A missed opportunity to have a banner year for the franchise…pun very much intended. Read the rest of this entry »

ZING!

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"Everything you love about the carnival except the fun."

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A Japanese take on American culture that deserves, at the very least, a modicum of respect, i.e., a rental by every gamer.

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In case you hadn’t caught on yet or are new to the GamePartisan party scene, game name recognition means very little to us: a good game is a good game, an average game is an average game, a bad game is a bad game. Period.

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Phil gives us the lowdown on this uncelebrated title from Capcom.

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While Wii Sports is not the greatest game ever created, it’s definitely a worthy pack-in with the Nintendo Wii. It does a fantastic job of really showing off the control capabilities of the Nintendo Wii, which is obviously what it was meant to do. In terms of graphics and music, Wii Sports ay fail to impress. But the sports themselves, especially tennis and golf, are quite well done, and control nicely. Especially considering that you’re getting it for free, Wii Sports is a surprisingly fun and satisfying game. 

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Perhaps we can finally put the Aerosmith edition behind us?

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"Too slow and frustrating to wholeheartedly recommend."

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Ironically, Boom Blox is the blockbuster Wii owners were waiting for from Mr. Spielberg. 

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The Mario Kart series is the penultimate cartoon kart racer available…this version very much feels as if it’s the most complete.

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Look out, XBLA and PSN!

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Just when you thought the parent’s homework policy wasn’t enough.

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Different is not always better.

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Nintendo franchises still have some catching up to do.

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More is better.

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Let’s blame Nintendo.

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Phil Stortzum returns with yet another sterling review.

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"Seven past console parties down and Mario still feels the need to party like its 1999 with a few variations here and there."

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GameFAQs hero Phil Stortzum makes his GP debut.

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"It’s too bad more attention wasn’t given to the visuals of Nitrobike, as they could have given help to a suffering game."

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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German video gamers, long wedded to their personal computers, are switching to games consoles and mobile devices, pushing German games software sales up 21 percent to 1.36 billion euros ($2.1 billion) last year.

The German games software association (BIU) said on Friday sales of games for consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation or Microsoft Xbox rose 38 percent to 904 million euros in 2007.

By contrast, sales of PC games slipped 3 percent to 458 million euros.

Games for mobile devices were the fastest-growing segment of the market, with sales rising 65 percent to 360 million euros as more casual gamers entered the market, the BIU said.

Who could have seen this one coming?

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I have noticed something of a hypocrisy among gamers as of late, and it’s something even I am guilty of…

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Games Publisher and all ’round mega conglomerate Electronic Arts have released figures detailing their estimates for console sales in 2008.

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This review is hideously late for two reasons. Firstly, I am endemically lazy; and secondly, I’ve been playing Super Mario Galaxy.

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Ah, the Wii. The Console of Gentlemen.

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 The controversy is far from over.

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The tables are turned as the Wii gives a helping hand.

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 Nintendo’s answer to user-created almost ready for launch.

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…spares no expense on detail, but the controls and the story certainly could’ve used a jolt of energy…

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Apparently the 90s were not the last stop for Mortal Kombat headlines.

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For now, Sony continues to maintain a tenuous lead, however brief it may be, over both Microsoft and Nintendo in Japan.

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It has been a whirlwind 15 days since our silent relaunch took place. My co-designer, Carl Rhoades, and I basically finished development on all of the features we deemed essential for the new GamePartisan to be fully functional right off the bat, and then the editorial staff stepped up and went to work. It was that simple. If you know anything about our past, you know that this required a shocking lack of fanfare and press releases. This time around, however, given all of the new things we are ready to present to our audience, both new fans and old diehards, we felt it best just to go ahead and get to work, letting all the bells and whistles go this time around.

All of that behind us, our Thanksgiving week updates means another solid week for GamePartisan. For the Microsoft Xbox 360, we’re planning on giving you reviews of Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 and the Orange Box. Due to unforeseen shipping difficulties, my review copies of Assassin’s Creed and Virtua Fighter 5 have yet to arrive. Therefore, I make no promises pertaining to their being reviewed this week. If they arrive this afternoon, then yes, I should have them reviewed by week’s end. If not, if they arrive later in the week, well then prospects are far better for them being reviewed next week.

For the Nintendo Wii, Joe Maier is allegedly hard at work on putting the finishing touches on his Super Mario Galaxy review. Senior editor Andrew Cretella looks to have a good deal more Wii-related content up and ready for consumption within the next week or so.

For the Sony PlayStation 3, Eric Goldfisher has finished his review of Heavenly Sword, which will definitely be a part of our Thanksgiving update.

The best news of all, however, is that our progressive editorial policy is set to come into effect later this week, with Ben Paddon officially returning to the scene with another rendition of his wonderful column, "Made in England". Columnist Jeremy Bennett looks to continue to shock and awe with a new incarnation of his edgy "Gaymer". For my part, count on at least one of my two columns seeing an update this week. Even though it’s Thanksgiving, that’s no excuse for me not to be here in top form, stirring up mischief and seeking whomever I may irritate with less than good tidings.

For now, folks, the one big item Mr. Rhoades and I failed to accomplish before the official relaunch of GamePartisan was setting up site e-mail addresses for the editorial staff. Yes, I know. Quite an irritation and, now that you all know, an embarrassment to boot.

Nevertheless, you can still contact us, me in particular, so take heart and send an e-mail to my personal e-mail address (yes, feel special): my personal e-mail…write me!

Until next time, otaku!

With the Xbox 360 and Wii both over the 13 million units sold mark worldwide, the 5.6 million units sold of its PlayStation 3 system is making the 7th generation of the console wars an awful grim scenario for Sony. Read the rest of this entry »

Reporting for Reuters from "the Greatest City in the World", New York City, Bobbi Rebell states that Nintendo’s biggest challenges this Holiday season will be in grappling with a seemingly relentless chain of demand for its Wii console and preventing Microsoft from tapping into its family-friendly monopoly.

However awkward Microsoft’s first public foray into family-friendly fare may have seemed on ABC this past week, there can be little doubt as to their intent: broaden the horizons of the Xbox 360 beyond the hardcore gamer and attract the family unit, with both kid-friendly software seeing release on the system as well as new parental controls.

In addition to staving off Microsoft Corporation, Nintendo Company, Ltd., will also face the reality of losing precious business this Holiday season if they continue to falter in meeting market demand for their home Wii console. While there remains little doubt that Nintendo will remain a key player in this round of the home console wars, market analysts at Reuters and elsewhere continue to express the sentiment that Microsoft might be able to capitalize on Nintendo’s failure to meet demand by pitching its own family-friend tent.

The long and short of it all is that analysts do anticipate big Holiday seasons for both Microsoft and Nintendo. Sony’s future? Everyone but Sony is admitting their Holidays may not be so happy. Even Burl Ives may not be able to cheer them up should they continue to bleed red ink.