First, let me apologize for not being able to bring updates about the GDC yesterday. I guess places weren't able to stream the conference, so I had to rely on Twitter and blog announcements for updates. Judging from everything that was talked about, I don't think any of us missed anything big (for the Wii anyway). Oh, except the Wii 4.0 update. I didn't do a write up yesterday because I wanted to get home and try it out before actually writing about it.

It's probably not smart of me to say this as someone who writes about video games, but I didn't even know we were on Wii 3.0. Whichever version we're on Wii 4.0 is all about solving a problem that has been irritating Wii gamers for quite some time. Save space.

Admittedly, I always thought the storage solution problem was a bit overblown. Is it really that big of a hassle to copy games, and save files from your SD card to the Wii's internal memory? How many games can one person be playing at time, that they needed to load more than 512 MB worth? Which is why I always used my SD card as an archive. Meaning that I put games on it I know that I won't be playing for awhile, which alleviates space for new downloads. Some saw it differently though, and I'm not here to judge so let's get on with the update...

Nintendo dropped the ball on Wii 4.0 in my opinion. In a way they came through with their promise, Wii Shop games can be loaded up directly from your SD card. However, they're not played through your SD card. What this means is that the Wii takes the data stored on your card, and loads it into the Wii's internal memory. This means you'll still need the required blocks to play the game you're wanting to load. For people with a high amount of save files on their system, this means they might still have to do some re-arranging to get things working right. Doesn't that kind of make the point of the update moot in essence?

Nintendo does provide an auto-arrange function if it detects you don't have enough space. So, if you load up a game and you still have a full hard drive Nintendo provides a couple of 'AutoManage' options. You can choose 'rightmost on menu', so that it starts transferring games from the farthest right to your SD card. Or you can select 'biggest block size', which explains itself.

The biggest letdown of the update is that you can't load save data from the SD card. This means if you're playing Super Mario Bros. 3 from your SD card, you must have your SMB3 save data in the internal memory. This confused me at first, because I transferred the save data along with the game. So, just a heads up to those who don't read the instructions after installation...;)

While Nintendo came through with appeasing the people who thought transferring files once in awhile was a big hassle, they really had a minimalist approach to it. I was kind of looking forward to loading save files from a SD card, more so than the games. Oh well maybe we'll get that with Wii 5.0

If you took video game fans, and divided them up into different groups you might feel reminiscent of high school. You'd have the jocks who love sports games, or the Ogres (Revenge of the Nerds Reference) who love their FPS's, then you'd have the agriculture club who simply loves to farm (Harvest Moon). I'd be hanging out with everyone because I love all genres of gaming, but for some reason I've always had this strange attraction to Harvest Moon. My first foray into this sub-genre of gaming took place on the Nintendo 64. Once I planted my first turnip seed, I was addicted. Getting married to Karen, and having her gather eggs in the morning? Greatest moment of gaming material.

Next to Super Punch-Out, which I have close to 700-800 hours of game time I'd say Harvest Moon 64 is my most played game of all time. Since, I've played numerous iterations of HM, even the original on the SNES. None have quite captured what HM 64 was able to. It was simple, yet demanding, and the gameplay was very smooth. I had heard about Rune Factory on the DS, and thought that it was very interesting concept. Integrating dungeon crawling into the farming-sim aspect seemed cool enough. My initial thought is that they'd trade in the laid back, go at it your own pace feeling by adding combat so I never played the DS titles.

Kind of disappointed that I didn't.

After playing Rune Factory: Frontier, I can safely say that it's on par with Harvest Moon 64. As I dive deeper into everything the game has to offer, it could have the potential to surpass HM 64's greatness. I've only played through my first season (Spring), and it's already hard to begin explaining everything the game has to offer.

At the very beginning, you're treated to an anime inspired intro movie. Which is very well animated. The story is quite simple: Raguna (you) is following a long time friend by the name of Mist as she left her home for unknown reasons. You end up tracking her down to the small village of Trampoli. Instead of bringing her back, you decide to stay yourself and raise a farm. After the first season, not much has come from the main story yet. Only that Mist hears some voices throughout the village. Schizo, or something sinister afoot? Only time will tell.

If I had to describe Rune Factory: Frontier in one word, it would be 'depth'. With only one season completed, there's already more to do than in most HM games I've played. You of course have your farm, which starts out a bit small. The reason being is more of the obstacles you have to clear requires tools you don't have yet. So the amount of land you have to work with is minimal. Not complaining yet though, because there's much more to the game than farming. Everything works just like in previous Harvest Moons. You clear out a patch of land, you till it, plant your seeds, water them, wait for them to grow, and then sell them for money or give them to your neighbors. Or use the to create recipes for cooking.

Even with all the additions to the game, farming is still the main crutch of the gameplay.

The second element of the game that is introduced to you is interacting with the villagers, and heroines. The heroines are the main part of your social life in Trampoli. These are the bachelorettes you'll have to woo into loving you, then eventually marrying you. I stated in the title of the post that this is a 'first impression'. I really haven't decided who I'm courting yet, but I can say it will be hard decision. I actually like all of the bachelorettes I've run into so far. Which is strange because Karen in HM 64 is the only candidate I could stand in that game.

The final aspect of the game that I find so rewarding is the sense of exploration. The game highly rewards those who are curious and seek out everything there is to find in Trampoli. I've found a numerous amounts of things to do, just by seeking things out. Nothing is handed to you in this game, so if you get stuck you'll have to discover what you need to progress.

One of the game's first discoveries is Whale Island. This is the main dungeon of the game, and is where most of my time has been spent when I'm not working my farm. The main section of dungeon exploring is combat. Like most things in Harvest Moon games, it's simple, yet addictive. It's an action based gameplay, that relies on stats, but also on your maneuverability. Once you get good at dodging, and attacking it becomes easy to go through some parts of the dungeon without taking damage. A cool aspect of the dungeons is being able to grow crops in them. Your options for what to do with the crops increases in dungeons. You can sell them, eat them, or leave them there to grow Rune crystals. These items will help replenish your RP, which is the energy bar that is found in other HM games.

There are certain parts of the game I've just now started, or haven't tried yet. Runey harvesting is probably the most intriguing aspect of the game, and most complicated. Each area of the world has 'runey's attached to them. They're collection of spirits that have manifested themselves into different forms. There's rock runeys, tree runeys, grass runeys, and water runeys. They all have different effects, and will do certain things to the land. For example having an abundance of grass runeys will help grow your crops faster. I haven't truly dived into the runey harvesting yet, but it has the potential to be deep and rewarding.

My largest gripe with the game so far, is how fast everything flies at you. I'm only a season in, and I feel as though most of the major aspects of the game are already available to me. You still have to earn certain portions of the game, it all just seems to happen really fast. For example, I've built my barn and it didn't even take a hour of my day. It just happened automatically. Which goes against the slow, methodical spirit of HM. This is but a small gripe though, as I'm sure there's still a lot of surprises yet to come.

Graphically, this is probably the most beautiful game I've played on the Wii. Easily the most impressive game since Super Mario Galaxy. The world is so dense with flora, that it really feels alive. Even when you till land, and plant crops, it all feels so cohesive and blends nicely. The water is the most impressive graphical feat. I believe that the water effects, and animations rival some that have been seen in Xbox 360, PS3, and PC games. I love the anime inspired cutouts that are used when characters are talking. It adds a wonderful sense of ****to the overall design of Rune Factory.

This Screenshot doesn't do the water justice. You have to see it in action to appreciate it.

The music provides a great backdrop to the easy going nature of Rune Factory. I've been surprised by the amount of tracks that are available in different areas. It seems like there's a different song for every building I walk into. The tracks seem to fit the mood with the places I'm visiting. The voice acting is 'blah', but luckily it isn't overused, and you can skip over it if they annoy you too much.

After reading my first impressions, they're about as long as some reviews. That just shows everything that Rune Factory: Frontier has to offer in such a short time. If even more aspects of gameplay pop up on top of what already is available, then I highly recommend buying this game. You of course have to enjoy farming-sim games (Harvest Moon), but if you do then Rune Factory: Frontier is one you shouldn't miss.

They say that a man is defined by the tough choices he makes in life. I'm not sure who said that, maybe I just made it up but I've run into a tough decision. One that separates the men from the boys.

Due to certain parts of my budget being more important than others, I can't buy MadWorld and Rune Factory: Frontier. For the immediate future at least. This week MadWorld released, and next week (March 17th) Rune Factory: Frontier comes out. There can only be one added to my collection; I just can't decide which one it should be.

MadWorld



MadWorld is game I've been brimming about since I heard about last year, and one I've been greatly anticipating. If you don't believe me, just read the previous posts I've made about it.
MadWorld Releases Today - Review Roundup (and a rant)
MadWorld Death Watch Episode 3
New MadWorld Videos - Let Me Learn Ya Somethin'
Evolution of MadWorld MadWorld TV Trailer (Part 2)
New York Comic Con Gameplay Videos Of MadWorld & The Conduit
MadWorld - TV Sports Trailer (w/ Expert Analysis)
Top 5 Anticipations For 2009
Happy Holidays From MadWorld - Trailer
Top 5 Game Releases For 2009
Top 5 2008 E3 Moments

I've hyped the game quite a bit on the site, but now that it's released does it live up to the talk?

From everything I've been reading, MadWorld is all the things we hoped to find within its black/white/red walls. Here's a list of reasons to buy the game, and not to buy based on reviews thus far:

Reasons to buy: More blood than Dracula could drink in a night. The violence is coupled with great controls. The graphics look solid, and animations are supposedly varied and provide some epic moments. Haven't played a good beat em' up in a long time.

Reasons not to buy: My first MadWorld adventure, according to reviewers will end at around 6-7 hours. Has some quirky control issues, but aren't very rampant.

Rune Factory: Fronter



Rune Factory: Frontier is a little harder to judge than MadWorld mostly because it isn't out yet. That and not much info has been released about Rune Factory: Frontier. The best place I've been able to obtain information about RF:F is from its official site.

Ok, let's get to the gritty about RF:F:

Reasons to Buy: Rune Factory series has been solid on the DS. The Rune Factory site shows that the game might have great depth. Harvest Moon based games provide a long lasting experience that requires a good amount of game time dedication. The ESRB rating states that 'use of alcohol' is back in Harvest Moon

Reasons not to Buy: Haven't played any of the Rune Factory DS games yet (might not like them). Harvest Moon based games have been very hit or miss since the Nintendo 64 era.

Until reviews start coming in for Rune Factory: Frontier it's going to remain a split decision for about a week. My first reaction is to just rent MadWorld since it can be beat in 5-7 hours. But maybe it's worth more than one play through. We'll just have to wait and see if RF: F impresses like I'm hoping it will.

I'm starting to see a trend starting with the Wii that makes me quite uncomfortable. It started with Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and House of the Dead: 1&2. Then House of the Dead: Overkill released, which is a game that I bought and love. After its release, the news was announced that a Dead Space on-rails shooter was in development. Now, we have another speculated 'on-rails' shooter coming our way. See the trend?

Famitsu has released an article, and pictures of an upcoming Resident Evil game; Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles. What isn't completely known is what genre the game will actually be. Capcom hasn't made an official statement yet, so until then it's all speculation. Considering the word 'chronicles' is in the title, there's more than a good chance it is an on-rails shooter.

Let's just hope we don't get another arcade shooter. I'm already sick of typing 'on-rails'.

Today marks the official release of MadWorld, which means many Wii gamers are excitedly anticipating playing some 'Man Darts'. Before we get into the post let me make a brief statement about 'release dates'.

I wish retail outlets, and publishers could get their act together about when a game actually will be readily available to the general public. Too many times a game has an "official" release date, but isn't available for purchase until the day after. I used to work at Best Buy, and this not only annoyed the customers but me as well. So, online gaming publications, and huge gaming publishers if you're reading, try and provide better information to consumers about when they can actually purchase a game. I bring this up because in Best Buy's print ad, it says the game isn't available until Weds.

Ok, rant over; now on to the good news...

With the official release date upon us, MadWorld has been receiving reviews. Most of them have been positive. Here are a few thoughts from various sites.

IGN - 9.0/10: "I realize that not everybody will find MadWorld's unique visual and aural presentation appealing, but to me, the game is an instant collector's item and a Wii showpiece, not just for its amazing **** but for its label-busting content. Anybody who says Nintendo's console is just for kids will see things very differently after a few chainsaw- induced mutilations. More importantly, though, MadWorld does not place emphasis on ****over gameplay, so there's plenty of fun, smart mechanics to back up the overwhelmingly slick look and sound of the title. "

Nintendo Power - 90/100: "Although the game is unquestionably brutal, the violence is so over-the-top that it's more humorous than gruesome...For any hardcore gamer, this one is not to be missed."

Eurogamer - 7/10 : "Still, as a piece of violent spectacle MadWorld is unrivalled. The creativity of PlatinumGames in providing ever more unlikely and delicious ways to kill and maim Jack's antagonists boggles and delights the mind at some deep, base level. And so, no matter how much the schoolboy-humour commentary grates, no matter how repetitive the bits in between the set-pieces start to feel and no matter how frustrating the later levels become, MadWorld provides a rush of blood to the head almost as often as it provides a rush of blood to the pavement."

It seems as though everything we hoped and dreamed MadWorld would be is coming true. Over-the-top violence, and ****that isn't hampered down with contrived gameplay. Just tell me where to sign up....

Just make sure I'm given the date when I can actually pick the game up(ok, NOW the rant is over).

Nintendo has got a pretty crack public relations team working for them. I imagine them all wearing mushroom laden ties, trying to think of interesting hidden messages to put in Nintendo Power for an upcoming game announcement. On top of the crafty messages, Nintendo has a unique sense of how to handle gaming media outlets. Just pull the old jedi mind trick on them.

There never was a Wii MotionPlus release date, and these aren't the droids you're looking for.

CVG received an official statement from Nintendo regarding the rumors of a delay for Wii MotionPlus...

"No date was ever announced for MotionPlus - so technically it can't be delayed."

It looks like Nintendo got one over on us, but to be fair the statement is accurate. If you can remember all the way back to E3 last year, you'll see I wrote in a live update feed of E3 stating, "Wii Sports Resort releases next spring". I think it was internet rumors, and hype that made us assume that spring meant March, or April which is common sense. However, Spring doesn't end until June so Nintendo still has time to release as scheduled.

It would be nice to hear a definitive date though.

GamePolitics has caught wind of a case being presented to the Supreme Court, that could greatly have an impact on the video game world. Not directly mind you, but as an after effect of the decision that's to be made by the seven Supreme Court justices.

The case is a company, American Needle vs. Reebok, NFL, and NFL owners. It used to be that the NFL licensed out its IP (intellectual property) to many companies for production. There used to be a great number of companies that could release apparel, and head gear that sported NFL team logos. Now, there's only one company that can, Reebok. This of course pissed off other companies who had developed business around releasing these products.

This lead to American Needle's lawsuit, which has made its way to the United States Supreme Court.

The case links to EA, and 2K because they both have exclusive deals with the NFL and MLB. EA has an exclusive deal with the NFL for publishing third-party NFL games. 2K has the same deal only for the MLB. If American Needle ends up winning their case, then all bets could be off for exclusive deals with sports affiliates.

This case has left a divided feeling in my mind. The gamer part of me is jumping for joy, because more competition, and quality could be entering the sports game arena again. Since the whole exclusivity deals in the early 2000's, it feels like there's been a gaping hole in the world of sports video games. NFL 2K games were regarded as the highest quality football games you could find on the market. Then on the flip side, MVP Baseball by EA was establishing itself as a great baseball franchise. In fact, MVP Baseball 2005 is a game I generally put in my 'Top 10 list', if the discussion ever arises.

While the gamer side of me is giddy just at the chance to play a new MVP Baseball game, the political and business part of my mind grimaces from it. Don't get me wrong, competition is healthy for a market, particularly the consumer. That doesn't mean that exclusive deals between companies is against the law though. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of American Needle, you could see the flood gates being opened. If the NFL doesn't have to right to do what they want with their IP, where does that leave other companies?

Think about it this way. What if a publisher wants to see a Mario game on another system? They could argue that Nintendo is monopolizing their content, and doesn't have the right to release them solely on a Nintendo console. Or Microsoft doesn't have the right to keep Halo all to themselves.

The Sherman Act, which protects our markets from monopolies wasn't set into place for the reasons this lawsuit has been brought about. The Sherman Act was created so that necessary resources in our economy couldn't be horded and distributed by a single person, company, or entity. I don't think the IP of the NFL is anything that should be considered necessary in our modern society. It just isn't right, even if I really really want to play a new MVP Baseball.

Oh no, things got political on WiiBlog again. I'm proud of myself, I hadn't brought up politics since the Obama debate of November 08. So, where do your beliefs fall on this latest development? Are you divided like I am, between gaming and politics? Or should monopolies, and exclusive deals, no matter what they're for be banned from the market?

As I grow older (mid-20's), I look back on life and begin to wonder just what the hell I was thinking back when certain things mattered to me. I was perusing a few sites this morning, and one of the things I used to care about so much that mean little to me now popped up; game reviews.

Don't misunderstand me, game reviews are an important piece of the gaming industry. They're a check against developers, so crappy games aren't released as frequently. They can be informative to the public, and so on. However, there was a time when game reviews would send me through the roof. Sometimes for good reasons, others not so good. Looking back, it all just seems so silly.

All these different thoughts lead to the Top 5 list. What are some things that can be improved upon with game reviews? How can they be made more relevant?

Let's get to it.

5. Engage More With The Gamers

Sometimes consumers forget, but they're the cog that keeps our entire way of life turning. Without consumers, or a user base there'd be no video games, or reviews for that matter. This simple idea translates to our current economic status, but that's a topic for another time, and another blog.

The gamer crowd is the lifeblood of the game review. If no one is there to hear you speak, or read your words then what's the point. Which is why it irks me to see so many reviewers not engage with their user base. I'm not sure if it's in the interests of professionalism, or if game reviewers are just busy. If you look around some review sites, you'll rarely find reviewers follow up their writings or respond to comments left by readers.

To be fair, not all comments are worth addressing, but there is worth while dialogue to respond to. Yet, you'll find reviewers not answering questions, or backing up the claims they make in their review summaries. With Facebook, Twitter, and all different kinds of social networking the idea of user engagement is just reaching its peak. It's not enough to just leave empty words in an article on your site anymore. It's all about your communication as well.

4. Neutral Genre/Title Fanboyism

If you look around mainstream news, the idea of 'objective' journalism is fading faster than hard line telephones. Everyone has a bias, and it seems that we care less and less if that bias gets in the way of reporting facts or figures. This idea translates to the video game world as well. Though, I will say it's not as prevalent as it once was.

I think that #4 on today's list is one of the hardest changes to implement for game reviews. Mainly, because reviews are in, and of themselves bias. They're opinions, but that doesn't mean I want to hear that opinion from someone who had a jaded view going into playing the game. If I'm wanting to check out thoughts on the newest Madden game, I don't want to hear about what the reviewer thought of previous Maddens. Specifically if they hated it, or were absolutely in love with it.

Hearing how great Madden is, from someone who has always been a huge Madden fan kind makes their thoughts moot. Unless you're a Madden fan that is. But why restrict your viewing audience to only those who love Madden? Or hate it.

Now, I'm not saying that someone shouldn't review a game because of any prior qualms/preferences towards certain titles or genres. I'm just saying that it needs to be kept to a minimum when it comes out in their writing.

I'll probably need to come back to this whenever Punch Out! releases this year.

3. Include, Don't Exclude

My biggest pet peeve when reading through a review, is finding large sections of a game are missing from the write-up. Whenever I read a review, and I know something has blatantly been omitted the review is instantly void in my eyes.

Reviews should always follow the motto 'more is better'. Even if the review is an essay, atleast the reader has a choice to either skim through, or read the entire entry. Whenever a review is cut short, or information is left out, there's really only one option for the reader. Which is to read it, but be denied things they should probably know about the game they're reading about.

What's really frustrating is that on certain sites, you can tell some games get better treatment than others. I'm not talking about positive/negative reactions but that certain games get talked about more than others. This, sometimes is due to the fact that certain games have more content than others, but that isn't always the case.

2. Add Second Opinions

In every publication that I've ever read, my favorites tend to be ones that present the greatest number of ideas about games. EGM generally always added second opinons. IGN includes them sometimes, but not nearly enough. I'm not quite sure why all of the major gaming publications don't post more than one review.

On WiiBlog, you'll generally just see one review, but that's because it's a smaller publication. Believe me, I'd allow as many differing opinions as I could if the resources were there. Yet, I visit these large sites, with bountiful resources and I'm left flummoxed by the inclusion of only one review.

What, that one person is the 'end all, be all' in terms of reviewing a particular game? What exactly, makes one person so special that they get one exclusive review per site? The answer, is quite simply that they aren't special. It's merely one opinion, which is a microcosm of a larger whole. And really isn't, nor should be representative of the overall feeling towards a game.

Looking at game reviews, I can understand why the 'one and only' format was chosen. Mostly, because traditional media has always been reviewed that way. Just look at entertainment publications, where you'll see movie reviews conducted by one person. TV, books, are also forms of media that have been traditionally reviewed by one person, per publication.

I can tell you that with games, my opinion is generally formed by discussing with others. Why can't discussions be used as reviews? Why not setup a round table for a certain game, and have opinions bounce off one another? I think that offering second opinions is a good start to revitalize, and revamp the way we review our games.

Just because media has been reviewed a certain way in the past, doesn't mean that's what needs to keep continuing. As the wonders of the internet grow, so should the ways we relay information about a game to the consumers.

1. Numerical Scores

For me, one of the funniest moments in gaming was when Gamespot (Jeff Gerstmann) dropped his review of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess onto viewers. You'd have thought Gerstmann sparked World War III from all the backlash he received from Zelda, and Nintendo fanboys. All because he thought LoZ: TP deserved a 8.8.

I didn't agree with some of the negatives that Jeff mentioned in his review. I loved the wii remote controls, and thought it was great to see an Ocarina **** Link on the Wii. Two things he mentions as negatives. There-in lies my point. People weren't upset with Jeff's write-up of the game, but the arbitrary number he assigned to it.

Something about that little 8.8, drove people into a hysteria. If you don't believe me, look at player reviews on that site. People gave the game a 10, for nothing more than to try and prove a point to Jeff. That his numerical score was somehow 'wrong'.

I'm not going to act high and mighty, because I myself have used a numerical score for reviews on this site. But I leave it at the end, as a footnote to what should really be important, the content. I know people that live, and die by the number though. You'll see forum topics created solely based on a review 'score'. They generally turn into flame wars.

Why? Is what I want to ask. Why, do we care so much about those little digits? Is there a chemical imbalance in our heads, that sees an arbitrary score that sends us into a frenzy?

"Oh no, Halo 3 only received a 4.5 stars out of 5, I can no longer show my face around here again"

That's a literal quote from a review I've seen before.

For me, numerical scores are the bane of the game review world. I wish I had a time machine and could go back and find out who devised the first review system for anything. Tell him how it was hurting valid content, and to just write out your views instead.

What's sad is that review scores aren't going anywhere. Publishers plaster results all over their boxes. ' This game receives 5/5 from Gamepro'. All I ask is that we take a step back, and try to find out why is matters so much. Then hopefully we can devise a better solution.

———————————————

So, after discussing today's topic, how important are game reviews to you? If you do put stock into reviews, how do you read them? Do you really care so much about a numerical result, and if so how do you read into review systems?

I don't think we have a more divisive holiday in a year more than Valentines Day. Or as some refer to it as 'V-Day'. For those who have a significant other, Valentines Day can have a two-prong effect. Either it's a momentous occasion with rose petal adorned bedrooms, and romantic filled evenings. For others it's a stressful day with someone trying their best to please the other, and getting all worked up over it in the process. For those without a partner, we (yes we … ) tend to just walk around with a huge middle finger up in the air.

If you're looking to buck the Valentine's Day trend, or if you have a girl/boy-friend that's just uber cool why not give gaming a chance? There's games out there that can bring two souls together, and become one. You just gotta know where to look.

5. House of the Dead

Before playing House of the Dead: Overkill, I nearly forgot the fun that on-rail shooters can bring to the gaming world. The simple nature of aiming a reticule at a screen and blowing the face off of a zombie just has an endearing charm to it that will more than likely never get old.

Fill The Hole In Your Spouse's Heart, By Putting A Hole In A Mutant's Stomach

Of course, what does seeing zombie brains blow up have to do with Valentine's Day? The visuals of a zombie explosion might not get the romantic juices flowing, but the co-op aspect that an on-rails shooter brings definitely can.

Ladies, if your man is challenged 'gaming wise' then a shooter is the best way to start. All that is required is being able to aim at the screen and pull the trigger. Same goes for guys who have a girlfriend who isn't into gaming. When trying to find a game that can be enjoyed by both partners, it's vital that you keep it simple. There's nothing more simple, yet fun than a pure shooter. Plus, you've got mutants to cap in the face. Trust me, he/she will love it.

4. Mario Kart

With the rest of today's list, you'll notice an overlying trend. The games you should be playing on Valentine's Day should involve competition on some sort of level. If you play your cards right, competing with your significant other can bring about a very fruitful romance. You just have to know how to keep it within reason. Meaning, don't jump up and get your lover's face because you won a race. Keep it light, and fun.

Mario Kart is a game that is made purely on the aspect of competition. There's racing, kart sabotage by way of items, and then the always loved 'Battle Mode'. If you want to keep the V-Day gaming session going for a long period of time, then Mario Kart is definitely the game to look into. With the variety of modes, and the want of trying to improve your kart driving skills, Mario Kart can keep you gaming for hours on end.

If You Truly Love Her, You Won't Use The Blue Spiky Shell

With my #5 pick I didn't pick a particular game in the House of the Dead series to play. I feel the same with Mario Kart as well. It all depends on what kind of control you feel comfortable with. If you're at peace with the Super Nintendo, then play some of the original Mario Kart. I would recommend from newcomers that you play Mario Kart: Wii. Using motion control I've noticed is much easier to pick up, than using the d-pad, or analog stick.

3. Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II, is the game on my list that I recommend if the person you're playing with is into games. For newcomers, Street Fighter II can be an overwhelming experience. There's a subtle poetry to Street Fighter games that can take awhile to pick up and understand. You don't want your boo all frustrated on Cupid Day, for the wrong reasons.

Nothing Screams 'Love Me' Like A Pair Of Chun-Li Thighs

If you do have a game savvy partner, then Street Fighter brings a competitive edge that few other titles can muster. First, the direct one-on-one competition creates a spark that can really build the adrenaline and get the blood flowing.

The fast, and kinetic nature of Street Fighter makes sure that the action never stops. From beginning to end, of a fight you have to be quick, and on your toes to be successful.

Another aspect that I think is overlooked when it comes to Street Fighter is the breadth of options in terms of fighters. Yes, we all know the extensive amount of characters the Street Fighter universe has. I think what it truly brings is a sense of identity, and a security one has from choosing a character. If you're playing with someone you're close with, you want them to feel comfortable, and who doesn't feel comfortable with Chun-li's thighs. Or for the real freaks out there, Blanka's massive chest hair, and green skin.

2. Tetris Attack

With my #2 pick, I'll give you an insight into how I generally create my Top 5 lists. Usually, I open up notepad and type the numbers 1-5. I will run through all the games that make sense for the list in my head. Then I somehow come up with why one game should be placed over another in a list. Then I'll write up a summary, and share with you why it is at its position.

I'm telling you this, because Tetris Attack was originally going to be my #1 choice. As I was writing my summaries for #2, and #1, I found that Tetris Attack was lacking a key component over the other so I had to make a switch. That's quite a unprecedented event on WiiBlog.

Ok, you probably don't care about any of that, so let's move on to why Tetris Attack should be an option for you to play on Valentine's Day.

Thinking back on all the games I've had friendly competition with over the years, none can compare to Tetris Attack. There's something about taking the simple formula of Tetris, turning on its head and allowing for you to compete with others that still hasn't been matched to this day. Tetris alone might be fun, but playing against someone else will either bring you closer or just leave somebody pissed.

Tetris Attack should come with a warning attached to it. While you'll find no better game for competing with someone against, it can drive the emotions into overload. This is coming from personal experience.

Tetris Attack is probably the most obscure game on my list, so allow me to give a brief synopsis of its multiplayer gameplay. The basics of the game are very simlar to Tetris. As different colored blocks fall to the bottom of the screen, you have to line them up to keep the stage clear. How Tetris Attack differs, is that you're competing with someone else to see who can stay alive the longest. As you create long combinations of block-clearing, you drop 'garbage' into the other player's screen. It acts as a blocker, and leads to the person's screen being filled faster.

This gameplay component of sabotaging your opponent is what really drives the competitive nature of the game. I mentioned before, that you should be warned about Tetris Attack. It has a great competitive spirit, but can really lead to backlash.

You'll be walking a thin line while playing, but you have a great chance of reaping romantic reward if you play it right. Of course the old saying rings true, 'the greater the risk, the greater the reward'.

1. Wii Sports

After all my years of gaming, I've always had a game that I play if I want to introduce someone into the world of gaming. It takes a keen set of attributes to recommend a title. First, it has to be simple. When someone fires up a video game for the first time, you don't want them throwing a control around because of some frustrating control layout. Second, it has to be fun in an addicting sort of way. You want to bring a game into the mix that makes someone come back for more. Because how is someone going to get into gaming, if they don't want to keep coming back?

Wii Sports represents all of these aspects of gaming more so than any I've played. In fact, if I had to recommend one game that a first timer should try, it would be Wii Sports. I've never met anyone who didn't like it in some form, be it first time gamer, or long time vet. If you're wanting to game on Valentine's Day, than I can think of nothing better than Wii Sports.

It quintessentially has all the aspects I've mentioned so far in the list. I've mentioned its simplicity. Depending on which 'game' you play, it can get the adrenaline pumping. It also provides an immense sense of competition, which I find mostly in Wii bowling.

Unlike the other games on my list, there's a physical sense to Wii Sports. While Street Fighter might have an active feel, you're actually active with Wii Sports. If you've ever worked out with another, it can somehow 'bring' you together. I'm not guranteeing you any physical action, but if you're gaming then Wii Sports can't hurt the chances.

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I've always felt that 'Valentine's Day Gaming Lists' have been quite a stretch. I still feel that way, but it can be pulled off. The important thing is to remember who you're celebrating V-Day with. Whether it's dinner, park strolling, or gaming it's all about what you enjoy together. If it's gaming then hopefully you'll find some fun, and romance with one of the games above.

In conclusion, I'll put down my middle finger to all you couples out there. Have a great Valentine's Day weekend, and see you on Monday.

The Eduardo: The Samurai Toaster trailer was released just a couple of days ago, and I've been enthralled since. I'm not quite sure what it is that has me so intrigued. Perhaps it's that my favorite foods in the world (Pop-Tarts, and Eggo's Waffles) are made in a toaster. Or if it's the idea of using a toaster to pull off samurai moves that has me anxious. Whatever the reason, color me excited.

I then began to do some research for the game, visiting Semnat Studio's site. Which lead to me contacting Semnat's co-founder, and artist Daniel Coleman to try and learn some more about the game. He was kind enough to take some time and answer questions about the game, and give us a look behind the creation of it.

First, the name of your development company is Semnat Studios. How did you come up with that name? I've googled it, and wikipedia'd it and so far I've come up with nothing.

Semnat is just an old nonsense word I used to use. Apparently a lot of stuff I thought up around the time I invented Eduardo was pretty random. A friend suggested the Studios part, which is funny since there's only three of us. I guess each person is a studio.

Ha, well I guess it's always good to sound professional. If anything you can make people like me look up Semnat in Wikipedia. Back to the game, the trailer has been out for a couple of days now, have you received a lot of feedback from anxious gamers? If so, what are they saying?

I try to avoid reading comments about the game. Keyword being try. I get a bit nervous. I mean we've been working on this thing for so long and the whole time it's been a private project with little exposure to the outside world. You get used to living in a vacuum! But from what I've read people seem to dig it. I honestly expected more hate. I mean it's the internet, right? The only comments that have bugged me a bit are the ones accusing us of making shovelware. I knew that when we started making a Wii game that some people would assume we were making crap for a quick buck, but it's still kind of annoying to read. I can't stress how important the quality of Eduardo is for us. This is very much a passion project. We've worked insane hours since the start of development because we care so much about making a good game.

Yes, once you're exposed you can expect people coming from under their rocks to criticize. Going back to the trailer, one thing I was really curious about is what weapon is Eduardo using? Is it toast? Or what kind of projectile is Eduardo packing?

Eduardo and the other toasters shoot out the same pastry enemies that are attacking you.

What are the names of the other toasters that can be used in multiplayer, if you can divulge that information?

We never officially named them, but we refer to them by which movie characters they're based on. I don't know if I'd be copyright infring..ing if I said who they're supposed to be. But maybe that can be a fun guessing game for players.

That's probably a good call, I think for it to be infringement it has to be more than 20% comparable to the original. But I'm not a lawyer so don't go by that. Anyhow, just a couple of more questions. I was reading on your website/blog about how you decided on how to stylize the grass in your game. Without having to spill too many beans or having to speak tech jargon, can you maybe take us from how art that you create goes from the canvas or paper, into the actual game?

Yeah it's pretty simple, really. For the assets which I used traditional media for, I would create them on gessoed paper or mylar, etc., and either took a picture of them or, as in most cases, scanned them in. Then I'd use something like photoshop to cut them up however I needed to. Some of the textures, like the grass for level one which I detailed in my blog, was a mix between old textures I created in dog waffle and two different textures done with acrylic inks. I would cut them up on the computer, blend them until I was satisfied with the right combination, and then get them to repeat well. The repeating textures are the most difficult assets to create. They have to look appealing but subtle enough where you don't easily notice that they're repeating all over the place. I won't bore you with further details, but for those that are interesting in hearing more about these processes I'll detail everything in my blog.

One aspect of indy games I find intriguing is the music, and sound. It's so much of a separate skill set than the art, and graphics. How many different tracks are in the game, and how was the experience of creating the music, and sound?

Yeah that's a good point. None of us at Semnat have any music skills, or rather, we couldn't have music comprised entirely of humming and my rad kazoo ballads, so we had to seek help from elsewhere. Luckily we found someone at the University of Advancing Technology in Arizona. Ian graduated from that school and asked around to see if any students there would be interested in providing music for us. Raymond Gramke got in contact with us and was able to get school credit for it as well. We've been working with him for quite a while now. So we have about nine tracks in the final game, all that we could fit. For sound effects we went to places like gamecues and sound rangers. If any game designers out there are looking for a musician, I highly recommend getting in touch with Ray.

Well, glad to see someone is getting some school credit out of this. My final question; I've been reading on your site and through other interviews about the development process, and the time it took to create this game. Its been five years from beginning of the idea to the end, if I'm not mistaken. What have been the hardest parts of seeing a game through for that long period of time? And what would your advice be to other aspiring game developers just getting into it?

Yeah a few years working on prototypes of Eduardo, just over one year for the Wii game. It's been a real learning experience this whole time, every little detail about game design. We made many prototypes because we learned so much and would realize that we could do something much better if we started over with a new engine and revised gameplay mechanics. We went through that process a number of times. The challenge keeps it from being boring, and that time gave me a chance to learn how create better art. The hardest part has definitely been issues with resources. Not being able to work on the game as our only job but still having to put full-time hours into it. It's a difficult thing to sustain for such a long period of time.

We won't find out until Eduardo is released if this method worked out for us so I don't know if my advice will be of any help to aspiring designers. But perhaps I could say learn from your mistakes, let people outside of your development team take a look at your work and encourage honest feedback. Be critical of your work and make sure you're doing something you're passionate about. I can't imagine working on this if we didn't love the game we were making, or earlier on, the game we were trying to make. And Learn to embrace criticism, that's very important. If someone takes the time out to play your game and offers criticism, appreciate that and don't allow your ego to get bruised. Unless you're a game design genius you're going to make mistakes and plenty of them, but you can always learn from them and improve your skills.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about the game. I'm really anticipating its release, and can't wait to review Eduardo when it comes out. Good luck with its release.

Thanks man, I appreciate the support.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more news about Eduardo: The Samurai Toaster. It's slated to come out April 2009, so get your pastry-ass kickin' boots ready.

WiiBlog - This site is an all-loving pastry site. All are welcome, except Toaster Streudels....they suck.