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It’s nearing the end of the weekend. You’ve made your rounds and stores are closing soon, so what’s left to do? Pick up the remote and soak in your last few hours of freedom before Monday rears its ugly head. Turn on that telly, dig up your favorite games and bring on the party! But if your buddies are elsewhere, don’t worry, because we’ve got you covered.

Rebel Shadic made a comment in our Games Rebels Play for last month on swapping codes, which made me think, “Hey, why don’t we turn this into something bigger?” The idea has been drifting around staff e-mails for awhile now, so in the end, this is what we’ve come up with.

Introducing our first-ever Rebels’ Friends Code Swap-a-thon! Whether you’re looking for pals or competition online, what better way to start than with your friendly neighborhood rebels? This week, we’re kicking off with a backlog of codes celebrating the two biggest Wii titles of the season: Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii!

Add your friends code in the comments, and let the good times roll!

Mitch’s post about the Cowboy Jed leakage (I’m talkin’ ‘bout the footage) got the 4cr staff reminiscing about some of the better Nintendo commercials we’ve seen over the years. While it’s true that there have been a staggering number of truly bad marketing blitzes behind Nintendo products, there have also been a great deal of awesome ones, too.

There’s been some strong opinions both for and against Cowboy Jed so far, but love him or hate him, he’s doing his job quite well.

Until the ubiquitous “Wii Would Like to Play” campaign, however, Nintendo commercials had been a somewhat rare occurrence on television (at least in Canada, and on the stations I watched). Whenever one would appear on my screen, I’d sit attentively, even if it was for a game I already had. In retrospect I’m sad to admit this, but when I first saw the Starfox commercial that asked, “Why go to the next level when you can go light years beyond?” I just about jumped up from my seat shouting, “Take that, Sega!”

So what are your favorite Nintendo commercials? Here’s mine, along with a list of others some of the 4cr staffers mentioned. Chime in!

I also like the Animal Crossing commercial series, despite Tom Nook and the other characters giving me the creeps: check out each clip.

Michael Tucker

Game Boy Micro Commercial
Game Boy Micro Commercial 2
Toys R Us Nintendo Commercial

rbelmont

Super Smash Bros. Commercial

Jody Anthony

The Legend of Zelda Commercial

As I have said before, I love Iwata Asks. Not only are they a fascinating, real life look at various people at Nintendo, but they also give you tons of awesome trivia about games that you’d never know otherwise:

- Miyamoto proposed that Ocarina of Time be an FPS?
- He wanted to give Link a gun in Link’s Crossbow Training and have a Terminator-style story about a time warp from the future?
- He loves FPSes?

All this and more in the newest Iwata Asks!

Iwata Asks: Link’s Crossbow Training

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, you with the speedy finger tips! Put down your palms for a minute where I can see ‘em. Mario Kart’s Cowboy Jed isn’t done taking over your airwaves – now he’s circled the wagons right around the intaernet (that’s the British way of spelling it).

Up on the plate, we’ve got some pretty silly footage of Cowboy Jed doing his thing up on the Internet. It’s pretty obvious that Nintendo’s trying to make it look like it ‘leaked’, but, whatever. It’s still pretty damn funny. There’s a wacky montage of footage that I guess didn’t make it into the final commercial – and it had me laughing pretty hard.

I know that you Intaernet guys are all about remixing your videos and splicing in some footage of your cat missing the jump from the sofa to the kitchen counter – and interestingly enough, the ad wizards that came up with this one were kind enough to provide a big ol’ zip file full of readily-mixable files.

So, if you make any videos, send the link our way. We at the 4cr news desk love to hear it. Also, if you make any videos of me getting out of the shower, let me know.

You can peep everything at archive.org!

Cool?

Cool.

Clips of Cowboy Jed All Mashed Up!

The Full Cowboy Jed Song! Yee-HAW!

The Big Collection of Cowboy Jed Files (rapidshare)

Cowboy Jed Music Video (archive.org)

Alternative Cowboy Jed Footage (archive.org)

Cowboy Jed Alternative Footage for Remixing (archive.org)

Ahhh, the nostalgia. Who here remembers a little game called Final Fantasy 7? (If not, where have you been? ) In my opinion, this game is one of the classics, ranking right up there with Chrono Trigger and Ocarina of Time. It might not be the Best Game Ever Made, and it’s definitely not for everyone, but as a gamer it’s one of the titles we tend to know about even if it’s not in our library. Strangely enough, I’ve had quite a few FF7-related conversations this week, with friends and strangers alike! You know you’ve done a bang-up job with a game when fans are still talking about it more than 10 years down the road.

I watched an episode of Robot Chicken last night and came across this silly parody of the game. It’s not much, but I thought I’d share. Video after the cut. Enjoy!

Iron Man opened this weekend to awesome reviews and made a ton of money. I saw the movie Saturday night and will probably be going back again in the next few days. Plain and simple, the movie was awesome. Awesome awesome. Due to a couple of weird plot points that really ask you to suspend belief I wouldn’t rank this movie as high as X-Men 2 or Batman Begins, but damn if it isn’t close. I’ll be writing up a full review after another viewing, but for now I just wanted to geek out and share some fun Iron Man links with you guys and a couple pics I took of the actual armor at the movie theatre here in Hollywood.

Iron Man Armor Photos on the 4cr Flickr Pool

Iron Man Wikipedia Entry

Robert Downey Jr Interview

Project Rooftop Iron Man Redesign Contest

Tony Stark: Your Go To Guy!

Iron Man Movie Site Fan Art

Iron Man Comic Book Covers

Marvel Kids Iron Man Videos

The Many Armors of Iron Man

Audi Iron Man Site

Update: Cool Behind the Scenes Iron Man Videos

Update 2: Amazing Iron Man End Sequence Motion Graphics

Submitter: Scott

We’re a bit late this time around, but here it is. Read on to find out what games kept us busy in the beautiful month of April, and be sure to chime in and let us know what you’ve been playing, too.

Evan:

The first thing I did this month/end of last month was finally play through No More Heroes, which did little to impress me. Besides that flop, I have been enjoying my DS mostly. I re-bought Golden Sun and I am about halfway through with that. I also purchased Nanostray 2 at the same time, which is an absolutely phenomenal game. Oh! And I finally got Rhythm Tengoku, which I have been trying to get ahold of since I first saw it many years ago.

On the console side of things, I haven’t really been doing anything besides Brawl. I finally got the last secret character (through matches played, not the Subspace), so I am still thoroughly enjoying that. I also bought Double Dragon 2 for the NES and Lufia II. I haven’t been able to play them yet, but I am sure I will when I get home on the 30th (still April!).

Jody:

Okami Wii has been getting a good portion of my playtime the past few days, but most of my gaming time this month has gone to slowly making my way through Super Metroid. I have never played it before, and sweet zombie jesus is it awesome. I’ve already put about 9 hours into it and I don’t think I’m near done yet. I just want to slowly drink in every perfect pixel. Other than that I have been playing Bubble Bobble for NES. Single best game on the NES in my opinion.

June:

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is still going strong. What a great game! As a Link main, it feels so different from its predecessors, since I’m no longer melee but rely on bombs and arrows to succeed. That’s okay; it’s fun learning new moves. I only wish more Link players would Brawl online, so I can watch them and improve my game.

I got a copy of Surf’s Up for the Wii this month. I know, it’s a movie game, and we’ve all had ‘experiences’ with awful movie games… but I saw penguins and caved. (Squee!) The pre-level cutscenes are worth the price of admission. No regrets, it’s a simple budget game.

Okami has drifted into my life, so the Wii’s been getting a bit of a workout lately! By the end of the month, you can add Mario Kart to that list. On the portable front, I’m breeding Pokémon to build a better team, and still making my way through various GBA titles. I’m also sampling a number of NES games, with Ice Climber clocking the most game time. It’s been a busy month!

Mitch:

Remember Peggle? You don’t? Well, I do.

Megashaun:

Since I missed out on last month’s post (too busy playing games) I’ll have to give a nod to Devil May Cry 4. It’s easily one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever played and it has an excellent battle system. Special moves have a lot of weight to them, but sometimes it can feel as if you don’t have that much control over what your character is doing. The game is highly stylized and nothing short of what you’d expect from Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who also produced Resident Evil 4.

Another game I’ve been playing like crazy is Condemned 2: Bloodshot. I’ve never felt so horrible after dying in a game. The combat in Bloodshot is dirty, in-your-face, and visceral. Smacking a methed-up hobo with a pipe wrench never felt so good and yet so wrong. To top it off, the game has a very cool “Am I crazy or not?” vibe going for it with monsters and visual effects that flicker in and out of existence and nightmare sequences that make me wonder what the brainstorming meetings a Monolith must be like. Maybe something like this:

One junior executive might have said “Okay, so there’s this mannequin, and it’s laughing a lot when it’s trying to kill you by throwing exploding charred baby dolls at you!”

“Sounds like a night at my place!” would be the answer from the Art Director. “Let’s do it!”

Games I’ve been poking at with a stick but not giving enough attention to (which will change) this month have been Agatha Christie And Then There Were None for Wii (yeah, seriously!) and the recently-released Fantasy Zone on the ever-growing Virtual Console. Most Sega Master System games haven’t aged gracefully but Fantasy Zone hasn’t aged at all. There’s nothing like being transfixed to a screen of neon pinks, blues, and greens while tinny but oddly catchy music draws you into a trance. You’ll want to look away, but you won’t be able to.

Edgar:

This month I haven’t played much except Lord of the Ring Online, server Vilya for those interested. I’ve also finished Final fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the DS. This game is a masterpiece, not that long though. It took about 12 hours, but there’s some replay value. You can play through the game another time with your characters all leveled up. I recommend FFCC to everyone who’s a fan of action RPGs.

Greg:

I haven’t had much free time lately, but I still managed to get a little bit of gaming in. I’ve been dedicating my time to Condemned 2: Bloodshot and Culdcept Saga on the Xbox 360. Bloodshot is a marvelous game. They took the original and pumped everything up. The melee combat is some of the most intense that I’ve seen in a game. This is one of those games that I have to play at night with the sound turned up. It’s moody, atmospheric, and downright creepy. Culdcept Saga is pretty addictive. It combines Magic: The Gathering with Monopoly. Sounds like a strange combination, but it works pretty well. I’ve also been putting some time into Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin and Patapon. Advanced Wars has me just as hooked as the previous games in the series. Great stuff all around.

Vinnk:

I was pretty busy this month doing things like getting married. But I still had time for a few games. I have been mostly playing Professor Layton since it is so easy to pick up and play when I have a few moments. Soon I will have The World Ends With You I played the Japanese version for a while and was very impressed with it, but I am looking forward to seeing the localization.

A few days ago I started doing Wii Fit daily again which you can read about. I also plan to play through No More Heroes again just because Even didn’t like it. That game is pure unfiltered fun.

I want to play more US games but Amazon and other companies don’t ship to Japan and I am tired of getting my family to send them to me. So rebels, if any of you have any games you are finished with, feel free to send them to me.

GK:

In between sessions of studying and finishing projects for school, my breaks are filled with the smash hit that is Super Smash Brothers Brawl. The friend that I usually play with really really sucked when we started playing, but lately he’s been practicing and he is now better than me. So now, I have to practice up to put the ownage back on him.

Besides Brawl, I spend a little time at the end of each day knocking back a couple of beers (game enhancement juice) and playing Grand Turismo 5 Prologue. I’ve never been into racing games, but this game sure is fun(even though I suck) and it sure is pretty.

Rumas:

April has officially been the busiest month of my life. I’ve been travelling all over the place, and I barely know which way is up and which way is down. But Space Invaders Extreme with the DS Paddle Controller has kept me good company.

Virtual Console
Pokémon Puzzle League (N64, 1-2 players, 1 000 Wii Ps)
Renegade (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Pts)

DS
May 5 - Brain Voyage
May 5 - Crosswords DS
May 5 - Toy Shop
May 6 - Speed Racer

Boom Blox is the title to look forward to this week. It doesn’t look like much, but it looks like a great pick up and play title.

Onions, you either love them or hate them. What better way to warm up on a cold day than with a soup? I checked my pantry and fridge to see what I had available — onions, onion soup mix, and beef. Just the ingredients I needed to make one of my favorite soup!

Onion Soup (Serves: 4 Ready: 30 minutes)
Ingredients:
2-3 small onions
2 onion soup mix
1-2 small steaks
4 slice of bread
Grated Cheese

First, cook your steaks in a pan and cut them into small pieces.

Chop your onions into small strips.

Follow onion soup mix directions on the package. Mine was two cup of water and 2 tbsp of flour for 1 pack of onion soup.

Put everything in a large saucepan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour everything in four french onion soup bowls.

Toast your bread, cut it into pieces, and place it on top of the soup.

Cover with cheese and cook in the oven at 400f for 8 minutes and on broil for 2 minutes.

I didn’t play a game while doing this, instead I started watching Battlestar Galactica Season 1 (Thanks for recommending it G.K.)

Hey rebels! Just wanted to remind you guys about Free Comic Book Day tomorrow. Every year on the first Saturday in May, the comic book industry works hard to reward it’s current readers and hopefully attract new ones by giving away an assortment of free comics to anybody that will have them. Tomorrow’s event, marking the 7th annual Free Comic Book Day, will see titles like Hellboy, the X-Men, and Project Superpowers. Along with free comics, most comic book shops will also offer discounts on existing comics. So if you want to read up a little more about this summer’s comic book movies(Batman, Iron Man, and the Hulk), tomorrow would be a good time to grab a few books. So head down to your local comic book shop and get yourself your FREE comic!

Free Comic Book Day

Nintendo’s online strategy hasn’t made a lot of friends. A fear-mongering media has forced it into a cul-de-sac, and gamers have been handed the short end of the stick. I still don’t remember my friends codes (it’s hard to when there’s a new one for every game), and at this point, it’s impossible to meet people while playing online. You can play against someone, sure, but there’s no real communication involved. Where’s the connectivity? What if my offline friends don’t own Wiis? Instead, we’ve resorted to swapping numbers via comments and message boards, like in the days of ICQ. There have been a lot of bumps going down the road, but as a whole, I think we’re finally getting on the right track.

I’m really happy about the way online is handled in Mario Kart. I have yet to experience any lag issues, which is key for this title, considering a race isn’t a race when you’re crawling to the finish line. Sure, the game isn’t without its share of bugs, such as the infamous time trial score debacle, but racing against others is still fun. You can’t change the 100cc settings or turn off that blasted blue shell, but you can vote for the track you want to race on, and choose which character you want to use from the ones you’ve unlocked. The way Miis are incorporated into the game is great! I’m not a fan of using Miis, but as an icon to represent you online, it is a very welcome addition. I’m not a great racer, but I like seeing where I stand in the ranks. I like knowing that my opponents aren’t random computer-generated characters. I like being able to tell when I’m racing the same people again. It’s the next best thing from being able to add these people as friends, chat with them, and step away from anonymity. That’s a nudge I just didn’t feel while playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl online.

With Brawl, it’s a different story altogether. Almost every game I played was bogged down with lag, turning every round into slow-motion Brawl, and despite having a huge following, it takes a very long time to find opponents even when choosing a random maps setting. When I do manage to find opponents, it gets boring fairly quickly, since playing against the same characters again and again is hardly fun, and if someone drops out, it takes a long time to find a fourth. I guess that’s not a fault of the game itself, since Mario Kart can support so many opponents while you can only fight against three others in Brawl, but at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if this process can be streamlined.

This wasn’t supposed to be a rant on how Mario Kart outshines Brawl in terms of its online strategy. I like certain parts of Brawl: I like Spectator Mode. I like playing co-op. I even like the chaos that comes from a 2-player Home-Run Contest. I just think that, now that Nintendo has more experience under its belt, we’re finally starting to get somewhere.

There’s no denying that Nintendo still has a lot to learn when it comes to handling their online game, but I’ve got good expectations for the future. Bluetooth is already built into the Wii, and the company has voice-chat experience from the DS Wi-Fi Connection, so it can’t be too difficult to implement a headset for friends-only play. How about that USB slot? It adds a realm of possibility should Nintendo choose to make an external hard drive. There is already downloadable content ala VC games, and WiiWare on its way (out already, if you’re in Japan). Personally, I would love to see MMOs on the Wii, and if the PS2 can have Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Universe, I don’t see why not.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? I’d like to think so. What would you like to see happening with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences, and chime in.

Thank god cabbies don’t have red shells.

Found on: Flickr

We Rebels are a tough gaming lot. This, none can deny. There are days where we live, breathe and feast on games, and we’d do it more if it weren’t for those meddling jobs! So, gentlemen, do your thumbs get a workout when you hit up the ol’ sofa? Ladies! How many walls can you knock down on a bad day? How about a good one?

Enter Tresling, Tetris and arm wrestling for the gaming hardcore. Block-fearing wimps need not apply.

Check out some live Tresling action after the jump.

Now that’s major league gaming. I don’t think I’m ready yet… this rookie’s going back to the couch!

source: Tresling via Neatorama

*may or may not be the Best Thing Ever, attractiveness of opponent may vary

It looks like my prayers from the previous post have been answered in a small way. The results from Nintendo Power’s Virtual Console poll are in. There are a few predictable games on the list, but also two very nice surprises.

Check out the list after the jump!

Fans of Earthbound have been trying to get the rest of the series to come overseas since Earthbound 64 was announced. Unfortunately, they haven’t been successful. Mother 1 + 2 and Mother 3 (both on GBA) are still only available in Japan. There have also been rumors that, despite the fans’ best efforts, Earthbound will not come out on the Virtual Console at all. This means people will still have to pay $60 or more to play the game. With two games from the same series on the list (and one of them being released in Japan only), it seems like Nintendo can’t ignore the results of this poll.

While all of this sounds good and well, Nintendo of America has largely ignored the Mother series, and their stance seems unlikely to change. However, featuring the results of this poll does give us a small glimmer of hope.

This week I present Nikujin, a really fun ninja game with simple controls, tons of moves, an extremely high difficulty level, and most importantly: no pantsu!

Nikujin is a tough game to learn and it’s not for everyone, but those who stick with it and master the controls will have a lot of fun. You play as a pantsless ninja trying to make it through levels while killing enemies, jumping over huge gaps, and doing crazy stunts. The game is in Japanese, but knowledge of Japanese isn’t required. But just in case you need it, here’s what the menu basically says in English:

New Game
Continue
Tutorial (I definitely recommend playing this)
Survival (You have to protect your sleeping sensei from endless waves of enemies)
Highscores

The controls consist of 6 buttons: the arrow keys, left shift (jump), and left control (attack). If you want to change the controls, click the first dropdown menu at the top of the screen then click the fourth choice down and double click on the first player keyboard. While the controls themselves are easy, pulling off moves in the game takes a lot of dexterity. The moves range from running up walls to dropping in on an enemy for an instant kill to a crazy move that makes you go around corners. Like I said, they are tough to master, so I recommend playing the tutorial first and checking out videos like this.

All in all, it’s a really fun game that’s worth a download. It seems almost too difficult at first, but as you learn more moves and get better, it becomes much more enjoyable.

Download Link

Controllers: whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re an essential part of playing video games. Any serious gamer might have gone through afflictions such as the dreaded Hand Cramp or Button-Mash Blisters, but a great controller is one that sticks it out through tough times and feels nice too.

For me, the cream of the crop is the good ol’ N64 controller. When we met, it was with curiosity, like trying a new dish at a restaurant you’ve grown to love. What is this analog stick doing where my control pad should be? And why can I hold it in three places, when I’ve only got two hands?

It looks a little odd, but when it comes to performance, nothing comes close. Lightweight? Check. Slot for extra accessories? Check! As far as I’m concerned, this is THE controller for first-person shooters, which cued the Age of Classics such as Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. I never really got the hang of the C-stick on the GameCube controller, but I loved the C-buttons of bygone days. They’re easy to reach, and the hold overall… is comfortable! If you want to play an arcade classic, you can always use the left D-pad handle, and it feels just like the good times melted in your hands.

Hit the jump for 4cr’s staff picks! So far, it looks like I’m alone on the N64 path. Am I? Rebels, which controller is your favorite? Chime in!

Evan (rbelmont):

The SNES controller is, hands down, the best controller out there. It has the best d-pad ever and started the button layout, L+R buttons, etc. that we now take for granted. Plus, you can play the absolute BEST games with it.

Nick:

Jody:

It’s too hard to pick just one, so I’m going to go with my top three (which all just happen to be Nintendo)

1 - Wiimote/Nunchuk combo. Most comfortable controller I have used. It just melts into my hands.
2 - SNES. Can’t go wrong with the amazing SNES pad
3 - N64. This controller was the first controller that I thought fit my hands so perfectly.

Honorable mention goes to the DualShock. I know a lot of people don’t like it, but to me it’s like SNES Evolved. Great.

Mitch:

My favorite controller, hands down, is the Xbox 360 controller. Who could have guessed that if you threw enough money at the concept of a traditional two-handed controller, you’d chisel out a masterpiece? Microsoft did it. The controller’s curves are silky smooth, and akin to the original Xbox type S controller, they’re practically indestructible.

The runner up in my book is the everlasting stock SNES controller. You could fish one of those out of the sea and be playing Killer Instinct by nightfall.

As you can see, I think I judge the excellence of controllers based on how many times you can run them over with a car. :-\

G.K. (Gongonzabar Farbin):

For me, picking a controller all depends on the game or type of game I am playing. If I’m playing a game that’s from the 16-bit era or before, I have to go with the SNES controller. There are certain games that I can’t even play unless I am using the SNES controller. For example, I find it almost impossible to do those crazy jump/charge shots in Mega Man X using any other pad. Playing older games? You just can’t go wrong with the SNES controller.

However, it’s a totally different story with some of these newer generation consoles. While the Wiimote and Nunchuck are a good fit, I would have to pick the Xbox 360 controller as my favorite to play with. I don’t actually own a 360 and have only played on one a handful of times. It’s just that nothing beats that first time I picked up the 360 controller and felt the controller just mold right into the shape of my hand. Nowadays, I have it hooked up to my PC and will actually try to find an excuse for trying the 360 controller with almost any console-like game I play.

While the SNES pad and the Xbox 360 controller are both great console controllers, I’d have to give notice to the time-tested combo of the keyboard and the mouse. After being accustomed to the keyboard/mouse combo for most of my gaming career, I simply cannot and will not play any FPS games on any console. I know I am probably missing out on a sizable batch of good games, but every time I give it a shot, I just find traditional controllers very slow and inaccurate at moving the cursor where I want it to go. Besides the variety of FPS games out there, the keyboard/mouse combo allows for other types of games like Real Time Strategies and MMORPGs, two genres of games that, historically, haven’t functioned well with any other input device. Call me old fashioned, but I just prefer to stick to my mouse and keyboard.

Shaun:

I’ve yet to come across the perfect game controller because they all have their faults. The SNES pad has a nice layout but is murder on my thumbs, especially for fighting and racing games. The Xbox 360 controller is super comfortable but its d-pad is downright laughable in terms of accuracy. The PlayStation controller has the worst d-pad ever, and the positioning of the analog sticks is ridiculous. The GameCube controller, while comfortable, has a poor button layout for games not designed specifically for it and the d-pad is so tiny.

So by process of elimination, my favourite controller is the Wii Remote. It has its faults, sure. Motion gestures don’t translate well a lot of the time, but I’m hoping that’s more due to developer shortcomings than lack of tech in the remote. The game that makes me love the Wii Remote: The Godfather: Blackhand Edition. There’s just something to be said about cracking a Tattaglia family member across the head with a flaming two-by-four and then throwing a prostitute out a window.

And on that note, special mention should go to the Super Advantage: a controller so well-built and so heavy you could, if inclined, easily kill someone with it.

Greg:

My favorite controller of all time? That one is actually pretty easy. My favorite controller is the Xbox 360 pad. I’ve never used a more comfortable controller. It just fits there in my hands, none of the buttons are awkwardly placed, the triggers are fantastic. That last part is particularly important, considering the number of shooters on the 360. That said, the controller is far from perfect. The d-pad is atrocious, making the controller useless for fighting games (Dreamcast controller all the way for those).

Runner up would be the Gamecube controller. It’s just as super comfy as the 360 controller, but is held back a bit by its strange button layout. The strange z button and tiny b button make certain games feel weird. Its d-pad is leagues beyond the 360 one, but is still entirely too small.

Nick (N Rumas):

My vote goes to the Wiimote/Nunchuck. I’ve never, ever used something so comfortable, and in most cases, so practical. The only drawback is the lack of a second analog stick, which obviously creates a problem when it comes to camera control. In terms of pure comfort, however, it wins for me hands down. I love it.

I’m also a big fan of the 360 pad and…well, just about every controller Nintendo has ever made. I even love the NES pad, hard angles and all.

Well folks, there you have it. For those who are curious, you can find the header pic on a shirt at SplitReason.com. For the rest of us, the great controller debate continues!

Hot off the heels of anouncing Everybody’s Nintendo Channel (now just the Nintendo Channel) for North America, Nintendo has anounced that Europe will be getting the Nintendo Channel on May 30th. As if that wasn’t cool enough, WiiWare will be launching in Euro-land on May 20th. Oh, and this one unheard of game called Smash Brothers Brawl will be releasing in PAL territory on June 27th. Still a bummer that it’s so far away, but at least there is a definite date. At least Europe will be getting Wii Fit tomorrow!

Lastly, the one thing I am insanely jealous of: Europe will be getting Cooking Guide: Can’t Decide What to Eat? Also known as Cooking Navi. Heres hoping that comes out in North America, as I am a man that loves him some cookin’.

source: NOE

You might have already seen the 8-bit tie. You might have already seen the Air Guitar Hero t-shirt. But have you ever seen a Guitar Hero tie?

Well, now you have. It’s less nerdy than the pixelated tie from ThinkGeek and less “frat idiot” than the shirt. Even better is the fact that you can probably wear this at work and not have anyone realize what the design is based on. That obviously depends on where you work, but you catch my drift.

Toronto artist Ralph Floro said this idea just popped into his head one day when he was thinking of Zoolander. The jump in logic might seem odd to you, but it makes perfect sense to me. This is obviously a Guitar Hero Tie For Kids Who Can’t Play Guitar Hero Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.

Source: zazzle.com

Wired reports that the currently Japan-only Everybody’s Nintendo Channel will be coming to North America on May 12th, the same day WiiWare launches here. For those of you not in the know, Everybody’s Nintendo Channel offers streaming videos of Nintendo games and other features, upcoming game lists, downloadable DS demos that you can send to your DS via wifi (like an at-home demo station), as well as letting users write reviews of WiiWare games that they have played for at least an hour. The channel will be available for free from the Wii Shop Channel. I for one have been looking forward to this channel since it was announced. May 12th is going to be a busy day in my living room!

source: Wired Game|Life

Last month I finished my 7-week Wii Fit experiment. Other than actually losing weight, the most surprising thing for me was that people were actually reading my daily journals. After I stopped posting them I got dozens of requests for me to continue on, and chronicle my experiences with Wii Fit.

Between the wedding, honeymoon and starting a new life with my wife, I have been amazingly busy. Now that things are finally settling down I am ready to start regular journal entries again. I am not sure how helpful these will be for anyone other than myself at this point, but if interest keeps up I will continue to post them until the release of Wii Fit. I will also answer any questions you might have in the comments section.

All of my journal entries can be found at the main experiment page so feel free to check in whenever you want. Thank you so much for all of your support.