I spent too much time coming up with a title for this article. Yuck.

So, what is this Sonic Colors thing? It’s a new game for Nintendo Wii and the DS. The Wii version will combine 2D and 3D gameplay while the DS incarnation will make use of both screens. That’s pretty much all we know.

There’s also this early trailer that doesn’t include anything remotely useful. Check it out and begin theorizing how badly this will suck. I mean, it is Sonic after all.

There is perhaps no other game in electronic gaming history as universally loved as the original Super Mario Brothers.  The game is nearly 30 years old now, and people are playing it to this day.  The bizarre combination of plumbers, turtles, princesses, fireballs, man-eating plants, lava, coins and of course mushrooms (which was perhaps the key ingredient the designers utilized when coming up with this strange game formula) somehow worked together to capture the imagination and attention of most the children, and even some of the adults in the 1980’s.

Mario, Luigi, Toad(s), The Princess and Bowser are back, but this time there is no taking turns.  Instead the designers have taken many of the successful elements of Super Mario Brothers 3 and Super Mario World and combined them with co-operative and counter-operative (I’ll explain later) elements for the most fun and infuriating side scrolling game I have played in years.  The game allows up to four players to go through the level simultaneously and does it with a high level of success.  Players can grab each other, work together for mega jumps, utilize Yoshi and the new propeller hat to help them go through levels with a new and simultaneously familiar design.  Where the counter-operative element comes into play is the fact that you cant just “run through” one another…you will bump into, jump off of, and be the victim of friendly turtle shell fire time and time again.  It’s one of those experiences where 80% of the time, it is annoying in that funny endearing kind of way, but there is that 20% of the time when peoples’ playing styles will interfere with one another.  You will get speed players (like myself) trying to fly through a level as fast as possible bumping heads with players who are more explorative (Like Jenn).  As long as you can both agree to a speed to going through a level, it is a ball and really takes me back to my childhood in a number of ways.

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We are truly living in the future, folks. The rumors about Netflix coming to the Nintendo are quite true. Now your Wii can play movies without ninja-hacking the poor thing.

Nintendo announced that it will be adding Netflix’s streaming video service to its Wii console this spring. Wii owners jonesing for some Netflix action will need a Netflix subscription (but of course); and, like the PS3, a streaming disc.

I guess this is good news for Wii-only gamers; but for the general gaming audience, this isn’t necessary. Wii owners who also own a PS3 or 360 not only already have access to Netflix on their TVs, but they can also watch many movies in 720p resolution. The Wii isn’t an HD console, so Wii-only folks will need to stick to their computers for non-eye-straining viewing experiences.

If you enjoy Wii-motes and courtrooms, Nintendo’s got you covered. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the first game in the popular DS lawyer-RPG (if in fact one can label the genre) series, is coming to the Nintendo Wii via the WiiWare service.

It’s a straight port, so don’t expect upgraded graphics, sound… Just don’t expect anything extra at all, and you’ll be happy. Well, you will be if you’re a Ace Attorney fan. Otherwise, you might want to steer clear of this particular port.

I honestly don’t get the appeal of the series. But, to be fair, I equate being a lawyer with having a monstrous giant repeatedly smash my feet with a humongous hammer. This series is obviously not for me. If it is for you; you own a Wii; and you don’t own a DS, well, rejoice!

It appears EA hasn’t learned anything from it’s past mistakes.  Why they think that giving people an advantage in a game for pre-ordering it is just beyond me.  How about some cool NVGs like Modern Warfare 2 or a gift certificate for all the money we have spent on ridiculous EA DLC that we don’t need.  It’s just stupid, EA. Get a clue.

The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition delivers six special customizations early to give players a day one advantage in multiplayer matches. Four vehicle warfare unlocks will immediately enhance the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 best-in-class online vehicle warfare experience, delivering extra firepower, radar, and armor for the vehicles. Additionally, the tracer dart attaches to any enemy vehicle and allows RPG-toting teammates to track, lock on, and destroy their adversary. Seasoned veterans of Battlefield 1943™ will be able to immediately re-acquaint themselves with two classic and highly powerful weapons, the M1A1 submachine gun and the M1911 pistol.

No doubt you’ve read several rumors concerning an upcoming Wii price drop. Everybody and their cousin reported the rumors, evening posting scans from store computer inventory screens depicting a $50 price cut.

File this under Rumor Comes True: the Wii price drop is indeed happening, and sooner than you think. On September 27, the Wii will officially drop to $199.99 in North America. You won’t get a new package out of the deal—no inclusion of Wii Sports Resort or a MotionPlus peripheral. The $199.99 Wii is the same ol’ Wii; just cheaper.

Will the price drop matter? Are any of you fine folks planning to buy one now that the price is a bit lower? Better question: do any of you readers who already own a Wii actually play the little guy, or does he sit on your entertainment center collecting dust? I sold mine to my brother-in-law a while back, but even a price drop isn’t enough incentive to get me to buy another. What say you?

Despite being available on the Japanese Wii Shop Channel since the beginning of the year, Nintendo of America finally decided to let us have the new and improved Nintendo Channel today. You know, that little thing you downloaded about a year ago, watched some horribly compressed streaming game trailers and never used again? Yeah, that thing.

All kidding aside, after a quick look by myself, I’ve found that the new version includes:

• A new “High-Quality setting for videos, for those with a fast enough Internet connection.
• A completely re-designed front page featuring still images of each video.
• The ability to now recommend DS games. This is done by connecting your DS using DS Download play with the game you want to recommend in the game card slot.
• Improved rankings for recommended games, depending on the how positively the game is recommended  it is assigned a different medal. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. As of right now I see that Metroid Prime Trilogy has a platinum, Super Smash Bros. Brawl has a gold, and (travesty!) Super Mario Galaxy has a silver.
• A new records page giving you detailed info on your past recommendations  and total play time. (IE: I’ve spent 94 hours on Super Smash Bros. Brawl, while I’ve spent 5 minutes on Bit.Trip.Core.
• A favorites list where you can declare any DS or Wii game as one of your “favorites.”

Head on over to the Wii Shop Channel now to download the update for free.

Forget about other band-specific music games, folks—this is the only one that matters. Throw your Aerosmith and Metallica games out the window, and don’t bother with Van Halen. None of them can touch the golden excellence achieved by Harmonix’s loving tribute to one of—if not the—greatest pop-rock groups of all time: The Beatles. Yes folks, The Beatles: Rock Band is really that good.

Harmonix really outdid themselves with this one. Sure, the core game is essentially the same as Rock Band 2. Players pick up plastic guitars, bang on fake drums, or sing their lungs out on a mic (which is, for all intents and purposes, quite real), following lyrics and note charts for big points. Harmonix didn’t exactly change anything or shake things up, and that’s probably for the best. After all, Rock Band and its sequel are very simple to pick and up play, and a game bearing the name and likenesses of The Beatles deserves to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. Complicated technology would get in the way of that enjoyment, so thank goodness Harmonix stuck to the basics. (more…)

The NPD has released North American sales data for the big three consoles in August. How do the console sales stack up?

• Nintendo DS – 552,900
• Wii – 277,400
• Xbox 360 – 215,400
• PlayStation 3 – 210,000
• PSP – 140,300
• PlayStation 2 – 105,900

How about software sales?

01. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360) – 928,000
02. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) – 754,000
03. Madden NFL 10 (PS3) – 665,000
04. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) – 303,000
05. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) – 290,000
06. Madden NFL 10 (PS2) – 160,000
07. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) – 130,000
08. Wii Fit (Wii) – 128,000
09. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 120,000
10. Fossil Fighters (DS) – 92,000

Couple things here. First, while Batman: Arkham Asylum sold a total of 593,000 copies in North America in August, it was revealed in the LA Times that the total number of units sold worldwide in the month since release has totaled to over 2 million. I’d say Eidos has a genuine hit on their hands.

Because of the recent price drop, the PS3 saw a boost in sales of nearly 90,000 over last month. Here are last month’s console sales for comparison.

• Nintendo DS – 538,900
• Wii – 252,200
• Xbox 360 – 202,900
• PSP – 122,800
• PlayStation 3 – 121,800
• PlayStation 2 – 108,000