Regarding Nintendo Online

I don't have an XBox 360 and Nintendo is just now getting the Wii online properly - so I really do not have any in depth knowledge on how playing online 'should' work, aside from not getting disconnected all the time.

I have heard complaints about Mario Kart Wii not having voice chat capabilities and how that is a sin against fanboys and girls everywhere. (as seen in this VG Cats comic - nsfw due to penis hat reference) I have to say, for the most part - I disagree. I really have no desire to sit there and have a total stranger call me every name in the book. Let's be realistic here - Mario Kart causes large outbursts of profanity. (if it doesn't "yer doin it wrong"). With the giant amounts of items getting tossed at you (my personal most painful was the Blue Shell/Lightning/Ink combo one after the other) you are bound to want to question the lineage of the other players. Loudly.

Nintendo finally seemed to cave in and be labelled the 'family' system and markets it as such. Do you really want to go online to risk your grandma or your little brother getting profaned at? Not so much, then Nintendo would just catch crap about 'Oh, this is terrible, you marketed this as a family system' - when, in fact, they have absolutely no control of what people will say to one another. The only viable option was silence.

Personally, I would have liked an option where I could hear my friends and my friends only. Then, I could call my friends whatever I want (and vice versa) as they have earned the right to be sarcastic and mildly abusive (as that is how we do). This would also work for families as you can see what friends are in the Mario Kart online room with you and deal with them accordingly if they get out of hand.

As it is now, my friends and I are installing Skype on our laptops as a stopgap so we can get on with yelling at each other or laughing at each others misfortunes. It's an extra step, but one we are all willing to make.

Side note: I play Waluigi on Wario's Bike and for some reason his voice seems to be louder than many of the other players, so I often get a kick out of that. He already says plenty by himself, without me adding to it.

Baroness LIVES

Topless Robot found a picture of the Baroness looking quite bad ass and very very brunette and leather clad. *throws the horns* Respect.

I want to cosplay her so bad. I would not bust my ass in those shoes. Honest! XD

Spotted by the Eagle Eyed Sharp! Custom minimate image found here.

Snowboarding Envy

Shaun White Snowboarding is what SSX Blur should have been. I guess it was too early when they were developing Blur as the balance board had not been released in the US.


• Wii Balance Board Integration – Get yourself into the game like never before by using the Wii Board to control your rider. Control your carves, jumps and grinds with the intuitiveness and fun of having a snowboard in your own living room.

• Everyone plays, no one waits – Engage in a seamlessly integrated multiplayer experience for two to four players, where every player is active in the game at all times.

Kotaku has the press release (and screens) here.




sources: Kotaku & XPlay

Dr Mario Online

GET!
Really looking forward to the multiplayer aspect.

Came out today with no fanfare from Nintendo. They'll probably post about it on Tuesday, when they're back in the office.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 1

Guest review by Sharp.

I bought On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 1 for the PC. It cost $20, so I figured I didn't have much to lose. I spend more than that on one trip to Applebee's.

Anyway, I played through the tutorial this morning, and I'm convinced I made the right decision. I laughed out loud more then once in the introductory level alone. The combat is mostly Final Fantasy-style "active time". Each character's attacks charge up, then you click the attack, then the target (if necessary). When an enemy attacks one of your characters, you can hit the space bar when the enemy's lifebar flashes to block some of the damage. A successful block has a chance to cause you to counterattack. Special attacks charge after your regular attack charges. That is, you wait for your regular attack to charge all the way, then the special attack starts charging. Every special attack has a minigame associated with it. If you perform well in the minigame, you'll do maximum damage. Also, if multiple characters have special attacks ready, you can do a devastating team attack. So, if you are confident in your ability to block, you could theoretically go with just special attacks, it seems. However, since they require a bit more time to do, you might not want to do them that often, or only when you really need the extra damage.

The writing is ... well, it's Penny Arcade. If you laugh at Penny Arcade, you'll laugh at the game. It's pretty much that simple. I admit to liking it a little more because of the appearance of favorite characters from the strip. It's kinda like Smash Bros. Part of the appeal is the characters involved. If you don't like the characters, or don't care, your opinion will diminish slightly.