I'm not sure what I think of Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise's box art

Although I'm not planning to buy a copy of Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise after it hits the streets of Europe on July 6, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit envious of my European compadres who are planning to pick up a copy of this Wii game (which goes by the name of Minna no Rhythm Tengoku in Japan and Rhythm Heaven Fever in North America).

That's mainly because Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, unlike Rhythm Heaven Fever, will feature both English and Japanese vocal tracks.

Is Beat the Beat's box art (above) also responsible for me feeling a bit envious of Euro Wii owners? Not really. Although I'd hardly call it ugly, I also wouldn't call it beautiful. (I much prefer Rhythm Heaven Fever's wildly colorful cover illustration, which can be viewed in this previous post.)

What do all of you think? Does Beat the Beat's packaging get you all hot and bothered, or does it leave you feeling limp?

The world's greatest tennis player is now promoting Wii Sports

No, I'm not talking about Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or even Serena Williams. I'm talking about the peerless--and often ponytailed--winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, Steffi Graf.

Admittedly, the blond, leggy German stopped playing the sport more than a decade ago, but I'm a firm believer that if she re-entered the pro game today she'd quickly return to the top of the rankings--despite being 42.


Stefanie Graf on WhoSay

That's all well and good, but you'd probably like to know how Graf is, as this post's headline suggests, promoting Wii Sports, right? Well, she's doing so in a series of TV ads--including the one above--that will be aired inter- nationally (which I'm guessing means throughout Europe and not in the US), according to a recent post on her official website.

Although I think it's a pretty by-the-numbers Wii commercial, I can't help but like the smile and wink the mother of two--and wife of Andre Agassi--aims at viewers in the ad's waning seconds.

For those of you wondering: Yes, I'm still waiting for my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles to arrive

I just noticed that this post--"My copy of Xenoblade Chronicles has been 'despatched'"--is getting a lot of hits this week. I'm guessing that's because some of you are eagerly awaiting my impressions of this import-only Wii title?

Unfortunately, it has yet to show up on my doorstep--despite the fact that it was "despatched" over a month ago. (On Aug. 15, to be exact.) I can't really complain, though, as I knew before placing my order that The Hut Group has a history of painfully slow shipments.



That said, here's hoping my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles is still meandering its way across the ocean and hasn't been lost or otherwise "mishandled"...

See also: Previous Xenoblade/Xenoblade Chronicles posts

Speaking of Kirby Mass Attack ...

Did you know that the European box art for Kirby Mass Attack combines elements of the game's Japanese and North American covers? If not, well, you do now.

Specifically, the game's Euro art, which can be seen below, combines the "circle of Kirbys" illustration that fills most of the Japanese cover and the stylized logo that's front and center on the North American cover.

Did the designers at Nintendo of Europe produce the ultimate piece of Kirby Mass Attack box art, or do you prefer the covers that were made for the Japanese and/or North American versions (both of which can be seen and commented on here) of the game?

Although I'm still quite fond of the game's North American box art, I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see the appeal of its European and Japanese counterparts.

My copy of Xenoblade Chronicles has been 'despatched'

Oh, suuuuuuuurrrrrrre. I was all ready to make fun of the folks at The Hut/SendIt/Zavvi for telling me my copy of Xenoblade Chronicles had been "despatched"--and then I discovered (via dictionary.com) that "despatch" is an acceptable alternative to "dispatch." Harrumph.

Whatever. All that really matters is that this open-world RPG, which will be released throughout Europe on Friday, is on its way across the ocean to our doorstep. How long it takes to arrive on said doorstep, of course, is anyone's guess. I'm expecting it to take a few weeks, but I won't be at all surprised if it takes longer.



Regardless of when my copy of this Monolith Soft-developed game shows up, you can rest assured I'll take and post a few Glamour Shots-esque photos of its packaging shortly after I rip it open.

See also: 'I just pre-ordered Xenoblade (or, who needs Nintendo of America when you've got The Hut?)'