Infendo Post - Super Smash Bros. Direct coming April 8th

I've been back to writing for Infendo for a while now. Usually, I'll post a news story to Infendo, then post about the same thing here, but with extra, more personal thoughts alongside. Today, however, I'm just gonna hand you the Infendo article on a platter:

A Nintendo Direct focusing on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS is on its way: on April 8, at 3:00pm PT, prepare for some news on the two highly anticipated installments in the beloved franchise.

This is definitely something to get excited about. I mean, like the Pokemon X and Y Direct and the Wonderful 101 Direct that came before, this is an entire Nintendo Direct dedicated to just two games. Two games that are arguably more anticipated by fans than Pokemon or The Wonderful 101. According to the official Nintendo Direct site, the Smash Bros. special will reveal new details about the two games. And if tradition holds, the broadcast will be around 20 minutes long. A lot can be revealed in 20 minutes. What are you hoping for out of the upcoming Direct?

Thanks for the tip, MikeIsaPoet.

Check out the article on Infendo right here. 

Diddy Kong confirmed for Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS in time for Tropical Freeze release

Donkey Kong's certainly pleased to be joined by Diddy.

I know Diddy Kong in Super Smash Bros. Brawl had at least one fan: my brother. Undoubtedly, there are many other Diddy fans out there. I'm talking to you when I say, "Diddy Kong is returning to the fray!" The adorable simian has been confirmed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 via the usual Miiverse screenshot of the day from Sakurai, the games' director.

Strangely, this announcement was made at the exact moment Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze released for Wii U. I'm kidding about the "strangely" part, obviously. It's not strange at all, though I didn't even think to predict it myself. Did anyone out there make the guess before it came true? Leave an answer in the comments below. Also, feel free to leave any other thoughts you may have concerning Tropical Freeze itself or Diddy Kong's return to Smash Bros.

Are boys better gamers than girls?

I'll just tell you what I think right off the bat: boys are generally better at video games than girls. I've seen it time and time again.

I am a girl, and I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. Super Mario World was my sustenance growing up. I beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the first time at a young age, and I have since beaten it countless other times. I played all three Super Smash Bros. games in an abundance during their respective times. And I'm not gonna lie: I work my butt off to be as good at games as I can be.

Why then does my younger brother often trump my own Super Smash Bros. Brawl skills when he doesn't take video games nearly as serious as me? Why also can he beat me at Metroid Prime 2 multiplayer when I've got several hours on him from playing single player?

I have decided that boys are more aggressive than girls, and that's why they tend to have more natural skill in gaming. Many games are reflex- and instinct-driven, and boys just surpass girls in that area, plain and simple. However, there are certain kinds of games that I think us girls have an advantage in. I'm talkin' puzzle games! Girls tend to have more patience than guys, and that suits them to games with a slower pace. And I can't forget to mention dance games. Girls are definitely better dancers than guys...or at least more willing to dance!

Obviously, these are just generalizations. Even though I'm a girl, I love to play all types of games. And if you are a boy who's unafraid to break out the mad skills with Just Dance, great! What I'm saying is that boys are typically more naturally gifted at video games. What are your thoughts?

Don't mess with the best! A review of Super Smash Bros. Brawl

It's been the privilege of gamers all over the world to play the Super Smash Bros. series. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii has been out for a few years now, but I recently bought my very own copy of it (for many years I shared a Wii and a copy of the game with my younger siblings).

Brawl belongs to the fighting video game genre. At it's most basic, it sees up to four players duking it out as their favorite Nintendo characters on one of the many Nintendo-inspired arenas the game has to offer. As players are hit, their damage percentages go up, and the higher the percentage, the farther they fly when hit. A life is lost when they are hit out of the level's boundary.

That's the gist of it. But I'm sure most of you know all about that. Now I want to focus on the gameplay in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The controls work incredibly well and are even customizable. Players can use the Wii remote + nunchuck, classic controller, Gamecube controller, or even Wii remote by itself. From there, the controls can be further personalized and assigned to player names.

Brawl pulls off an incredible feat by creating an unprecedented balance amongst a massive and varied character roster. No one character will give a player an inherent advantage, but you'll find that certain types of characters fit your playing style better than others. When it comes to the line-up itself, you'll find no shortage of great fighters to choose from. From Mario to Marth, from Pikachu to Pit, there's a character for everyone.

On the content front, Brawl is no slacker. When you're with friends, the battles you can create are virtually unlimited thanks to options that alter play mode, time limit, item frequency, and much more. A large collection of arenas adds to the variety, and a level building tool allows players to contribute something of their own to the game's depth. If you don't happen to have a friend to play with, no worries. Brawl also contains an extensive amount of solo modes, one of which is the colossal Subspace Emissary adventure.

Slick menus, smooth-running graphics, and an okay online mode round out one of the best gaming experiences on Wii. In short, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is simply a must-own game for any Wii owner.

Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012: Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS

To view the latest Nintendo Direct, click here.

Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS is the topic of today's Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 post. There is not yet a whole lot of info on the games, but any info at all is noteworthy. The best and most reassuring bit is the return of Masahiro Sakurai as director. This we have known for some time, but it's important when you've come to expect so much greatness from a series!

In other news, Namco Bandai Studios has put together an all-star team for the development of SSB Wii U/3DS. If you would like, you can read all about it right here, where you will find messages from both Sakurai and Namco Bandai's Masaya Kobayashi.

With so little to go on, right now it's just guessing and speculation with the highly anticipated Wii U/3DS iterations of the beloved Super Smash Bros. series. Fans have found it particularly fun in the past to guess which Nintendo characters will snag a coveted spot in the game's roster. With Kid Icarus: Uprising still fresh on my mind, I'm inclined to hope Magnus will make the cut.

Any thoughts on what has been mentioned today? Let your voice be heard in a comment!

Other Nintendo Direct 6.21.2012 Posts

• Nintendo 3DS XL Introduced 
• Kingdom Hearts 3D (Dream Drop Distance) 

Favorite Wii games countdown #2: Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Link, Mario, Kirby, Star Fox, Samus...every one knows it thanks to the Super Smash Bros. series: Nintendo has a great range of franchises and characters to go along with them, and putting them together to duke it out has yielded monumental results. This isn't more evident anywhere but in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii. Players can choose from various control set-ups: Wii-mote + nunchuck, classic controller, GameCube controller, and even the Wii-mote by itself. Players can choose from amongst a staggering amount of modes, both in single and multiplayer categories. Players can choose fighters from a list that includes the likes of Pikachu, Toon Link, Ganondorf, Captain Falcon, Ness, Sonic, King Dedede, etc.

At even deeper levels, players can customize their control scheme to perfection and assign it to their name. Then it's time to customize the battle itself. Features like stock, time limit, handicap, stage choice, and item types and frequencies are all at the player's command. Finally, the battle actually begins. A huge potential for strategy is inherently built into the gameplay of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, yet newcomers can easily join in on the action. All in all, Brawl has to be the most content-rich, meaty experience on the Wii console.

Honorable Mention: Kirby's Epic Yarn
Yes, I did put Kirby's Epic Yarn as an honorable mention rather high on this list, didn't I? Well, I'm just that impressed by the game's graphics. Realism? What's realism, anyway? Give me graphics into which thought was put. Give me graphics that are so unique, original, and/or creative that they'll outlive even the most realistic graphics as a work of art. Give me Kirby's Epic Yarn, for Pete's sake! Gameplay? Kirby's Epic Yarn has got that too. Love it!

A Game I Should Have Finished: Donkey Kong Country Returns
I can't say that I regret not finishing Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, the game has received praise enough for me to put it at the number 2 game I should have played/finished. Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 2 are a couple of my all-time favorite video games. Donkey Kong Country Returns lacked the charm that make those two games so special to me. Not to mention the music. When I have the time (which I never will), I'll finish Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Nintendo Music: Peach's Castle

Ladies and gentlemen, I present my new favorite arrangement of the classic Super Mario Bros. theme! Nothing beats the charm of the original, of course, but this arrangement has a charm of its own. It played on the Peach's Castle stage in the original Super Smash Bros. Yes, I played this game, I loved this game...all before I could really appreciate the music, however. I've never heard anything so deliberately bouncy as this song! Hope you enjoy it!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D released!

And to celebrate, I thought I'd share with you the song "Ocarina of Time Medley", which actually hails from Super Smash Bros. Brawl:

Music is a huge part of Ocarina of Time. With that title, what else can you expect? This medley is composed of a huge variety of songs that players actually learn in Ocarina of Time. Some tunes are hidden in short little riffs or even counter melodies, while most take center stage. Overall, it's a brilliant compilation that won't fail to send shivers down the spines of long-time Ocarina of Time fans.

I yearn for a brand-new Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo 3DS, but a remastered Ocarina of Time is certainly the next best thing. I feel like I can review the game already, even though I have an agonizing week's worth of waiting to go. The main quest has been largely untouched, so I already know it'll be legendary. With the updated controls and graphics, this game can be nothing short of perfection...for me, certainly. Let critics be critics, but my high opinion of Link's great N64 adventure will never fall.

What in video games can provide the greatest satisfaction?

Reaching unbelievable heights in Excite Truck, sending an opponent flying in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, achieving perfection in Guitar Hero, finding a hidden secret in New Super Mario Bros. Wii...all of these are great ways to experience that soaring feeling in video games.

But there is one more example I feel transcends the rest. It's the feeling one gets from overcoming a difficult challenge or obstacle. From finding that hidden opening in Metroid Fusion to solving a particularly tough puzzle in Zelda, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction that accomplishment can bring. And if reaching unbelievable heights in Excite Truck or achieving perfection in Guitar Hero are challenges, great! That only adds to a store of potential satisfaction.

Of course, the more difficult the challenge, the more time spent on it, the sweeter the reward. My temper is quite fragile, so it's triply thrilling for me to maintain a cool head in the face of adversity, and then to come out on top.

The Nintendo Way (continued)

5.       Nintendo Power magazine has been my constant companion since March 2006. There’s not a source I trust more for Nintendo news, previews, and reviews. NP has broadened my horizons, letting me in on games that are a perfect match for me, but that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. A great example is the rhythm game Samba de Amigo for Wii. At a mere $20, this easily makes my list of the top five best values. The game-play revolves around the idea that Wii remotes can be used much like maracas. I can’t go into detail, but I love this game. It also opened my eyes to the fact that the rhythm genre of video games extends beyond Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Imagine that!

4.      Nintendo’s vast history is more accessible now than ever before through Wii. That’s right; number four is all about old-school! Thanks to the Wii system’s Virtual Console, I own games like Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Mario Party 2, Donkey Kong Country (numbers one, two, and three), Star Fox 64, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Metroid. I put Metroid at the end for a reason: this is how the Virtual Console feature has really impacted me as a gamer. The Metroid series is one of the big Nintendo juggernauts. It was only a few months ago that I decided I wanted to be a part of this series. I spent a whopping five bucks on the NES original. Boy was I impressed! I never thought I could enjoy NES classics like I enjoy Metroid.

3.       The Super Smash Bros. series highlights another great Nintendo feat: that is, the gargantuan roster of characters and all the fantastic worlds they inhabit. It just so happens that each Super Smash Bros. game thus far has managed what seemed impossible: to bring this enormous number of characters together in a most perfect way. The Nintendo “family” includes such figures as sweet, innocent Kirby, charismatic Captain Falcon, determined Pokemon Trainer, sweet-but-sassy Princess Peach, and slightly dorky Ness, to name a few.

2.      Creativity and originality are indispensible traits in video games. (Or at least they should be.) Nintendo titles and systems have them in spades. Take the most basic series in Nintendo history: Super Mario Bros. Let’s see, there is a Mushroom Kingdom, pipes that warp the player to different locations, enemies with names like Goomba, Koopa, and Shy Guy, a plumber as a protagonist, a dinosaur/turtle…thing as a villain, and a kidnapped princess. Do you see where I’m going with this? How do all these wacky elements combine to create the best-known, most widely-played video game series of all time? Who knows? But it’s great, isn’t it? Nintendo has demonstrated again and again the willingness to try new things.

1.      From casual to hard core, from age 7 to 77, Nintendo games cater to every player’s needs. Do video games get more casual than Wii Sports? I’ve got friends, who had never touched a video game before, to play Wii Sports back in the day (or back in 2007 anyway). It seems it’s becoming the fashion now-a-days to consider an M-rated, explosion-littered, kill-everything-in-sight game to be “hard core”. Well here’s my idea of a hard core game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. A plot with depth, characters with motives, music with thought, a spot-on control scheme that includes the perfect balance of motion-controls to button presses, and cleverly-designed dungeons…the story is driven by emotionally-charged cut scenes; the characters bring the player to wonder who the true enemies and allies are (*cough*Midna*cough*). It easily takes 30-50 hours to complete this game, depending on the time spent pursuing optional, but extensive side quests. Wii Sports and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are just two examples of the variety offered by Nintendo.

That concludes my list of the top ten reasons to love Nintendo. So join me as I offer my opinions on Nintendo games, embark on the journey of the Metroid series, and ponder on all the joys and hardships that come with being a gamer.

The Nintendo Way

Hey. My name is Holly, and I really like video games. Actually, I really like Nintendo. Get that straight right now, because I’ve essentially never been exposed to Xbox or PlayStation.

It’s great to be a Nintendo fan. Nintendo’s got Shigeru Miyamoto, for one. What’s that? Never heard of Shigeru Miyamoto?! He’s only a legend in the video game world! Here’s a clue: he designed both the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda series. He developed the games that set the golden standard for all video games to come. Seriously, he’s like, my idol.

But back to Nintendo in general. Nintendo is bold! Nintendo bravely leapt into the world of 3-D graphics back in the nineties with Super Mario 64. Nintendo reigns over the handheld gaming market with the mega-popular Nintendo DS system. Nintendo proved to the world that the idea of motion-based gaming could be more than just a gimmick. More than that, Nintendo has captured the heart (not to mention the time and money) of this young gamer. So here are my top ten reasons to love Nintendo:

10.       This is a minor point, but it’s important to the average gamer (that would be me)…Nintendo hardware is built tough. It gets crazy around my house sometimes, with a nine-year-old, a thirteen-year-old, a seventeen-year-old, and me living there. So it’s pretty obvious our Wii has gone through some rough moments. It’s been knocked over aplenty. Even when a game disc is in the system and running, knocking the console over doesn’t affect it at all. Our neighbor, on the other hand, knocked over an Xbox 360 while playing—irreversible damage to the disc made it completely worthless.

9.         Nintendo keeps its franchises close to its heart. When was the last time anyone saw a movie based on The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario Bros.? A TV show? There have been attempts—attempts that were so disastrous, every Nintendo fan on the planet just pretends they never happened. Nintendo is very protective of its property. Some may question why this is a good thing. Well, for one, a movie/TV show would detract from the experience of simply playing the games. Secondly, who knows how badly filmmakers would demolish the core principles that make these games so special? No, Nintendo is better off maintaining boundaries and keeping movie studios and TV networks away.

8.         Any product Nintendo puts out there is just saturated by the care and effort that was put into it. The developers involved love what they do and that comes through. I don’t believe the company would release any product, game, or system that they didn’t think was a quality, polished final product. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii experienced two setbacks in release before finally making it into the hands of eager fans.

7.         Nintendo music dominates number 7 on this list! In fact, as I sit at my desk writing at this moment, I’m listening to the song Dark World from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. My love of music combines with my love of Nintendo to create…a love of Nintendo music! Music in video games can be truly beautiful and truly terrifying, truly funky or truly traditional. The reason I emphasize the word ‘truly’ is that people, even gamers, tend to overlook the role music plays in video games. It adds to the experience like movie soundtracks add to their respective films, possibly even more so in games.

6.         Club Nintendo and the general way in which the company treats its consumers is really genuine. I’m not well-known, by any means, but I feel like I belong to this enormous community of gamers (possibly in part due to the fact that I comment and leave feedback on game trailers and such on YouTube). I’ve gotten at least five free items from Club Nintendo, all of which I have put to use spectacularly. The sense of unity among Nintendo and all its fans is something special.

Up next on “Nintendo Lifeline”…hey, this list isn’t finished yet! Check back soon to find out the final five best reasons to love Nintendo!