Button Mash This

So while Rannie has been busy throwing red shells at carts and balancing on white plastic boards, I’ve kind of gone on a bit of a gaming hiatus since (a) the weather has gotten warmer, (b) the daylight longer, and (c) my wallet much lighter from supporting other vices. But THIS news, I just could not resist from sharing!

Now Beyond Good & Evil was one of the greatest games from the previous console generation. It was beautiful — intriguing storyline, lush environments, charming characters (everyone loves a hot female protagonist!) AND perhaps most importantly, wicked gameplay. It was everything you could ever ask for in a quality title. Unfortunately, the game was released alongside a whole gang of blockbuster hits, thus sales were not up to par, and eventually BG&E was sadly forced to retreat down to bargain bin nation and was commonly dubbed “the absolute best game you’ve never ever played”.

But now hardcore fans are rejoicing! It looks like Ubisoft might be ready to finally answer our prayers and all the “usual suspects” are confirming it too. Though production seems slow and the end product far off, Beyond Good & Evil 2 is indeed on its way.

Check out the trailer below. To be honest, it doesn’t really provide a whole lot of information at all, but DAMN it looks amazing. I’m psyched.

Back in December, some friends and I were in NYC for a week leading up to my birthday on the 16th. My gift to myself? $200US+ in merchandise at one place and one place alone (literally!): Nintendo World Store. There are only 2 locations in the world, the other resides in Japan (of course). And while I’ve visited the Big Apple on several occasions, this was the first time I’d been able to make it down to Rockefeller Center to check out the scene for myself. Needless to say, I was in pure fangirl heaven.

Thankfully, I got it together long enough to take a few pics and a couple of vids.

chelle @ Nintendo World Store (NYC) - 1st floor from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

chelle @ Nintendo World Store (NYC) - 2nd floor from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

In honour of Valentine’s Day… it’s all about playing TOGETHER. Sharing means caring with my list of multiplayer favs for love day. So grab your significant other and snuggle up whilst competing in these video games built for two.

RACING GAMES
Guys love cars. And the Burnout series has been satisfying the male desire to virtually destroy expensive shiny things for years now. I love the Burnout games because the focus is not necessarily on better performance, but rather on total and utter destruction… the worse driver you are, the better! So it seemed like an appropriate choice for couples who are always ragging on each other’s driving skills. Take the fighting during rush hour gridlock off the highway and re-direct that road rage into happy co-player explosions instead. There’s loads of different versions to pick up — Burnout 3: Takedown and Burnout: Revenge for the consoles or Burnout Legends and Burnout Dominator for the PSP handheld — each with their own levels of greatness. But if you really wanna blow their minds away and get that heart racing, you may wanna try out the newest game to the franchise, Burnout Paradise.

FIGHTING GAMES
When your girl doesn’t know how to play video games but she makes an effort to play with you (because she loves you!), she’ll just mash her thumbs all over the controller until something happens on screen. For this reason, fighting games are perfect for mutual entertainment. While you’re trying to impress her by remembering some complex intricate button combination for the ultimate finishing move, she’ll just be wailing away relentlessly with little regard to strategy until she wins — and she will because those damn button mashers always win! And you’ll think it’s adorable because you’ll just be glad it wasn’t one of your buddies who totally tore your virtual torso into pieces! Who better to own your sorry ass anyways? When it comes to this genre of games, 3D is where its at. So try a Soul Calibur title. And if you managed to get her hooked onto it long after February comes and goes, then keep in mind Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl comes out on March 9 for the Wii.

RHYTHM GAMES
I have yet to meet anyone who will not try a rhythm game. This genre is a special breed amongst gaming culture because it’s easily the most accessible and it appeals to the masses by seducing you with classic licensed music that puts everyone in the mood. Why not serenade each other in a SingStar duet or bust out your sexiest moves on Dance Dance Revolution. But if you’re both up for the sweaty challenge, than nothing beats neverending rock sessions playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band.

Still haven’t found the right present for your special someone? Just get them a DS already, seriously. Even if they have never mentioned it before or showed any interest. Trust me. I’m convinced it’s THE best present in the world and no one can resist this handheld king. 5 year olds play them. 35 year olds play them. Boys and girls play them… together even… and online even if they live far away from each other, ideal for the long distance relationship troopers. It’s also perfect for commuters, so they’ll have something keeping them occupied while travelling on the bus or subway to your house. With a HUGE catalog of software currently available in every style and flavour you could possibly imagine, there is bound to be at least a handful of games your love will just adore as much as you. Be warned though, they may end up spending more time with it than with you! <3

I know this is a week late, but in honour of Chinese New Years I thought it might be cool to demonstrate how to arrange your Animal Crossing: Wild World home and items using the game’s feng shui system. If executed properly, you raise your Happy Room Academy points and thus raise your town’s luck and your overall gameplay experience — better items appear at Tom Nook’s store, more bells fall and less bees chase you from shaking the trees, better fish and bugs are found more often and your chances of catching them successfully increase as well. This, of course, can lead to completing your museum donations much faster or earning bigger coin when you go to sell off your discoveries.

But before we dig into the clip below, you may want to check this and this out really quickly. Technically, the guides refer to the GameCube version. But conceptually, the idea is identical. All you really need to remember is left wall = yellow, bottom wall = green, right wall = red. Got it? Good. You’re ready for the tour!

For a highly detailed overview using my own game save, check out the video.

Animal Crossing: Wild World - Feng Shui Me! from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

Tonight I’m going to see R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet at The Royal in Toronto. The event has received a fair amount of local buzz… there was even a contest! So it was to my coincidental delight that a friend happened to forward this link of a sweet Wii-mote closet to me today of all days. Go Nintendo reader Craig has a pretty cool dad, I’d say… and a sick TV to boot. Let’s just hope the only thing in there is Wii accessories. Now I’m off to the hip-hopera, yo!

In honour of all the ridiculous snow in Toronto lately, I thought it’d be fun to compile a list of “games for snowy days”… and they’re all pretty cheap as well. So put down your shovels and pick up your controllers… it’s time to play!

LOST PLANET: EXTREME CONDITION [xbox360, ps3]
I bought a 360 on new years eve. And although I have yet to play any other game on it except Rock Band, there’s a LONG list of titles I’m dying to pick up and try. Among them is this one… about blasting gigantic alien bugs on some far off distant planet in subzero temperature on nearly barren terrains. And that’s pretty much it, but what more do you need really? The graphics look absolutely sick and because it’s been out for a year now (to the day), it can be found in most gaming stores for around $30 on the 360. The PS3 version is due out two weeks from today on Feb 26.

PROJECT SNOWBLIND [xbox, ps2]
Not all of us can afford to hop onto the “next-gen” (I think it’s safe to call it current gen now) bandwagon. For those of you still rocking it “old school”, I highly suggest this 1st person shooter. Admittedly, there’s little to do with snow (I chose it entirely based on the name alone!). But this title was considered a great alternative for playstation owners wanting a Halo-like experience. Personally, I enjoyed it more than Halo… though I’m not much of a Master Chief fan myself. You can find it for under $20 - used or new, if you look around. So there’s no excuse not to try it!

SSX BLUR [wii]
I can’t forget about my beloved Wii now, can I? Snowboarding game - kind of a given, eh. No matter which way you slice it, the SSX franchise has been pumping out great installments of their alternative sports game since the days of the original SSX on the PS2. Man, we’ve been playing this one for a looong time. So if you’re tired of the same old traditional control scheme, why not give it a go on your wii-mote and nunchuck. It’s also a budget title now - priced at a mere $25. Working up a sweat flailing your arms about is sure to keep you warm and toasty all through the winter!

Button Mash This - Hands On: Turok from ButtonMashThis on Vimeo.

February looks to be a promising month for new releases. Among the many titles I’m anxiously awaiting is Turok. Rannie and I had a chance to check out some gameplay before it’s official launch in stores tomorrow. Watch the video for our first impressions of the game.

For a while, Rannie and I were both ridiculously addicted to Animal Crossing: Wild World. I’d play daily for hours at a time totally ignoring loved ones or the need to sleep or eat. It’s one of those games that you need to experience for yourself to realize just how truly immersive it’s virtual world could be.

But sometimes, people prefer a more tactile approach. Now I’m not sure exactly where or when this footage was shot or what this entire exhibit\experiment(?) was for. But I do know that it all looks wicked… and pretty impressive from a technical standpoint. I would have loved to check this out first hand, but I guess you and me will have to settle for the video below.

So Rannie and I are on one of our usual late night bargain hunts. We decide to try our luck at the local Blockbuster where they are currently having a 25% off sale on used videogames and DVDs. As I’m casually browsing through the PS2 section, I can hardly believe what my eyes are seeing.

That’s right, I managed to find a copy of the critically acclaimed, extremely rare and relatively expensive, cult classic video game, Rez. Simply describing Rez as a “musical shooter” seems like a grave understatement. So to give you an idea of the gameplay, nay the “aesthetic experience” behind this unique title, check out this promotional video from 2002.

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