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.

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.

Graphically the game is top notch for a Wii game.  It is crisp, fast and stays true to the animation style of the previous Mario games.  Sound is great as a lot of familiar tracks play when you are playing and the sound effects (like someone making a car hoking noise when they have run out of lives can be really funny…or really annoying).  As far as difficulty, the “bubble” mechanism is really handy if one player is having difficulty getting through a certain part of the stage, while not making it a cheesy cheat because if everyone bubbles, they all have to start the level over.  This happened a number of times and really encouraged people only to bubble when they absolutely had to.  Adults and children playing together can be fun, however I found myself getting impatient from time to time and had to remind myself that “Hey, they are just kids, relax Neil”.  The game also has a decent amount of replay value for a side-scroller as you can go back and find all of the hidden secrets, coins and power-ups.  That aspect of the game isn’t really my cup of tea, but Jenn absolutely loved it.

As far as issues specifically for the Christian: Unless you are EXTREMELY sensitive to fantasy themes, the game is very family friendly and I did not witness anything even close to offensive material.

Overall: 8.5/10

Pros:

• Extremely Family Friendly
• Very fun multiplayer
• Good replay value (for the genre)
• Nostalgia factor for the older players

Cons:

• Can be frustrating with players of vastly different skill levels/playing style

The game is available for purchase Here.

Here is a video review of the game from gamespot.com.

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?

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.

So the tech is easy to use; what about the music? That is the point of playing a game like this, so it’s a good thing the music is some of the best ever written. But it’s also the game’s only serious flaw: if you don’t like The Beatles, this game probably won’t change your mind. There aren’t any tracks from other artists like in the aforementioned Guitar Hero band-specific games, so you’ll get naught but Beatles here. But what a great collection of Beatles tracks it is, ranging from early hits like “Twist and Shout” to the aptly titled “The End.” These songs are much easier than your typical R0ck Band tracks, which goes a long way to opening the game up to casual players, and of course they’re a great deal of fun to play.

I think that’s the primary element that separates The Beatles: Rock Band from similar music game experiences: fun. There’s an air of excitement from the moment the game’s intro movie begins, carrying through each tune, every unlocked extra (lots of photos and movies to be earned), to each era of The Beatles’ career. Sure, the game completely ignores the rough patches (no Yoko Ono mucking up the works in this game), but perhaps that is for the best. A scene with Paul and John arguing might hurt an otherwise positive experience for most players.

The complete track list is shorter than the usual music game—just 45 on the disc, with one DLC song available at the time of this writing (“All You Need Is Love”)—but they’re all great choices. Still, there are a few glaring omissions, such as “Hey Jude” and “Octupus’s Garden” other great tunes. What is available is presented through the venues in which The Beatles originally (and famously) performed, such as the Ed Sullivan Show and Shea Stadium. After their final stage show, songs begin in a studio, progressing into “Dreamscapes” that are trippy, beautiful, and wonderful to behold. Also, you can’t import these tracks into other Rock Band releases, but that would probably ruin the experience anyway. The Beatles: Rock Band is about experiencing The Beatles’ music as authentically and fun as possible; and in that regard, this game excels brilliantly.

So is The Beatles: Rock Band right for you? If you’re a Beatles fan, the answer is an enthusiastic “yes,” but you probably bought the game on Day One. Casual fans and curious parties should still pick this one up—you won’t be disappointed. But as I said before, this game likely won’t change your mind if you can’t stand the band’s music. This is all-Beatles, all the time, so steer clear if that’s not your thing. For everyone else, have fun—preferably with a little help from your friends.

• 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

Okamiden is the Japanese name of the sequel recently announced for the Nintendo DS. Not too much is known about the game, but the signature brushstroke action is back, this time using the DS’s touch screen. Also, you seem to be playing as a younger wolf this time, instead of the mature Ameterasu from the original. Check out the gameplay trailer below: