Perhaps that subject line is a bit grandiose. The again, since when am I one not to exaggerate the machinations of Nintendo?

Today, or in the recent past, the Smash Bros. Dojo, in addition to revealing that we mere gamers would be able to play in levels that were DRAWN for us by some wild disembodied PictoChat hand, told us that online enabled Wii’s with Smash Bros in the ol’ blue slot would have access to random maps created by other wacky gamers. The mind boggled at the news, or at least mine did; my gray matter soaks up Nintendo news like a sponge. This is no secret. I also enjoy Boggle.

The palette is very Mario Paint in appearance, but that’s a good thing: it’s easy to navigate but screen shots show there are plenty of options (including stage music) that, in the words of the mysterious Smash Bros. Dojo sensei, promise an infinite number of stage creation combinations.

Regardless of all this new info however, Nintendo seems content to deliver a one-two punch this holiday season. Super Mario Galaxy will be the big holiday item, and Smash Bros Brawl will be the game everyone buys with their Xmas money and gift cards.

This just looks eerily resemblant.

Looky what showed up in my mailbox today! It’s rather nice, almost too nice to use. Actually, you could open letters with the feather end of it. It’s sort of scary to hold it with that semi-sharp part in the meaty section of your hand. Anyone else order or get one of these beauties?

[Sorry the picture isn't a little higher quality; I used my camera phone for the shot.]

A quick hit for the lunchtime crowd from Seeking Alpha:

In this week’s Time magazine story about China’s Me Generation (teens to thirties), a rising middle class twentysomething declared he would rather have a Nintendo Wii than democracy. Need I say more?

Um, wow. I don’t know if that’s bad news for China or great news for Nintendo or what.

An accompanying article, also at Seeking Alpha, tells us that demand for the Wii has increased in the run up to the holiday season. Investors, as is usually the case with a sure thing, are clamoring to buy more stock. “As I noted when first recommending NTDOY at SmartGuyStocks in June, the Wii is a revolutionary development in the gaming world that is doing what PS3 and Xbox360 will never do: going mainstream,” said one investor analyst.

Right on, man. It’s also apparently the scourge of democracy in mainstream China too. Good times.

I promise you I am not Reggie Fils-Aime blogging as a Nintendo fanman, nor am I channeling the great Reggie when I write posts like this one today. Put simply, over the weekend Reggie attacked the Nintendo attackers who say the Wii is a fad the proceeded to praise Halo and BioShock as tour de forces in the industry. He also said LittleBigPlanet is being released on the wrong system (too true, Regginator, too true!).

You would think that the DS, which was immediately labeled technologically weak and a fad by its competition, would have been enough to qualm these silly little diatribes about the Wii being a fad. Or even its game library which was nothing short of anemic in the period after its launch in 2005. That said, if anything we as a species have proven we are incapable of learning from the past and history, it would seem, is best digested in small chunks of time with an age no greater than one year. Anything beyond that and we risk inducing a headache. Reggie, fists bear and brow furled, is as always ready to address the criticism with equal parts education and ass kicking. (more…)

The Virtual Console gets spooky just in time for Halloween with this eerie trio of titles:

Castlevania II Simon’s Quest – NES – 500 Wii Points
In this one-player adventure, you’ll take on the role of Simon Belmont once again and duel to the death with Count Dracula. Grab your legendary whip, Vampire Killer, and roam freely through Transylvania on a quest to find the count’s missing body parts-these are the key to breaking an evil curse.

SAMURAI-GHOST – TG16 – 600 Wii Points
This action platformer features a samurai ghost from the depths of the underworld. In a past war, Kagekiyo managed to defeat the shogun Yoritomo and his clan. However, their evil spirits were not completely destroyed, and now, in the world known as Dark Side, they seek the time of their rebirth.

MAGICIAN LORD – NEOGEO – 900 Wii Points
Released in 1990 and regarded as one of the NEOGEO’s earliest signature games, this side-scrolling platformer mixes action with the mystical world of fantasy.

Any other spooky games you’re looking forward to playing this Halloween?

Gotta nice little episode for you podcast nerds. Enjoy!

• Radio Feed
• iTunes Feed
• MP3

No fewer than 28 games are released for Nintendo systems this week, including two titles for the GBA!

DS
Cars Mater-National
El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera
Ratatouille Food Frenzy
Barbie as The Island Princess
Bee Movie Game
Ben 10: Protector of Earth
Napoleon Dynamite
O.M.G. 26 – Our Mini Games
Panzer Tactics DS
Shrek: Ogres and Dronkeys
Super Collapse 3
The Simpsons Game
Dementium: The Ward
Dr. Suess: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Garfield Gets Real
Ed, Edd & Eddy: Scam of the Century

GBA
Barbie as The Island Princess
Enchanted

Wii
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Battalion Wars 2
Barbie as The Island Princess
Ben 10: Protector of Earth
Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey
High School Musical: Sing It!
Hooked! Real Motion Fishing
Showtime Championship Boxing
The Simpsons Game
Manhunt 2

Less than two months till Christmas and my wallet is already empty … how about yours?

[photo by rnair]

Happy early Halloween, Infendo!

[Thanks, Johnny]

The R-Type series is regarded by many as one of the biggest icons of the 2D Shooter. In 1991, developer Irem created Super R-Type to go alongside the launch of the Super Nintendo. It proved to be a fairly successful game, since it was basically the home console port of R-Type II. Personally, I’m a bigger fan of the Gradius series, but Super R-Type will always have a special place in my heart.

(more…)