Bon voyage!

Sorry to leave this for the last minute, but I'm going to be gone for the next week and, as such, won't be posting anything to this site until I get back on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Of course, it seems like only one person is paying attention these days (thanks, Justin!), so I'm not sure anyone's going to even notice that I'm gone ;)

Anyway, the reason for my absense: I'm going on a cruise! A family cruise, in fact. My husband's dad graciously paid for our tickets, as well as the tickets of my husband's brother and sister and even those of my parents.

That probably sounds insane, but we did the same thing last year (we all paid for our own tickets that time, though) and it was a blast, so I'm expecting this trip to be similarly spectacular.

So, no posts for about eight days. Hopefully some of you will still be around when I get back!

They should have just called it Wii Sex

Don't mind that drool dripping from my chin--I just watched some of the first gameplay footage to hit the Web of Treasure's first Wii game (as far as I'm aware), Sin & Punishment 2:

Is that a logo in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

At first glance, the logo for the North American release of Cho Aniki Zero (thanks, Aksys Games!) isn't all that interesting. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's uninteresting--or at least underwhelming.

Give it a second glance, or maybe a third, though, and you'll probably see why someone at my favorite portable-focused site found the logo to be NSFW:

I can't say I'd call it NSFW, but it's definitely a bit more risqué than I expected--especially given how tame most gaming companies are these days.

You don't say: The Koopa Kids were supposed to be in Super Princess Peach

Here's tidbit of info I'll bet you didn't know: The Koopa Kids (or Koopalings, depending on which way you swing) were pegged, at one point, to be the bosses in Super Princess Peach. At least, that's what the guy/gal responsible for Random Hoo Haas has discovered.

Apparently, Wendy O' Koopa (my favorite Koopa Kid) was the original boss of World 6, for instance. "The only obvious attacks I can see from her animation are a jump and her ability to throw one of her bracelets at Peach," says the proprietor/proprietess of the site. "She also has an animation where she points upwards and strikes a pose, and another where she faces the screen and stands with her arms in the air; presumably both were for summoning an attack from something else."

Descriptions of the other Koopa Kids' animations and probable attacks can be found here. After you check them out, take a second (or two) to check out the rest of the games highlighted in the "Oh! My God!! Why'd They Change That?" section of Random Hoo Haas. If you're a retro-gaming geek like I am, you won't regret it.

Coming soon to a PS3 near me (and you, if you live in the States): 3D Dot Game Heroes

Well, it looks like I'm going to have to save up (somehow) and buy a PS3 sometime next year. Why? Well, earlier today, the folks at Sony Computer Entertainment America sent out the following tweet regarding From Software's 3D Dot Game Heroes:

"No need to import--3D Dot Game Heroes for PS3 is DEFINITELY coming to NA! Spread the word, more to come."

Sony won't be publishing the title, according to someone supposedly in the know over on NeoGAF. Atlus and Ignition seem to be the most likely candidates as of now.

Anyway, I'm not sure how I'm going to swing the PS3's $299 price tag (or the game's $59 price tag, for that matter), but I'm going to make it happen even if I have to peddle my wares (if you get my drift) on the Interwebs...

Excite Get: Excitebike World Rally races onto WiiWare on Nov. 9

Well, now you know where I'll be on Nov. 9: In my basement downloading Excitebike World Rally from the Wii Shop Channel.

Here's a brief glimpse of the game, as shown on the oh-so-corny Nintendo Week "show" that appears on the Wii Nintendo Channel:



If you can't be bothered to watch the clip past the first few seconds (I don't blame you), here's the gist of what's included in fifth installment of the Excite series of games:

• 2.5D graphics
• track editor
• online multiplayer
  
• classic controls and motion controls
• pop-up hills (like the ones seen in Excite Truck)

That last bullet point has some convinced the title was produced by Monster Games, makers of Excite Truck and Excitebots.

Anyway, if you need something to tide you over until Nov. 9, put this PiCOPiCT remix of the Excitebike title theme on your iPod and set it to repeat.

Just in time for Halloween: Zombies Ate My Neighbors (finally) hits the Wii Virtual Console

Have you been searching for a spooky game to play this All Hallow's Eve? Well, you can stop--the cult classic LucasArts title, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, has (finally) hit the Wii Virtual Console service for the oh-so-accessible price of 800 Wii Points.

What? You've never played the game? After slapping yourself until it hurts, read the following description (courtesy of Nintendo of America's PR folks):

You will play the game as one of two brave kids: Zeke or Julie. Both kids use the same control scheme and have the same characteristics. If you're playing in two-player mode, each player must pick a kid. You can't have two Zekes or two Julies. Each player starts with three lives. When your life bar runs out, you lose a life. There are hidden 1-Up bonuses in the game. You may also earn bonus lives if you have 10 victims left when you finish a level. Get ready to conquer 48 levels of giant ants, mad scientists and big babies. Find seven bonus levels (look for the question marks), earn points and stockpile your water pistols and other weapons.

Actually, forget that description. It sucks. Instead, check out the game's Wikipedia page or, better yet, check out a few YouTube videos of the game in action--like this one, or this one.