La maggior parte di voi conoscerà senz'altro WiiFit, il videogioco per Wii che, con l'aiuto di una sofisticata bilancia (la Wii Balance Board), è in grado di rilevare il peso e la massa di una persona, proponendo una discreta quantità di esercizi da relizzare con l'aiuto di un personal trainer virtuale. In questi giorni è scoppiata una piccola polemica in merito al responso che una bambina, in seguito ad una sessione di gioco, ha ricevuto: sei grassa. Kotaku.com riporta il messaggio che il padre avrebbe lasciato in un forum:

We have all laughed and joked about being told that we're fat and need to lose weight but I was gobsmacked when it [Wii Fit] told her that she is overweight. She is a healthy 10 year old girl with an active lifestyle, she swims and dances every week. She is 92lbs and 4ft9" tall and there is not an inch of fat on her. She is solidly built but not fat. She was devasted to be called fat and we had to work hard to convince her that she isn't. I know it is just a game but seriously we already have to worry about young girls starving themselves to look like the magazine models and now we have a game that tells them their fat. This to me is very worrying and I hope that is doesn't cause emotional problems for any youngsters out there :(

In parole povere, la bambina (10 anni, 40kg per 1.40m) è stata definita sovrappeso, secondo l'analisi del BMI (Indice Massa Corporea), e lei non l'ha presa decisamente bene; anzi, i genitori sono stati costretti a lavorare duro per convincerla che è soltanto robusta.

Pochi giorni fa, in merito proprio a questa vicenda, Tam Fry (foto a fianco), esperto del National Obesity Forum, ha pubblicamente chiesto a Nintendo di non utilizzare il BMI come metro di giudizio per i bambini ed ha vivamente sconsigliato l'acquisto di WiiFit ai più giovani, soprattutto quando questi vengono definiti grassi (ma nel gioco non si dice più di overweight, sovrappeso). Nella sua risposta, Nintendo si è scusata per i consumatori rimasti offesi, specificando che il BMI utilizzato nel gioco è solo un sistema di punteggio assegnato dal gioco e solo in parte corrispondente al reale indice di massa corporea.

Quanto ci vorrà ancora affinché si smetta di considerare i videogiochi come la causa di ogni male? Com'è possibile attaccare Nintendo per il semplice fatto che, secondo un rapporto altezzo/peso, una bambina sovrappeso risulta una bambina sovrappeso?

The Associated Press: Nintendo's latest game wants you off the couch

Wii Parental Control Codegenerator

Quelle: http://www.wiidata.net/index.php/2008/05/15/wii-kindersicherung-verloren-code-resetten/

Why can't we just look at consoles for what they are, entertaining pieces of equipment?  We have already seen Nintendo state that it is not in direct competition with Microsoft or Sony because its game offerings (Nintendo DS and Wii) cater to a different kind of audience than Microsoft and Sony's.  That's not to say that there isn't some overlap, for there certainly are people who enjoy offerings from all three companies, but it's still important to recognize that consoles mean different things for different people.  One person might buy a Wii to play games like Wii Sports, while another might play games like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3.  Likewise, a person might buy an Xbox 360 to play games like Gears of War and Halo, and another might play games like Viva Pinata.

From a sales perspective, yes it is important to know how you are doing in the face of your competitors.  However, it seems like this sense competition has begun to expand beyond corporate boundaries.  Not only are the people behind these companies intent on knowing "what place they're in", but now consumers are as well.  Sure, it can be fun to look at the NPD numbers and see what consoles and games come out on top for a given month, but please don't let what place a system is in affect whether to buy and/or support it.  It's a lot like sports.  We support the teams we like whether they're winning or losing and we go to games, not to see whether they win or lose (although that is a part of it), but to have an enjoyable time.  Let's not forget that at their core, that is what video game consoles are all about, having fun.

So is the console war over?  For many people, no, it won't be over until the next generation of consoles.  However, for other people, there never was a war to begin with, just several great consoles to choose from with equally great game lineups.

Sono una strafigata pazzesca!!!

Nintendo Wii Top Sellers Bundle - With 17 Top Selling Games And 4 Controllers

Whether they're young or old, expert gamers or beginners, Wii players will express themselves with intuitive motion control using the Wii Remote: a flick of the wrist to swing a baseball bat or tennis racket, a backswing and follow-through to send a golf ball flying over a pristine fairway. Wii Sports, packaged with the Wii console, introduces players to those and many other experiences.

The sleek Wii console, no larger than a stack of several DVD cases, includes a Wii Sports Game Disc ( 5 games; Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Bowling and Boxing), a sensor bar, a standard composite cable, a Wii stand, a Wii Remote, and a Nunchuk for even more exciting game-control possibilities.

Temporary blip?

The Wii sold 714,000 units in April helping to lift hardware sales 26% to $426.2m. But Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 both saw lower sales in April compared with March. NPD analyst Anita Frazier said she was "surprised" at this decline considering that GTA IV is designed for these two consoles. Figures from the NPD showed that GTA IV sold nearly 2.9 million copies in the US in its first five days. But Ms Frazier observed that since the game was only in the market for five days during the reporting period, the sales lift could take place in May. After GTA IV, other top selling games included Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii and Sony's Gran Turismo 5: Prologue. These helped software sales jump 68% to $654.7m

We've heard the anecdotes. "I've been to every Walmart in my city, and none have Wiis!" Yea yea, who cares about your isolated town. But it comes from a lot of isolated towns, and as such, many on the internet have been skeptical of the situation, claiming that Nintendo might be employing some stealthy tactics to stoke up demand.

Skeptics, point those fingers elsewhere. Nintendo's Dervin Camden is here to clear up this fog of console war:

The fact is that we have put far more product on store shelves worldwide than our competitors. The difference is that in a very short time we have far outpaced their total sales... There is no benefit to Nintendo in not having enough product on the shelves to allow everyone who wants one to be able to buy one, which begs the question, 'Why don't you just make more?' Please understand that the Wii console is a complex electronic device featuring one-of-a-kind components from different suppliers around the world. Many things factor into our being able to effectively increase assembly and shipment of a product without compromising quality control.

I don't think that they purposely bottleneck their supply chains to keep demand flaring, but i don't think they're rushing to meet it neither. Though do keep in mind that Nintendo recently reallocated U.S. shipments to Europe, which one could safely assume is a result of the weak American dollar.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.554173&w=425&h=350&fv=object_ID%3D14248157%26downloadURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwiimovies.ign.com%2Fwii%2Fvideo%2Farticle%2F874%2F874856%2Fconduit_trailer_051608_flvlow.flv%26allownetworking%3D] From IGN.com posted with vodpod

If you don't recognize High Voltage Software, maybe you'll remember them such games as Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack or the upcoming WiiWare games such as Gyrostarr and Animales de la Muerte.

Source: IGN.com

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.554173&w=425&h=350&fv=object_ID%3D14248157%26downloadURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwiimovies.ign.com%2Fwii%2Fvideo%2Farticle%2F874%2F874856%2Fconduit_trailer_051608_flvlow.flv%26allownetworking%3D] From IGN.com posted with vodpod

If you don't recognize High Voltage Software, maybe you'll remember them such games as Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack or the upcoming WiiWare games such as Gyrostarr and Animales de la Muerte.

Source: IGN.com

Fuente

Fuente

- postado por Gustavo

The Conduit Trailer
http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14248157/the-conduit/videos/conduit_trailer_051608.html
This game looks sweet! Plus there's a hunt at the end about online multiplayer.

From Nintendo

Average customer review:

Product Description

Start your engines and race with Mario and his friends with their finely tuned racing machines in Mario Kart Wii. Use 3 different control styles with the Wii Wheel included in the box. The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play. Mario Kart Wii draws on courses and battle arenas from every game in the series - not to mention tons of new ones. The true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned. Experience new tracks, enhanced Wii graphics, extraordinary gameplay and much more. Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions to open up increasingly difficult and thrilling circuits. You can have multiplayer races on any open courses or battle in arenas. Now you can feel like you are Mario and steering to avoid obstacles and doing incredible stunts.

Special Powers/Weapons/Moves/Features - Shake the Wii Remote to pull off a trick that will temporarily boost your speed. When riding a bike, gain additional speed by flicking the Wii Remote up and popping a wheelie Up to 12 people via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or up to 10 people via Wi-Fi Connection with 2 people playing locally

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Model: rvlrrmce
• Released on: 2008-04-27
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Nintendo Wii
• Dimensions: 4.00 pounds

Features

• Wii Wheel must be used with a Wii Remote (Remote not included)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Drivers, start your engines!

Nintendo is bringing Mario and his friends with their finely tuned racing machines back and this time to the Nintendo Wii. With 3 different control styles and a Wii Wheel included in the box, Mario Kart Wii is bound to be the best in the series. The worldwide race is on with a whole new set of tricks, tracks, and ways to play! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions. Mario Kart Wii draws on courses and battle arenas from every game in the series - not to mention tons of new ones - the true king of the Mushroom Kingdom racing circuits will finally be crowned.

Wii Wheel Included!

New Intense Tracks and Tricks View larger.

Cool new car designs View larger.

Mario and his friends are back and ready to race once again in Mario Kart Wii! Experience new tracks, enhanced Wii graphics, extraordinary gameplay and much more! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions to open up increasingly difficult and thrilling circuits. Players can have multiplayer races on any open courses or battle in arenas. Also included with Mario Kart Wii is the Wii Wheel! Now you can feel like your Mario and steering to avoid obstacles and doing incredible stunts - in the safety of your home of course.

Game Features:

• The Wii Wheel transforms the Wii Remote™ controller into a steering wheel that feels natural in anyone's hands, while the Wii Remote and Nunchuk™ controller offer a classic control style for the Mario Kart veteran. In either configuration, players can perform speed-boosting tricks with a shake of the Wii Remote.
• Players can race as their favorite Nintendo character, or even as themselves! Mario Kart Wii lets players race with their personalized Mii™ characters. And racers will see other Mii characters they have created cheering from the sidelines on some race courses.
• Players can compete with up to three friends in their living room. Or challenge up to 11 opponents via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in the biggest Mario Kart race yet. All tracks and modes of play are available via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and players can visit the Mario Kart Channel to compete in tournaments, check rankings, see when their friends are playing and download ghost data.
• Cruise new tracks and arenas or tour classic courses from Super Mario Kart™, Mario Kart® 64, Mario Kart®: Super Circuit™, Mario Kart®: Double Dash!!™ and Mario Kart® DS. Tired of riding on four wheels? Bust out one of the new motorbikes for special tricks and techniques.

Characters
Nintendo favorites Mario™, Luigi™, Peach™, Yoshi®, Donkey Kong®, Wario™, Bowser™ and Toad™, plus a host of new faces-including your own! Get into the game and put your Mii™ character behind the wheel.

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

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection:
Keeping in the tradition of Mario Kart, Nintendo has pushed multiplayer racingeven further utilizing the Wii's built in Wi-Fi Connection. There are two options for races and battles over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection: up to 12 people via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or up to 10 people via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection with two people playing locally.

Customer Reviews

One of the best games for Wii
I was expecting a lot from this game the way Nintendo was hyping it up. And they delivered. The game is so much fun. The wheel takes a little getting used to but after you've got the hang of it, you cant put it down. You can play online against people all over the world, or just your friends if they have the game.

The only thing I can even think to complain about is when you play with three or four players it can get a little hard to see. And I have a 52" HDTV. But that is easily fixed either tell your friends to go home so you play full screen. Or just get a larger TV.

A great game for non-gamers and gamers too!
I am not a gamer. My husband is. We got a Wii a while back because we thought it would be good way for us to enjoy games together and have some fun with friends. I really enjoyed Wii bowling and my husband liked most of the sports games. But I didn't see any games for the Wii that I thought would make me a dedicated player.

Then Mario Kart Wii came out. My little sister had an N64 back in the 90s and I had played Mario Kart with her--it was fun, but I always had a hard time with the joystick controls. Out of nostalgia for that old game, I ordered Mario Kart Wii and an extra wheel. I was instantly hooked. The Wii Wheel makes it alot easier to manuver the car (for me, someone who had never gotten the feel of a joystick) and the tracks, the different characters and the cars all make it lots of fun. Now i'm working my way through the different cups at the different speeds, and I'm starting to race online using Mario Kart WFC--which I must say, really puts your skills in perspective!

My husband really likes Mario Kart Wii too. He had never played the game before and normally doesn't like racing games, but he said the weapons, different characters and zany tracks make it interesting. And it's great that it's something we--with our wildly different gaming skill sets--can play together.

I would recommend this game for someone who enjoyed earlier versions of Mario Kart, or who likes to play multiplayer games (you can always play a multiplayer game with Mario Kart Wii because of the online games), or maybe even for someone who isn't that into video games but just wants something that is lots of fun. You'll be hooked--just like I am!

Great Family Game
We rented Mario Kart Wii last weekend and LOVED it. My three sons and i played it every chance we got and had a blast. It is easy enough that everyone in the family can play and have fun, but also challenging enough to hold you attention and keep the adults playing long after the kids have gone to bed. My sons are 7, 7, and 5 and they were all able to play competitively after only a few races. Even my wife who doesn't usually like racing games had a great time playing it. This is definitely one that we need to buy!

Buy from this store here!

Questions concerning the future of the Electronic Entertainment Expo have swirled since show organizers the Entertainment Software Association decided to dramatically downscale the gaming industry's premier event in 2006. While the ESA has continued to trudge on with E3 amid debate over the show's relevance, this month saw a potentially debilitating blow struck to the organization when soon-to-be-merged publishers Activision and Vivendi said they would not be renewing their membership with the representative body nor attending its annual event. Now, another leading gamemaker has decided to part ways with the ESA. It has confirmed with LucasArts that the all-things-Star Wars publisher will not be renewing its membership with the ESA, though the publisher still plans to attend this year's E3 Media and Business Summit at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 15-17. "We can confirm that LucasArts is no longer a member of the ESA," said LucasArts public relations director Margaret Grohne. "As a company we are still committed to bringing consumers the best interactive experience possible and support the ESA's mission in the industry. LucasArts will be participating in E3." The ESA was quick to issue a statement both acknowledging LucasArts' departure and painting a bright portrait of the organization's future. "Since its creation in 1994, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has grown and evolved into the pre-eminent voice of the video and computer game industry," said ESA senior vice president of communications and research Rich Taylor. "The organization has 25 members, including three companies that were welcomed last year. Today, we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts' decision. Last year was a record year for an industry which is becoming an increasingly important part of the nation's social, cultural and economic landscape. We are confident the industry will continue to thrive and ESA will continue to create a beneficial environment for the entire entertainment software industry." In the wake of Activision and Vivendi's departure from the ESA, several other publishers and developers, including NCsoft and Foundation 9 said they would also be skipping out on this year's event. However, a number of other gamemakers, including Electronic Arts, Bethesda Softworks, Warner Bros. Interactive, Majesco, and D3Publisher, reaffirmed their commitment to the annual trade show. After having initially confirmed its attendance, id Software's appearance at this year's show remains in question.

Yesterday's release of April sales figures for US retailers contained a contradiction of sorts that raised a number of eyebrows. Despite the massive launch success of Grand Theft Auto IV, the Rockstar game didn't appear to be a "system seller," as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 hardware sales were actually down significantly from the previous month. In a brief on the NPD figures today, Entertainment Design and Research analyst Jesse Divnich said the results strengthened an assessment he made last month that Sony and Microsoft's latest consoles have saturated the possible market at their current price points. At the time, Divnich pointed to stagnant hardware sales of the two systems despite banner debuts for Army of Two and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 as evidence that prices would need to come down on the systems. Divnich pointed out that April was the first time Xbox 360 sales dipped below an average of 50,000 a week since last July, and that dip was followed the very next month by a price cut for the hardware. "Of course, it might be a little too soon to speculate that we can expect a price drop in the coming weeks or additional hardware SKUs (an Xbox 360 with Blu-Ray capability) in the coming month," Divnich said, "but if May's hardware sales drop below the 50,000 units sold a week threshold, we can definitely expect something in terms of a change in strategy from both Microsoft and Sony."

With just four weeks remaining until Mass Effect on the PC was scheduled to stack up alongside Boom Blox and Speed Racer at retail, Electronic Arts and BioWare abruptly hit the brakes last month. According to BioWare community administrator Chris Priestly, the game would now incubate until May 28 so that the team could "incorporate more play-testing feedback, add extra polish, and tune the additional features." The kinks now sufficiently ironed, BioWare said today that the PC edition of Mass Effect has entered mass production and is on schedule for its May 28 release in North America and June 6 debut in Europe. BioWare collaborated with Massachusetts-based Demiurge Studios on the PC edition of Mass Effect. As for those aforementioned tweaks, the PC edition offers a suite of additions to the 360 version, with the most visible being a reworked heads-up display and inventory-management system. The game also touts a new control scheme optimized for PCs, individual control over squad members, and a new decryption minigames. Mass Effect PC purchasers who also register with BioWare's community site will also have immediate access to the Bring Down the Sky downloadable expansion free of charge. EA is looking to stimulate preorders by knocking off $10 from the game's $49.99 sticker price for those who buy in advance, among other incentives. Responding to public outcry, the publisher also did away with the game's controversial digital rights management protocol, which would have required the game to be reauthenticated every 10 days as a security measure.

Buried in yesterday's pile of Konami announcements, which included reveals of Rock Revolution and the obligatory passel of DanceDance Revolutions, were new details about a highly anticipated product. One month after revealing it was releasing the Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 hardware bundle in North America, the Japanese publisher has now priced the package. For $599.99, gamers will get a gunmetal gray 40GB PS3, matching DualShock 3 controller, and a copy of what is being billed as antihero Solid Snake's final adventure. Unfortunately, those wishing to leisurely pick up an MGS4 PS3 bundle at their local game store are out of luck. First, the bundle will only be available via Konami's online store. Second, the bundled is being billed as a "highly limited edition," with Konami playing up the fact that very few will ever be produced. Third, preorders begin sometime on May 19th, meaning those hoping to buy the console will have to repeatedly check the product page and be ready to pounce the moment it goes on sale. Luckily those who can't acquire a limited MGS4 PS3 bundle can still get the regular MGS4 PS3 bundle, which is arguably a better deal, since it is $100 cheaper than the LE and includes a backward-compatible 80GB PS3 that can play previous MGS games. GameStop is also exclusively selling a limited edition of the now-gold game, which goes on sale in North America on June 12

Bueno, el martes, al regresar mis tíos (y él, claro) de Margarita, me trajeron esto:

Que en su interior, contenía esto:

Let's get ready to rooooock!

Este juego me gustó muchísimo desde que pude jugarlo en el Xbox360 de mi primo (claro, la versión anterior, es decir, Guitar Hero 2); y en base a ese, cuando supe que saldría una secuela y que además funcionaría en el Wii, me dije a mi mismo que tenía que comprarlo.

Ahora que lo tengo, me gustaría reseñarlo un poco. Ciertamente, mis expectativas en cuanto al juego se vieron cumplidas en algunos aspectos, en otros no tanto. Pero, voy a eso.

Primero, lo más importante: La guitarra.
Esta está modelada a partir de una Gibson Les Paul, y viene de color blanco, aunque tiene carátulas personalizables, con sólo mover un interruptor ubicado en la parte trasera de la guitarra. El cuello de esta se puede quitar, supongo que para poder guardarla con mayor facilidad. Los botones que representan las 5* cuerdas de la guitarra, mantienen los colores de la misma manera que en el primer juego (verde, rojo, amarillo, azul, anaranjado); pero en el caso de esta, sólo los bordes son de color, el centro es negro (acorde con el color del cuello).

*Yo sé que la guitarra tiene 6 cuerdas, pero modelarlas en el juego complicaría más el asunto, creo yo..

Una característica importante (tanto de buena como mala manera) es el hecho de necesitar conectar el Wiimote a la guitarra. Esto hace que no sea necesario conectar mediante cables la guitarra al Wii (aunque otras consolas también han sacado versiones inalámbricas), y que el sensor de inclinación sea mucho más preciso (después explico para qué el sensor). Lo malo, es que la guitarra como tal sólo actúa como un adaptador, por decirlo de alguna manera; y por tanto, el precio de la guitarra es excesivo, precisamente teniendo eso en cuenta.

Luego, viene el juego en sí.
Primero, pues lo primero que noté. La parte gráfica del juego, y la que más le quita puntos a esta versión. Ok, está bien, se trata del Wii, y su motor gráfico no es tan potente como los de las otras 2 consolas (es decir, el Xbox360 y el Playstation 3), pero tampoco era como para que se viera tan caricaturesco. A estas alturas, ya me acostumbré (o quizás es que ando ignorando ese aspecto), pero si me pongo a comparar con alguna de las otras dos versiones, bueeee…

Las 3 versiones pueden conectarse a internet (en el caso del Wii, via wifi) y permite jugar contra otras personas a través de la red. También permite bajar canciones nuevas, lo cual me lleva a otro punto en contra: la falta de contenido descargable para el Wii. Las otras dos versiones del juego ya tienen disponibles como 3 paquetes de canciones, mientras que en el Wii, no ha salido ni la primera. Esto seguramente se debe a detalles particulares del Wii, como lo es la falta de espacio de almacenamiento (el Wii cuenta con un slot para memoria SD, pero imagino que eso hará problemático el poder regular la piratería de packs comprados).

Pero, no todo es malo.
El juego por internet es bastante fluido, las canciones son un poco más variadas que las de su predecesor (aunque me habrían gustado otras más rockeras). De todas maneras la adición de “One” de Metallica es una de la que no me quejo (y me gustaría que hubiesen agregado “Nothing Else Matters” –mi favorita- pero no se puede tener todo, ¿verdad?).

Si juegas con el Wiimote en vez de usar la guitarra, la cosa se complica. El control no tiene muchos botones como para elegir, y la configuración que pusieron los diseñadores del juego es un tanto extraña: B para Verde, Arriba (con el control sostenido de lado, y el botón Power hacia la izquierda) para Rojo, A para Amarillo, 1 para Azul, y 2 para Anaranjado, lo que hace que la forma de agarrar el control sea, por decir lo menos, interesante.

En cuanto al sonido, parece estar bien (el modo estrella, que duplica el multiplicador de notas –que se activa inclinando la guitarra hacia arriba; para eso era el sensor-, sin embargo, hace que la canción suene “vacía”. Quién sabe si esto se debe al problema que presentaron unos discos con el sonido, el cual era en mono en vez de estéreo. Lo interesante es que mi disco tiene muestras de ser del lote nuevo, y del viejo al mismo tiempo.)

De más está decir que el juego es sumamente entretenido. Al principio uno se pierde un poco en cuanto a cómo tocar, cuándo toca cambiar de un btón a otro, y esa clase de cosas, pero cuando uno le agarra el hilo al asunto, termina enviciado. Yo ya pasé el modo Fácil, y ahora voy casi terminando el Medio (no lo he terminado aún por ser tan perfeccionista: si termino una canción con menos de 5 estrellas, la repito una y otra vez). Queda el modo Difícil y Experto, junto con la canción más difícil de todo el juego: “Through the Fires and Flames” de Dragonforce.
¿Por qué es difícil? Bueno, miren:

(Son 3722 notas en 7~ minutos; en algunos puntos, esto significa unas 13 notas por segundo / 8 notas por segundo en promedio.)

Esta es la original:

(Al parecer a WordPress no le gustan los embed de YouTube, por tener Javascript. Ya lo arreglé.)

Beijo!

Wii owners are once again dished another fine piece of shovelware. Simply put, a developer/publisher takes an idea from a popular game, rehashes it in simple form, picks the most popular platform out there (this case being the Wii) and releases it for an outrageous price. THQ is simply trying to get the piece of the Guitar Hero pie here. Rock Band successfully did it back in November, but it also delivered a game that is quite better than its inspiration. Plus it helped having the original developer of Guitar Hero behind the project. Battle of the Bands does have a couple of unique ideas that I did enjoy, but it's one main fault turns anything positive about this title into negative. Simply put, we want games that are fun. Guitar Hero was fun but the formula was turning stale. Rock Band saved the day for music fans but going beyond just guitars. Battle of the Bands however goes the opposite direction. It focuses on one element of Guitar Hero and milks the living hell out of it.

So why do I keep mention "this element" from Guitar Hero. Well let me describe to you the game and perhaps you can make the connection as well. The focus of the game is the Adventure Mode. In this mode you visit a variety of different locations and compete vs. another band in getting the most points possible. Unlike Guitar Hero/Rock Band this game focuses on attacking each other, rather than just scoring more points. Now let's flashback to Guitar Hero III. Remember in the later arenas, before your encore you would face off vs. a "music legend" and attack each other by trying to screw each other up? That's precisely what you do in Battle of Bands. In fact, that is all you do. Sure you have to also hit the notes to even be able to attack each other, but the game is nothing more than that.

So why is Battle of the Bands retailing for $49.99, when it's simply an element from Guitar Hero? It doesn't have instruments, it doesn't have insane guitar riffs, it doesn't have arenas, hell, it doesn't even compare in the soundtrack department. This turned me off immediately.

The game does have one thing going for it however, and I give credit when credit is due. When you initially start up the Adventure Mode, you choose your band (pre-made bands) and genre of music. I of course chose rock because I listen to nothing other than rock. In the mode you choose which location you want to go to. This location will have a pre-set song that you must play vs. another band. The other band though will have a different genre of music. For instance, the first battle you can compete featured "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones (cover). Your version of the song is rock, but your opponent was pop. When engaged in the game, when you attack your opponent and become the leader the rock version of the song will play. However if your opponent attacks you and takes over the score lead, the pop version would be playing in the background. It's a unique feature, and I have to say it was the reason I kept playing the game to give it a fair judgement. But that feature alone does not make up for the faults.

The main fault of the game, believe it or not, was not for it being a mini-game turned full game thing, but rather the incredibly frustrating controls. Now there are two kinds of frustrating. There is the frustration like the Guitar Hero expert controls where it's not bullshit but rather demands incredible skill. And then there is frustration...like the kind you get from playing a game like Charlie's Angels on the Gamecube. It's where you recollect and ask yourself, "who in the hell decided this?" Battle of the Bands is the second kind of frustration when it comes to its controls. At first glance and use they seem smooth and responsive, but as you dig deeper you see the controls are too sensitive for the most part and you will screw up notes when you actually did the proper motion. It happens a lot when you have to flicker the remote from the left to the right instantly. It's not a hard motion, and it certainly doesn't require the stamina that Guitar Hero demands, but the game surely made it tough enough with the unresponsive controls.

It doesn't help when the presentation value is of the quality of a third grader who got bored in class and decided to draw up some lame comic strip. The training sessions help you learn the controls (or should I say introduce you to what crap you are going to have to eventually deal with), but your guide to the training session is in the figure of some Chinese wiseman (Mr. Wong). When you begin events, your band and the other band clash off with words (no voice, purely text - probably for the better) but it's nothing more than a waste of your valuable eyesight.

The soundtrack, while mostly compiled of the more unknown bands out there, isn't half bad. While certainly not up to par with it's competition, and with the inability for downloadable content on the Wii the song list cannot improve over time. The quality isn't terribly bad either, but if you want the feeling of rocking out on a surround sound system, please look elsewhere.

There is multiplayer available in the title for up to 2 players, and I have to say this would be the most appealing reason of why to rent this title. If you and a friend need a weekend rental to just pass time away, this game isn't a bad choice. It can lead to some nice battles and laughs, but it certainly isn't a title for the long run. When you find it for a far more friendly and worthy $20, then it's a good time to pick it up. However for the solo gamer, this game is pure rental and nothing more. Even for $20, a solo gamer will not get his/her value here strictly because the song list cannot grow. That is why I still play Rock Band to this day, it has new songs weekly. Pricing on the other hand is a completely different argument, and I won't go there.

The bottomline here, Battle of the Bands is nothing more than the boss battle mini-game from Guitar Hero III. It's unacceptable of the developer to turn that concept into a full game, and it's even more unacceptable of THQ to publish such garbage. THQ is a publisher I rather respect more than others. While most of their revenue comes from kid-focused games with them owning the Nickelodeon game license, they for the most part do dish out a lot of good, under the radar games (Full Spectrum Warrior anybody?).

Battle of the Bands is no Guitar Hero...hell it's no Roadie Hero. It's just more crap that Wii owners are suffered to deal with. Not to worry Wii owners, perhaps one day we will get a solid month of good releases. Unfortunately that won't come anytime soon with the pending release of 2008's Most Overhyped Piece of Garbage, Wii Fit.

Summary:
+ Music twisting is kind of cool
- More crap for Wii users
- Frustrating controls
- Clearly a gimmicky game to take on Guitar Hero
- Worth $20, at best...not $50
? Why were the boss battles from Guitar Hero made into a full game

The McNugget's Ratings:
Graphics: 67
Sound: 73
Gameplay: 62
Replay Value: 65
Overall: 63

When we first got the Wii we were up there often playing the sports games. I did terribly at tennis and baseball but I excelled at bowling. We have since bought a couple of extra games for it that I have no interest in playing. Until now.

Kelly and I played on Sunday night (Mother's Day) after he got home from work. The video is of us playing tug of war for the opportunity to answer a question. I Won!! I can't remember the question now but I remember answering it correctly. He won the first game we played and I won the second.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6309523621059698225]

  Não caro leitor do NoReset, você não leu errado.

  A revista sueca Game Reactor publicou um artigo afirmando que, a Sega está pensando seriamente em fazer Shenmue I e II para o Wii! Segundo a revista, o game contará também com mini-games exclusivos para o Wiimote.

 Se for parar para analisar, o boato não é totalmente infundado, visto que games da Sega  estão ganhando vida novamente no console da Nintendo como Nights, The house of the dead e atualmente, Samba de Amigo.

 Informações com Joystiq

The Xbox 360 family game of the month is SEGA Superstars Tennis. This title is rated E 10+, for ages 10 and up, and according to Xbox.com, includes several mini-games that can be played on ten-brilliantly themed tennis courts.

Additionally, Sega Superstars Tennis also features four tournaments that can be played by up to four people simultaneously either locally or on Xbox Live. Sonic, Shadow and Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball, and Alex Kidd – SEGA’s unofficial mascot of the late 1980’s, are just a few of the familiar characters from which children can choose, and there are a total of 16 playable characters in each game.

Parents can download a demo of Sega Superstars Tennis from the Xbox Live Marketplace, or view a trailer for the game here. However, this game is not limited to just the 360; it can also be played on the Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3.

- Mommy DX