This new ad for Star Fox Zero almost is enough to renew my interest in the Star Fox series

Sorry, I'm wasn't trying to be a dick when I came up with the headline above. The fact is, though, I haven't been all that interested in Star Fox series since I played through its Nintendo 64 installment.

I've wanted to be interested in it, though, I swear. I even contemplated picking up the DS iteration before hearing it wasn't worth the price of admission.



Does that mean I'd buy a copy of Star Fox Zero if it intrigued me more than it currently does? Probably not, but that's mainly because I don't own a Wii U system at the moment.

How about all of you? Do any of you find this upcoming release appealing enough to want to add it to your collection? If so, what is it about the game that has you feeling this way?

This better mean Nintendo's planning to release a 'Machoke Movers' 3DS menu theme tout de suite

Just over a year ago (or just under a year ago, if you don't own a Japanese 3DS), Nintendo dropped a 3DS menu theme that changed lives from one side of the globe to the other.

I'm talking about this Slowpoke-centric theme, of course.

OK, so it only changed my life. Still, that's pretty impressive considering the life-changer in question is a lousy home menu theme.

Anyway, as mind-blowing as that Slowpoke theme was and continues to be, I'm pretty sure a similar creation based on the following Japanese commercial would be even more so.



Seriously, who would use anything other than a "Machoke Movers" 3DS menu theme if such a concoction were released?

I'm going to guess next to no one.

So, please make this happen, Nintendo and Pokémon Company. And make it happen soon.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

I'm pretty smitten with this pair of Splatoon (Wii U) commercials

I honestly don't know what's come over me in the last few weeks. In that time, I've become massively smitten with Nintendo's cartoonish and squid-filled shooter for the Wii U, Splatoon.

Admittedly, I won't be playing it anytime soon--due to the fact that I still don't own the company's latest system--but that won't keep me from slobbering over it all the same.



Actually, for the time being, I'm going to slobber over the commercials shown here, which the brass at Nintendo hope will spur throngs of people to buy their shiny new game.

The one above is, or will be, airing in Japan, while the one below will be shown in North America.



Although I'm overly fond of both of them, I think I prefer the Japanese ad to its North American counterpart. That said, I can understand why Nintendo isn't using it in every region, as it's perhaps too abstract (because it doesn't give viewers much of an idea as to Splatoon's gameplay).

What do you think? Do you like either of these commercials, or maybe even both of them? Also, are you as smitten by this upcoming Wii U title as I am at the moment?

Seven ways you can celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's release

In a perfect world, this post would include 27 ways to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's Japanese launch day, which occurred on Oct. 30, 1987. Instead, it includes just seven.

Still, that should be more than enough to allow all who are interested in honoring the release of what I consider to be the coolest-looking console ever to see the light of day to do their thing.

1. Play one of the two games that launched alongside the diminutive system in Japan--That would mean playing either Bikkuriman World or Shanghai. Personally, I'd go for the former, which is an ancient, but still immensely fun, side-scrolling platformer.



2. Pick up one of the handful of PC Engine titles that can be found on the PlayStation Store--My suggestions, especially for folks who have little experience with this console and its catalog of games: Bomberman '94, Galaga '88 or PC Genjin 2 (Bonk's Revenge in North America).

3. Buy one of the PC Engine games that are available on the Wii eShop--The previously Japan-only Battle Lode Runner is my top choice here, although Akumajou Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is a worthwhile option, too.



4. Ogle some photos of the original system and its packaging--A good number of them can be found on my Flickr photostream. (Sadly, I no longer own the white PC Engine that is showcased throughout.)

5. Read a couple of the "Second Chances" posts I've written about PC Engine games--If you're not sure where to start, I'd recommend the ones devoted to Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen, Hana Tāka Daka!? and Jigoku Meguri.



6. Virtually flip through a few of the instruction manuals made for its games--My personal favorites: Don Doko Don, Mizubaku Daibouken, The New Zealand Story and PC Genjin 2.

7. Watch one of these wacky Japanese TV commercials--This one, for PC Genjin 2, probably is the best of the bunch, although this one (for Kato-chan & Ken-chan) and this one (for The Kung Fu) also are a lot of fun.

See also: 'Five TurboGrafx-16 memories in honor of the system's 25th anniversary'

Like seemingly everyone else on the planet, I'm completely smitten with Nintendo of Japan's latest TV commercial (for the new 3DS)

I actually have a lot to say about the wacky TV spot that can be enjoyed below (and here), but all of it was rather eloquently summed up by NeoGAF user Oersted when he/she said the following earlier today: "Pretty much the Nintendo I want. No acting tough and serious. We are colourful, suck it."



Will this commercial prompt hundreds of thousands--or more--of Japanese citizens to race out and pick up one of the new 3DS systems that will hit store shelves in that region in just over a week (on Oct. 11, to be exact)? I have no idea, but it certainly has me contemplating buying one ASAP.

Impossibly, I'd never seen this crazy Japanese TV commercial for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past before yesterday

Now that I've seen it, I'd really like to know how TV viewers at the time received it. Did they consider it corny or cheesy, as most of us surely would today, or did they consider it kind of cool?

Or maybe the target audience simply reacted to it with awe, which is how I probably would have reacted to it. It did, after all, herald the coming of a new entry in the Legend of Zelda series.



You know what? Now I'm thinking Nintendo of Japan should've made a sequel to this commercial in order to promote last year's A Link Between Worlds. Doing so certainly couldn't have hurt.

See also: 'The Great Gaymathon Review #64: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)'

Square Enix's curious Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call commercial

If I told you Square Enix just released a minute-long TV commercial for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call that features only 14 seconds of gameplay footage, would you be shocked?

Oh, and those 14 seconds of gameplay footage don't show up until the end of said ad, with the first 46 seconds consisting of famous scenes and music pulled from every Final Fantasy title that's seen the light of day so far, including a few spin-offs.



Not that I'm complaining. I actually really like the spot--although I can't help but wonder how effective it'll be at prompting sales of the 3DS game it's supposed to promote.

See also: my 'Great Gaymathon' review of the first Theatrhythm Final Fantasy title

These Japanese Super Mario 3D World commercials make me feel all tingly

I know there are a lot of gamers in the world who no longer care about Mario or his pixelated or polygonal exploits--if they ever cared about them in the first place.

I am not one of those people.

Now, I'm also not one of those people who snap up each and every game that features Nintendo's iconic protagonist.



For the most part, I stick to the company's Paper Mario series (although that'll no longer be the case if its next entry is as disappointing as the last two), some of its two-dimensional Mario Bros. releases and its three-dimensional Mario games.

That last group is the one that interests me most these days--mainly because, with the possible exception of Super Mario Sunshine (which I like in theory, but not in practice), Nintendo has yet to produce a 3D Mario game that fails to at least compete with (if not top) the ones that came before it.

When it was first announced, I actually thought Super Mario 3D World might join its GameCube counterpart at the bottom of Nintendo's Mario-branded barrel. I mean, that first trailer the company showed to the world during this year's E3 event was the definition of "ho hum," wasn't it?

Thankfully, subsequent trailers have washed that taste from my mouth. Not only that, but they've transformed the game from something I consider only mildly intriguing (if that) to something I now view as a must-purchase release.



Although the commercials included above aren't exactly trailers, they still provide a smile-inducing glimpse at why this game has caught the attention of a lot of folks in the few weeks and months.

Before you watch either of them, though, I have to warn you that they likely include spoilers.

Anyway, are any of you finding yourselves similarly attracted to Super Mario 3D World? If so, what aspects appeal to you most right now?

In case you're wondering, the text in this Japanese TV ad translates to: 'Bryan, get off your lazy ass and play Contact for Nintendo DS'

While writing up this blog post earlier in the week, I came across the following commercial for the Japanese release of Grasshopper Manufacture's dual-screened RPG, Contact.

For all sorts of reasons--the first glimpse of "the Professor," the Mother-esque graphics, the music--it got my heart pumping.



It also prompted me to slap myself--solidly and repeatedly--for failing to even pop the cart into my trusty DS Lite (true story: I don't like to play DS games on my 3DS) despite the fact that I've owned a copy of the Euro release since January.

I'm going to do my best to change that soon (possibly as part of my "Baby Got Back(log)" series), though, as I have a feeling it's going to blow me away just like another long-overlooked DS title, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, did a few months ago.

I really hope Sony promotes the North American release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like this

The folks at Sony recently prepped a special TV commercial to celebrate the fact that Japanese sales of their crazy-survival-action-game-starring-a-bunch-of-animals, Tokyo Jungle, have topped the 200,000 mark.

Will the game move that many copies after it lands on our shores? It wouldn't surprise me in the least given the amount of interest it's garnered since it was announced in 2010.

What would surprise me: Sony's North American arm promoting the localized release of Tokyo Jungle with an ad like the one below. Or promoting it at all.



That's not a jab at Sony, by the way. I just see this as being a game the company tries to sell via word of mouth.

Regardless, I hope we hear more about the Western release of Tokyo Jungle soon, as all we know at the moment is that it's on its way (but when?) and that it'll likely be released digitally.

(Via andriasang.com)

I'm going to be really bummed if Guild01 isn't brought to the States

Don't worry, I'm fully prepared to be bummed--especially after seeing the game's completely WTF-ish Japanese box art.

Even if it sported a better cover image, though, I'm not sure I could see too many North Americans buying Level-5's four-game compilation should it actually see the light of day here.

That's too bad, because the quartet of commercials below make Guild01's contents seem pretty compelling:



(Here's another commercial, featuring the same snippets of gameplay, in case any of you are especially curious.)

Personally, the Guild01 title that I'm drooling over the most is Yoshiyuki Hirai's Rental Bukiya de Omasse, which tasks players with crafting weapons and then renting them to various heroes.

Of course, the other three games that are included in this omnibus release--Yasumi Matsuno's Crimson Shroud, Yoot Saito's Air Porter and Goichi Suda's Liberation Maiden--sound awfully cool, too.

Anyway, here's hoping someone (Level-5? Atlus? Aksys? XSEED?) decides to bring Guild01 to North America--and to other regions, too--in some form or fashion.

(Via andriasang.com)

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.

China Warrior + Takahashi Meijin + toy turtles = one awesome PC Engine commercial

True story: I've never played Hudson's oft-criticized, PC Engine-based fighter, China Warrior (known as The Kung Fu in Japan).

I'm actually planning to right that wrong soon, but until that day arrives I'll content myself by watching and re-watching the following commercial, which features, at one point, Takahashi Meijin and a quartet of toy turtles.



Hopefully it's made clear to folks who understand Japanese why the "16 shots per second" star is shown, in a commercial that was supposed to prompt gamers to run out and buy a side-scrolling brawler, sitting atop a pile of said reptiles?

Note: This post originally appeared on my other gaming blog, iwasateenagepcenginefan.wordpress.com.

Japan's crazy Super Mario 3D Land commercial

Super Mario 3D Land will hit the streets in the Land of the Rising Sun in just a few weeks (on Nov. 3, to be exact). As such, Nintendo's Japanese arm is revving its promotional engines in the hopes of piquing the public's interest in their mustachioed plumber's first 3DS-based adventure.

I don't know if the following commercial will catch the attention of Japanese consumers, but it's certainly caught the attention of this consumer.



Here's a far more conventional commercial for Super Mario 3D Land, if that's what you're after.



Super Mario 3D Land will be released in North America on Nov. 13, by the way. (It'll follow suit throughout Europe on Nov. 18 and in Australia on Nov. 24.) Pre-order it here.

Famicommercials

I've rarely met a Japanese gaming commercial I didn't like. Retro ones, especially. I think it's because so many of them are equal parts earnest and, well, bat-shit crazy.

The one below, for the Famicom Disk System version of Metroid, is a good example, although it's definitely more serious than silly.



This ad was nabbed from the recently launched tumblog known as FC.CM ("a collection of commercials relating to the Nintendo Famicom"), by the way.

If you decide to pay it a visit (and I sincerely hope you will), be sure to check out the commercial for the Korean version of the Famicom/NES (called the Hyundai Comboy).

Two reasons tomorrow will be the best day of 2011

Good news for those of you who lack patience: Both of the above-mentioned reasons are covered by and in the following video:



Yep, tomorrow will be the best day of 2011 because that's when Minna no Rhythm Tengoku (aka Rhythm Heaven Wii) will hit the streets in Japan.

Real talk: Based on what I've seen of it thus far, I fully expect Rhythm Heaven Wii--which has yet to receive a European or North American release date (harrumph!)--to compete with the GBA original for the title of "Best Rhythm Tengoku Game."

Admittedly, it'll only be competing against two other games--the first of which was released for the GBA in 2006 and the second of which was released for the DS in 2008/2009--but both of those titles are among the best rhythm games ever released, so the winner of said contest shouldn't be considered chopped liver.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

Five more commercials for Rhythm Heaven Wii

My first thought upon watching the five commercials--for Minna no Rhythm Tengoku (aka Everyone's Rhythm Heaven, aka Rhythm Heaven Wii)--included in the video below: Man, that monkey game looks fun!

My second thought: The lady playing the monkey game looks like a Japanese version of my aunt Joanne!



My third and final thought: This game is going to sell a ton of copies (in its homeland, at least) thanks in large part to these commercials, isn't it?

Minna no Rhythm Tengoku hits the streets in Japan on July 21, by the way, while it'll hit the streets elsewhere in the world ... sometime later this year? Early next? Sigh.

(Via gonintendo.com)

'Adventure is on the horizon!'

You've just got to love this "classic" Game & Watch commercial.

I mean, it features the Mary-oh brothers (I've always gotten a kick out of that pronunciation), twins dressed in matching outfits and a reminder that the multi- and wide-screened systems can be used to tell time. (I guess that's where the "watch" part of Game & Watch comes into play, huh?)



See also: 'The Great Gaymathon Review #31: Game & Watch Collection (DS)'

July 21 can't come quickly enough

What will happen on July 21, you ask? Why, Minna no Rhythm Tengoku (aka Everybody's Rhythm Heaven, aka Rhythm Heaven Wii) will hit store shelves across Japan on that date, that's what.

In order to increase awareness about the soon-to-be-released title, the folks at Nintendo of Japan cobbled together the following commercial, which shows off a number of Minna no Rhythm Tengoku's wacky mini-games.



I'm especially looking forward to playing the ones that involve dancing crawfish (or are they shrimp?), mustachioed pigs spinning in chairs and shirtless wrestlers with odd-looking six-packs. Oh, and of course I'm looking forward to playing that Kid Icarus-esque mini-game shown at the 1:25 mark, too.

Two more Minna no Rhythm Tengoku commercials--the first of which is centered around the wrestler mini-game mentioned above while the second focuses on a mini-game that involves rolling seals--can be watched on the game's official Japanese site.

(Via gonintendo.com and tinycartridge.com)

Robin Williams' beard, daughter star in adorable Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D ad

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will hit store shelves around North America in just a few days--on June 19, to be exact (pre-order it here)--and the folks at Nintendo want everyone who's ever watched and enjoyed Mrs. Doubtfire to know about it. At least, that's the impression I had after watching the following commercial:



All kidding aside, I think the commercial is pretty darn cute. Sure, Robin Williams looks kind of like a hobo, but his obvious affection for both his daughter and The Legend of Zelda make it easy to overlook that fact.

(Via tinycartridge.com)