New Wii Bundle with Mario Kart Wii Pack (with Wii Wheel)

Nintendo will release a new current generation Wii bundle to replace the
present pack that comes with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. The Mario Kart with Wii Wheel is currently sold at $39.96 at Amazon. I think this would be a better attraction to potential Wii buyers, because you will be getting one of the best selling game of the Wii era in Mario Kart although some may argue that you will be losing 2 games which represent the flagship of motion sensor gaming from the Nintendo Wii.



This new bundle pack also comes with a price slash bringing the Wii MSRP officially to $149.99 amid the news that Sony will release the next generation Wii in 2012 and it will be showcased at the E3 in June 2011. Retailers like Toys R Us and Best Buy had started their own price cuts prior to Nintendo's official price cut in a move to sell as many Wiis off their shelves and inventories as they expect sales to slow down towards the launch of the next generation Wii. Many rumors are guessing that the new Wii a.k.a Wii 2 or Wii HD will finally bring HD graphics to the popular console with some even suggesting that the remote would come with a video graphics screen.

With Sony and Microsoft getting into the act of motion sensor gaming with the PlayStation Move and Xbox Kinect respectively, gaming enthusiasts are eager to know what Nintendo will pull out of its hat this time.

How to Check Wii Firmware Version

I saw a post offering modding services for the Nintendo Wii 3.0-4.1 (any region) and I realised I don't know what version is my Wii. And to add insult to injury, I have no idea how to check the version on my Wii because there's no Help > About tab. I quickly searched on Google "how to check Wii firmware" and it returned some results, mostly linked to Yahoo! Answers page. In the end, I did manage to find out what's my Wii's version. It's version 4.3U. All you have to do to check for your Wii firmware version is to go into the Wii settings box and then it's on the top right corner of page 1!

Sony PSPGo Discontinued?

Sources have revealed that the Sony PSPGo is discontinued after the product page was removed from Sony’s website. So all that are left of the PSPGo are those in the shelves.
The PSPGo which was introduced back in 2009 after the PSP-3000 series failed to garner much market attention in its attempt to do away with the UMD and shifted focus to digital media download instead.
This move nicely paves the way for the Sony NGP introduction which is rumored to be sometime around Fall 2011. Will it be another shot at scrapping physical media in favor of digital media download? Most likely not. The market is still too young for full digital content. Unless, of course, Sony chooses to push through this barrier and give it one more try. The Sony NGP release may be delayed due the supply chain being affected by the 311 Japan earthquake.

Wii Price Drop to $150 and Arrival of Wii HD (Wi 2)

The rumors of Nintendo finally giving in to a price drop has appeared on various sites in recent weeks. More interestingly, the rumors of the possible upcoming announcement of the Wii HD (Wii 2) has gain traction and it does seem like it’s going full steam ahead with some expectations from Nintendo at the E3 conference this June.

Ever since Nintendo brilliantly made the first step of the gaming breakthrough with motion sensing gaming through its revolutionary Wii console in 2006, the price tag has never had an official price slash. The notable “discounts” would be through regular sales and also Black Friday sales. For e.g. I snagged a Nintendo Wii White Bundle with Motion Plus for $199.99 with $50 free credit from Amazon.com just this past Christmas shopping. That would drop the actual value of the Wii to $149.99. That’s as close as you can get to a cheap Wii. There were also offers seen previously for $170.

The Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 have both introduced price cuts and also improved slim editions. Sony introduced the PS3 in 2006, the PS3 slim in 2009 and price cut in 2009. Microsoft meanwhile launched the Xbox 360 in 2007, Xbox slim in 2009 and price cut in 2009. Everyone has been thinking it’s got to be Nintendo’s turn to take a step down in terms of retail pricing.

The most expected outcome would be a Wii HD which is backwards compatible to the current Wii. The Wii has been widely known to be behind the pack when it comes to graphics quality and has taken some bashing for the lack of details and focus on the kiddy games. But guess what, people kept buying it and it’s the best selling console ahead of the PS3 and Xbox 360! And Sony launched the Move and Microsoft launched the Kinect in 2010 to try and get a piece of the motion sensing gaming pie sector. This only proves that Nintendo got it right way back in 2006 and after much delay, Sony and Microsoft followed.

What Wii-ll Nintendo bring to the table this time? Let’s wait and see…. It should be interesting.

Best of Both Worlds: Street Fighter X Tekken Game Coming to PS3

This is gonna get the Street Fighter fan pumped up and the Tekken fans excited at the same time. Capcom and Konami have teamed up for a new release: Street Fighter X Tekken crossover game for PS3. The Street Fighter franchise has been a great tradition dating back to my kiddo days when the NES was the game console that every kid on the block wanted. Ryu and Ken are still the living legend in fighting games uptil today. With this collaboration, fans of fighting genre can have the best of two worlds with Street Fighter X Tekken (SFXT). This joint venture however will cast some questions on which franchise is the main star of the game. Obviously nobody wants to take any trademark moves or original features out of both the characters and the settings. To find the midway point of balance between the Street Fighter combo moves and Tekken’s settings can be quite a task in order to satisfy both sets of fans. Put this in your to-buy list. Better still, pre-order your copy at Amazon.com and be ready for the unleashing of SFXT come release date (TBD).

Sony NGP (PSP 2) Rumored to Face Delays Due to Supply Chain Effects from 311 Japan Earthquake

There are rumors circling around about Sony’s next generation portable gaming console being delayed due to the supply chain no thanks to the Japan 311 earthquake. The Sony NGP comes with improved gameplay experience via the back panel sensor which makes use of the gamer’s fore fingers that are normally rested behind a portable gaming console. The NGP is expected to be a hit as it is considered a true 2nd generation of portable gaming console with fresh new features after Sony’s launch of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) back in 2006. The UMD will not be a feature on the NGP and there wasn’t much debate about the UMD being a failure which has seen it been phased out when Sony went for the PSP Go. Trying to revamp the portable gaming console scene, Nintendo has entered the market with its 2nd generation DS in the form of the Nintendo DS 3D in 2011. Game selection is still a constraint for potential portable gaming console buyers and many are eagerly waiting for the Sony NGP to provide truly satisfying portable gaming experience to teenagers, students, and frequent travelers (be it college students embarking for semester break getaways or working adults being dispatched for business trips). NGP, I will wait for you…..

New Mario Wii Game - Mario Sports Mix (Feb 7 2011 Release)

Mario™ has a long history as a sports fan. Throughout his storied career he has pursued an interest in golf, tennis, baseball and go-karting, to name just a few. Now Mario’s tackling four different sports at the same time, all of them included on one disc for the Wii™ console. The game MARIO™ SPORTS MIX lets players jump into games of hockey, basketball, volleyball or dodgeball. The game launches on Feb. 7.

Mario Sports Mix presents these four familiar sports – but with a Mario twist. Players can choose from a variety of playable Mushroom Kingdom characters and can even challenge Mario and friends directly by playing as their own Mii™ characters. Each game contains a number of Mushroom Kingdom power-ups that can turn the tide of a game in an instant, such as banana peels, green shells and even mini mushrooms. In over-the-top Mario sports fashion, each character can unleash his or her unique special move that ranges from Mario’s fire dunk in basketball to Yoshi’s rainbow attack in dodgeball.

Players can also elect to hold their matches in a number of interesting venues. For example, the Wario Factory has conveyor belts that affect how the players move on the court, while in Peach’s Castle, fountains go up and down to block certain areas of the net in Volleyball.

Up to four friends who are in the same room can join in the fun, while up to four players (one or two at each location) can compete over a broadband Internet connection via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection. Players can play online against friends with whom they have traded friend codes, or anonymously against other opponents. Multiplayer modes require additional controllers, which are sold separately.

33% of People Waiting for GT5 Do Not Own a PS3

If you’re reading this site, you probably know Gran Turismo 5 is a big deal for the PlayStation brand, but we can’t often quantify that into numbers. Data collected by marketing research agency OTX GamePlan, however, gives a peek into stats you know Sony is taking into careful consideration. According to their latest survey, 33% of people who plan on purchasing GT5 don’t yet own a PlayStation 3 console to play it on. In other words, if GT5 sells anywhere close to GT4’s 10.9 million copies, there will have to be several million consoles out the door along with it. For a system that sells around 10 million units per year, that would be healthy increase. Without a solid release date for the game, though, those consoles could be sitting on the shelf for a while…

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for PS3 for $13 @ Amazon

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for PS3 is on sale at Amazon.com with free shipping if you buy above $25 (or if you have Amazon Prime). I was introduced to the Prince of Persia franchise by my old housemate who played it on PC a few years back. I gave it a try a few times as well while he was trying to finish it off. It has an average rating of 4/5 (as reviewed and voted by 27 people). If you're a Prince of Persia fan, this is a decent price for this game and I hope you enjoy it.


Product Features
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3

* From huge-scale multi-enemy combat to dizzying feats of acrobatic prowess in gigantic environments enhanced by the Prince?s ability to control nature and time, The Forgotten Sands will push the Prince?s prodigious abilities to a not-yet-seen level.
* With all-out war at the gates of the kingdom, the Prince?s abilities will be challenged like never before through the course of epic wow moments, be it by scaling a castle tower collapsing under bombardment or combating foes hundreds of feet tall.
* Wielding powers of nature and time, the Prince will have unparalleled mastery over his environment and his enemies. The Prince will discover that harnessing the forces of nature itself will prove to be a devastating companion to his ability to rewind time.
* Powered by the Anvil Engine used for Assassin?s Creed 2, The Forgotten Sands promises to bring a Prince of Persia experience like never before seen. Battle hordes of enemies at once, explore life-like settings, and experience a more powerful Prince.
* Set between Prince of Persia ? The Sands of Time and Warrior Within, The Forgotten Sands provides fans with a new chapter in the saga of the Prince, and an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the events from this series.

Embark on an adventure to an exotic land and unleash your legendary moves on enemies as the acclaimed Prince of Persia: Sands of Time story line makes its return. Unfolding with the mystery and powerful narrative that have become classic elements in this series, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands challenges you to unleash powerful offensive attacks and destroy your enemies. Race against time in an unforgiving world as you experience the return of the vaunted Prince of Persia.

New Super Mario Bros for Nintendo Wii

The kids of the 80's are definitely loving this. And they'd be missing out on a huge come back hit if they choose to skip this experience. The favorite game of the 80's is back in the New Super Mario Bros (NSMB) for Nintendo Wii. This is a follow up to the Nintendo DS version which also became an instant hit last Christmas. I remember that Super Mario was a must have game in the Nintendo console 15 years back and Nintendo did a great job in renewing the Mario franchise with Super Mario Bros 3. 2009 will all be about the New Super Mario Bros Wii which now provides the option to have multiplayers actively playing at the very same time. Now I am thinking about tag team acts to get through the stages and deliberate pushing of your partner to sabotage the game. Up to 4 players can be playing at the same time and it is gonna look chaotic to me, but fun. No doubt about it.

I am itching to get my hands on my Wii and have a go at this all time favorite game franchise from Nintendo. Also introduced this time around are new power ups like the Ice Flower which is the opposite of the usual fireball attack. With the Ice Flower power up, you could freeze the enemy into a block and use it as an object to be thrown or pushed around. Then there's the Penguin Suit which, on top of the Ice Flower's ability, allows players to slide along the ground and across water as well as have better control on ice and in water. The Propeller Suit power up allows players to launch up into the air (fly).

This game has gathered some accolades like the IGN 2009 Wii Game of the Year Award and Best Wii Game Award at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards besides making the biggest debut for a Wii game in Japan. And in the US, it has become the biggest seller after the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which is another humongous hit to be honest with the graphics, gameplay and everything. But to compare the New Super Mario Bros to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 would not be fair considering the New Super Mario Bros is still being played in a 2D platform amid efforts by the game developer to enhance gameplay experience by having some of the characters and objects are 3D polygonal renderings on 2D backgrounds, resulting in what some people call 2.5D. Having achieved that,

Hot Deal: New Super Mario Bros $40 at Amazon with Free Shipping

Amazon has New Super Mario Bros (Wii) for $40 with free shipping. It is currently out of stock but estiamted to be back in stock on January 3, 2010. Nevertheless, this matches the $40 pricetag which Best Buy is offering now as part of Best Buy's promotion. However, it is out of stock as per Best Buy's website as well, so you  need to go to B&M to see if they have it. A quick check for my zipcode showed that the 5 nearest Best Buy stores are out. Anyway, it's cheaper if you buy this through Amazon now because you don't have to pay for tax. And don't forget your cashback through BigCrumbs.

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

Mario Kart Wii (with Wii Wheel) is the first game that comes into my mind for Nintendo games after Street Fighter because I used to play the Nintendo 64 version way back when I was a little boy. The battle royale style of comical racing is definitely going to bring so much fun to the players, especially the younger ones. Special Powers/Weapons/Moves/Features: Whether racing around an obstacle-filled track or battling in an arena, drifting and tossing items are the keys to Mario Kart success. Players can shake the Wii Remote while launching off a ramp to pull off a trick that will temporarily boost their speed. When riding a bike, players can gain additional speed by flicking the Wii Remote up and popping a wheelie!

 

The Wii Wheel provides an extra dimension to how we would normally play Mario Kart (and attack your friends) and I can see people busting out in laughters in the multiplayer mode.