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• The Problem with Punch-Out

  Hardcore Nintendo fans have been grumbling this generation, and most would say rightfully so; the Wii updates to beloved franchises like Super Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros. have been rehashes--and sometimes downgrades--of games seen last generation. Even The Legend of Zelda: Twlight Princess wasn't much more than a prettier Ocarina of Time. But Nintendo knows what bones to throw to the hardcore, and they throw them well. Take the upcoming Punch-Out, for example; old-school Nintendo fanboys have been heralding it as the Wii equivalent of The Second Coming, despite the fact that it's merely a pretty remake of a game they played 20 years ago. For Nintendo, this is a win-win situation--after all, they can keep the most vocal minority of their fanbase happy while appealing to the casuals who will no doubt buy this game en masse. But to the impartial observer, the freak-out over this long-awaited sequel calls into question just how much we're willing to forgive when something repeatedly jabs at our nostalgia Hooksexup. Read More... Posted Apr 01 2009, 03:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, wii, punch out, bob mackey, casual gamers, hardcore gamers

• Games You Can Never Go Back To: Animal Crossing

  As a member of the nerd illuminati (also known as the gaming press), it's my job to get people hooked on video games, if only to make myself look less nerdy in comparison. Friends, family members, loved ones; all have been infected by a love of gaming--with me being the main carrier of this virus. So, when my girlfriend expressed a desire to get back into gaming with the purchase of a DS, I was as helpful and overbearing as anyone in my position could be. And when it came to getting a game to go with this system, there was only one answer: Animal Crossing. While I prefer the GameCube version out of all the others (you can't beat free NES games), someone who's never played Animal Crossing has absolutely no idea what they're getting into; I was the same way back in the Fall of 2002, when this cutesy little underhyped Nintendo game charmed and surprised the pants off of me. But, as I watch my girlfriend become delighted by the antics involved with being enslaved by a shop-owning raccoon, I'm brought back to that old saying: you can't go home again. Read More... Posted Mar 26 2009, 12:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, animal crossing, ds, bob mackey, casual gamers

• There Is No Reason to Not Play Peggle

  PopCap Games' Peggle has certainly picked up steam in its two years of existence. Even hardcore gamers (like me) have to give Peggle props for its addictiveness; the game may be extremely simple, but it knows how to tap into the reward center of your brain by providing an excess amount of flashing lights, growing scores, and Beethoven. And now that the game is available on XBox Live Arcade today (yes, today), you have no reason to be a Peggle virgin. Now, I'm not saying you have to go out and spend 10 bucks (800 Microsoft Points) on Peggle immediately, but you'll find that there is no other option after playing the demo. Prove me wrong. Read More... Posted Mar 11 2009, 02:00 PM by Bob Mackey with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: casual games, xbla, bob mackey, peggle, casual gamers, pop cap games

• The Wii is Not Killing Video Games

  IGN says that the Wii's shovelware and mascot romps are killing video games. Australia's Gameplayer wonders if casuals are killing video games. Destructoid thinks we have to "save the Wii" by just giving the little guy a chance.  First of all, "Is the Wii Killing Video Games" is a stupid question. A few years back everyone claimed that EA was killing video games with their endless sequels and big budgets. I've been vocal here about my disappointment in Nintendo's Wii, but I can appreciate what they've done for the market on an economic and social level. Read More... Posted Jan 20 2009, 01:00 PM by Cole Stryker with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: nintendo, ea, wii, cole stryker, casual gamers, shovelware

• Does Games Writing Need To Be More Accessible?

  Writer Leigh Alexander put together a great piece for Kotaku reminding us that many of the shelf-scanning customers at GameStop are not like you or I. The average gamer doesn't pay attention to reviews. They don't know a Miyamoto from an Igarashi. And they drink blood, but they're capable of walking in the daylight. It's easy to assume that everyone within the walls of your local game retailer is a kindred spirit who will fire back with "It's-a-me!" as soon as you say, "Mario." Alexander's column reminded me that for every fruitful conversation about games I've had with an EB Games clerk, there have been ten instances of broken eye contact and embarrassed mumblings. "The World Ends With You? N-nah. Not into anime. I like Call of Duty." Alexander talks about game reviewers' tendency to keep the different tiers of gamers distanced from one another. There's not an intentional push to scare newcomers away from game publications and websites, but Alexander likens the typical video game review to a music review in Pitchfork Magazine. Someone who says, "I dig music and I want to read about music" is going to be scared away by Pitchfork's jargon-heavy breakdown of the album of the moment. Similarly, game reviews tend to reference past titles, past developers and use words and terms that a newcomer (and there are more and more of these lately) isn't going to understand. Read More... Posted Nov 25 2008, 05:10 PM by Nadia Oxford with | with 7 comment(s) Filed under: kotaku, feature, writing, retail, nadia oxford, gamestop, leigh alexander games journalism, casual gamers, hardcore gamers