Videogames Lead to Behavioral Addiction Mike Tyson’s Paparazzi Punch-Out!! Video GameStop Buys Majority Stake in Video Game Digital Distributor Jolt Miyamoto: 3D Isn’t Everything Are You A Video Game Junkie With Mad Writing Skills? Write For Ripten NFL Super Bowl Champion Steelers Connect with Soldiers in Iraq for Guitar Hero Competition

Mike Tyson is apparently hard at work promoting a new Punch Out!! title pitting his fists against the faces of snap happy paparazzi. Video clip below courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel Live.  Read more…

Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has been quoted by Nintendo Power recently, saying that not everything needs to be 3D in the games industry. The creator of Mario and Zelda, two franchises that have had success in both dimensions, says:

“I don’t think everything needs to be 3D, or that just because we’re seeing more 2D games now, that everything’s going to shift back to 2D. Instead, I think that what’s going on is that people are realizing the benefits of a 3D game, and at the same time, remembering what the benefits of 2D games were.

When going 2D, you need the courage to not be so attached to visual appearance of the games and to really pursue the gameplay experience.”

Read more…

You know those emergency “flash flood warnings” that interrupt your television viewing experience with the ever soothing sound combination of nails on a chalkboard and a car alarm? Well, they may be making their way to your video game console in the not so distant future if one government official gets his way. Read more…

GameStop is pulling out all the stops to earn your buck this holiday season. The retailer/glorified pawn shop is promising to give you a little extra cash back on Super Mario Bros. Wii and Left 4 Dead 2 if you buy the titles from them online an return them no later than December 20th of this year.

In other words, you can rent the games from them for a full price down payment and get roughly $20 less back when you return them. Exact verbiage below. Read more…

Toys“R”Us announced an additional service today. In addition to shopping for bikes, trains, and video games in the biggest toy store there is (gee whiz!), you can now exchange your used Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii consoles at Toys“R”Us too.

You’ve been able to trade-in used games for some time now, but this piece of the puzzle practically eliminates the need to deal with often irate Game Stop employees. Plus, wouldn’t you rather exchange your old console for a few boxes of Legos or some tricked out Hotwheels? I sure would. Full press release below. Read more…

Nintendo Wii’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii title has been on store shelves for less than two days now, and there are already a few level editors out there. The above 1-1 remake is far from perfect, but considering the game hasn’t been out long at all and the modder himself claims it was 2AM when he made it, we should probably cut him some slack.

Check out the video below. Read more…

From Sunday to Sunday, we bring you the new game releases for each week like a UPS driver speeding through a red light for a nooner in the Desperate Housewives section of town.

This week is loaded with games sure to leave you wallet void of everything but sales receipts, gum wrappers, and fake phone numbers from uninterested dating prospects.

Heading off the list would have to be the we can “absolutely” outsell Modern Warfare 2 “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” title for the Nintendo Wii. I’ll have to admit that I was not really into this game at first but having seen a few videos I realized I miss the straight forward “rescue the princes” plot and classic overhead level selection screen. The only problem for me is I’ll have to finally give in and  pick up a Nintendo Wii.

Other notable store shelf additions include Assassin’s Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, NCAA Basketball 10, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, and Tony Hawk Ride.

Full list of releases broken down by console available below. Let us know what you plan on picking up in the comment section below. We may laugh at you, but we won’t resort to physical abuse or name calling. That’s a promise. Read more…

Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games, like Mario and Sonic and the Olympic Games before it, combines the plethora of sports associated with the events with the somewhat madcap world of Nintendo and SEGA mascots. This provides a welcome relief from the charmless sports games that are often released around these major sporting events; the vibrant and less-than-serious world of Mario and Sonic certainly adds something to the sports game formula, but does it work as a game in its own right?
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The big bad “Grand Theft Auto made me do it” crowd just got some serious competition from the world of Nintendo. Two Super Mario and Luigi dressed brawling bandits, featured in the surveillance video available for viewing on the NY Daily News website, beat the crap out of a cab driver in at Great Kills, New York gas station. As you can see, there is a third individual shown in the video, but I have no idea what the hell he was supposed to be dressed up as. An accessory to a bonehead crime maybe?

If we’re lucky maybe we’ll get another “fair and balanced” morning debate on FOX & Friends titled “New Super Mario Bros. Wii Game Lets You Beat Up Cab Drivers”. Fingers crossed.

[Thanks /gamer]

According to Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett, Nintendo’s North American President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, wouldn’t commit to a 2010 release of a new Zelda title during his recent Q&A session with GameTrailers TV host Geoff Keighley, stating:

“We haven’t committed to Zelda in 2010″

I must admit, I watched the same video earlier today, however I lost focus around the part where Reggie said that the New Super Mario Bros. would “absolutely” outsell Modern Warfare 2. At that point, I thought my time would be better served doing something more productive like holding my breath and counting to one thousand. This proved to be only marginally true.

As for thinking a new Zelda title would be released in 2010, I’m with Luke in saying that’s just “stupid”. You can’t realistically expect to see a title released next year when it hasn’t even been shown off formally yet. We need time to do things like pace back and forth. Sheesh!

The holiday season is closing in and that means the corporate figure heads we know and love are loosening their jaws to allow for some serious product pitching.

Direct from the hefty predictions department come two haymakers. The first hails from the lips of Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick, and the second comes from Nintendo’s North American President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. Have your popcorn ready. Read more…

Nintendo’s President and Chief Operationg Officer in North America (better known as Reggie), firmly denied rumors of a Wii HD, telling GameTrailers TV:

“I don’t know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD.”

Well Reggie, you could pull the Wii HD out and beat people over the head with it while screaming “IT DOESN’T EXIST! DO YOU HEAR ME!?!” That might do it.

KDND-FM, a Sacramento based radio station, held a contest in 2007 that asked willing contestants to drink large amounts of water all while trying to hold back their urge to urinate. Sounds like a blast! What’s the reward for this bladder based torture you ask? A fucking Nintendo Wii!

Jennifer Strange, a mother of three, decided she would take part in this madness for a chance to win the console for her children. The end result for her was second place finish in the contest and an eventual death caused by water intoxication several short hours later.

The Strange family filed a wrongful death suit against the station and was awarded $16 million in damages.

What else can I say that the family surname and the contest concept don’t already? It’s a shame. A shame that adults feel the need to put themselves in harms way to obtain items for their children. That said, I think the thing that angers me the most here has more to do with the roll retailers play in this supply and demand mess. Read more…

I just got back from my local Best Buy and found out that the store is having a video game deal that can save all of us some cash. If you buy any two Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii games (at full price) you get the third game absolutely free (Dane Cook disciples know this is the best kind of free).

So just to recap. Three PS3 games for the price of two. Three 360 games for the price of two. Three Wii games for the price of two. Get off your ass and get into your local Best Buy. Sale ends this Saturday.

With Netflix coming to PlayStation 3 next month, the rumors are already flying about the service coming to the Nintendo Wii as well. Read more…

Fresh from the rumor department comes a supposed Wii 2 console leak being reported by Maxconsole.net. The leak apparently originates on/from the French gaming site Logic-sunrise.com, however I dug into the site a bit myself with Google Translate and couldn’t find any trace of the information Maxconsole claimed to be getting from them. It could be that it wasn’t posted on the French site itself although that wouldn’t make much sense.

All in all, the rumored “leak” states that Nintendo is working on a Wii sequel with the following: Read more…

Nintendo have announced via the above children’s television show video that a brand new side-scrolling Excitebike game will be coming to WiiWare. As you can see, it’s pretty much an updated version of the original- it also includes a track editor and even WiFi play. I’m kind of surprised at my reaction to this, as I’m usually quite cynical about these things- I think it looks pretty cool.

I loved Excitebike when I was younger. I don’t know why; perhaps it was just that it had a good sense of speed and timing the jumps and angles could be quite entertaining. It doesn’t really capture my attention the way it did then any more, but this new one looks decent. Maybe it was just that the presenters reverted me to a younger state of mind with their patronising banter.

Via Gamezine.

Is that headline a bit critical of Band Hero? No. Is that headline very critical of Band Hero? Absolutely.

The demo for Band Hero hit the Xbox Live Marketplace a few hours ago, and though it’s getting rather mixed impressions, through and through, Band Hero is a family game, with family songs, targeted at a family market. Of course, with artists such as Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Jesse McCartney heading up the set list, you didn’t need me to tell you that.

But that’s not to say the setlist is a stinker; In fact, I really like it. Obvious mainstream appeal aside, songs like “Black Horse And Cherry Tree”, “Let’s Dance”, and “Kung-Fu Fighting” make me want to at least give the game a try, when it comes out Nov. 3rd. If this seems like your type of thing, or you’re just looking to quench your music game, button-mashing thirst, hit up XBLM and download the 3-song demo now.

The upcoming dark, creepy, and downright awesome looking Mickey Mouse platformer Epic Mickey will be a Nintendo Wii exclusive. Hit the jump for gameplay details. Read more…