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Not Bad: Game Bargains At Target from June 26th

ZINGER — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:19:39 +0000

Starting Wednesday June 26th, Target is having some kind of sale involving toys. Big W and Target do this every year- so does Kmart usually, but they seem to be sitting it out this time around for some reason. Anyway, I’ve had a look at what Target have to offer and there’s actually some decent deals, including:

Just Dance 4 on Wii U for $29
Scribblenauts Unlimited on Wii U for $49
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wii U for $45
Assassin’s Creed 3 on Wii U for $36
Sonic Colours on Wii for $23
3DS console with Mario Tennis Open, a carry case & cleaning kit, and 2 other crappy games for $199. Don’t forget there’s a free downloadable Nintendo title too at the moment so this makes $199 for all this pretty good
Luigi’s Mansion 2 for $55
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D for $49

The sale ends on the 17th of July.

Ashes Cricket 2013 Is Coming To Wii U

ZINGER — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:09:26 +0000

I never thought I’d actually ever see a cricket game on Wii U, let alone this early in its life. But 505 Games’ Ashes Cricket 2013 is coming to Wii U very soon. According to the game’s Facebook page, it will be released in July. This is pretty good news considering Wii U’s relatively small install base. Cricket games have not had the best run over the last few generations of consoles, but hopefully 505 Games can at least deliver something decent for the cricket fans out there. It’s a shame Michael Clarke couldn’t even smile for the box art photo.

You can follow me on twitter: @rustshell or Miiverse: zinger_AU

Not Bad: Game Bargains At Big W From June 27th

ZINGER — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:38:46 +0000

From Thursday June 27th, Big W are having a bit of a toy sale and as always that involves video games. There’s some pretty cool bargains including:

Scribblenauts Unlimited on 3DS for $24
3DS Console and Puzzle World (and the free downloadable game offer) for $188
Animal Crossing New Leaf for $58 (who has it cheaper?)
Lego Batman 2 on 3DS for $24

The sale ends July 10.

I Didn’t Get Much I Wanted From The E3 Nintendo Direct… But Did Anyone?

ZINGER — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:58:48 +0000

Even though the footage of Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros. gave me goosebumps, if I look back at what I said I wanted from Nintendo at this years E3, I should be bitterly disappointed. A new Waverace title? No. A new Battalion Wars? No. A new Mario Striker title? No. No More Heroes 3? No. Wii Sports HD? No. BUT! Mario Kart Wii U does have a great name- Mario Kart 8, and it does have knock out graphics. However it won’t be released this year. So I got two out of eight things I really wanted. How did others do? I have a look at two of my favourite sites’ predictions and see how they fared.

Wiiudaily.com

1.5 out of 9.

A Wii U interface re-design- no
Wii Sports U- no
New 3D Mario and Mario Kart will both be out this year- yes and no
The E3 Nintendo direct will be every bit as awkward as live conference- no
Iwata will hold something and look at it cryptically- this made me chuckle, but no
An integrated Nintendo Network- unfortunately, no
Heaps of 3rd party support- yes
Sega and Nintendo co-developing Mario Kart- thankfully, no
Virtual Console subscription service- damn it, no

Omnigamer.com

2.5 out of 13.

Evidence of heavy development for Wii U- no
Evidence of them mending relationships with 3rd parties- yes, considering the amount of games coming
Shenmue 1 & 2- no
Shenmue 3- no
New Zelda- no
Mario Galaxy 3- unfortunately, no
Retro game revealed- yes
Price drop- no
Release date and name for the 3DS Zelda- yes and no
Non specific action figure returns- no, dammit
Another 3DS colour- no, unless I missed it?
A better look a X- yes
Wii U re-price- no

I wish I had time to include more lists, because some of them I read were fantastic. I still think it’s interesting that most people didn’t get much they wanted from Nintendo this year. Miiverse users sure didn’t get the Starfox game they so wanted. Oh well, there’s always next year.

You can follow me on twitter: @rustyshell or Miiverse: zinger_AU

Wii U Has Some Pretty Great Exclusives Coming

ZINGER — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:28:52 +0000

I’ve always thought that whatever console you choose to own, you choose to own it for the exclusives. I was lucky enough to have all three consoles from this generation. Or is it last generation? Not yet? Oh, ok then. And I’ll have all three from the next. But for those who don’t, you have to choose based on what exclusives the machine offers you. For me most certainly, Wii U is offering the best range of exclusives. Sony may have stolen the show at this year’s E3 by simply doing and saying everything right while everyone is hating on Microsoft, but short of Drive Club and the new Infamous, nothing to really sell a system based on exclusive games, Sure, Wii U will have been out a full year before we get our hands on a PS4 or One, but right now it’d be pretty difficult to argue any other system has a better line up of exclusives in the pipeline. If I could only afford one console right now I know which one I’d be choosing. Nintendo fan or not.

How Good Does Mario Kart 8 Look?

ZINGER — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:31:20 +0000

Like every other Nintendo fan in the world, last night I watched the E3 Nintendo Direct with baited breath, knowing at some point I’d get to see footage of the new Mario Kart game. While the reveal video was cool, what really got me excited was watching the actual gameplay. Bright vivid colours, great lighting effects, 1080P and at 60 frames a second. Yes please. The three tracks they showed at E3 looked great, and while couldn’t be there to play them, at least I get to watch some lucky bastards do it. The best video to look at is this one from IGN. I’m going to do a bit of a wrap up of what I thought about Nintendo’s E3 in the next day or so, I thought I’d better just chime in and say I’m bat shit excited for Mario Kart 8. By the way, I picked the name.

Real Quick: Awesome Question Block Tip Jar At My Local Subway

ZINGER — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 05:36:18 +0000

I’m not usually a Subway go-er but tonight as I went to pay for my dinner I noticed this question block money box being used as a tip jar. Of course I had to take a pic, but when my friend went to put a coin in we discovered it made the “ping” sound, just like when Mario head butts one in the games. Awesome! Good to see some people with a sense of humour. The guy at Subway seemed pretty chuffed that we thought it was cool, too.

Hey, Nintendo: How About A Patch For Nintendo Land To Improve The Controls?

ZINGER — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 09:31:41 +0000

There’s a billion things a Nintendo fan could as for at this year’s E3. I’ve outlined my top 6 here, but what I’d also like Nintendo to announce is a patch for Nintendo Land that introduces analogue controls. Luigi’s Ghost Mansion is a favourite in my house, but the lack of Nunchuck or Pro Controller support really lets the game down. It’s simply not fair when you know the ghost is near you and you just can’t turn around in time to zap him. The Wii remote’s D-pad simply isn’t responsive enough. If you were using the Nunchuck, Classic Controller or Pro Controller’s analogue stick it’d be a much smoother, fairer experience. Surely there’d be limited programming involved to allow analogue support? Same with Mario Chase. D-pad thumb soreness is an issue here. We’d still be playing both these games, much like we’re still playing Wii Sports bowling, if the controls were up to scratch. It’s simple Nintendo. You’ve done it (or about to do it) with NSMBU, so let’s have it for Nintendo Land. You need to relaunch the system, why not relaunch its flagship title with this simple added feature that would ensure the game’s longevity.

You can follow me on twitter: @rustyshell and Miiverse: zinger_AU

Poor Rock Pikmin, They Are Aesthetically Challenged

ZINGER — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 08:22:56 +0000

Next to the slim, attractive other Pikmin, the new Rock Pikmin would have to feel self conscious about their appearance. Look how far apart their eyes are. That blue Pikmin is like “Whaaaaat is that thing to my far left?”. Thanks to gamingvlog.net for the pic.

What Will The New Mario Kart Be Called?

ZINGER — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:56:26 +0000

Nintendo has confirmed they will unveil the new Mario Kart to the world on June 11. It’s the biggest announcement of E3 for this Mario Kart fanatic. I want a lot of things from the latest iteration, as I’ve detailed here, but the biggest mystery for me is what it will be called. When the 3DS version was called Mario Kart 7, I have to say I was surprised. Mario Kart 3DS had a better ring to it. I’ve forgotten how I reacted to the announcement of the name Double Dash!! Two exclamation marks no less, when I first heard about it in the burgeoning days of the internet (in Australia at least, we’re behind). Regardless, here are my suggestions for the name. Like it matters.

Mario Kart 8
Super Mario Kart (Hey, Medal Of Honor did it, so did Tomb Raider)
Mario Kart HD
New Mario Kart

I’m hoping Nintendo doesn’t go with something basic like Mario Kart U or Mario Kart Wii U. Mario Kart has the potential to propel Wii U into the public psyche, even though the new machine doesn’t have a “Wii Sports” to piggyback off.

You can follow me on twitter: @rustyshell or Miiverse: zinger_AU