As I sit in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport at 5:50 in the morning I ponder back to my childhood. The days when we would pack up the family suburban and travel like a real American family, on the road. These trips were before portable movie players, in car refrigerators and captain’s chairs. Yup, it was rough going, well it was without a Gameboy at least. One of my most profound gaming experiences came on a road trip to the genesis of my childhood, Space Camp. After a considerable bit of saving and forgone Christmas presents, my best friend and I set off for Space Camp. Our only savior was my best friend’s Gameboy, which, I won’t hesitate to say, I played quite a bit more then him, stealing it when he fell asleep and somehow talking my way into more playtime.

No game since then has had the profound sense of escapism that I found when I flicked the switch on, adjusted to the appropriate viewing angle, and held my breathe that the batteries would hold out, then the little blue cartridge that could…Pokemon Blue. Now up until that point in my life early Nintendo games, and even the quite immersive Super Metroid had stimulated my mind, but nothing could have prepared me for the arduous, addictive, and engrossing game play that Pokemon presented.

I was no longer in a beige and crème 1986 GMC Suburban; instead I was transported to a world where my expectations of reality were shattered. Yes this may sound a bit deep for what it actually was, a grind fest hardcore JRPG, but at the time the simplistic yet satisfying game play was in a league of its own. As I grew older my taste in games changed but Pokemon remained a constant.

Being a Pokemon fan has become increasingly difficult, as the years have passed. (more…)

When I think back to the history of Apple I look to none other then Oregon Trail. What stood out about Oregon Trail was that we were playing a video game in school. Whenever we would finish our keyboarding exercises we were treated to a rousing diskette based experience that rivaled even kickball for the best thing we got to do at school.

Now as we flash forward a decade Apple has become synonymous for it’s chic design philosophy and pension for quality. With the move to Intel processors, Apple has shed its monopolistic style to business even allowing, and supporting programs that allow for multiple operating systems (including Windows) to be installed. For around two years my current PC has actually been a Macbook Pro, and I couldn’t be happier. I get the best of both worlds, a stable Operating System and the ability to use a PC for its intended purpose…..Games.

With the release of the 3G iPhone and the launch of the application store in July, as well as an uncharacteristic release of the iPhone development tool; Apple may be preparing for its own entry into the handheld, and perhaps console war?

Apple is placed in a very precarious position, they have a very successful product in the iPod, yet they still have yet (more…)

So with Mario Kart Wii having been out for weeks now, it’s hard to believe the violent backlash crawling throughout the internets about how much the included steering wheel “sucks”. Granted, there isn’t much to it, and as I stated last week, there probably won’t be much future support for it, but come on - it’s fun.

I’ve spoken to multiple friends that have complained that it’s too difficult to control the karts with the wheel, yet I have had no trouble doing so. Yes, it would be nice if it was anchored to something, but that would defeat the purpose of being the cheap accessory that it is.

My main problem with the complaints is this - you’ve been playing Mario Kart with a normal controller since 1992. Don’t you think it’s time to try something new? Especially considering that half the courses in Mario Kart Wii are rehashes of old courses, and they’ve done away with the two-people-in-a-kart thing from Double Dash, this edition really needed something innovative, and the motion controls with the wheel is it. Why buy a new game if you want it to play exactly the same as the old one? Not everyone was awesome at Mario Kart when it first came out, but those people are pros now. People should be excited to have a new form of control to master, not angry.

But for all you gaming cynics out there, feel free to plug in those bubbly GameCube controllers and wiggle the heart out of that analog stick.

-Joey Esposito

Nintendo told us from the very beginning that the Wii was going to be different. Even the working title was Nintendo Revolution. And different it is; but revolution? Not yet.

Yes, Nintendo has officially been successful in bringing in the casual gamers - from the elderly to the nerd-phobic, it’s undeniable that people that have never before taken an interest in gaming are currently flocking to get a hold of a Wiimote. Even in the newspaper not a week ago, there was a lengthy article about an old folks homes using the Wii has a primary source of entertainment in the community. The article focused in on a 93 year old man that played Wii Sports Bowling like nobody’s business. With the Wii, Nintendo may just break the stigma of video games meaning that you are a nerd, or even an outsider.

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The rise in popularity of Nintendo’s last two video game machines, the DS and Wii, has really gotten me thinking about how this meteoric rise in is similar to another video game machine, the Atari 2600. Now I really can’t say I was around to witness much of Atari’s reign over the industry, but the impact that resulted from the video game crash primarily caused by them is still felt today. At this point the scales could tip either way, a prosperous future for Nintendo and the industry, or a colossal crash that could dethrone Nintendo and profoundly affect the way in which the video game industry operates.

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I’m pretty excited about this one. Most of us have had experience with a ‘Tycoon’ style game in the past. My personal experiences were generally good, but there’s no denying they’ve gotten pretty formulaic in recent years. Good thing for us Bandai Games is about to up the ante and incorporate some exciting genre-stretching features in its upcoming title, Space Station Tycoon.

IGN recently interviewed the guys behind Space Station Tycoon, who come off extremely passionate about their work on this project. Whenever I read that the developers actually had fun making a game I tend to pay a bit more attention to the fruits of their labor. Too many games feel like they were created by soulless money-driven lobotomized hamsters (with a penchant for endless sequels).

Space Station Tycoon feels special. The artistic style and focus on fun gameplay appear very reminiscent of Namco’s Katamari Damacy series. Anyone who has played the spiritual ancestor of Space Station Tycoon, Outpost Kaloki X for Xbox Live Arcade, will likely feel right at home, though it should be noted that this is neither a sequel nor port.

When asked whether the game will take a linear approach, Wahoo Studios project manager replied:

Jeremy Throckmorton: We decided on a nonlinear approach with this title. Shawn is able to travel to any location on the galactic map so long as he has a valid path there and meets the entry requirements.

This doesn’t sound 100% nonlinear, but some rigidity is a welcome component to effective story telling – another important part of Space Station Tycoon:

Jeremy Throckmorton: Players take on the role of Shawn, the previously mentioned wet-behind-the-ears kid. He’s the optimistically ambitious sort, and just a little too trusting of others. Needless to say, this finds him all kinds of trouble — trouble he happily deals with. The story advances as Shawn travels across the galaxy with his sidekick monkey Tam, exploring, building stations, and occasionally getting whisked away against his will to some remote region of space.

I’m already sold on this one, but what really seals the deal is its Co-op multiplayer. The details are sketchy but it looks like you’ll be able to recruit a friend to help work on a space station. In addition, there is mention of a “mobile gravity well” that will allow the player to mess around with their space stations, and its patrons, in some interesting ways. Wiimote + movable gravity wells + people = fun no matter how you shape it.

-CHRISTOPHER LEWIS

SCEA’s Managing Director Michael Ephraim has expressed to attendees at a media launch event in Australia that the Wii is a completely different product than the PS3. Ephraim explains:

“We think PS3 is not a product to be compared with Wii, it is a completely different product. This is a digital hub, that is a games console”

They may be very different products, but they are competing for the same consumers’ dollars. That’s a fact that Sony seems to keep forgetting. Hit up CVG for more of Mr. Ephraim’s thoughts on the PS3.

-MIKE KURZ

As technology advances, video games become more and more immersive. When I sit down to play Gears of War on my HD TV, I’m presented with stunning visuals, 5.1 surround sound that makes it seem as though bullets are whizzing by my head, and I get tactile feedback from my controller. So what’s next? How do we improve on the already immersive experience? With the upcoming ForceWear vest from TN Games. PSU did an interview with Mark Ombrellaro (CEO of TN Games) and found out some interesting facts about the upcoming product:

PSU: The vest is customizable, how so?

Mark: The vest will have options to customize its look. At present, there will be versions geared towards shooter games (black tactical jacket and Camo look) as well as a look for racing (flame suit appearance). There will be accessory products for adding additional contact points to arms, legs, and the head. There will also be the ability to add parts to the jacket to
customize its appearance to tie specifically with game content. At TN Games we feel passionately that players be part of the action

The vest is capable of applying 10lbs of pressure to any of it’s contact points. No price has been announced, but the vest will be available in November. So what do you think? Would you like to feel the bullets hit you? Would you spend extra for the add ons for the arms legs and head? Personally I don’t know if I want to feel the headshots.

-MIKE KURZ

I remember opening up my new Dreamcast on Christmas day. It was a wondrous experience - that little white box had been calling to me for months, and finally it was mine. Our love affair would not last long though. We had two glorious years together before Sega decided to discontinue the DC in 2001. Sure, some games came out for it late into ‘01, and into ‘02, but things just weren’t the same anymore. The magic was gone.

Love is in the air for many gamers once more in the form of the Nintendo Wii. Will this budding relationship stand the test of time, or are these starry eyed gamers setting themselves up to be heartbroken?

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IanJ over at the Something Awful forums had some free time on his hands at work today, and he ended up using it to draw a wide variety of consoles as ducks. Yup, ducks. I have no idea what made him think to do this, but I’m glad he did. Go, click the link, and see if your favorite console or handheld underwent the duckification process.

-MIKE KURZ