consoles

O Mother, where art thou?

Super Smash Bros. Brawl launched last week, and according to Nintendo it's already sold over 1.4 million copies. It features the biggest roster to date in the series, with major additions such as Solid Snake and Sonic the Hedgehog. It also includes Lucas, a psionically powered child with abilities comparable to series veteran Ness.

Ness comes from Earthbound, a Super Nintendo role-playing game that has become a cult classic because of its quirky sense of humor and simple, cartoony art style. Earthbound was originally launched in Japan as Mother 2, the sequel to an NES RPG called Mother … Read more

The Top 10 Virtual Console games you haven't downloaded yet

The Virtual Console lets you download hundreds of classic video games to your Nintendo Wii, but everyone focuses mostly on the big Nintendo games. Yes, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are all excellent games, but they're not the only good titles available. Here are 10 great Virtual Console games you probably haven't heard of and almost certainly haven't played.… Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

I'm not going to lie, I've never heard of either of these two import games that just got released on the Virtual Console. If I haven't heard of them, odds are you haven't either--but here they are, ready for your downloading pleasure.

DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure (1996, Super Nintendo, 900 Wii points): DoReMi Fantasy is the platforming sequel to Milon's Secret Castle. Rescue your kidnapped friend with a bubble shooter gun as your only weapon--good luck with that. Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu (1994, Sega Genesis, 900 Wii points): Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu is … Read more

Wii virtual console release for this week--'Super Turrican' stands alone

To say that the Virtual Console is "falling off" is an understatement. It's now been more than a month straight of less than three releases per week.

Super Turrican (1993, Super Nintendo, 800 Wii points): From Factor 5 came Super Turrican, a 2D platformer that reminded us a whole lot of Mega Turrican. Also, you'll find the addition of a grappling arm in Super Turrican, an homage to the game Bionic Commando--a classic title that you'll be able to play on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network when it's released as Bionic Commando Rearmed. … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Two new virtual console games grace our Wiis this week.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000, Nintendo 64, 1,000 Wii points): Everyone's favorite pink blob makes his 3D debut in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Battle Dark Matter in this adventure game across six worlds while trying to collect all 100 pieces of the shattered crystal. Psychosis (1990, Turbografx 16, 800 Wii points): Psychosis is a side-scrolling shooter that has you battle grotesque enemies created by a psychotic demon. Make your way through five stages of chaos as you struggle to survive this surreal world.

An arcade machine of a different scale

Hailed as the pinnacle of 1980s arcade gaming, Hammacher Schlemmer's 150 Classic Game Tabletop Arcade is a must-have for arcade junkies and the closest you can get away without carting home the real McCoy. Like its genuine counterparts, the authentic-looking console has an eight-way joystick and oversized button controls to re-create that nostalgic play and feel.

Best of all, it offers 150 vintage games, including Pac-Man, out-of-the-box, rendered on a 19-inch LCD encased in a space-saving chassis. Audio fidelity-wise, the $2,496 system is loaded with 2.1 speakers complete with dedicated subwoofer. Powered by a streamlined HP computer, … Read more

Microsoft nixes HD DVD drive for Xbox 360

Microsoft will end production of the external HD DVD drive for its Xbox 360 video game console, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The company said it would, however, continue to offer warranty support for the peripheral.

"HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and we will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own," Blair Westlake, a corporate vice president of Microsoft'… Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

Looks like the days of the triple-update are long gone as this week is another two-game showdown on the Virtual Console.

Harvest Moon (1997, SNES, 800 Wii points): What's considered to be a relatively rare title is no longer scarce as Harvest Moon makes its way to the virtual console today. The game is basically a farm simulator in which you must raise livestock and grow crops in addition to turning a run-down farm into a thriving success. Lords of Thunder (1993, Turbografx 16, 800 Wii points): Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter with a heavy-metal soundtrack. Blast … Read more

Paper gadgets: Next best thing to real ones

Burning paper models for the dead is a religious tradition practiced by some Chinese. These can include houses, cars, and even Rolex watches. The belief is that the departed will receive them in the afterworld, making their lives (or rather, afterlives) more bearable. But what if the dead person is a geek who never fancied flashy cars or gold-plated timepieces? You burn him an Xbox 360, of course.

That's when you need one of these paper craft models from Fx Console, as seen on Notcot. Downloadable from the blog site are a series of PDFs that are templates for … Read more

Wii virtual console releases for this week

These two releases are sure to spark some childhood memories. Who doesn't remember plunging $20 in quarters on a little game called Operation Wolf?

Operation Wolf (1989, NES, 500 Wii points): What started as an arcade light-gun game eventually made its way to the NES. Battle through stage after stage and defeat the terrorists before you run out of bullets and grenades. Columns III: Revenge of Columns (1993, Genesis, 800 Wii points): What many describe as the long lost cousin of Tetris, Columns was the Genesis' flagship puzzle game. By the time the second sequel hit, most of the … Read more