New Street Fighter IV Epic Trailer: Cherry on top of this epic sundae week

*Drools* Sometimes it's okay to like a complete fanboy when it comes to videogames, and I think today is a good day for that.

Between Capcom and Ubisoft, there was been some epic sh*t on the web this week and I am so excited to be a gamer right now. Ubisoft is giving us a new Beyond Good & Evil sequel, which friggn' made my year and the new Prince of Persia game looks like cell shaded gold.

Capcom has gone released a new Resident Evil 5 trailer which is just the cat's @ss and I can't wait to rip into that game, plus they also gave us a new trailer for Street Fighter IV which is really the first game footage we've seen with most of the fighters in it.

You finally get to see all your favorites kicking the crap out of each other in some sweet footage. There's Guile, Ryu, Ken, Blanka, Dhalsim, Chun Li, E. Honda, Balrog as well as newcomer Crimson Viper in the trailer.

So check out the new Street Fighter Video above and click the links to check out all the other trailers I've mentioned in throughout post.

K2: The King, the Kong, and the Ugly

G4TV is showing King of Kong, the documentary about Steve Wiebe, a man who took it upon himself to beat the world record score holder for Donkey Kong, Billy Mitchell, only to have the title ripped from him just before the release of the documentary.

X-Play had an interview with Steve Wiebe on the show this week and for fun, they created a funny trailer for the sequel for the documentary. The sequel, K2: The King, the Kong and the Ugly pokes fun at Billy Mitchell, who I truly believe from watching the documentary is a complete pompous asshole, and it also pokes fun at the Terminator 2 movie.

Steve Wiebe was cool enough to even appear in the trailer. Apparently Steve is appearing in an upcoming Vince Vaughn movie called Four Christmases. He isn't on the list of actors for the movie in IMDB.com, but the same director, Seth Gordon, who did King of Kong, is directing Four Christmases and apparently asked Steve Wiebe to be in this movie.

Good for Steve! He deserves nice things to happen to him.

If you haven't seen the King of Kong movie, then I highly recommend it. Any gamer would enjoy it.

"How to" Guitar Hero: On Tour - Do you hear Jack Black?

Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS is hitting store shelves on June 22, 2008 and it looks like a wicked game.

This new "How to" video for the new Guitar Hero: On Tour game for the Nintendo DS is so incredible funny and bad at the same time. I'm pretty sure the makers of the commercial tended the video to come across that way though.

I can't see the people at Activision not having a sense of humor.

Contest: 15 Early Demo Codes for Battlefield: Bad Company

Contest time!

The nice people from DICE and Electronic Arts sent me 15 early Demo codes for Battlefield: Bad Company on Xbox 360 and I'm giving them away to the first 15 people to email me with the answers to the following trivia questions about the game. The game demo isn't actually available on the Xbox Live Marketplace until June 5th, so this is a pretty cool prize for anyone who wants to jump in on the action before anyone else does.

The demo will include an early look into the single player quest for Gold with Bad Company and the all new, multiplayer, Gold Rush mode on the Oasis map, featuring land, sea and air vehicles. Players will be able to reach Level 4 in the demo to unlock an exclusive in-game weapon. Sounds pretty neat, huh?

Answer the following questions:

1. Name the Army Battlalion's nickname in the game.
2. Name all four members of the team.
3. How many new weapons can you unlock in the game?

HINT: Look here

Then send those answer to faithnaked@gmail.com by midnight EST on May 30, 2008. I'll email the winners and post their names on my blog. If any extra codes remain after the due date, I'll just continue to hand them out as winning emails come in and post the winner's list when they're all gone.

But I suggest you hurry and get your emails in, because the codes will probably go fast.

Mario Vs The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

What would happen if Mario met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles down the in sewers one day? Apparently Mario wouldn't be able to tell them apart from the normal Koopa Troopers he jumps on day after day.

I'm surprised Mario didn't get his butt kicked by the Ninja Turtles. You can't tell me they took Mario jumping on them so easily?

[Via That Girl's Site]

Ubidays 2008: New Beyond Good and Evil 2 Teaser Trailer

Ubisoft released a teaser trailer for the new Beyond Good and Evil 2 game and I am so happy right now. The trailer is a little vague and doesn't really tell you anything about the plot of the game. You do know that Jade and PJ will be there, but it looks like the story is set in some kind of desert area, rather than the harbour area they were in before.

Look pretty real this time though. The game has gotten a major graphic update and PJ looks almost scary. Tone the HD down a little please.

Videogames and Sex: Yes, they can exist together without bad things happening

Best idea I've heard all day.

Daniel Floyd of the Savannah College of Art and Design created this video as a brief history of sex in gaming, and how it can be integrated into gaming without mass chaos happening in the world.

A great video which was inspired by Zero Punctuation and it mentions my former Dtoid co-worker, Leigh Alexander, which makes it all the more worthwhile watching.

Enjoy!

Pimping out your Handheld Gaming Devices

Unfortunately I got stuck with a Pink Nintendo DS for Christmas a while ago, when my Mom was unable to find me one in another colour, so I decided maybe it was time to pimp my handhelds out with some skins.

Luckily I found Gelaskins, a wicked art company in Toronto, which has the best in skin technology for all your gaming and other electronic devices. Gelaskins are removable, vinyl skins for protecting and customizing your Nintendo DS, PSP, iPods, Laptops, and Macbooks. They feature stunning photo-quality graphics from artists around the world and with a wide range of art types, there is something to fit everyone's tastes.

Gelaskins allow for easy application, clean removal and best of all, no bubbles. Their thin style makes it easy for them to work with all accessories, docks and cases, but still continue to protect your devices against scratches. Gelaskins.com has even started throwing in screen protectors with all iPod, and PSP skin purchases to protect your screens against any scratches.



For devices with wallpaper downloading capabilities, you can download the matching wallpaper for your new skin directly from Gelaskins.com for free.

Want a custom design? Gelaskin will do custom designs as well, so you can sport your own artwork or company logo on a gelaskin.

For the fashion whores out there, who can't live with just one new skin on their device, Gelaskins.com is offering a sweet deal on their iPod, PSP and Nintendo DS skins: Buy 3 skins and get the 4th one free. Pretty sweet, huh?!



Check out the website for all the designs. I have Valley of the Tinbots for my Nintendo DS and Fuel for my PSP

Ubisoft Gamer Days' Swag: SO JEALOUS!!!

Scanning Jessica Chobot's Blog over at IGN.com, I saw pictures of the best Vinyl toys ever made ... RABBID ONES! Ubisoft was giving out sets of 4 Rayman Raving Rabbids vinyl toys to as swag to all the attendees. They were dressed up as different characters from Ubisoft games like Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed.

OMG I WANT SOME SO BADLY!!!!

Any one wants to sell me theirs? :) Pretty please?

Best of the Videogame Custom Toys: Part 1

I found this cool custom Munny on the Offical Munny Website. Earthworm Jim was created by Andrew Bell.


Scavenjer33 also has a wicked hand for making custom Munny figures and he created this spot on Munny Niko Bellic for his friends at Rockstar Games NY.



And then he also made this mini Munny version of Niko Bellic sporting his handsome suit and new accessory.


Kody Koala has been creating some wicked pieces for a while now. He has a sweet collections of Munnys, Dunnys and Lego figures.

Moon Pearl Bunny Form Link Dunny from The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

Custom Link Lego Figures
Click here for larger pictures

Custom Super Mario Bros. Lego Figures

Toad Munny from Super Mario Bros.

Lakitu Munny from Super Mario Bros.

Piranha Plant Munny from Super Mario Bros.

Look for more sweet custom videogame toys soon.

Review: Grand Theft Auto IV

Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar Games, Rockstar North
Available now for Xbox 360 and PS3

Rockstar has finally released their latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto series with GTA IV and it promises to be the best yet in a long line of amazing games. But before I go into any details, I just want to remind Pulse readers that Grand Theft Auto IV is rated M for Mature and should not be purchased or played by any one under the age of 17 as it contains sexual content, partial nudity, strong language and extreme violence.



In the newest addition to the GTA series, Players follow the storyline of Niko Bellic, a fresh-off-the-boat, yet tragic anti-hero who comes to American to join his cousin, Roman in his perfect dream life, but instead finds only that his cousin lied and is wrapped up in same type of criminal world, he came here to escape.



Instead of the predetermined characters on criminal paths we usually find in GTA games, Rockstar decided this time they would allow players to choose the path of Niko, by allowing them to choose between either honourable or harsh ways to end certain missions. These choices change the storyline as you play and really add to the game’s replay value.

Driving through the streets of GTA IV’s Liberty City, players may feel like they’ve seen these streets before as the city has been almost mirrored completely to look like New York City. Though you are confined to certain areas of the city at first, more areas open to you as you complete specific missions and you will be able to hit all the hot spots Liberty City has to offer like Tw@ Internet Café which has an entire internet for Niko to surf or Honker‘s Strip Club, where you can spend some time with the ladies of Liberty City.



Besides the usual romp in your car with a prostitute, players can have Niko take part in different activities throughout the city which can add to Niko’s cash flow, build his relationship with friends or just add to your game completion score. Mini games like bowling or darts can be played on evenings out with a date or friend to build rapport with them and add to your game score, while street racing adds cash to your pocket and add to your game score. There are even hidden pigeons to kill in the streets of Liberty City to add to your score.



Building rapport with Niko’s friends is important in the game if you wish to have access to extra VIP elements of the game. For example, spend time with Roman and he’ll offer you free Taxi service. Each friend has something to offer Niko, so make sure you spend some quality time with them. Niko will also have dates during the course of the game and, if you spend some quality time with the ladies, the ladies will maybe show you a good time at the end of the date.

The driving physics have been changed to make driving more realistic, but I found driving is much harder now. If you drive anything but a compact car, you spin out of control and even using the hand brake doesn’t help to take corners at fast speeds. The GPS tracking system is still available and allows you to see where you need to go in missions or where to find specific locations, but Rockstar probably should have made it bigger to allow you to see a bigger chunk of area. Setting waypoints really helps in finding locations easier and I wouldn’t suggest navigating Liberty City without doing so at any point.

There are still a few collusion detection problems or bugs within the game that has the characters walking through walls, getting stuck between cars, or has you getting into the wrong cars when there are too many around you, but bugs in such a huge game are too be expected and can be slightly forgiven.



This time around players will finally have the chance to take to the streets of Liberty with their friends or complete strangers online all with a touch of a button on your cell phone. Players have the chance to go online with up to 15 players to play in different modes like cops & crooks, death matches, turf wars, etc., and if you host a game, you can change the variables in the game like friendly fire, police presence, weapons sets, traffic levels, radar functionality, and many more.



Graphics in GTA have come a long way since we last played and the series looks incredible. From characters to the city, everything has been given a better textured and detailed look. Character animations actually sync to their dialogs, even during game play and their movements are so much more human from the way they stroll up and down the streets to the way Niko hot-wires his cars. The city in general has a life of its own now and you could spend hours just watching the NPCs living out their daily lives, because Rockstar has made sure that each of them have their own stories to act out.

Rockstar didn’t seem to employ a lot of big name actors to voice any of the character this time, but honestly the game didn’t need it. Every character sounded spectacular and brought a genuine realism in their roles across the board. The only downside is you have to listen to such great acting while some dumb hot dog vendor is screaming in the background about how great his long, hot wiener tastes.

At first, I didn’t care for the music picked for the different radio stations in GTA IV, but after a while I found a few hidden gems, though mostly on the Russian station, Vladivostok FM. The instrumental music, especially the theme, manages to mix some European old country sounds with more modern beats and come up with the best GTA original music yet.



If you’re wondering about the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, there isn’t much. PS3 version has an install and patch to download before you play, which shortens the load times, and you can use the SIXAXIS to control vehicles in the game, if you choose. The graphics and audio are the same, as are the online play, so really the only factors in which system you choose to buy the game on, are only your friend’s list and your patience for load times.

I generally am not a fan of Grand Theft Auto games, but this time Rockstar has made a game that mixes art and entertainment so perfectly, you can‘t help but want to play it. Sure there are a few bugs and the driving mechanics suck, but when you put those things aside this game is pretty damn near perfect. Perfect enough though for every mature gamer out there to have to pick this game up.

Rating: 9 out of 10
Buy it!

Review: Dream Pinball 3D for the Nintendo DS

Dream Pinball 3D
South Peak Games, Zuxxez Entertainment AG, TopWare Interactive
Available for the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii

South Peak games has brought the fun of the pinball machine to your Nintendo DS in their newest title, Dream Pinball 3D. Dream Pinball 3D offers a trip down memory lane (or a history lesson, depending on who’s playing) to the days before home consoles and giant, interactive arcade games, when pinball tables ruled the arcades and kids would pump quarters into them for endless hours at a time.

Players get to choose from 6 different themed tables: Monsters, Aquatic, Dino Wars, Knight Tournament, Amber Moon and Spinning Rotors; each has their own music, sounds effects and table layouts. Each table can be played through classic mode, which allows for just normal play, or mission mode, which allows you to pick certain challenges you must meet on the table like extra ball or super combo.


Head to Head is also available but you have to find another person that also owns the game, then you can connect via local wireless connection and choose the table, the difficulty and the mode.

During game play, you can view your pinball table on one screen, while your table back and score is visible on the other. While you can choose which screen each one shows on in the options menu, real pinball fans will probably go with the traditional method and have the table on the bottom DS screen.

Controls on the game are all button based and with only the top shoulder buttons and the A button to use, the game is pretty simple for any one to pick up immediately. I was pretty happy with the table physics, because the table flippers react in time with your button pushing and the ball movements are pretty spot on. Some pinball games tend to miss on these points and no one likes a pinball game that cheats you on a life-like experience.

Options in the game allow you to customise the pinball game somewhat to your liking by allowing you to change things like the difficulty and the camera angles. The camera angles on your table are limited to two different ones you get to pre-program into the options before you start playing a table and you can’t tell what the angles are at first until you set them and use them in game.

Each table is shown in 3D form and when shown up close during game play, the graphics look clean and pretty sharp, but pull the camera back and the graphics suddenly look blocky and messy. Players will be happy to see the table animations to respond in time with the sound effects and the ball movements though. Tilts flash when they should and bumpers bump when they’re bumped.


Sounds in the game are created to fit along side each themed table they appear on and while they all were clear and appropriate for their tables, it seems like some sounds were getting cut off by other sounds. You figure the developers would have set the sounds to overlap each other, rather than cut each other off. Each tables had voiceovers to fit along side the themes too and they were pretty cool. The voice over really added to the creepy Monsters table.

Dream Pinball 3D, while not a bad game to sit down a play on your lunch hour, it’s not really anything to write home about either. It does its job as a pinball game and that’s about it. No flash, no bonus, just pinball. So, if you want something to fill some time during your break and you like pinball games, then this might be the game for you.

Rating 6 out of 10
Rent it



[Note: This footage is from the Wii version of the game]

New Samba de Amigo Trailer featuring Monkeys!

Sega released a new trailer for their upcoming Samba de Amigo release on the Wii and it has a goofy monkey playing maracas in it. Sega, until you give us cool maracas shaped wiimote accessories for this game, no amount of monkeys will fill the void those cool maracas remotes have left.

Now take your monkey and leave.

Playstation Store Downloads for May 22, 2008

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Beetlebum” - Blur ($1.99)
“Countdown to Insanity” - H-BlockX ($1.99)
“Hier Kommt Alex” - Die Toten Hosen ($1.99)
“Hysteria” - Muse ($1.99)
“Manu Chao” - Les Wampas ($1.99)
“Monsoon” - Tokio Hotel ($1.99)
“New Wave” - Pleymo ($1.99)
“Perfekte Welle” - Juli ($1.99)
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” - Oasis ($1.99)
File sizes: 16.8 MB - 45.4 MB (singles)

Rock Band price promotion: “We Care a Lot” - Epic and “All the Small Things” - Blink 182 are reduced to $0.99 until May 29th.

Game Music
PixelJunk Monsters Album ($2.99)
The PixelJunk Monsters Album is the original game soundtrack to the popular and addictive tower defense game, PixelJunk Monsters. This charming and distinctive soundtrack includes 24 music tracks by Japanese ambient techno group Otograph. Download the album today!
File size: 62.2 MB
Game Videos (free)
Siren: Blood Curse Debut Trailer
An American TV crew has arrived in Japan to film an expose on the legend of the “vanished village.” Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must uncover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of Siren: Blood Curse.
File size: 44 MB (HD)

GRID CGI Trailer
Experience a new world of racing as Codemasters releases the CGI trailer for GRID.
File size: 79 MB (HD)

Battlefield: Bad Company: Find All Five – Recon Kit
Put down an enemy squad with an additional recon kit unlock by pre-ordering Battlefield: Bad Company on Playstation 3 at participating retailers.
File size: 38 MB (HD)

Battlefield: Bad Company: Find All Five – Support Kit
Keep your team kicking on the Battlefield with an additional support kit unlock by signing up for the Battlefield newsletter.
File size: 39 MB (HD)

Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway - Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivalled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Hell’s Highway drops you into the largest WWII airborne operation: Operation Market-Garden.
File size: 57 MB (SD), 117 MB (HD), 169 MB (1080)

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian The Video Game Trailer
Enter Narnia once again in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian to help restore Prince Caspian to the throne and return freedom and magic to Narnia!
File size: 47 MB (HD)

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Launch Trailer r
File size: 176 MB (HD)

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Team Play Behind the Scenes Video
Experience the ultimate team-and mission-based multiplayer warfare, defined by award winning Return to Castle Wolfenstein Multiplayer, now set in the legendary QUAKE universe.
File size: 168 MB (HD)

Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben Gate’s (Nicolas Cage) Great-Great Grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death.
File size: 125 MB (1080)

Untraceable
There has never been a cyber criminal they couldn’t catch…until now…The more people who watch…the faster the victims die.
File size: 119 MB (HD), 153 MB (1080)

First Sunday
Two bumbling criminals discover they haven’t got a prayer when they attempt to steal from the local church.
File size: 116 MB (HD), 158 MB (1080)

PS3 Themes (free)
Graffiti Theme
Customize your PS3 system with a cool Graffiti theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 7.61 KB

High Velocity Bowling Theme (x3)
Customize your PS3 system with a cool High Velocity Bowling theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 1.79 MB - 1.86 MB

Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC.
Downloadable Games
* The Con ($19.99) (also downloadable via PS3)
Game Demos (free)
* Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 Beginner Demo (also downloadable via PS3)
* Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 Intermediate Demo (also downloadable via PS3)

Game Videos (free)
* Siren: Blood Curse Debut Trailer
* The Con Trailer 1
* The Con Music Video
Game Music (free)
* The Con - I Declare
* The Con - The Champ
* The Con - Swing First
* The Con - Boneyard

PSP Wallpaper (free)
* The Con Wallpaper

Super Mario Bros. Enemy Auditions: Take One!

Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach audition for enemies in Super Mario Bros.

This is a pretty funny skit. The skit was written by Michael Feldman & Tina Huang. Animation by Mike Funt. Michael Feldman and his comedy group have a few other You Tube videos up that feature funny skits, but this seemed to be the only videogame related one.

Enjoy!

Review: The World Ends with You

The World Ends With You
Square Enix, Jupiter Corp
Available now for Nintendo DS

It’s not very often that Square Enix produces an original game title nowadays, but maybe that’s with good reason. The World Ends with You, the newest title to spring from the makers of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, is such a new and original concept that you barely recognize it as a Square game. The controls, art style, music and attribute system are so different from any previous game you’ve played from the Square library that fans of the company should think twice before running out to grab this title, because they might not like what they see.



Of course, Square may have created a completely different style of game play, but God forbid they use a different storyline for once, instead of the usual surly loner hero with amnesia storyline we‘ve played multiple times over. The game follows Neku Sakabara, a trendy young teenager as he wakes up in downtown Shibuya, Japan with no memories of how he got there and a mysterious text message telling him he’s going to die in 7 days if he doesn’t complete a task a day within an allotted time. From here on out, Neku must team up with other players to complete missions set by the evil Reapers, the controllers of the game, before the timer runs out on them forever.



Neku has a skull pin that allow him to listen in on the thoughts of the inhabitants of Shibuya, which comes in handy during some missions since he can’t talk to anyone except those involved in the game. Pins can also be used as abilities during battles and will level up during battle and while your DS is turned off. Enemies in the game are known as the Noise can only be seen by using Neku’s skull pin. The Noise, which appear as ghostly wolves, bats, werewolves and such in battle are actually seen as ghostly masks on the over world screen.

Missions given to Neku and his partner are given in riddle form and usual involve several steps to complete. Some missions will require you to clear the Noise floating on the screen, but even if they don’t, it’s always good to kill a few to level up for harder boss battles. Red-hooded Reapers will block your path sometimes during missions too and ask that you complete task before you can move onto a new area.




Battle controls have you using your stylus to sliding Neku across the screen to move him, or tapping on Neku to heal him and on enemies to attack them. Problem is that the attack doesn’t always hit what you tap on or Neku doesn’t always slide when you do. Your partner can be control by tapping the proper directional button in time with the Dance Dance Revolution-like display on the top screen, but it’s so hard to control both characters at once, it’s better to just to use auto-attack mode here. Even with auto-mode though, battles are incredible frustrating, so don’t be surprised if you die a lot.



Neku and your partner can purchase new clothes and items that boost their stats based on what is apparently in style. The trendier the item you wear, the more it boosts your pins and stats. I found this to be really confusing and it took me a lot of battles to even have the proper stats to even wear clothes in my price range. Rely on your phone, which tells you what’s hot and what’s not.

The art direction in the game is probably the only great part about this whole thing. A modern graffiti style reminiscent of Jet Set Radio with a bit of Kingdom Hearts thrown in for that Square touch makes it definitely stand out from the usual Square Enix art designs. The music was repetitive, annoying and actually made me turn it off after a while. The lyrics actually seemed to repeat every 30 seconds. What, they couldn’t spring for more lyrics in the budget?

I’m really disappointed that the only the new game that Square Enix has put out in a long while, turned out to be a complete mess. The game play, the controls and the item system are impossible to understand without reading the manual every 5 seconds and no gamer wants to put up with that. And that music! Could someone please shut that bloody woman up?

Rating: 3 out of 10
Forget it

New Releases May 18th to May 24th, 2008

Playstation 3

Haze - Ubisoft
SingStar - SCEA
UEFA EURO 2008 - EA

Xbox 360

UEFA EURO 2008 - EA


Nintendo Wii

Wii Fit - Nintendo

PC

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures - SCi
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Hothead Games
Dracula: Origins - The Adventure Company
Theatre of War - cdv Software Entertainment USA
The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure - Viva Media

PSP

UEFA EURO 2008 - EA

Virtual Console

Dr. Mario Online RX
Star Soldier R


Xbox Live Arcade

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Hothead Games

Update on The Girl Gamer

So I've been a busy girl as of late.

I've been working for the Pulse Niagara since January now and I've moved up to doing 2 reviews a week for them. Plus the publishing company that owns the Pulse has started syndicating my reviews in their two other publications, The Echo Weekly and View Magazine which are available in Hamilton, Cambridge, Waterloo, and Kitchener areas in Ontario, Canada.

I'm still contributing articles when I can to Bits, Bites, Pixels and Sprites.com and I love working with the guys over there. Dan, Jimmy, Ryan, Tim, Santos, and Nathan are all great guys and I'm happy to work along side them. I just wish I could do more posting sometimes.

I've been trying to keep my site updated with news and reviews and so far I'm doing a great job at it. I hope everyone is loving the new content and is sticking around to read the new stuff. Comments are always appreciated and I'm trying to respond more to my comments, so check back for more often for that.

From here, I guess my next step is to try and expand on my game reviews. My goal is to one day do this as a living and though financially, my leaving Destructoid was a step back in that direction, I do feel I've made great steps in these last few months to boost my own career in the gaming industry, and that means more to me than money.

Now it's time for me to get to work and start putting more into my site and my writing. I'm even trying to work on my grammar. So expect my articles to have less mistakes in them .... hopefully.

The Love Guru Trailer: the Only Way I'll Ever See the Toronto Maple Leafs Win the Stanley Cup

The Love Guru is the new Mike Myers movie and it's just too darn funny not to post. Plus it's so Canadian! Mike Myers, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey, French people, etc.

Just screams post me! Comes out June 20th and I will be seeing it in threatres. Justin Timberlake is in it as a French guy from Quebec and he is friggn' funny. Watch the trailer!

Sony Releases 2008/2009 Exclusives for PS3, PSP & PSN

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc announced their 2008-2009 all-star gaming lineup for Playstation 3, PSP and Playstation Network. With 15 exclusive game titles hitting the Sony systems, Sony fans have a lot to get excited about this year, especially with titles like Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet and Secret Agent Clank.

Below is a complete list of the highly-anticipated first-party PS3, PSP, and PLAYSTATION Network game titles due out this year and early 2009:

Hot Shots Golf®: Open Tee 2 – PSP (Available June 3, 2008 / E for “Everyone”)
Developed by Clap Hanz, Hot Shots Golf®: Open Tee 2 introduces six challenging new courses, along with new characters to customize using hundreds of accessories. Robust Internet play allows players to challenge other Hot Shots across the globe in tournaments of up to 16 players. Players can tee-off locally with up to eight others via Ad Hoc mode, or engage in a number of single-player modes such as Challenge, Training, and Stroke Play. With the franchise’s signature over-the-top visuals and pick-up-and-play action, fans of the series can once again look forward to hitting the links on the go with the most fun and wacky golf experience available.


Secret Agent Clank™ – PSP (Available June 17, 2008 / E10+ for "Everyone 10+")
Ratchet, Clank, and Captain Qwark return to PSP this summer in Secret Agent Clank™, an all new adventure where Clank takes the lead as the titular character. Taking cues from spy classics of the past, Secret Agent Clank presents the Ratchet and Clank universe with a spy themed twist, including Clank as the Galaxy’s greatest undercover agent dressed in a tuxedo. Developed by High Impact Games, the studio that brought Ratchet & Clank®: Size Matters to PSP, Secret Agent Clank brings the humor, quality gameplay and action that fans have come to expect from the franchise back to PSP.

wipEout® HD – PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Rated E10+)
One of the most beloved PlayStation franchises of all time returns with wipeout® HD for PS3. Available exclusively for download on PlayStation Store, players race at blazing speeds and experience adrenaline-filled, anti-gravity racing action in full-1080p High Definition (HD) running at a breathtaking 60-frames-per-second. Featuring a selection of the best tracks from previous versions of the wipEout franchise meticulously reworked for PS3, wipEout HD supports up to eight player online multiplayer racing in addition to various other race modes like Tournament, Time Trial and Speed Lap. Featuring a new Pilot Assist option to help players navigate tracks at blazing speeds, wipEout HD also includes a Photo Mode, support for the SIXAXIS wireless controller’s motion sensing controls, and a bumping soundtrack with Dolby 5.1 surround.

Elefunk™ – PSN (Available Summer 2008 / E for “Everyone”)
Elefunk™ is a PS3 construction puzzle game exclusively for download on PLAYSTATION Network. In Elefunk, players are tasked with building bridges and structures capable of supporting elephants as they stroll across treacherous ravines, rivers, fire pits and swamps. Using various materials with real world physics applied to them - ranging from metal to wood and rope - players must select the proper materials and pieces to build a structure that will hold up the crossing elephants. With single and multi-player gameplay both on and offline, Elefunk delivers simple and fun gameplay for the casual fan, with leaderboards and challenging modes for the more competitive gamer.

PixelJunk™ Eden – PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
PixelJunk™ Eden is the third PSN title from the addictive PixelJunk series by Japanese developer Q-Games. In this stunning platform game, the player feels like a small insect seeing a garden for the first time. Within this constantly evolving and vibrant 2D plant environment, the player leaps and swings between lush plants, smashing into approaching enemies and navigating around the undergrowth to gather treasures. Through various levels, the player is treated to stylish 1080p graphics, a dynamic soundtrack and addictive gameplay. PixelJunk Eden supports both single and co-op play.


SIREN: Blood Curse – PSN (Available Summer 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
Released in twelve downloadable episodes, SIREN: Blood Curse delivers a haunting and horrifying story exclusively to PS3. Set in the Japanese village of Hanuda, an American TV crew has arrived to research and film an exposé on the legend of a “vanished village.” Controlling seven different playable characters, the player must discover the mystery behind the curse that grips the eerie village of Hanuda. The unique “sight jack” system allows the player to see from the point of view of the Shibito, or living dead, to avoid their detection or watch as they close in on the crew. Intense graphics, realistic character animation, and a gritty film-like graphical presentation add to the horror of SIREN: Blood Curse.

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs Confrontation – PS3 (Available September 16, 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
With the power of PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. Delivering a global-scale combat experience that has been refined over four generations of the SOCOM franchise,
SOCOM Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization and battle across seven North African environments, including a 32-player version of the most popular SOCOM map of all time “Crossroads.” Additional themed packs containing new Special Forces, weapons, maps and features will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION®Store.

LittleBigPlanet™ – PS3 (Available October 2008 / Not yet Rated)
Developed by Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet™ is a new and hugely innovative PS3 title that establishes a new genre called "creative gaming." LittleBigPlanet allows players to Play, Create and Share inside a glued-together and hand-stitched 3D landscape. Players customize and control their burlap Sackboy (or Sackgirl) character and can PLAY alone or with up to three others, exploring a variety of developer-created levels. Also, using a simple tool system, players can CREATE their own objects and even full levels. Players can then SHARE these creations with their friends or with the world through the online PLAYSTATION Network community.

NBA 09 – PS3, PSP, PS2 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 builds on the technology and features of NBA 08 with more advanced graphics and gameplay control to deliver an experience catering to hardcore basketball fans and casual gamers alike. For the first time, NBA 09 brings “The Life” mode to PS3, delivering gamers the most detailed and engaging NBA experience both on the court and behind the scenes. Additionally, NBA 09 will feature a full Franchise mode, where gamers can run their own virtual team on every level – from determining salaries, to deciding playing time, to making trades. Progression mode, where players are rewarded experience and attributes during gameplay, returns with players now able to track “team progression” for all five characters. Extending playability, NBA 09 will bring back NBA Replay mode, where players will be able to re-enact highlight performances from the real NBA season to gain additional rewards. Other key features include expanded commentary, a variety of mini-games, and full online gameplay action.

NBA 09 – PSP (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 for PSP brings fast, fluid gameplay and delivers the most engaging portable NBA experience available. Featuring a new Franchise mode, players will be able to draft and construct contracts while engaging in multi-season gameplay.
The popular Conquest mode returns in a variety of formats, allowing players to take over the country in gameplay modes such as Dodgeball, Elimination, Fast Break, and Pick-Up games. Carnival mini-games return, including Pinball, Pop-a-Shot, and Skee-Ball, and cross platform compatibility allows players to use mini-game Carnival tickets earned to purchase items in NBA 09 PS3. Additional mini-games round out the experience including, Pick and Roll, Alley-Oop, Box Out, Give and Go, and 21.

NBA 09 – PS2 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
Developed by SCEA San Diego, NBA 09 for PS2 returns with the fourth installment of the critically acclaimed “The Life” mode. Within The Life, players will control storylines for three different characters, interacting with them on and off the court. In addition, a full Franchise mode will be featured, along with optimized gameplay and artificial intelligence (A.I.) to deliver a true basketball experience. Online roster updates will be available weekly, and NBA 09 will bring an expanded set of commentary featuring Kevin Calabro and Kenny “The Jet” Smith.


About BUZZ!™ Quiz TV – PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
This fall BUZZ!™, the popular quiz show franchise, makes its way for the first time to PS3 with BUZZ!™ Quiz TV. BUZZ! Quiz TV comes stocked with five different channels of questions including Music, Movies & TV, Sports, Brainiac and Lifestyle, combining to deliver over 5,000 questions. Extending the quiz show network beyond the disc, up to four players from anywhere in the U.S. can team up for trivia showdowns in the online multiplayer mode, Sofa vs. Sofa, and new quiz packs to be available for download from the PLAYSTATION®Network. Also, for trivia fans wanting to see if they can trump others with their own vast library of knowledge, Mybuzzquiz.com will provide a global community for players to create and share their own quizzes online and make available to download on PS3.

BUZZ!™ Master Quiz – PSP (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
Coming this fall, the BUZZ!™ franchise puts trivia in the palm of your hand with BUZZ!™ Master Quiz PSP® (PlayStation®Portable). Packing over 3,000 questions on topics including music, celebrities, TV, sports, science, nature, movies and more, BUZZ! Master Quiz puts players’ knowledge to the test at home or on the go. When gaming solo, players can enjoy a series of 15 different quiz challenges in single-player mode. Staying true to the franchise’s social gaming roots, BUZZ! Master Quiz also offers three new multiplayer modes designed specifically for PSP.

MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift – PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
The most brutal offroad racing festival is back, with players this time attempting to tackle the diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island environment. Developed by Evolution Studios exclusively for PS3, MotorStorm™ Pacific Rift revisits the intense racing action introduced in last year’s MotorStorm™, this time allowing players to navigate a radically different tropical environment chock full of lush jungle, towering peaks, and crystal-clear water. Players will experience a greater selection of tracks and vehicles to choose, as well as extensive multiplayer options including four player split screen and races with up to 20 players online. Additionally players will be able to utilize a new photo mode to save images within the game and for the first time be able to take music from their PS3’s HDD to create a customized soundtrack.

Resistance 2™ – PS3 (Available Fall 2008 / Not Yet Rated)
On the brink of annihilation, mankind resumes the fight against the unstoppable Chimera on the shores of the United States. Thus the stage is set for Resistance 2™, the highly anticipated follow-up to Insomniac Games’ best-selling PS3 launch title. Players will once again step into the war-torn boots of Sgt. Nathan Hale, who not only faces near impossible odds on the battlefield, but also struggles with the Chimera virus raging inside his own body. In addition to an epic single-player campaign, Resistance 2 will offer a truly unprecedented eight-player, class-based online co-op campaign and 60-player online competitive multiplayer built upon a ‘massive battles, greater intimacy’ mantra. Also, players can expect tightly integrated community support via MyResistance.net.

Killzone™ 2 – PS3 (Available February 2009 / Not Yet Rated)
Developed by Guerilla Games, Killzone™ 2 is the highly anticipated first-person shooter created exclusively for PS3. Killzone 2 brings a highly detailed, ultra-realistic “theater of war”, where players encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Set on the hostile enemy planet of Helghan, players will once again join the ranks of the ISA with a directive to battle through the harsh environment to capture the Helghast emperor and bring the enemy war machine to a halt. With an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new weapons, vehicles, and gameplay elements all wrapped in an intense storyline.

Playstation Store Downloads for May 15, 2008

Add-on Game Content
Hot Shots Golf New Characters
Slip on the golf shoes, step out on the course and tee it up on the PLAYSTATION 3 with Hot Shots Golf Out Of Bounds. Rip a 300 yard drive down the middle the fairway or go pin hunting on those tricky par 3s. No mulligans needed as Hot Shots Golf Out of Bounds is all about having fun and enjoying the most entertaining and over the top golfing experience imaginable. So come on, step up and give it your best shot.

Gloria - Expert Skill Level ($0.99)
Alex - Intermediate Skill Level ($0.99)
File sizes: 100 KB

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.

“Kool Thing”—Sonic Youth ($1.99)
“Train in Vain (Stand by Me)”—The Clash ($1.99)
“Hanging on the Telephone”—Blondie ($1.99)
File sizes: 20.5 MB - 26.8 MB

Rock Band price promotion: “Shockwave” & “Sugar Magnolia” are reduced to $0.99 for a limited time.

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore Downloadable Songs ($1.49 each)

"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" - The Police
“More than Words” - Extreme
“I Left My Heart in San Francisco” - Tony Bennett
“Build Me Up Buttercup” - The Foundations
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” - Elvis Presley
“Easy” - The Commodores
“Let’s Stay Together” - Al Green
“Wide Open Spaces” - Dixie Chicks
“Drift Away” - Dobie Gray/Uncle Kracker
“I Walk the Line” - Johnny Cash
“Celebration” - Kool & The Gang
“Thank You” - Dido
“I’ll Be” - Edwin McCain
“Uptown Girl” - Billy Joel
“Heaven” - Los Lonely Boys
“I’m With You” - Avril Lavigne
“Rock and Roll All Night” - Kiss
“Sweet Home Alabama” - Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Here Without You” - 3 Doors Down
“When I’m Gone” - 3 Doors Down
“Truth Is” - Fantasia

Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus!
Saturn is in the clutches of the Legion of Terra and it’s up to YOU to stop them! Continue the story with your original saved characters.
File sizes: 27 MB

Game Demos (free)
HAZE Demo
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Demo
The next generation of Dragonball Z fighting. Heroic battles of good versus evil, powered by explosive energy and raw emotion lie ahead.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 477 MB

Overlord Raising Hell Demo
Think evil, breed evil and control all (with lots of laughs along the way) in the PLAYSTATION® 3 demo of Overlord Raising Hell – Codemasters’ twisted Action RPG adventure. In this demo, players don the Overlord’s illustrious armour, assemble a team of fighter minions and head off for a session of serious destruction in the once tranquil area of The Mellow Hills.
ESRB Rated T
File size: 857 MB

Game Videos (free)
NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja Storm Announcement Trailer
Experience the stunning Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm announcement trailer! At last, the line between NARUTO Animation and Gaming will truly disappear!
File size: 78 MB (1080)

MK vs. DCU Gamers’ Day Trailer
For the first time ever the Mortal Kombat warriors battle with DC Universe Super Heroes. Choose your side and challenge your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multi-tiered environments.
File size: 32 MB (HD)
Movie and Blu-ray Disc Trailers (free)
Pineapple Express Red Band Trailer
RideTheExpress.com. Next summer, the guys who brought you Superbad reunite for the action-comedy Pineapple Express.
File size: 164 MB (1080)

Saawariya
Having fallen in love at first sight, a shy musician attempts to win the heart of a beautiful young woman, unaware she’s awaiting the return of her own true love.
File size: 71 MB (1080)
PS3 Themes (free)
HAZE Theme
Customize your PS3™ system with a cool HAZE theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 1.69 MB

Overlord Raising Theme
Customize your PS3 system with a cool Overlord Raising Hell theme. This theme allows you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size: 4.13 MB

echochrome Themes
Customize your PS3 system with cool echochrome themes. These themes allow you to change up the look of your background and XMB icons. Download today!
File size:504 KB - 651 KB

PS3 Wallpaper (free)
Overlord Raising Wallpaper (x5)
Customize the background of your PS3 system with this new Overlord Wallpaper.
File size:77.2 KB - 360 KB
Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com.

Game Demos (free)
* Secret Agent Clank Demo (also downloadable via PS3)

PSP Themes (free)
* echochrome (File size: 105 KB -81.7 KB) (also downloadable via PS3)

My Sims Kingdom Announced for Fall 2008

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

EA announced today the first details for their new games, My Sims Kingdom, which will be coming to the Nintendo Wii and DS systems exclusively in Autumn 2008.

MySims Kingdom will set you on a story of adventure, discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom. Gamers will be tasked to bring the Kingdom back to its former glory, and to help new and old friends alike, discover new lands and build to the limit of your imagination.


You'll be able to explore the Capital City, meet new friends, including King Roland, Princess Butter, and the Wizard Marlon and finally after a while, set sail to other lands to explore the world further.

Throughout your journey, new characters, lands, and clever new contraptions will be revealed. You'll construct and do everything from tending your pigs to finding treasure chests. Newly-added building options will help you accomplish the tasks you're challenged with along the way, including building broken bridges. Everything is customizable, allowing every creation within your world to have a signature look.

My Sims Kingdom on Nintendo DS will allow gamers to add a new chapter to the saga, challenging them to help the King thwart the plans of evil in a far flung corner of the Kingdom. Many new activities and mini-games will be included to help you persuade the King that your island is the ultimate royal destination.

"MySims has been met with such enthusiasm by players and families everywhere, we are excited to make MySims its own franchise within The Sims Label," said Rod Humble, Head of Studio for The Sims Label. "MySims Kingdom has players helping King Roland and his subjects make the MySims world a better place by completing rewarding quests, building houses, bridges or even making contraptions powered by electricity or water. And MySims Kingdom on Nintendo DS, adds many new activities such as kayaking, ski jumping, populating the town zoo and many others!"

Expect to see more on this game before its release in the Fall of 2008.

Nintendo DS: Problem System or Problem Children?

When I was a kid, my mom bought me a Nintendo for my birthday and though it was mine, my sister and I shared it. Sure, we could play two player games on it, but that wasn't always the case and we did have to share it, much like a lot of kids have to share toys. Heck, the fact my family had two TVs to even play the Nintendo on one, while the other could watch TV, was very uncommon, but it kept my parents happy.

Daily Mail, a UK news site posted a story by Rosie Millard under the "Femail" section, about how a single Nintendo DS turned her 4 sweet children into monsters. Now, I'm not trying to point the finger or anything, especially since I don't have kids, but I hardly see how Rosie can blame the Nintendo DS for her childrens' fighting. Sure, it was the object they fought over, but I'm sure she's leaving out some information in her story there, because I can't see how one object can make her kids turn into monsters, and yet they don't fight over anything else they own.

As my eight-year-old son Gabriel hit his five-year-old sister Honey on the head, ten-year-old Phoebe started yelling and the youngest, three-year- old Lucien, joined in the fun, a red mist descended over my vision.

It was eight in the morning. No one had eaten breakfast. The curtains had not been opened. The beds had not been made. The dog had not been walked. Our habitual regime of a ten-minute morning music practice had been abandoned.

The entire mood was one of anger, confrontation, pain and frustration.

Welcome to a family of Nintendo-users. Or should I say user, since we had only one of these infernal devices.

I finally buckled to buy a Nintendo DS Lite after considerable and sustained pressure from my children.

What finally did it was a suggestion from my oldest child that without a Nintendo in her school bag, she would be unable to fit in at school. (Yes, I know - oldest trick in the book. And I fell for it.)

It was that, plus reading a piece in one newspaper which suggested that if you regularly played Brain Trainer on your Nintendo, you’d bump up your mental acuity.

And another piece from child expert Dr Tanya Byron, of all people, which, as far as I recall, actually suggested that regular use of interactive toys such as the DS helped your children to be caring and creative.

I also had a sneaking and totally selfish wish to be Mother of the Year. Which I was, for about a day.

When the pale blue, £150 Nintendo finally arrived last November, fresh from Hong Kong (I had bought it on the net), crammed with a ‘bundle’ of 20 games including Brain Trainer, Fifa 08, and Nintendogs, my children hugged me tightly.

“Thank you, thank you, Mummy,” they chorused. “We LOVE you!”

Mission accomplished, I smiled indulgently at them.

Then we were off, down a slope which became comprehensively more slippery the longer my family and the Nintendo existed under the same roof.

At first, I decreed that the device would be a “family Nintendo”, passed around lovingly by everyone as we all played Brain Trainer together.

That idea lasted about a week. I found Brain Trainer utterly predictable and the children found it totally boring.

Gradually, each child found his or her own Nintendo ‘fix’.

Gabriel became obsessed with playing the football game Fifa 08: over meals, on the loo, in bed at midnight.

Phoebe just took virtual dogs for walks, while Honey zoned in on the My Little Pony game.

The ‘toy’ caused endless rows, sessions of screaming and increasingly regular parental punishments.

It was removed and placed in my desk. The children found it and hid it in their bedroom. I put it into my bag.

They discovered it again. I devised a daily Nintendo rota.

Then we lost the charger. What a great week that was. The musical instruments were resumed, the real dog was walked, the argument quotient in the house calmed down.

Then we found the charger again. The children wept with joy. “You’d better behave with it this time,” I warned. “Otherwise…”

“Yeah, yeah,” they shouted, skipping off happily. How long did that last? How long do you think - 20 minutes, tops.

I’ll admit, the Nintendo had its uses. I managed to achieve a longheld aim of getting a short haircut for Phoebe via the simple tactic of allowing her to take the Nintendo to the hairdresser’s.

She was so engrossed that she failed to notice the flashing blades and ended up with a wonderfully short crop.

Having a Nintendo to hand is also jolly useful when you are on a train with a child and want to read a book, write a letter or call the office.

Hand over the Nintendo and without any effort, you have a window of about two hours of peace, with your child doing something quietly constructive.

Except, it’s not. What is constructive about playing football on a tiny screen, or washing a virtual dog, or watching a hideous pink pony trot around a pink palace decorated with shells?

Fighting to get onto the machine was bad enough, but it was worse when they were forcibly dragged from it.

Our Nintendo had taken the guise of a small but toxic drug which, little by little, was poisoning my children.

When they had had their fix, they were even more frustrated and discontented than before.

Interestingly, Dr Susan Greenfield, writing last weekend in the press, seems to suggest the same thing.

A specialist in brain degeneration, Dr Greenfield has a new book out which predicts that young people are headed for a mass loss of personal identity, thanks to the amount of time they spend in the interactive realms of things like Nintendo.

“The time is well nigh,” she said, “to explore the impact of these technologies.”

Well, I don’t want to explore the impact any more. I know what the impact is on my children.

I have first-hand evidence that using a Nintendo turns my delightful, curious and funny children into argumentative demons full of aggression, wholly uninterested in anything apart from playing, and then playing some more.

At the same time that all the children started crying and yelling before breakfast, I spotted Phoebe’s cello and I realised that she had not got it out of its case all week.

Yet she had notched up probably around eight hours on the Nintendo. There and then, I made my mind up. The Nintendo had to go, and to hell with my children ‘fitting in’.

But how to get rid of it? I mused on the idea of giving it to my sister, a mother-of-five, but rejected that on the grounds of child cruelty.

I considered selling it on eBay, but rejected that on the grounds that I didn’t want to waste any more of my energy on the hideous thing.

In the end, last week, I walked into my local branch of Cancer Research UK and gave it away.

“Would you like this Nintendo?” I said. “In perfect condition, with a bundle of 20 games. Plus charger.”

The lady behind the counter smiled broadly. “What a fantastic gift,” she said.

I returned to stunned disbelief from the children - “You did what?” - and floods of real tears.

Since then, however, our domestic life has been transformed.

The children have swung back into their old habits of reading, playing the violin, walking the dog, occasionally fighting, cooking and making things.

Do they mourn for the lost screen-based world of the Nintendo? Actually, I think they’ve forgotten all about it.

The very fact that she's writing an article to even blame her childrens' behavior on the device makes her look bad. As a parent, she can't teach her children to share and so she writes an article to the whole world to read, on how it's the Nintendo DS' fault. How irresponsible is that?

She makes me think of those Moms who blame video games when their son goes into a school and kills 14 people, instead of blaming their son. Nice parenting, Rosie. Your kids learned a valuable lesson today: next time they do something wrong in life, they should blame anyone or anything but themselves.

[Daily Mail Via Pocket Gamer]