Friday, September 17, 2010

Jam with the Band get!

Look what I just found on our doorstep:



Yep, it's the copy of Jam with the Band that I ordered (from this fine European establishment) just over a week ago. I'll play around with it this weekend and share some impressions shortly after.

See also: 'Coming soon to a DS near yours truly: Jam with the Band'

Thursday, September 16, 2010

PS3s will drop in price eventually, right?

I certainly hope so, as I want one more than ever after seeing the latest trailer for Team Ico's The Last Guardian.



Unfortunately for folks who already own a PS3, this long-awaited PS3 title won't be released until late next year.

In the meantime, fans of Fumito Ueda can look forward to HD updates of the masterful designer's Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. In Japan, the re-framed and re-textured titles will be sold separately this coming spring, while in Europe and North America they will be combined onto a single Blu-ray disc.

Here's a trailer that shows off the games' updated graphics:



Buy: PS3

'There it is!! There it is!!! THERE IT IS!!!!'

Oh, and don't forget: "Yeah!! Yeah!!! YEAH!!!! I FOUND IT!!!!!"



Is it wrong that part of me wanted the kid's GameBoy Advance to shut off just as he was about to capture his precious "Shiny Ponyta" so I could see (and hear) his reaction? Yes, I suppose it is...

(Via NeoGAF)

Normally I'd ask if this is coming to the States ...

... but in the case of Nintendo's Super Mario Collection Special Pack, I don't really care.

Why? Well, I've never been a fan of Super Mario All-Stars--and that game serves as the backbone of this soon-to-be-released (in Japan only, as of now) "special pack."

Of course, said pack--which will retail for about $25--also will contain a booklet that chronicles the 25-year history of the Super Mario Bros. franchise and a soundtrack CD that culls tunes from the series' first entry all the way through Super Mario Galaxy 2.

As fabulous as that sounds, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that the game portion of this "special pack" doesn't include the original versions of Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3 and USA rather than Super Mario All-Stars' 16-bit re-imaginings.

Watch: Japanese Super Mario Collection Special Pack commercial

(Via andriasang.com)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Just in case you haven't already pre-ordered a copy of Kirby's Epic Yarn ...

To all of you Wii owners who have yet to plop down your hard-earned cash and pre-order Kirby's Epic Yarn: I challenge you to watch the following trailer and not whip out your credit card immediately afterward.



Pre-order: Kirby's Epic Yarn

I don't know about you, but I don't think my mom would like Dragon Quest IX

According to gamesetwatch.com's Eric Caoili, the marketing folks at Nintendo of Europe are aiming some of their Dragon Quest IX TV spots at a rather unusual and unexpected audience: Soccer moms.



Apparently they believe--or at least fervently hope--that some of the DS-owning ladies who have enjoyed the company's Brain Age and Professor Layton titles will enjoy the latest entry in the Dragon Quest series, too.

I'm a bit doubtful the tactic will pay dividends, but I applaud them for giving it a go all the same.

(Via gamesetwatch.com)

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Last Window edition)

In a few short days, European CiNG fans will be able to stroll into their favorite game shops and pick up as many copies as they want of Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (aka the sequel to the now-defunct developer's Hotel Dusk: Room 215).

Although the box art those folks will be searching for isn't all that different from the art that graced the cover of the Japanese version of this DS game (called Last Window: Midnight Promise), it's different enough that I think it warrants another edition of "Which Box Art is Better?"

Without further ado, here's the art that will appear on the cover of the European version of the game when it hits the streets on Friday:



And here's the art that appears on the already-available Japanese version of the game:



I know, I know, they're nearly identical. Still, I (slightly) prefer the darker, moodier European cover to its more colorful Japanese counterpart.

Which one do you prefer?

Buy: Last Window: The Secret of Cape West