatazz albums are true classics. If you took those alone you’d have a legend, but the work he did with DJ Premier in Gang Starr is just about second to none. My heart goes out to his family, and my wishes go out to him making a full recovery, hip-hop won’t be the same without him. I’m gonna post my all-time fave Gang Starr track, Moment of Truth, for anyone who may not know exactly how sick this dude was. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.
NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: MARCH IS A MEGA MONTH FOR NINTENDO GAME DOWNLOADS
The number 10 can mean a lot of things: perfection, loud volume or, in the case of this week’s downloadable game lineup, the return of a true gaming icon. Fans will thrill to see the legendary blue bomber landing on their Wii™ console with the arrival of Mega Man™ 10 for the WiiWare™ service. Elsewhere, players can test their skill at tossing darts, bashing moles, conquering the tennis court or tackling exotic golf courses. Whether you’re stocking up on living room-ready titles for your Wii console or grabbing on-the-go games via the Nintendo DSiWare™ service, March is off to a truly magnificent start.
WiiWare
Mega Man 10
Publisher: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points™
Description: Fans of all ages can enjoy the newest entry in this historic 8-bit franchise. As a special service to new players, there’s an Easy Mode – a first for a Mega Man game. This new feature means novices and longtime fans alike can all have a shot at making it to the end of a Mega Man game. Also, you can now play as Proto Man and try Time Attack Mode from the beginning, or watch play-through videos from players all over the world.
Dart Rage
Publisher: JV Games Inc.
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Alcohol Reference
Price: 600 Wii Points
Description: Grab your Wii Remote™ controller and prepare for the ultimate game of darts on your Wii console. Dart Rage features the most realistic throwing system available today. With pixel-perfect accuracy and no buttons to push, you’ll be completely immersed in the game’s realism. Dart Rage puts you in the spotlight as you compete against friends, the computer or both. With four great games to choose from – including 301-901, Cricket, Poker and American (Baseball) darts – Dart Rage has plenty of options to keep the game fresh. There’s also a VS mode in which multiple players can compete at the same time in a race to the finish. Rock out to a sizzling soundtrack as a commentator announces your every shot.
Happy Hammerin’
Publisher: GAMEBRIDGE
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Happy Hammerin’ is a party game suitable for friends and families. Compete against each other by bashing moles using the Wii Remote controller. Use the Wii Remote like a hammer and let off some steam as you frantically try to bash the moles popping up all over the screen. Play against the CPU or go head-to-head with up to four players. (Additional accessories are required for the multiplayer modes and are sold separately.) Players can challenge themselves in three different modes: Mole Adventure (1-2 players), Mole Marathon (1 player) and Party Battle (1-4 players). Mole Adventure consists of four stages with three difficulty types. The faster you bash, the more points you get. With broadband Internet access, register your scores online and compete against the best mole bashers from around the world.
Virtual Console™
FATAL FURY SPECIAL
Original platform: NEOGEO
Publisher: D4 Enterprise
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
Price: 900 Wii Points
Description: Originally released in 1993, this fighting game pits 15 different fighters against each other. The cast includes the original eight characters from Fatal Fury 2, as well as three new characters (Billy, Axel and Laurence) and a new boss (Wolfgang). Also, three characters from the original Fatal Fury (Duck, Dan and Geese) have returned to the fight. Building on the appeal of the previous game with two-line battles, special moves and powerful finishers, this game is truly worthy of its “special” distinction. And if certain special conditions are met, special guest Ryuu Sakazaki will make an appearance.
Nintendo DSiWare
Let’s Golf
Publisher: Gameloft
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: Grab a club, take a swing and pray for a birdie in Let’s Golf. Discover a fun-filled experience that’s accessible to anyone. Choose from four customizable characters and play 45 holes in three beautiful 3-D locations: Fiji Beach, the English Countryside and the Scottish Lochs. Enjoy easy-to-learn controls that even let you blow into the microphone to add spin to your ball. Take photos with your Nintendo DSi™ system’s built-in camera and add them to your personal profile. For the most fun, play Hot Seat Multiplayer with friends on a single Nintendo DSi system and see who’s the best.
Globulos Party
Publisher: GlobZ
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Globulos Party is a collection of mini-games that are very simple to understand and fun to master. The 20 games are: 4-Square, Arena, Basket, Bomber, Bomber-King, Croquet, Darts, Darts-King, Soccer, Funky-Soccer, Ice Hockey, Monster, Pétanque, Pinball, Rally, Football, Snooker, Sumo, Tic-Tac-Toe and Volley. Enjoy more than 15 hours of solo fun and nearly unlimited game play with the three multiplayer modes.
VT Tennis
Publisher: Virtual Toys
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: VT Tennis is an ace of a tennis game for the Nintendo DSi system. Using the innovative stylus and touch-screen controls, train your budding tennis star to serve, lob and smash his way to victory with precision swipes in all directions. Advance your player statistics in this fast-paced tournament of game modes, featuring Quickmatch, Tennis School and World Championship. The objective is to reach No. 1 in the world rankings. To do this, players will have to unlock courts as they compete in championships all over the world. At the start of career mode, players will find themselves in last place in the rankings. From this moment on, you must battle your way up. You can play on all types of surfaces – grass, clay, hard courts and wood – and learn the best techniques for winning each tournament on the different surfaces. Seventeen tough courts, each more difficult than the last, stand between you and your final victory.
Flips: Terror in Cubicle Four
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: There’s something strange going on with the loo in cubicle four of the girls’ toilet. It’s spewed green goo on Stacey’s shoes and almost had new boy James for lunch. Can he and his friends, Alexander and Lenny, flush out the cause of the trouble, or will the terrifying toilet plague the school with problems forever?
Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.
Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.
You guys remember “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”, the show that was basically a weekly, half hour version of Ferris Bueller? I remember I used to love that show, especially Kube. Dude was like a gentle giant. That was back when TV used to be good, especially TV that was geared towards the teen/tween market. (Side-note: I’m pretty sure that when I was what would now be considered a “tween” that phrase hadn’t been invented by Disney yet. We were just called kids back then.) Nowadays it’s so crap, but there’s one show that takes the cake, “Secret Life of the American Teenager”.. Mrs. Mike watches the show because she got sucked in during a sick day when there was a marathon of it on TV. Isn’t it funny how you can get sucked into marathons? I remember one weekend I think I didn’t watch anything but “Law & Order:SVU”. Anyway, the basic premise of this show is about a moron girl who got impregnated by a moron guy and they are surrounded by more morons. The worst part is the acting; they don’t so much act as just read the lines. (And. They. Do. It. Like. This. Sentence. By. Sentence. Apparently. The. Writers. Have. Never. Had. A. Real. Conversation.) The girls dad on the show only takes advice from his other, younger, daughter and their dog; Ricky (the guy who got the girl pregnant) only wants to have sex and loves his son; and the girl with the baby pretty much hates everyone, especially her baby. I don’t even want to get into the other characters on the show, but The Tominator is by far the best one; Tom plays a friend’s brother on the show and has Downs Syndrome and still manages to out act and entertain more than anyone else there. Ugh. This show is awful. If I didn’t know any better I’d think it was made by Canadians or something, probably the same ones who came up with the worst Opening Ceremony ever for this years Olympics. Basically, for one hour each week while this show is being watched in my household, I kind of want to just bang my head against a wall, that would probably even be more productive…
Looking back on yesterday’s posts, you’d think that the only thing that happened at the Nintendo Summit, or anywhere else for that matter, was Samus and Mario love. Well, there was a bit more and we’re going to talk about one of the other games that made an appearance now. “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is Ubisoft’s true sequel to “Sands of Time” and will be acrobatting onto store shelves May 18. As I already reported, the game is reportedly going to be one of the best looking Wii games yet. The game is a multi-platform release, but the Wii version is being developed as a completely separate game and story. There are a few new gameplay elements in Forgotten Sands, including an interesting one when it comes to combat. The larger groups of foes will have a “boss” amongst them that supposedly has a bit of a glow about him, I’m pretty sure it’s not because he’s pregnant, but who knows. Anyway, if you don’t feel like fighting all of his goons, just go after him. Once you take him out, his cronies will go away. I’m not sure if it makes a difference other than saving time and the fact you won’t get level points for anyone but him. Still, if the fights are repetitive this could come in handy; there’s nothing worse than games with the “Travel here. Unlock door A by solving puzzle B. Fight 5 guys that respawn 3 times each before the boss shows up. Then repeat the process until you’ve done it for 6 hours” formula. The Forgotten Sands also includes jump-in/jump-out co-op mode that takes a cue from Mario Galaxy; a second Wiimote will control a reticule that can be used to help solve puzzles. No, there’s no other character that can be on screen with you duking it out “Double Dragons” style, that would be sweet though. “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is an ambitious title, and one that could set the bar for graphics when it comes to future Wii titles. For a few pictures of the pretty all you have to do is check ‘em below. I’m also giving you a video of Jay Electronica on stage with Mos Def & Diddy, because it’s just sick. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.
I want you all to know that I think highly enough of my readers to comfortably assume that your memory is strong enough that you can go back a few hours time where I gave you the release dates for “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ & “Metroid: The Other M”. I mean, you guys can probably read, and mastered the internet enough to, at the very least, bookmark TheSpin, so there’s no need to tell you again, is there? If, by some chance you’ve got the memory of a 95 year old man, you can at least follow the page down just a bit further and read that post, right? Oh, alright! You win, I’ll succumb to the pressure and go along with this charade.
As I posted here Nintendo held a Media Summit today in San Francisco, my invitation was lost in the mail. Prior to this event, as in yesterday, they announced the time frame for the release of Galaxy 2 and Other M would be between June & August. As you can guess, this infuriated me to no end. The only thing I dislike more than vague “release windows” would probably be a Canadian Ginger. It’s hard to say as I’ve been lucky enough to have not encountered that mythical beast yet, but I fear that sooner or later my day will come. That day is not today, but today is the day that Ninty announced the actual day they would release the soon to be mega-hits. (Side-note: Man, I just used the word day a lot there. Like, A LOT.) Since I’ve let the anticipation build to a proper level allow me to announce those dates to you, again. “Metroid: The Other M” will be released on June 27. That’s really not that far away if you think about it. I mean, it’s like four months or so, but we’re almost in the third month of the year, so you do the math. (Side-note: Is it just me, or is this post making anyone else’s brain hurt?) “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ will come out a month before Samus gets her game on, with a scheduled release date of May 23. This date makes me happy and sad; it’ll be here before we know it, but I’m pretty sure Mrs. Mike and I will be on holiday when it comes out and she wouldn’t be too happy if I spent our vacation playing Wii. So, you’re probably wondering, “Is this post going anywhere or is this another one where he just rambles because he can’t think of anything worthwhile to put up?” Yes, this post is going somewhere and we’re pretty much there. Since Cammie and Ninty apparently misplaced my media credentials at the same time they did my address, I don’t yet have access to all the media that’s been put out. Luckily for you, Kotaku has and they’ve been friendly enough to post it up. If you’re looking for a gallery full of beautiful screens from “The Other M”, you should check the link. I’ll post a couple of choice ones below, be warned that Nintendo has said that these are of higher resolution than the Wii can put out, so don’t get your hopes too high. I’ll also post the new trailer for “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ for your viewing enjoyment. These two games look stupidly good, and the fact that they are coming out early summer indicates to me that Nintendo has something big planned for the holidays. Maybe that oft-rumored Wii HD? Time will tell. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.
March 9th, 2010 
Mike W 
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