wii fit plus

Last year when Wii Fit Plus was originally announced it was going to include an "improved, updated balance board with better measurement metrics". This turned out not to be true, and of course I had already decided to sell my Wii Fit on Craigslist in preparation for the new game complete with new board. Fast-forward to Wii Fit Plus getting released and of course it has the same old board, AND they release it as a just-software option for like $30 if you've already got the board.

Read more »

mlb 2010: the show

The latest installation of the Playstation-exclusive baseball franchise, MLB 2010: The Show dropped this week and while it is still the same great game that baseball fans flock to, it also introduces a couple of new features and different gameplay elements.

Read more »

desperation much?

Wow, this is really sad. MLB 2K10 came out today and in what is clearly a desperately ploy to get PS3 gamers to buy it instead of its major competitor (and generally considered better franchise) MLB 2010: The Show, 2K Sports is offering a million-dollar prize to the first gamer to play a perfect no-hitter game in the 2K10 title. Players have from today until May 2nd, 60 days, to be the first player to reach this achievement in order to score.

Read more »

wii price drop?

The rumor mill is grinding away as busily as usual and it's only going to get crazier with the impending 2009 holiday season looming ahead of us. One of the latest (and greatest!) claims on the internet these days is that the Nintendo Wii is going to follow the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in receiving a price drop before Christmas. Scanned images of circulars for several major retailers have leaked online (see Target's for the week of 9/27 at right), indicating that Nintendo's game console will most likely be dropping $50 off its pricetag and hitting shelves at $199 starting in October! I for one hope this is true and think it is a great move on Nintendo's part... the Wii's sales have slowed to a crawl and with the 360 Elite and the PS3 Slim priced only $50 more than the Wii, something for sure has gotta give. Personally I think Nintendo would be very smart to rebundle the Wii with a MotionPlus controller add-on and a copy of Wii Sports Resort for $250 - I mean, who really wants Wii Sports these days? Anyway, if you've never had a Wii before, consider investing in one at the reduced price as there are a lot of great games coming out, some of which should use the fantastic MotionPlus technology.

wii sports resort

The long-anticipated follow-up to Wii Sports arrived over the weekend and predictably sold well thanks to many advance online orders as well as reservations in-store. Wii Sports Resort includes many new sports including swordplay, table tennis and frisbee! I haven't picked this one up yet as it does require the Wii MotionPlus controller add-on (one is included but of course who wants to play Wii Sports one player?). Eventually we will surely add this one to our collection as it looks like a great new game for social occasions or just kicking back with some beers. IGN gave Wii Sports Resort a 7.7 "Good" which is pretty fabulous for a Wii game these days.

IGN: Wii Sports Resort Review

fight night round 4 review

Sports games represent a large percentage of the big release video game titles of 2009 and Fight Night Round 4 has proven to be one of the bigger ones. The follow-up to EA Sports' 2006 title Fight Night Round 3, Round 4 introduces fancy next-generation realistic graphics as well as some new gameplay mechanics that bring a bit more realism to the fighting game. Despite some controversy over control schemes (analog stick vs. buttons for punching) the game has gotten solid reviews and sounds like a fun pickup for any sports video game fan and especially those already into boxing who will appreciate the realistic detail of the game's character rendering. It's always nice to hear about a game with an enjoyable soundtrack and it sounds like Round 4 has a great one full of hip-hop. Probably worth a try if you're into this sort of game!

Video Game Review: Fight Night Round 4: Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali Return to the Ring

tiger woods hearts his video game

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 has been out for almost a month now and reviews have generally been very positive. I am not a huge sports fan but I do think it's cool when athletes decide to take a positive attitude towards the growth of video game interest and their own digitized counterparts appearing in games. Tiger Woods apparently is a huge fan of video games in general (he makes not one but two Atari model shoutouts) and also of his own game, which he posits is getting closer and closer to true-life realism with the latest title. With more accurate swings, exact-replica courses (Woods claims that he actually familiarizes himself with courses using the game) and a new dynamic weather system, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 is one of the better experience-simulation sports games available out there.

Woods wants his digital golf game to be fun, of course, but what drives him is a desire to make it as true as possible to the experience of being "inside the ropes"--the ropes separating fans and players in a tournament. "In terms of innovation, our specific area is realism," he says. "Having spectators moving and talking, the roar of the gallery from another green, the changing leader board. They're all distractions, which we see and hear, and you have to focus quickly and try and execute. We've incorporated these things into the game."

Tiger Woods on Video Game Realism and Knowing Your Customers

mlb 09: the show is solid

I readily admit to neither knowing anything about nor having any interest in sports simulation games (other than horse games of course, like Equestriad 2001 or Gallop Racer). The boyfriend however, despite his recent total obsession with Japanese RPGs, used to be a Madden NFL fan but quit the series after realizing that he couldn't use his trusty control scheme in Madden 09. Anyway, baseball is really his sport of choice so it was an easy decision to pick up MLB 09: The Show as our very first PS3 game, since The Show is a Sony exclusive and generally thought to be the superior baseball game franchise out there. From what I've seen this game appears to be a pretty darn close real-life simulator - listening to the game at the same time as an actual baseball game on TV is rather confusing, not to mention the amazing graphics (it's definitely time for an HD TV upgrade at the house of emdroid). Plus it features my fave Dustin Pedroia all over it! One of its best features though is real-time updating of statistics and team rosters, all the way down to the Minor Leagues and farm teams. Unfortunately I don't think it has banned Manny Ramirez for the next 50 games...

wii sports the highest selling video game ever

Nintendo recently announced that Wii Sports has taken over the coveted spot of best-selling video game of all time, having sold over 45 million copies worldwide. The previous record holder was of course another Nintendo title, the classic Super Mario Bros. on the NES, which sold 40.2 million copies during its run. Both game titles have been sold in a bundle with Nintendo hardware which makes a lot of sense considering the vast sales numbers. Still, it proves my previous point that Nintendo knows what's up with bundling games to consoles in a way that Sony and Microsoft just haven't succeeded at yet. I'm sure Wii Sports Resort will be nearly as big a hit as its predecessor, especially since it will most likely come with a Wii MotionPlus accessory bundle.

Wii Sports: The Best Selling Video Game of All Time

motionplus bundled with two EA games

The long-anticipated Wii MotionPlus controller add-on will be hitting stores soon enough, and while Nintendo does not have Wii Sports Resort ready to go, Electronic Arts will be bundling two new sports titles with the MotionPlus this summer. The MotionPlus accessory will be for sale on its own, but if you're into sports games you'll be able to pick up either Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 or EA Grand Slam Tennis with the accessory bundled with the game. The MotionPlus controller will revolutionize the Wii motion controls and hopefully add some much needed accuracy and acceleration measurements to the Wii's control system. I'm looking forward to trying out new games with this add-on once it's been released.

wii motionplus this spring?

Nintendo got everyone excited at E3 2008 with the announcement of Wii Sports Resort and the new Wii MotionPlus controller add-on that will maximize the motion controls and accuracy of the Wiimote. Unfortunately, there has been no new news on the subject since, despite many other exciting revelations from Nintendo at GDC. In this interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo North America, he claims that the Spring 2009 lineup simply hasn't been announced yet. So, kind of revealing, but not really. With many cool MotionPlus-compatible Wii games on the horizon one can only assume that the MotionPlus won't be too delayed in its release.

dustin pedroia for mlb 09 the show

I'm not a fan of sports video games in any way shape or form, nor do I own a Playstation 3. Still, I am enjoying the current trailers out for MLB 09 The Show featuring my fave Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia! So enjoy this funny one from YouTube and watch out for the others on TV as Pedroia is a hilarious presence on camera and these are far better than his typical local business commercials.