Gaming Blog

Nintendo

The Ninja Turtles are Returning!

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Did you miss the mutant turtles? If you haven’t been watching cartoons on TV or played their video games recently, you have something to look forward to this summer.

teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-out-shadows

A new video game of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles subtitled Out of the Shadows will be released in a few months time. Players have a chance to be their favorite reptile character either as Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo or Raphael. Developed by Red Fly Studios, the game involves four players and features a more realistic 3D gaming style unlike the cartoon series that you see.

The setting of the game is in New York City, the home of the ninja turtles. Developers are confident players will love the interactive environments and the adventures that they will have go through in this new and upcoming video game.
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Nintendo’s Newest Wii is Out

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Nintendo has just released its latest portable game console called the Wii U. But unlike the previous Wii that allows people to play games by holding the controller and doing some movements, this new one is different.

The edge of this new gaming system is its dual screen gaming system. Playing can be done via the GamePad, a wireless controller that’s shaped like a tablet. It features a touchscreen measuring 6.2 inches and a second screen that boasts of more interesting features.

Besides playing games on this new console, Wii U will also have TV and movie features. They were supposed to be launched at the same time with the device but for some reason, it will be introduced at a later time sometime next month.

The new TV service is called Nintendo TVii and it lets users watch their favorite TV shows. All they have to do is just use the remote control to browse what programs are available and watch what they want. Additionally, they can send suggestions to other users of this Wii console.
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Even Game-Addicts Need Sleep

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The thing about being too engaged in newly purchased game consoles such as the Playstation and Xbox consoles is that time flies when you are having fun. A game console aimed for all ages, people are too glued to their television playing their favorite games such as NBA Live, Tekken or even Gran Turismo that they end up lacking sleep from playing until the wee hours of the morning.

Sleep Disorder due to Gaming

Such produces a hypnotic type of a trance for gamers that simply want to complete a level or stage in storylines that these games have to offer. The game developers are not to be blamed since it is really their job to make the game as addicting as possible.

Self-discipline among the people who endorse and play this game should be done internally. It is their duty to ensure that they know when to stop even if they don’t want to. Besides, they can pull-it out anytime they wish to, when they have nothing else to do in real life.

[tags]playstation, xbox, games, sleep disorder[/tags]

Consoles Of Old

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Gaming consoles have really come a long way since video games were first invented, don’t you think? I am relatively young but I still remember playing with some of the ancient consoles that kids of today would not recognize. That is why I was very much amused when I read the series of articles over at Games Radar which detailed the consoles of the different decades, starting from the 70s. Of particular interest to me were the consoles of the 80s. (Yeah, I think I just gave away my age range. Oh, well.)

This I remember oh so well:

Console: Game & Watch – Japan
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 1991
These LCD electronic games came in different models – all of which have resembled an iteration of the Game Boy or DS at one point. The Game & Watch pioneered left-handed directional control with the d-pad, seen on every console and handheld in the modern age.

I never had my own Game & Watch but my schoolmates who were fortunate enough to have on were of a sharing nature so we all got our turn.

And how about this?

Console: Atari 5200 Super System
Manufacturer: Atari
Discontinued: 1984
Created as a powerful successor to the 2600, the 5200 competed with the Intellivision and ColecoVision once it hit the market. Unfortunately, Atari spent more attention on the oversaturated (and far more popular) 2600 rather than their new console. Also, Atari underestimated the value of backwards compatibility – at least until they released an adapter the following year. Generally considered a failure, the newer controller also featured a pause button which has since been seen everywhere in the world of gaming.

Ahh, this one we were fortunate enough to have. Of course, with so many kids in the (extended) family, we had a heck of a time trying to get our gaming urges satisfied.

Photo courtesy of www.brianapps.net

Video Games and Schooling

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toddlers video game
I came across a short article by Christopher Dawson over at ZDNet posing the question “Do game consoles have a place in primary education?” His rationale is as follows:

However, the new game, Cosmic Family, is a slick game filled with puzzles and animation. While the puzzles are engaging, the Wii itself, with it’s motion-sensitive Wiimotes, takes a remarkable amount of coordination and sensitivity to operate.

As I watch the kindergarten teacher work to develop just this sort of skill, I have to wonder if there might not be a place for systems like the Wii (with a limited selection of appropriate software, of course) in early elementary education, just as there is for desktop or laptop computers.

It seems to me that the Wii could be a great tool for developmental work, as well as occupational or physical therapy for particular students with identified needs in these areas. The parent in me feels a knee-jerk sense of horror at the thought of Nintendos in classrooms or gymnasiums. However, the technologist in me sees some new tools that just might take us beyond technology for the sake of technology.

I understand how a parent can feel that sense of “horror” at the thought of video games in school. But then again, it really depends on your perspective. If you see video games as a tool to enhance your children’s educational experience, it would probably be a sense of elation and not horror that you would feel.

I think the bottom line here is control and discipline. Just like any other school subject, the idea of using video games for educational purposes should be monitored and guided strictly. I think that it is a perfectly good idea to expose young children to technology – learning and fun together, don’t you think so?

A Guy Named Wii (From the Archives)

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I never thought that someone would name their child Wii but I have been wrong before, and I am wrong now. There is, in fact, a guy named Wii and he got his name way before the Wii (console) was conceptualized. Wii Yatani is a 26-year-old graphic artist from Manhattan. No, it is not a nickname. It is in fact his birth name.

Did he have anything to do with Nintendo’s naming their gaming console? Not in the least. In fact, Nintendo probably did not know he existed until he contacted them to be their spokesperson. Even then, the company did not pay him any mind, which, I think, is just rude. If I were part of Nintendo’s PR department, I would have capitalized on the coincidence. It’s not like Wii (Yatani) would be detrimental to the company, right?

Anyhow, just imagine how the salesperson at the store reacted when she saw Wii’s name on his credit when he paid for his own Wii a couple of months ago! I would have loved to be that salesperson! Of course, Wii (the man) has gotten used to all the jokes his friends would make about his name all his life. Then again, with the advent of the Wii (the console), he has new jokes to contend with. Here’s an excerpt from the article where I discovered Yatani:

And they’ve given him the ability to introduce himself in a new way: “Now, when I meet people I say, ‘My name is Wii. I’m the original.’ ”

Yatani gets new jokes now too. His friends ask him: “Oh, Wii, are you going to go home to play with yourself?” Laughing, he said he gets that “all the time now.”

Lucky man!

The Product Life of Game Controllers

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Game controllers for most game consoles of PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo have become another aspect of needing to satisfy the demand for possible damages or worn out game pads today. The wearing out process is only normal considering that with the rising addiction that most gamers employ on their time in playing, they tend to wear out the buttons and the joysticks from excessive use.

Game Controllers

It is a good thing that such game controller pads are available anywhere today. Depending on the wear and tear of such controllers, people end up trying to purchase a new one once their old ones start to loose their purpose, like delayed reactions of commands once pushed and also no response coming from moving the stick pad controllers.

While some may not be inclined to buy new ones and have their old controllers fixed, it will still come to a point where the controller would evidently have to be replaced, meaning beyond repair states. For some people, it would be best to replace now rather than wait until the time comes when controllers would become a rarity.

Familiarization with the Controller Keys

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Game Pad Controllers

For game consoles, the need for a gamer to be familiar with the controller buttons which corresponds to a particular command in the chosen games such as Tekken and Mortal Kombat is a need to enjoy the game and interface much easier. Such controller buttons once combined properly will produce special moves and secret effects that make the gaming experience for games a whole lot worth it.

Truth of the matter is that most games, either fighting or role playing games offer more than just graphical presentation to impress the gamers. For older people the essence of game play and hidden secrets in games is something that they would initially want to crack. A good source to find out such hidden codes and combinations would be the Internet. A lot of sites like Gamespy offers such codes and walkthroughs for gamers to practice them once they get the chance to try it out for themselves in their PlayStation, Xbox and Wii game consoles.

The Preference for High Resolution Graphics in Online Games

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Online games have been numerous and originating from all parts of the world, particularly in the Asian countries of Korea, Taiwan and Europe. Practically anyone can log on to such gaming servers, either through downloading the game client or through purchased compact discs that contain the relevant files to be able to play the game. Among the known games include Ultima Online, Runescape, World of Warcraft Gold, and Freestyle Basketball.

There are also the usual games developed by the Yahoo group, like Bookworm, Lemonade Tycoon, Family Feud or Chess. These games are more of an individual type, although features to have a two player game are available for selected games such as Chess.

Overall, it will be all whittled down to which is important, game play or graphics. For actual role playing games, it is a toss up. For hardcore gamers, the game methodology is the more important thing over the graphics since they have been exposed to various games already. Graphics such as 3D capability is also preferred although some may have pathetic game objectives. It is truly hard to satisfy both genres but overall, their presence over the web adds another new dimension on going online, gaming at a level where they can enjoy and converse with other people from any walk of life today.

Completing the Gaming Experience with Modified Controllers and Gears

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There are a lot of things an addicted gamer would prefer for his game console. Regardless if this is a PlayStation, Nintendo, Gamebox or personal computer games, add-ons in the form of steering wheel controllers, dance pads and higher capacity memory cards will always be available for expansion.

Some people would be content by merely having the basic gaming unit and satisfying themselves with the available options a game would have. But sooner or later, depending on the game genre that they are looking at, upgrades and improvements to their current setup will surely ensue.

Advanced Game Requirements

There is no question that a gaming experience would increase the ante of requirements to play the game at a higher level. Such an occurrence will only be normal because this is what game developers aim to achieve. Higher requirements in the form of required controllers and hardware requirements will only be normal. The advanced a game becomes, the higher the need for advanced requirements as well.