While Americans have been clamoring for Club Nintendo’s prizes to come to our fair country for a while now, only now has Nintendo followed through and given us some prizes for our years of Nintendo fanship. And boy was it worth the wait. If you have enough “Nintendo Coins” to be considered a gold membership (6 games registered, 300 coins), you’ll be able to download a snazzy Club Nintendo 2010 calendar. However, if you’re determined enough to be a Platinum member (12 games registered, 600 coins), then you’ll be elligible to choose between two prizes- an authentic repica Mario hat, which you can see after the jump, or a WiiWare download for Doc Louis’s Punch-Out!!

While I’d be plenty happy with the cool hat, the WiiWare version of Doc Louis’s Punch-Out!! seems way more interesting. A one-on-one WiiWare version of Punch-Out!! that only features Doc Louis sounds great, especially since you don’t have to own Punch-Out!! for the Wii to play it. I’ve always wanted to fight that guy. He keeps offering me some of his chocolate bar, but I never get to taste hte sweet chocolately goodness. Well now it’s just you & me in the ring, Doc. Winner takes all- provided I get enough Nintendo coins.

That chocolate bar is mine.

A big week for the WiiWare with three new games coming out today, along with two Mario-themed gizmos for the DSiWare and let’s not forget the Virtual Console with one new, well actually old, game coming out too. Hit the jump for the full list of downloadable content for your favorite NintendoWare and a full description of each title.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario Calculator (Nintendo, Players: 1, 200 Nintendo DSi Points)

Mario and Luigi take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros. Use the Unit Converter to turn one unit of measure into another (such as length, weight, volume, age and others), or track the history of calculations you’ve performed with ease. Listen to the Mario-related sounds and watch the coins fly as calculations are performed. Now, back to adding up those high scores…

Mario Clock (Nintendo, Players: 1, 200 Nintendo DSi Points)

Turn back time and enjoy a bit of classic game play based on the original Super Mario Bros. with Mario Clock. Help Mario and Luigi collect more coins than ever (POW block anyone?) while they run through a variety of stages. Gather enough coins and you’ll be treated to another scene bound to bring back fond memories for many. Mario Clock includes both analog and digital clocks that use the system’s internal clock or allow you to offset the time however you like. Program up to three alarms (with snooze functionality for those that need it) and assign them a Mario-related sound or use one created in the Nintendo DSi Sound application. You’ll find yourself thinking “Just a few more coins…” in no time!

WiiWare

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster (Semnat Studios, Players: 1-4, 800 Wii Points)

Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.

Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! (TAITO, Players: 1-2, 800 Wii Points)

In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly’s Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly’s Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.

Let’s CATCH (SEGA, Players: 1-4, 1,000 Wii Points)

Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let’s TAP and Let’s CATCH.

Virtual Console

Space Harrier (Original platform: Virtual Console Arcade, SEGA, Players: 1, 800 Wii Points)

“Welcome to the Fantasy Zone. Get ready!” This is the greeting given to you as you start Space Harrier, but you don’t have much time to take this advice. Even as the words are being spoken, your Harrier warrior is already charging into battle. Toting a huge laser gun under his arm, the Space Harrier can either run along the checkerboard ground or freely fly through the sky. Either way, he’s always heading forward into the hostile 3-D world. As you progress, hordes of strange creatures and robots fly toward you. Fast reflexes are required to dodge their incoming fire. Environmental hazards can be a problem, too. Take care not to run into any trees or stone structures. If you need a bit of a morale boost, just defeat a boss, and the narrator will remind you that “you’re doing great!”

If food like this existed in my local grocery store I would put up less of a fight every time my girlfriend asked me to go shopping with her.

Imagine store shelves packed with things like Master Chief’s Mac’n'Cheese, Luigi’s Lasagna, and Metriod Meatballs. While none of these things exist (to the best of my knowledge) we can rejoice in the fact that Marco looks a hell of a lot like our favorite videogame Italian plumber.

Have something you think we should show on Geeked-Out? Email it to us.

Shigeru Miyamoto teams up with a trio of video game characters he created in an impressive short illustrated and animated by Newgrounds user, Awkward-Squid.

The concept behind the flash animation, titled “Legend of Miyamoto”, involves Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong helping their video game father make his way through their world. Squid says that the work was rushed a bit due to the fact it was being done as a university assignment, but I think it turned out great.

Check it out after the jump.

Make sure to head on over to Awkward-Squid’s user page and show him some love for this awesome piece of work.

Source: GoNintendo.com

In a recent interview with the UK based Telegraph, Miyamoto stated that there are teams working on new Mario, Zelda, and Pikmin projects.

“They are all working on more Mario, Zelda and Pikmin projects … And they all work in close proximity to me, so I can keep a good eye on them.”

Not exactly sure who “all” is, because surely the entire company is not working on a new Mario title — who would be left to fine tune Wii Music? Ok, ok, I will let it go.

Miyamoto adds that traditional games are his area of expertise and offers insight as to how the company rotates staff internally to ensure that the “traditional” titles always have people working on them.

“Making these ‘traditional’ games is what I am best at. Because games of that nature take upwards of two or three years to make, we always have to keep the teams working on those projects going. At any given time, the team could be five to ten people, or it could be 50-plus. People are always switching in and out of those teams.”

I can’t help but feel like this is all damage control 101, but even if it is, it shows that the company does care to some extent about its hardcore gamer base. It would seem that they realize their E3 presentation didn’t have the impact they had hoped for.

All we can ask now is that they learn from their mistake, and keep the traditional teams closer to 50-plus, with five people working on the next Wii Music.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

I’m always envious of people who can play the guitar, specifically themes to my favorite video games. So imagine how I feel when this guy played the Mario theme on guitar without even strumming. Hit the jump to check it out.

Source: Revver (via digg)

With the new MLB season now fully up and running, Nintendo announced yesterday a new sports game for their upcoming Wii line-up. Mario Super Sluggers is a baseball game featuring the weird and wonderful characters of the Nintendo universe, due for release sometime later this year in the US, and this is another title sure to get Wii owners excited.

As with Mario’s other sports based outings like Mario Strikers Charged, Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and, most recently, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Super Sluggers will feature easy to grasp gameplay mechanics combined with the colourful, bold and unique characters that make up Nintendo’s portfolio of games.

In a press release, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Cammie Dunaway had this to say:

Mario is truly a one-of-a-kind character; clearly fans can’t get enough of him and his friends. We’re giving Wii users brilliant new ways to enjoy him while expanding our series of active-play games.

Featuring full use of the Wii-mote, Mario Super Sluggers will allow players to swing, pitch and field just like you would in the real world. With Wii Sports such a smash hit -a staple in all Wii owners collections- Nintendo seems like it’s on to a homerun (sorry – couldn’t resist) with this latest Mario spin-off.

No definitive release date has been announced for either the US or Europe, but the game is set to hit retail stores in Japan this June. Hopefully, the other regions won’t have to wait too long.

One other interesting piece of information worth noting is that on the foot of the press release from Nintendo, Namco Bandai Games have their copyright mark included. Namco developed the arcade version of Mario Kart, which was released back in October 2005 in the US. Another collaboration here, perhaps? Let’s hope so.

Source: Yahoo

Can Marcus Fenix roadie run his way through a bullet blazing, one liner laden, no holds barred battle with the one and only Duke Nukem? Will Metal Gear’s main man Snake slither his way to victory against the Splinter Cells triclops, Sam Fisher? Metriod’s Samus Aran, or the combat evolved Master Chief? The king of cold: Sub Zero or the queen of hot: Lara Croft?

We here at ripten have been working for over two months, researching, arguing, and eating lots of junk food, all in the name of bringing you an accurate account of each characters quest for video game immortality. The results are in and over the coming weeks, you will lay witness to five rounds of sword swinging, scope sniping, chainsaw buzzing intense action.

Below you will find division one of the first round match ups, division two will be up tomorrow. We would love to hear your comments on how you think things should go down and who you would like to see win it all.

DIVSION ONE

Update: June 4th, 2007

Hello everyone,

Division One has changed slightly based on the feedback we received from readers. Lara Croft will now be facing off against “Pitfall Harry” and Ryu of Ninja Gaiden fame will be swinging his sword against Mr. Joe Shinobi.

We thank you for the feedback! To see the division two matchups click here. Check back tomorrow for matchups to start posting to the site in comic book page format featuring the artwork of various artists!

Thanks,
Mad Gamer

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