Super Smash Bros Brawl Sales

Okay, I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've been very busy with Smash bros. I hope to role out a Solo mode review (by the way my opinion on the Subspace Emissary has changed). I do have all the characters and stages though, so this review will be complete.

What I want to post on is the Brawl sales, which were pretty incredible. Here's the lowdown from the Nintendo website: 

"March 17, 2008 – After just one week on store shelves, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii has become the fastest-selling video game in Nintendo of America’s history. Since its launch on March 9, the feature-packed fighting action game has sold more than 1.4 million units in the United States, including more than 874,000 on March 9 alone. It has sold at a rate of more than 120 units per minute between launch and March 16.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl features a nearly limitless variety of options for players. Dozens of classic Nintendo characters like Mario and Pikachu are joined by industry icons like Sonic The Hedgehog and Metal Gear’s Solid Snake for all-out four-player battles. The endless customization keeps players coming back for more. The previous game in the series, Super Smash Bros. Melee, became the best-selling Nintendo GameCube game of all time with more than 7 million copies sold worldwide, so it’s no surprise to see this latest installment racking up record numbers."

Also, note that I have confirmed launch dates for Mario Kart Wii (4/27/08) and Rock Band Wii (6/22/08).

Super Smash Bros Brawl Review- Release Date

Well, I got Brawl at 8:30 in the morning and have plugged in about 6 or 7 hours, yeah, I really didn’t have anything better to do on a Sunday. For the review of the game, because of its immensity, I’m going to break it down into multiple posts. Here, I’m just going to go over the Subspace Emissary, or main storyline.

            I am only ¼ of the way through the story line, so if my views change in the future, I will tell you, but for the most part, I am highly disappointed. Nintendo Power said that the Subspace Emissary could stand alone as an action game, smashbros.com bragged about how intricate and complex it was, and IGN hated it. At first, I thought IGN was out of their mind, but only after 2 hours of playing, I see they are right.

            I will start off with the pros however. The storyline is beautifully put together, a combination of gorgeous cinemas slowly introducing each character and their goal, and the basic plot of the game. The animations flow seamlessly into the game play except for the fact of a five-ten second load (I will complain about this later). The level design is nice, with new characters and new stages every level, it keeps you interested. You can also go against evil with a buddy, a nice addition. Overall, beating up Primids and other dark creatures is immensely satisfying.

            With all that, the game must sound pretty good, right? Unfortunately, no, it is not. My biggest complaint is it being repetitious. As I mentioned above, the new levels offer new characters and new stages, but it still feels like you’re doing the same thing over and over again, just with new colors. After three or four levels I was bored out of my mind and now I only do it in increments of one or two levels. Another huge flaw is the fluidity. Yes, the animations are beautifully well put together, but when you see dark Bowser rise from the ground to square off against Link and Yoshi, you want to fight, but then there’s a five-ten second load that just cuts you off from the animation. The last main thing I did not enjoy was the camera control. With one person it is fine, but when you include the second person, the camera only revolves around the first player, and the second one is helpless to the slowness or speed of player one. Just playing today, I got into maybe ten or twelve situations where this flaw has caused me or my partner a life, very dissatisfying.

            With all that, I have no motivation to play through the Subspace Emissary after I finish it the first time, even with harder difficulties. Its non-fluid loads and repetitious nature will defiantly not leave me up at 11:00 tonight, or many other gamers for that matter.

Super Smash Bros Brawl- 1 Day Left

Today's Desperate Level: 11!

Wazup? Tomorrow is the day, the dawn of Brawl arriving in North America. If you guys get poned online by some uber Ike player, it's probably me. See you guys out there tomorrow!!

Super Smash Bros Brawl- 2 Days Left

Today's Desperate Level: 7

Wazup?: Most Gamestop's and EB Games around the country are doing midnight releases! Everybody's getting ready! And smashbros.com posted its last addition before the release! Pinch me, I can't believe I'll be playing this game in 48 hours.

Super Smash Bros Brawl- 3 Days Left

Today's Desperate Level: 6

Wazup?: New hidden character at smashbros.com, for the sake of those who don't want it to be spoiled I won't say who, but he/it is a neat one that most people probably wouldn't have thought of. I have to go revisit Melee now (suggested if you own it) ... see ya!

Super Mario Galaxy

As you may have noticed, one of my favorite Wii games is Super Mario Galaxy. Although I haven't finished the whole 121 star deal I would like to give you my low-down on the game before I lock myself in my basement until I finish Brawl.

First of all, I'd like to give you my background on Mario games in general. I've never been a huge fan, I think I have a 3:15 ratio for finished to own mostly because I've never liked the arcade timed and overly difficult parts. Galaxy, I must say however, did break this mold and made an extraordinary game that deserves the spectacular game awards it did receive, including game of the year from Nintendo Power.

It all starts with the presentation and game play. What really impressed me was that Nintendo didn’t go overboard with the motion sensing and stuck to very basic Mario game play. This allowed for a familiar control scheme that makes sense to veterans and players alike. Even navigating swimming wasn’t as bad as in the past, more straightforward in Galaxy, a problem I’ve always had with other Mario games. The game is also given to you in a very straightforward manner with the same basic world-level setup seen in most Mario games. What Nintendo did do different however was to provide the storyline in a separate area, being read from a children’s book. Many fans did not like this style because you had to manually choose to continue the storyline but I liked it because it was easy to go from level to level without much dialogue or extra cut-scenes that sometimes may look nice but sometimes can be downright annoying.

Speaking of cut-scenes, the graphic design of the game was absolutely outstanding. Anywhere from the game’s incredibly animated character models, to the cinematic sequences, to the overall world design, it was a cute, friendly world that has been a tradition in Mario games past to present. I especially goggled over the worlds where Mario assumed the bee costume. I also was totally flabbergasted by the animation Bowser had this time, I mean, he totally looked like the brutal, evil thing he is. The Mario series also continues their tradition of small voice exclamations while characters are speaking, but still fail to do full voice acting. Although it is a nice touch, I wish Nintendo did fully voice their characters considering the epic scale of Galaxy.

Another last pointer I must make was that the fully orchestrated music added to much to the game. You really felt like you were in these rich environments thanks to the music. The different styles really helped with whatever the stage you were working on was; a haunted mansion, a joyous garden, or some totally wacked out Galaxy that you couldn’t of thought of in your wildest dreams. Overall I give the game a 9.8 missing a ten because of some levels that were just too easy or too hard and disrupted the steady stream of pretty difficult, but not at the point of over-the-top gameplay.

Super Smash Bros Brawl- 4 Days Left

Today's Desperate Level: 5

Wazup?: Still excited, 9.5 from IGN, so close, so close!!! Also, item encyclopedia at smashbros.com, pretty neat update, check it out.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl -5 days left

Today's Desperate Level: 6.5

Wazup?: IGN just gave the game a 9.5 - incredible and an awesome video review, check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 6 days left

I don't know if you guys noticed but I accidentally miscounted the days left, so it should be 6, not  7 days left.

Today's Desperate Level: 1

Wazup?: Today would've been the day the original game came out for the vritual console if Nintendo continued its pattern of releasing older versions of games that have new additions coming out soon (Mario, Metriod, Zelda) but unfortunetly there is no N64 Super Smash Bros. I'm sorry if I sounded a bit whinny. :(

The Chumby

Before I start this review of the product, I’d like to set-up a format that I hopefully will be using for most of my product reviews.

The product name will always be in the title

The price will then follow: in this case $179.99

And then cnet.com’s review number: 7.3 – Very Good 

Now please enjoy the review of the Chumby.

 

Now in the world of consumer electronics we have seen some pretty comical names for products. These also include the ridiculously long, product key-like names for TVs (LN-T3253H), but none of that can add-up to this device.

 

The Chumby, whose name is as cute as its soft plushy design is actually a small, Wi-Fi enabled, Linux-based, internet widget, thing. What it basically does is connect to your home wireless network, and begins to download widgets from the Chumby site, where you can also customize your Chumby. Speaking of customization, there is also a metal clip where you can put on little Chumby charms on, adding more to the cute design.

 

The Chumby primarily has the main uses. The first of these is basically as an information hoarder. The Chumby can pull all sorts of weather, RSS feeds, and pretty much anything you want from the internet to itself. Its other great use is as an alarm clock. It has a nice wide touch-screen and a snooze button under its plushy top. Lastly, it is also a great on-the-go music device, able to stream internet radio as well as a speaker for an iPod hookup.

 

I can think of two main ways you would use the Chumby. One would by just as a kind of portable internet thingy at home that you can set up at like the counter for daily weather and news. The other would be on a trip, where you can use it as your alarm clock but also it would be your email and flight information checker. I wouldn’t say it’s entirely useful but it kind of is the Chumby, and you want it. Whatever it does.