The National Institute on Media and the Family (NIMF) has issued its 11th Annual Mediawise Video Game Report Card, which shows dramatic improvement of the video game industry's restriction of the sale of mature-rated games to kids over the past several years (except for specialty retailers, which maintains an F grade). This year both "Ratings Education" and "Retail Policies" received Bs", while console manufacturers and "Retail Enforcement" at "big stores" (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc) received As.

Despite these improvements, the nonprofit organization still found a way to take a shot at the video game industry in the category of "Parental Involvement", which received an "Incomplete" grade.

Continue reading "2006 video game report card suggests parents are idiots"

Friday - December 1, 2006

Electronics Arts yesterday announced that they have purchased Headgate Studios and renamed it EA Salt Lake. The new studio will focus on development for the Nintendo Wii, meaning that EA is serious about becoming the number one third party developer for the console. At this time, Ubisoft is the developer with the most invested in the Wii. We'll see how that plays out. Of course, with the exciting locale of Salt Lake City, Utah, how could they go wrong?

Continue reading "EA buys Headgate Studios, to focus on Wii"

Over the past week a rash of video have hit uTube showing that the Wii's sensor bar can be replaced by two candles. How? you may ask. Well, the sensor bar works by emitting IR signals to the Wii Remote. Candles also emit IR light. Now you can seduce the ladies AND play the Wii. Brilliant!

Wednesday - December 6, 2006

If you've noticed the lack of daily news lately, it's because we've been focusing our time and effort on the LB 'Zelda Twilight Princess' walkthrough and strategy guide. We're nearing completion on this lengthy and challenging game and figure we have a few more days until the rough draft of the guide is complete. We're currently writing up the 'Zelda Twilight Princess' Sky Temple, one of the last dungeons. In the meantime, feel free to check out the guide in progress:

LB 'Zelda Twilight Princess' walkthrough and strategy guide

The New York Times (free sub. req.) are adding their two cents on the console war and guess who wins? The Wii and the Xbox 360. At this point, the PS3 has yet to receive any love from any major publication other than the obligatory, "but it does have a blu-ray player."

The NYT summarizes it much like everybody else out there: the Wii is affordable, a ton of fun, and great for the whole family; the Xbox 360 is easier to use, has more games, and the same graphics as the PS3 for $200 less; the PS3, well, wait to buy a PS3.

Continue reading "More good press for the Wii and Xbox 360"

Thursday - December 7, 2006

Have you broken something with your Wii controller? Have you sustained personal injury due to the Wii controller? If your answer is 'yes' to either of these questions, then I have a site for you. Head on over to WiiHaveaProblem.com, a blog focused on "bringing you the latest trend in gaming violence".

Among several funny videos, including one of a woman getting a little too into Wii Sports Boxing, is this little montage of Wii injuries. The horror!



In response to the complaints, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said, "Some people are getting a lot more excited than we'd expected. We need to better communicate to people how to deal with Wii as a new form of entertainment." Please, Iwata, explain it to the boxing girl.

If you are considering buying a PS3 because of its superior graphics, you may want to check out these screenshots of a head to head comparison of the Xbox 360 and PS3 provided by GameSpot. Although there isn't much of a difference at first glance, after you stare at it for a while, you can see that the Xbox 360 graphics are just a tad richer. Of course, as developers learn how to make games for both of these systems, the graphics will only get better (look at any PS2 launch game and then at something like 'God of War' or 'Final Fantasy XII').

See the comparison

Each year, Spike TV does a video game awards show. We're not big fans of the show as it tends to focus on the stereotypes of gaming: violent games aimed at young male audiences and lots of scantily clad ladies.

Nonetheless, SpikeTV did attempt to be quirky and authentic with their three-part spoof on the original Leeroy Jenkins, 'World of Warcraft' video which was a big deal in May, 2005. The spoofs feature live actors in an office situation planning for a meeting, or sharing cake and then all of a sudden Leeroy Jenkins comes in and ruins everything.

The Original:

Continue reading "Spike TV, Leeroy Jenkins spoof"

Saturday - December 9, 2006

Oh my, Princess Zelda, what a long, strange trip it's been!

We are pleased to report that the LB 'Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide is now complete! We know it took us awhile, but we wanted to make sure we covered everything we possibly could.

Not only does this 'Zelda: Twilight Princess' walkthrough provide you with a step by step guide and strategies necessary to make it through the entire game, but it includes all 60 Poe locations, all 24 Golden Bug locations, all 7 Howling Stone locations, sidequests, and details how one earns the coveted Magic Armor.

LB 'Zelda: The Twilight Princess' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide

Monday - December 11, 2006

I love advent calendars and I love Nintendo. So, when I discovered that Nintendo has a new online advent calendar, I became quite the happy gamer. If you would like to partake in the countdown to Christmas fun, hop on over to www.mission-in-snowdriftland.com. Once there, guide Chubby Snow through ice-covered levels to save the world from El Pix, the evil penguin king who has a penchant for stealing video games. Enjoy!

www.mission-in-snowdriftland.com

During the month of November, most eyes were focused on sales data for the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 in order to crown the winner of the first battle of the next-gens. While that was taking place, Nintendo quietly outsold them all with the DS and the GBA. Here are the sales data from NPD:

1. Nintendo DS: 918,000 units.
2. PlayStation 2: 664,000.
3. Game Boy Advance: 641,000.
4. Xbox 360: 511,000.
5. Wii: 476,000.
6. PlayStation Portable: 412,000.
7. PlayStation 3: 197,000.

As you can see, the DS and GBA accounted for about 1.5 million units, while the PS2 came in first as far as console gaming went. Not far behind, though, are the Xbox 360 and Wii. Those PSP numbers are actually quite huge and represent a nearly 50% jump in sales.

Conclusion: While Sony and Microsoft battle it out with money-losing consoles, Nintendo is selling the most hardware and making a profit on each one.

Monday - December 11, 2006

Various sources, including CVG, are reporting that the latest issue of 'Game Informer' claims, "Our sources tell us that the next installment in this series has been deep in development for around a year."

This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone for several reasons. First, 'Twilight Princess' was never meant to be a Wii game, therefore the first Wii Zelda game should be in development. Second, from the moment Nintendo decided to make the Wii they'd have been stupid not to have a team working on a 'Zelda' game for it. Third, it takes about three years to make a 'Zelda' game, so the timetable seems about right.

Continue reading "New Wii 'Zelda' - deep in development"

Tuesday - December 12, 2006

Today is a huge day for Gamecube gamers in the US, as today is the day when Gamecube version of 'The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess' begins trickling onto store shelves. Booya!

I say 'trickling' because a) the game just shipped yesterday, so some stores won't receive their copies until later this week, and b) there is a rumored (although unconfirmed) shortage of 'Zelda: TP'.

You may be wondering whether our 'Zelda: Twilight Princess' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide for the Wii will work for the Gamecube version. The answer, is yes, but with some stipulations.

First, in the 'Zelda: Twilight Princess' walkthrough we do give controls specific to the Wii. However, this is only done because the Wii controls are so new, and Gamecube gamers should have no problem following the game's controller instructions ('Zelda' games have never been known to have difficult controls).

Second, the Wii version of the game is actually a mirrored version of the Gamecube game. Nintendo did this so Link, who is normally a lefty, would have his sword in his right hand for Wii gamers, making for a more natural Wii controller movement. This mirroring means, when using our 'Zelda: Twilight Princess' guide, you'll have to go left when we say right, and east when we say west (and the other way around). As long as you're aware of this, you should have no trouble using the guide.

LB's 'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess' Walkthrough and Strategy Guide

Ever since Rosie O'Donnel started giving away gifts to every audience member on her talkshow, every talkshow host is obliged to do the same or else look like a cheap second-tier wannabe. Then, of course, Oprah had to take it to the next level when she gave everybody a car a few years ago. Now, it seems, the Nintendo Wii is making its rounds as the gift to giveaway as evidenced by Doctor Phil and Ellen.

I came across this San Francisco Chronicles piece which helps you decide what older game system to purchase if you can't afford a Wii or PS3. There's a lot of good advice in there including the fact that the GameCube is about as cool as a 1993 Ford Escort. The article gives you three "I'm as poor as..." scenarios which are quite funny and include a reference to Laura Engel's horse, Bunny. Classic. Oh, and if you do pick up an NES or Sega Genesis, be sure to get NHL '94 and Tecmo Bowl...ahh, the memories.

Read the article

Wednesday - December 13, 2006

What would happen if Aryll from 'Zelda: Wind Waker' fished out a Wii Remote and started swinging it around? I can answer that in one word: hilarity. This is quite an impressive video and it cracked me up a few times. It also made me reminisce about 'Wind Waker'. I know many of you out there didn't like it, but I thought it was brilliant. Don't crucify me, but I even miss the sailing.

The other night, Allison and I had one of our favorite salads for dinner and as we were eating, we started naming the ingredients using Twilight Princess characters and items. No, we didn't have too much wine, we're just strange that way. So, here it is, our favorite salad recipe for your enjoyment:

GRILLED OOCCOO SALAD WITH ROASTED DEKU NUTS AND RED POTION DRESSING

This is a delicious all-in-one dinner salad. It will serve 2 people (just make more to serve more!)

You'll need:

2 Ooccoo (chicken) breasts
1/4 - 1/2 lb Deku Nuts (Hazelnuts)
Crumbled Ordon Ranch (or any brand) Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola
Pear (any kind)
Salad Greens
Red Potion Dressing (Raspberry Vinaigrette)
Optional salad stuff: olives, radishes, etc.

Continue reading "Zelda Twilight Princess recipe -- Grilled Ooccoo Salad"

In 1993, the Atari Jaguar was positioned to blow the competition out of the water. With a household name, a history in gaming, cutting edge technology, and commitments for a ton of developers there was no way the Jaguar wouldn't succeed. So, um, anybody actually remember having one?

I mention this because Allison pointed out to me this article on AtariAge which simply describes the downfall of the Jaguar and thus, Atari. See any similarities between it and Sony? Granted, Sony is more than just a gaming company, but history does have a way of repeating itself.

Read the article

Thursday - December 14, 2006

Have you always had a yen for making games but the Art Institute of (insert city name here) wasn't quite working out? Well, now you can write and develop games in your pajamas using XNA Game Studio Express, Microsoft's game developer kit for the home. The download of the kit is free, however, if you actually want to run your games on your Xbox 360, then you'll have to join the XNA Creators Club for $99/year. Not too shabby.

Read how to do it in 10 steps

The Internets today is abuzz with rumors that Joe Six-Pack may actually be able to purchase a Wii, and maybe even a PS3, this Sunday, December 17th.

This is based on two main sources. First, USA Today is reporting that major retailers, including Toys R Us and Circuit City will promise Wiis to be in stock in this Sunday's newspaper ads. There were no accompanying brightly colored pie charts, so I just don't know what to think. Second, GameSpot's rumor control took on a purported Best Buy internal memo scan which tells stores to hold all stock of the Wii until December 17.

Continue reading "Want a Wii? Get your sleeping bag ready"

Friday - December 15, 2006

Nintendo today announced that it has a recall in effect for 3.4 million Wii Remote wrist straps. If you don't know, over-excited gamers have been swinging their Wii remotes a little to raucously, sometimes causing the strap to break. You can check out videos and pics of such incidents on wiihaveaproblem.com.

If you want a new, thicker strap then you can fill out this form. Wiis which shipped in early December already have the new strap. Kudos to Nintendo for sucking it up and taking care of this.

Yesterday I wrote a story about stores holding back Wiis until Sunday. This assertion was based on rumors bouncing around the Internet.

Yesterday I received confirmation from an anonymous source that Target stores are holding back Wii consoles so that they have them on Sunday, December 17. The source also said that the Target ad will promise Wiis and that they'll have a good number of them.

If you want a Wii, I'd suggest heading to Target very early on Sunday or late Saturday night. Good luck!

Monday - December 18, 2006

Phil Harrison, Sony Computer Entertainment worldwide studios president, recently spoke with MTV regarding the current and future state of gaming (Read).

After a question regarding the hubbub surrounding 'Bully' and how he won't change the way he green lights games, Harrison has this choice quote:

I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as video games, and games are supposed to be fun. Games should deal with fear, should deal with comedy and with death. They should deal with peril, with drug offenses.

Continue reading "Harrison speaks about future of gaming"

If you missed out on getting a Wii yesterday, chances are slim that you'be able to get one before Christmas. Last week I wrote about stores holding back stock to have for Sunday. Sure enough, major retailers around the US did have a decent number of Wiis on hand. Of course, to get one, you had to wait in line for hours or even overnight.

Allison and I ventured to our local Target right at 8:00. We saw about 40 people waiting in the electronics department ready to check out. On our way out, we saw Wii after Wii leaving the store.

All hope is not lost, however, as Amazon has a special vote going on for it right now. Good luck!

Tuesday - December 19, 2006

This morning our Wii greeted us with its familiar flashing blue disc tray letting us know a message was waiting. Sure enough, as rumored, the message was to alert us that the Forecast Channel is now available. Sweet!

Being a bit of a weather buff, I couldn't be more pleased. Not only do you set it up for your own city, but you can easily navigate the globe using the Wii remote to see the weather in any city. Did you know the South Pole is cold? Who'd have thunk? I seriously can't get enough of this. Simply spinning the globe is extremely satisfying and I could do it for hours...well, minutes.

In other Wii news, a sample of the Opera Browser will be available for download this Firday, Dec. 22nd. The official release is in March 2007. Merry Christmas Wii owners!

Yesterday, the chances of getting your hands on a Wii or PS3 looked pretty bleak. Today, however, there is new hope on the horizon. According to CNNMoney, Toys R Us will be receiving this week, "more than 6,000 Playstation 3 gaming consoles, 30,000 Xbox 360 gaming consoles, "thousands" of Wii systems and more than 40,000 GameBoy Advance systems."

Let your fingers do the walking, call around, and good luck!

Last week we finished the LB 'Zelda Twilight Princess' walkthrough and strategy guide. For the past week we've been working on the screenshot version of the 'Zelda TP' walkthrough and are pleased to announce that it is now complete!

If you need 'Zelda Twilight Princess' help, you need not look any further!

LB's 'Zelda Twilight Princess' walkthrough

Thursday - December 21, 2006

Burger King has announced that it has sold 2 million copies in four weeks of its promotional Xbox and Xbox 360 games "Pocketbike Racer," "Big Bumpin'," and "Sneak King." The games are available with the purchase of a BK Value Meal and retail for $3.99 each or $10.99 for all three.

There are few games that have this kind of success and it stands a lesson to game publishers of how aggressive pricing equals huge sales. Granted, the reach of Burger King has helped, but so has the measly $3.99 price tag for a silly and fun game.

Continue reading "Burger King titles sell 2 million and counting"

A few weeks ago, Nintendo announced Wii Play, a specially packaged Wii Remote that comes bundled with 9 minigames which can be played solo or with a friend. The original date for the launch in the US was to be January 15. Now, that date has been pushed back to February 12.

Getting hold of a Wii Remote these days is pretty tough and I'd bet that it's the shortage of Wii Remotes that is causing the delay for Wii Play. Hey, a month delay isn't that big of a deal. I just wish Nintendo would release Wii Play for download for a few bucks.

Happy holidays, everyone! We hope you have had a wonderful 2006, and we wish you an even better 2007! We expect to see some amazing video games in 2007, which means we expect to publish some great walkthroughs and strategy guides. Below you will find a list of our favorite guides published in 2006. Please enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday!

10. 'Chibi-Robo' Walkthrough - Perhaps the best game of 2006 for the Nintendo Gamecube, our Chibi guide will walk you through the game's storyline, and includes detailed sidequests (so you can complete the Sticker Book), and all Chibi-Door and Frog Ring locations.

9. 'Hitman Blood Money' Walkthrough - We've always been fans of the Hitman series, as we've always enjoyed writing guides for the series. Anyone can get through the game, but it takes a certain skill, and a certain Hitman guide to make it through as a Silent Assassin.

8. 'Tomb Raider Legend' Walkthrough - While the game was definitely too short, it was fun while it lasted. Our Tomb Raider Legend guide will walk you through each of the game's levels, and it includes all rewards and a bonus walkthrough of Croft Manor.

Continue reading "Our favorite games (and walkthroughs) of 2006"

Friday - December 22, 2006

Will the homophonic titles ever get old? Nintendo today made available a trial version of the Opera Browser via the Wii Shop Channel. We downloaded it earlier today and, despite the lack of a keyboard, it's a fun way to navigate the web. We've already had some lunabean regulars posting from their Wiis.

What so many companies were trying to do for so long is now being done. Nintendo just gave the world web tv. Now, it seems, a wireless Nintendo keyboard would be apt.

Channelling Andy Rooney, Bill Nemitz, a columnist for the Portland (Maine) Press Herald, gives his best angry old man impression by cursing video games and extolling the benefits of model railroads.

I happen to span both generations, remembering fondly my father's railroad sets that would be set up every Chirstmas while at the same time, thoroughly enjoying beating zombies to a bloody pulp or blasting aliens to kingdom come.

Continue reading "Curmudgeon says trains better than video games"

We thought we'd share with you one of our favorite holiday movies, 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. We hope everybody has a merry and safe Christmas holiday. Try not to toss your Wii Remotes and don't spend so long on Xbox Live that you ignore your loved ones!

Wednesday - December 27, 2006

It really comes as no surprise, but it's now official: the shortages of Wiis and PS3s will linger into 2007. The Wii shortages should ease sometime around March with the PS3 shortages finally disappearing around June. This is due to the fact that the PS3 has yet to launch in Europe (March '07 is the target date) which will cause another supply strain.

Perhaps, though, the PS3 shortages will end sooner as there are now reports of people wanting to trade their PS3s for Wiis.

Thursday - December 28, 2006

Business Week is reporting that over the next two years, analysts expect the venerable PS2 to outsell the PS3.

Sony currently holds the console record, having already sold over 100 million units of the PS2. At the end of their fiscal year, in March '07, Sony expects to have sold 11 million PS2s as compared to a very rosy prediction of 6 million PS3s. In fiscal year 2007, Sony expects to once again sell 11 million PS2s while upping its sales of PS3s to 7 million.

A few points here...

Continue reading "PS2 to outsell PS3 for at least two years"

In this YouTube video, you'll see that a guy named Chris Hughes has hacked his Roomba robot vacuum so that he can control it with his Wii Remote. While this obviously defeats the whole purpose of the Roomba, it is, as Chris says, "Flippin' Awesome". Enjoy.