Tag: Nintendo

Wii U $199 this Weekend at Walmart

On By RicoIn Entertainment, eShop, Games, Tech, Wii U3 Comments

wiiu$199

If you were on the fence or even thinking about getting a Wii U, now may be the right time to run out and get one. This long weekend Walmart Canada has the basic set for $199, which is in my opinion a fantastic deal. Don’t have a Walmart in your area? No problem, we have confirmation that Futureshop will price match this promotion. Our very own writer Dayne just picked up his own Wii U for $194 after getting Futureshop to price match and beat Walmart’s price. Your mileage may very, so if $5 isn’t worth the hassle just head down to your nearest Walmart and take advantage of this wicked deal.

By Ricardo “Rico” Ferreira
@RicF

Nintendo, what they need to do to get back on track.

On By AnjelIn 3DS, Games, News, Tech, Tech, Wii U2 Comments

nintendo-logo

Ok, lets get something straight right now. This is not another doom and gloom post about how Nintendo won’t be around in a few years. This is a post to remind people and maybe even Nintendo about what they seem to be forgetting. I thought I would write my opening post here at Geekoholics by saying they are not nearly as far off mark as everyone is claiming. But I understand that they have somehow gotten a little off course since the Wii U.

I think the first issue that Nintendo has with the Wii U is the name. Instead of the Wii 2 or something completely different they chose the Wii U. I feel that this doesn’t do enough to send a message to people that this is in fact a new console and not just another Wii. Even in the original E3 press conference no one was sure if this was a new controller for the Wii or if in fact it was a new console. I feel that if they do want to get people buying the Wii U they need to do a better job of educating people that this is in fact a whole new HD Wii 2!

The Second issue that Nintendo needs to address is the games. Now I think this is a twofold issue at the moment. Firstly, they need to get some good games on the way from their own first party studios. We want a new 3rd person Mario game in HD!  We want a new more grown up Zelda in HD! People buy Nintendo consoles for the great first party Nintendo games, but we don’t just want rehashes, we want something new from Nintendo that pushes the new hardware, something that we haven’t seen for a while. Maybe a new Starfox in HD? Or what about a new Fire Emblem in HD on your TV, that is not a 3DS port?  Or what about a new third person Donkey Kong? These are the kinds of games that they need to be developing.
Secondly, They have to get third party developers excited and developing for their system. We are already hearing about too many games that are bypassing the Wii U. Without that support the Wii U will always struggle. For whatever reason Nintendo seems to be scaring away developers instead of embracing them and helping them to develop for their system. Third Party Support is key here.
Thirdly, I think it is very important to land some 3rd party exclusives that make sense for that system. As great as i think it was getting Bayonetta 2 as an exclusive, it really is not the kind of game that they should be aiming for as a Wii U Exclusive. They did great with the Lego City Undercover, they need more of these kinds of creative games that work to the strength of their system. They need to start working with 3rd party developers to get unique content for their system instead of just the quick hash of current gen games. Without these no one is going to feel the need to buy a Wii U. Give me a reason to buy your console over the other guys!

The Third issue that for whatever reason seems to scare Nintendo is online. They need to get their online strategy figured out and fast. They have so much potential with so many great games, and backlogs and yet they have far and away THE WORST online out of all the current gen consoles. What happens when the PS4 or Xbox 720 come out and change the rules even further then they already are in regards to online? Nintendo needs to stop being so terrified of the Internet and embrace it like everyone else has. The next gen is ONLINE! They need to realize this and make changes to address it. They need a unified account structure for all 3DS, Wii and Wii U under one account, not linked to the actual consoles.

Lastly, as much as it pains me to say this, they need a price drop. Not even because i think the Wii U is overpriced, but they need people talking about it again. I think so many people can smell it in the air that they are not buying because even though Nintendo says they won’t do one, they feel that they are going to soon, some people just need that little nudge. If they price dropped and get some good content out/on the way, i know they would start selling again.

I think Nintendo isn’t that far off track, but if they don’t start implementing some of these, they are going to veer off a course that will be very hard to recover from.

By Dayne “Anjel” Cody

@DayneCody

Insane 30 Year Old Videogame Collection on eBay

On By RicoIn Games, Games, News, Tech2 Comments

insane collection

A collector in Italy has decided to part with his massive video game collection, words can do no justice to the size of this collection and Museum of Gaming would be a much better fit. Check out the auction for hundreds of pictures including rare systems, games and collectables. Check out some of the items included below but definitely have a look at the auction for a trip down memory lane. Oh one more thing, the bidding starts at a reasonable $550,000.

-The games count over 6850 pcs. with about 6780 boxed and 70 loose, and are in various format NTSC Japan or Usa and also PAL.
-The consoles are over330, with 307 system boxed and 24 loose, and even in this case we have all the different standards.
-The controllers are about 220 with 167 boxed and 52 loose. I included all the kind of controller, from the simple joypad to the special controller like all the konami bemani to the densha de go train controller, and the arcade joystick as well.
-The accessories are about 185, and in this category I put the ac adapters, the various av cables, the rumble packs, the memory cards, battery packs, the converters for the region locked games, and various other items like screens, printers etc.

via Over 30 Years of Videogames Collection The History of Videogames | eBay.

By Ricardo “Rico” Ferreira
 @RicF

Nintendo TVii Launches Today

On By RicoIn Entertainment, Games, Tech, TV, Wii U2 Comments

Nintendo TVii Logo

Don’t forget to turn on your Wii U and snag the new Nintendo TVii app. Nintendo promises that their TVii app will be a game changer for how we watch our TV content. If you aren’t sure what Nintendo TVii is watch the video below.

By Ricardo “Rico” Ferreira
 @RicF

Nintendo Announces Wii Mini for $99 Exclusively in Canada

On By RicoIn Games, Tech, Wii U2 Comments

 

Available Dec. 7th exclusively in Canada, the Wii Mini will be available for $99 which includes the system, red Wii-mote and nunchuk. The price is right but unfortunately it comes at a cost, the Wii Mini has no internet capabilities and can’t play Gamecube games. Wii Mini is designed exclusively to play Wii games and that’s about it. I’m sure most gamers won’t miss these features but with the Wii U now available I just don’t see the sense in releasing this downgraded Wii console.

By Ricardo “Rico” Ferreira
 @RicF

 

Review: New Super Mario Bros. 2 – Nintendo 3DS

On By RicoIn 3DS, eShop, Reviews, VideosLeave a comment

To say the truth there isn’t much “new” in New Super Mario Bros. 2, but that isn’t a bad thing. Nintendo has taken a relatively safe, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it approach to a classic formula that everyone already loves. That doesn’t mean that Nintendo hasn’t made any progress in the series though. There are a bunch of new features however probably not as many as an old school Mario veteran may like.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 shares the same old princess has been kidnapped story line but this time the Koopalings make a return to power as the main baddies. You’ll find Mario traversing the Mushroom Kingdom on an overhead map similar to the prequel and Wii versions with multiple routes and secrets to be found. There are over 8 worlds filled with Ghost Houses, Mushroom Houses and of course the end of world Boss Castles. Gameplay is classic Super Mario Bros at its finest, jumping and bouncing along all the while merrily collecting those shiny golden coins. My favorite addition to the game though is the return of the Super Leaf which turns Mario into Raccoon Mario and gives him the ability to fly. In addition to the Super Leaf though Mario can wear coin boxes on his head for huge coin bonuses and use the new Golden Flower to hurl golden fireballs that turn everything into coins. The Giant Mushroom and Tiny Mushrooms also make a return but you’ll only use them a couple times during the entire adventure.

The biggest features to be added though are the Coin Rush and Co-op modes. In Coin Rush you are challenged to collect coins across 3 random levels having only 1 life and against the clock. The big reward here though is that all the coins collected are doubled after each level is successfully completed. This mode will definitely add to the re-playability of New Super Mario Bros. 2 and be essential to completing the games extra goal of collecting 1 Million Coins. Co-op is pretty much just that, using 2 systems and unfortunately 2 carts you and a buddy can earn double the coins and take down bosses together. Co-op is definitely a welcome feature as every game is better when playing with a friend, unless that friend totally sucks.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 is without a doubt another solid addition to the Mario series. If you’re a fan of Mario there is a lot to like here, however you may be a little disappointed if you were expecting something radically different. I on the other hand knew what I was getting into and that was classic 2D platforming perfection. New Super Mario Bros. 2 is definitely the best 2D platformer on the 3DS and worth a look whether you’re into Mario or not.

SCORE: 8.5 / 10

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Published by: Nintendo
Developed by: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer
Release Date: August 19, 2012
MSRP: $39.99
Rated: E for Everyone
By Ricardo “Rico” Ferreira
 @RicF

Review: THEATRHYTHM Final Fantasy – Nintendo 3DS

On By RicoIn 3DS, 3DS, Games, ReviewsLeave a comment

by Ricardo Ferreira


Theatrhythm is an exceptional celebration of all things Final Fantasy.

I picked up Theatrhythm on a whim and was pleasantly surprised by an amazing little game that totally surpassed my expectations. If you don’t like rhythm games move along there’s nothing to see here. However if you’ve enjoyed titles like Elite Beat Agents or even Rock Band there is alot to enjoy here. The icing on the cake though is the amazing Final Fantasy music taken from all the titles over the storied history of the franchise. Theatrhythm is a simple yet quickly to get complex Rhythm action game that mainly consists of tapping and dragging the stylus accross the 3DS screen to some of the Greatest Final Fantasy tunes. There are plenty of gamplay modes that are enriched with simple RPG elements from forming a party using lead characters from the various Final Fantasy titles and even a leveling up mechanic. The game consists of 3 modes, Series, Challenge and Chaos Shrine which include their own challenges and tons of unlockables which add to the extreme replayability of this title. Theatrhythm even has a multiplayer mode where you and up-to 3 other players can join forces to take down enemies, unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to try this mode out for myself. All in all Theatrhythm is a great game that came out of nowhere to pleasantly surprise me with its addicting gameplay and music.

Must buy for Final Fantasy Fans or just Rhythm game fans in general

SCORE 9/10

 

Here’s a video of me killing Sephiroth during a One Winged Angel playthrough.