September 2008
Monthly Archive
Pole Position: Remix Available On iPhone
Matt 30 Sep 2008 | : Apple, Video Games
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and love Pole Position then Prepare to qualify because Pole Position: Remix is now available on your overpriced Apple device’s AppStore for $10. The features include tilt steering, themed levels and a new track. I’m going to read up on the reviews before I purchase this one but hopefully Namco put time into this game unlike the version of Ms. Pacman I have on my cell phone.
More @ Namco Games.
Bejeweled Twist Coming In October
Matt 30 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
Popcap has announced that the new vesion of Bejeweled, Bejeweled Twist will be unveiled on October 27th. No one knows what the new twist will be but if it’s anything like Bejeweled 1 or 2 it will be addicting as hell.
light-Bot Online Flash Game
Matt 28 Sep 2008 | : Video Games, Web
light-Bot is a fun and addictive web game where the user has to guide the robot to certain boxes to get through the level. Unlike typical games where the user uses a control pad to guide the character, in Light-Bot the user writes a program complete with functions to try to guide the robot along the right path.
Play light-Bot here.
Little Big Planet Needs More Tetris
Matt 27 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
Little Big Planet is coming out in October and what a better way to show off this cool new game by showing this cool new game along with tetris. Little Big Planet lets you create and play through levels that you design and being able to design a level like Tetris makes me think that this game will be deep.
Four New Pennies Coming Next year
I love coins. Something about the jingle of them in my pocket excites me. I love feeling the grimy metal run through my fingers. But I hate pennies. Think we should do away with the things and just round up to the nickle. The U.S. Mint disagrees with me though as they have just recently unveiled the first penny redesign in 50 years to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The first of four pennies celebrating Lincoln’s life will be released on February 12th, 2009 which is Licoln’s birthday. The other designs will be introduced in three-month intervals after.
Rubik’s Mirror Blocks: Better Than The Cube
Matt 24 Sep 2008 | : Inventions
Rubik is at it again with Mirror Blocks. Now I’m a huge fan of the Rubik’s Cube even though I can’t solve it but this new toy is pretty sweet. Not only does the toy second as a way to see if you missed any spots shaving in the morning, but it seems to me like it would be more difficult than just matching colors.
I’m not really sure how the blocks even turn since they’re different sizes but it hurts my brain too much to think about it. I’ll let Mr. Rubik figure out the arthritic while I stare in awe at this awesome video:
Blu-ray Sale At Amazon.com
This is the first Blu-ray Disc sale I’ve seen in a while. The last time I remember Blu-ray’s at prices like this was last year during the Blu-ray/HD-DVD wars.. when HD-DVD was still around. The 95 Blu-rays on sale aren’t all trash either. Check out the sale at Amazon.
Nintendo’s Original 18 NES Games
Matt 21 Sep 2008 | : Nintendo Profiles
In June 1985, Nintendo unveiled its American version of the Famicom at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It rolled out its first systems to limited American markets on October 18, 1985, following up with a full-fledged North American release of the console in February of the following year. Nintendo simultaneously released eighteen launch titles: 10-Yard Fight, Baseball, Clu Clu Land, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Duck Hunt, Excitebike, Golf, Gyromite, Hogan’s Alley, Ice Climber, Kung Fu, Mach Rider, Pinball, Stack-Up, Tennis, Wild Gunman, Wrecking Crew, and Super Mario Bros.
1: 10-Yard Fight is a 1983 American football arcade game that was developed and published in Japan by Irem and published in the United States by Taito. The Nintendo Entertainment System version was developed and published in Japan by Irem and published in North America and Europe by Nintendo in 1985.
2: Baseball is a simple baseball video game made by Nintendo in 1983 for the Nintendo Family Computer, making it one of the first games released for the Famicom. It was later one of the NES’s 18 launch titles when it was released in 1985 in the United States. As in real baseball, the object of the game is to score the most runs. Up to two players are supported. Each player can select from one of six teams.
3: Clu Clu Land is an arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System game released in 1985 and was later released in North America on the Wii Virtual Console on September 1, 2008. The game was called Vs. Clu Clu Land in video arcades. The game has been re-released for the Nintendo GameCube in the game Animal Crossing.
4: Donkey Kong Jr. Math is a Nintendo video game where the player must solve math problems in order to win. It was released in 1983 for the Famicom and then outside Japan for the Nintendo Entertainment System two years later. The game was released in the United States before the NES ports of Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong.
5: Duck Hunt is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan. The ducks appear one or two at a time, and the player is given three shots to shoot them down.
6: Excitebike is a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 for a price of 5000 yen. It is the first game of the Excite series, succeeded by its sequel Excitebike 64 and the spiritual successor Excite Truck.
7: Golf is a sports-simulation video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1984 for the NES/Famicom. The golfer is a mustached man who resembles Mario.
8: Gyromite is a video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, designed for use with the Robotic Operating Buddy. Gyromite is one of two games in Nintendo’s Robot Series.
9: Hogan’s Alley is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It was one of the first games to use a light gun as an input device. The game flashes “cardboard cut-outs” of innocent civilians and thugs in front of the player and the player must react quickly to “take down” the bad guys and spare the innocents.
10: Ice Climber is a vertical platformer developed and published by Nintendo for the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. The video game features Popo and Nana, collectively known as the Ice Climbers, venture up 32 ice-covered mountains to recover stolen vegetables from a giant condor.
11: Kung-Fu is a 1984 arcade game developed by the Japanese company Irem Corporation. It was manufactured under license in the United States by Data East. It was released in Japan as Spartan X and credited “Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion”, who made the movie starring Jackie Chan, called Spartan X (Wheels on Meals) upon which it was based. The game contains elements of Bruce Lee’s Game of Death.
12: Mach Rider is a futuristic driving video game created by Nintendo. It was first released on October 18, 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. A month later, on November 21, the title was released in Japan. On March 15, 1987 it was released in Europe and Australia.
13: Pinball is a 1984 arcade game created by Nintendo. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System later that year. In 1985 it reached North America. The Nintendo Entertainment System version added an alternating two-player mode
14: Stack-Up (a.k.a. Robot Block) is a video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, designed for use with the Robotic Operating Buddy. Stack-Up is one of two games in Nintendo’s Robot Series, the other being Gyromite.
15: Tennis is a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1984. The concept of the game is very basic in that the player controls one person faced against an opponent CPU player. This game uses the same scoring system as “real-life” tennis. The game also features a doubles (2-player) option. The opponent CPU player can be set at 5 difficulties.
16: Wild Gunman is a light gun game created by Nintendo for use with the Zapper peripheral was released in 1985. The Famicom version was also available packaged with a plastic, western-style revolver accessory that could be used instead of the Zapper. Perhaps due to the public outcry at the time over realistic-looking toy guns, which resulted in a 1988 US Federal Law banning unmarked toy weapons, this accessory was never released in the US or European markets.
17: Wrecking Crew is a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System where the player controls Mario and attempts to destroy all of a certain set of objects on each of 100 levels. Each level takes place on a playfield divided into an invisible grid, each space of which can contain one object. Objects include destructible walls, pillars and ladders, indestructible barrels and ladders, bombs that destroy all connected destructible objects, and various enemies that Mario must avoid.
18: Super Mario Bros. is a platform game developed by Nintendo in late 1985 and published for the Nintendo Entertainment System, a sequel to the 1983 game, Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., Italian plumber Mario must save Princess Peach (Princess Toadstool in the US version) of the Mushroom Kingdom from the evil Bowser, king of the Koopas. In order to save Princess Peach, the Mario Bros. must conquer the eight worlds that comprise the Mushroom Kingdom.
Mega Man 9, First Sequel In 12 Years
Matt 21 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
NES games always hold a place in my heart and the Mega Man series is a great set of games which feature increasing difficult levels and addictive gameplay. Between 1987 and 1993, the first six Mega Man games were released on the NES with two more sequels following in the next couple of years on other consoles. Then the series seemed to fade away into video game heaven.
A few months ago Capcom shocked their fans and announced Mega Man 9. It’s designed to emulate the style of Mega Man 2, going back to the roots of the original Mega Man games during the NES days. It will be released as a downloadable game for the Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 3 and should be released later this month.
MotionX Poker iPod Touch Review
Matt 20 Sep 2008 | : Deals, Technology
I’m a sucker for a good addictive game so when I heard that MotionX Poker recently dropped in price from $4.99 to $.99, I had to check it out. The game is really well made. Great graphics, unlockable content and addictive gameplay. The game plays similar to Yahtzee. The neatest feature about this game is also its greatest enemy. To roll the dice you actually shake your iPod Touch/iPhone. While it’s fun to shake at first, it loses its joy after a while and I wish there was an alternative ‘roll’ button. The sound and music in the game is top notch. Overall it’s well, well worth the one dollar and I’ve never been able to buy anything this much fun at the dollar store.
MotionX also released a free dice application that’s not really game but just a dice rolling simulation that will give you an idea of how MotionX Poker will play.
Life With PlayStation Out Today
Matt 18 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
Today Sony released its free service, Life With PlayStation, which lets you view news and weather from cities across the globe. The service lets you access an interactive globe with information provided by Google News and The Weather Channel. Wii has a similar service which isn’t as graphically heavy as Sony’s Life With PlayStation. I am looking forward to downloading it tonight and trying it out.
More @ Sony Blog
PopCap Releases Peggle Nights
Matt 17 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
There’s a game that I was glued to earlier this year called Peggle. I downloaded the trial version which limited me to 60 minutes of gameplay but didn’t purchase the full version because I was afraid I’d be too addicted to it. Popcap has just released Peggle Nights which features 60 levels and 60 Challenges of Peggle goodness. I’m sure it’s just as good as the original and I want it almost as bad as Bejweled 3.
Jenga Inspired Apartment Won’t Collapse
Matt 16 Sep 2008 | : Architecture
A new apartment building in New York will be a 57-story residential complex housing 145 residences, each with its own unique floor plan and private outdoor space. Each floor will be a seperate apartment. The 2 to 5-bedroom living spaces will range from $3.5 million to $33 million per floor and it looks like they will have great views too.
Namco Bandai Planning More Classic Remakes
Matt 16 Sep 2008 | : Video Games
Namco Bandi is planning on bringing more classic game remakes to Xbox 360 Live Arcade. My not so long wish list of remakes that need to be made includes:
- Pole Position
- Dig Dug
- Rally-X
Getting The Blog Hits You Deserve
Matt 14 Sep 2008 | : Social Networking
I’m relatively new to blogging but that doesn’t mean I can’t get decent hits on my blog. Recently I posted a story on Sim City coming out for the iPhone. In Photoshop I mocked up a simple and clever photo of what Sim City could look like on the iPhone along with some text. The post took me about 10 minutes to make in total.
The good people at 9to5mac.com liked the picture and featured it on their website while linking back to mine. My daily hits shot up from around 35 views/day to 250 views/day. Sure it only lasted 3 days and they’re back to normal again but for those three days I drew a lot of traffic into my site, viewers who could potentially click ads or subscribe to my RSS feed. I learned that creating witty images are easy ways to draw in hits to your blog.
