Please tell me this George Foreman Grill look-alike isn't the new PS3

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but it's been rumored for a while now that the folks at Sony are working on yet another redesign of the PS3--presumably so they can sell the system for less money (while still making some sort of profit, of course) and rope in a few million more gamers between now and whenever they finally release its successor.

I've been paying close attention to those rumors due to the fact that I'm still "sans PS3," as my French friends say. (OK, so I only have one French friend, and he never says "sans PS3." Or at least I don't remember him ever saying that particular phrase.)

So, how did I react after seeing the photos below, which spread across the Internet like a swarm of Smorgs yesterday (starting with this blog post) and which show what appears to be the aforementioned redesign in the flesh, so to speak?

Honestly, my first thought was: Damn, that thing is ugly. And then I thought: Wait, that's not really the new PS3, is it? Please don't let that be the new PS3.

Now that I've had a few hours to digest this shocking bit of news, do I feel any differently? Not really. Before anyone rakes me over the coals, though, I'd like to say that I realize these photos are rather terrible (to put it lightly) and that the final product probably will look at least a smidge better than the one depicted above.

Also, I'd like to say that all will be forgiven by moi (yep, another French reference) should this third PS3 system hit store shelves in my neck of the woods for less than $200 (which is what it'll take for me to jump back aboard the PlayStation train).

How about all of you? What do you think of this redesign--should it be shown to be the real deal, of course? Are you delighted? Disgusted? Disinterested? Some other word beginning with "d"?

What's cuter than a WadaDon amigurumi? A Mr. Saturn amigurumi, that's what...

Actually, I'm not sure about that. I mean, is the Mr. Saturn amigurumi shown below really cuter than the WadaDon (the precious Taiko no Tatsujin protagonist) amigurumi seen in this previous post?

Ah, who cares. Both are pretty damn adorable, don't you think?



Both of the above-mentioned amigurumi were made by the same person, by the way--with that person being blogger Spelinnea.

Those of you who can crochet may want to check out this recent blog post, as it includes instructions on how to make your very own Mr. Saturn amigurumi.

So, what are the odds that we're all going to turn down the volume on our trusty 3DSes after playing New Super Mario Bros. 2 for a bit?

I ask because it just hit me that although I'm likely to have a blast collecting coin after coin after coin while playing New Super Mario Bros. 2, I'm also likely to go completely bonkers due to the constant "ching! ching! ching!" that will be coming out of my 3DS' speakers as I do it.

That said, I'm willing to risk my sanity in order to traipse (yes, traipse) through some of the levels revealed in the latest trailer for this cash-obsessed platformer.

My favorite moments in the trailer below (and here): That never-before-seen nighttime-ish stage shown at the 14-second mark, the rainbow-filled one that follows (at :22) and the rampaging Mega Mario that pops up at :40. Oh, and the golden Big Boo that's given the spotlight at :52.



All that said, I'm not as excited about New Super Mario Bros. 2 as I'd expect to be. Maybe that's because I'm days away from getting my hands on copies of Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy. Or maybe it's because I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Paper Mario: Sticker Star sometime later this year.

Another possibility: I'm just into the whole "collect a million coins" thing that seems to be this game's raison d'être.

Are any of you also feeling similarly ho-hum about New Super Mario Bros. 2? If so, are you planning to pick up a copy of it anyway or are you going to pass on it in favor of something else?

Acquisition #136: Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

OK, folks. Raise your hands if you're at all surprised that I picked up Kirby Mass Attack. No one? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Actually, I'm guessing some of you may be surprised that it took me this long to add it to my collection--especially given my blossoming admiration for the Kirby series.

How does Kirby Mass Attack compare to the other Kirby games I've played--and loved--over the last few years (Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land)? As of now, I'd say it stacks up with the best of them.

Granted, I've only completed Kirby Mass Attack's first three or four stages so far, but they've been more than enough to make me fall head over heels in love with the game as a whole.



I especially love all of the different things you can do with your raucous pack of Kirbys, such as tossing them around with a flick of the stylus and sending them scurrying toward enemies with simple tap.

Speaking of which, watching them beat the crap out of hapless foe after hapless foe is a bit disconcerting, but it's also kind of invigorating. (It helps, of course, that said hapless foes often are doing their best to bring down as many of your brain-dead Kirbys as possible, so it's not like they didn't have it coming.)

I also love the game's jaunty soundtrack, which seems to fit both its graphics and gameplay to a tee.

And then there's Kirby Mass Attack's box art. I know I was a bit ambivalent about it when it was first revealed, but now I positively adore it (despite the fact that the illustration's largest Kirby is of the angry variety).

Have any of you played this one? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Shinobi x Ninja Gaiden x Strider, you say?

I know retro-tinged indie games are a dime a dozen these days, but I can't help but be attracted to some of them.

Take the focus of this post, for instance--which calls to mind such 8-bit standbys as Shinobi, Mega Man, Ninja Gaiden and Strider. You'd have to have a heart of stone--or have started playing games after the 16-bit era--to not find JoyMasher's Oniken at least somewhat appealing, in my opinion.



Does this mean I've already picked up--for $4.99, via Desura--and spent some quality time with this colorful side-scroller? Not yet, but that's not due to a lack of interest on my part. Rather, it's because my backlog is already too full of un-played games (check out some of my recent "Acquisition #123" posts for a few examples) for me to start another one.

That said, don't be too surprised if you see me update the "Now Playing" section of this blog to include Oniken in the coming weeks.

Dustin' off my Xbox 360 due to Fez, Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World and Spelunky

You know how people used to love to say (usually on nerdy Internet forums), "Guess it's time I dusted off my Wii!" every time an interesting game was announced or released for Nintendo's latest console?

Well, I say the same thing every time an interesting game hits Microsoft's XBLA or XBLIG services.

The fact is, I don't turn on my Xbox 360 all that often. In part that's because the system is in our basement (lame reason, I know, but it's cold and dark down there!), and in part it's because I just don't have much interest in it or its games these days.



My Xbox 360 won't be dusty for much longer, though, thanks to the digital trifecta that is Fez, Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World and Spelunky.

Oddly, I've only bought (and barely played--surprise, surprise!) the most recent of these releases--that being Spelunky--thus far. Mark my words, though: Both Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World and Fez will follow suit later this week.

Have any of you played one or more of the above-mentioned titles? If so, what did you think of them?

I really hope Sony promotes the North American release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like this

The folks at Sony recently prepped a special TV commercial to celebrate the fact that Japanese sales of their crazy-survival-action-game-starring-a-bunch-of-animals, Tokyo Jungle, have topped the 200,000 mark.

Will the game move that many copies after it lands on our shores? It wouldn't surprise me in the least given the amount of interest it's garnered since it was announced in 2010.

What would surprise me: Sony's North American arm promoting the localized release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like the one below. Or promoting it at all.



That's not a jab at Sony, by the way. I just see this as being a game the company tries to sell via word of mouth.

Regardless, I hope we hear more about the Western release of Tokyo Jungle soon, as all we know at the moment is that it's on its way (but when?) and that it'll likely be released digitally.

(Via andriasang.com)

Any game with pixelated cobs of corn in it sounds pretty good to me

I've never before played Ponpoko, an ancient arcade platformer produced by a company called Sigma Entertainment, but after reading about it over at redparsley.blogspot.com a few days ago, I plan on rectifying the situation as soon as possible.

That's not only because this 1982 release features, as suggested in the headline above, pixelated cobs of corn, mind you. No, it's also because it stars an adorably big-bellied (at least I think that's its belly...) tanuki. I also like that it has mice that look kind of like scorpions and can fly through the air as easily as they can skitter across the ground.

Now that I've piqued your interest in this maniacal quarter-muncher, I'm guessing you'd like to see how it looks in action? If so, here you go:



Awesome, eh? OK, so "awesome" may be too strong a word, but it's certainly pretty cute, don't you think? Granted, I'm a complete sucker for games that are filled with fruits and veggies, so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask such a question.

Anyway, I plan on giving this one a go fairly soon--despite my oft-reported disdain for playing games on a PC.