Shigesato Itoi reiterates that he's done making Mother games

Shigesato Itoi has been saying for years that he's done making Mother (Earthbound in the States) games, but I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed when I heard that he reiterated that reality a few months ago while interviewing another writer on his website.

According to the folks over at Earthbound Central, at one point during the interview the writer mentions that he was introduced to Itoi's work through the first two Mother games. After talking about those titles--and the process of making them--for a bit, the copywriter-turned-game-designer mentions the following:

"Games demand many more lines of dialogue [than advertising text] despite the fact that the main characters don’t talk, so I couldn’t keep making them. That’s why I felt deep down after making three of them, 'Well, that was a neat experience.'"

I'm not sure if I'll play Okamiden or frame it...

I consider Clover Studio's Okami (the PS2 original, not the Wii port) to be one of the most beautiful video games ever created. As such, it shouldn't be too surprising to hear that I'm eagerly (and impatiently) awaiting the 2010 release of its DS sequel, Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou (aka Okami Chronicles: Tiny Sun).

The folks at Capcom must know this (I'm sure someone there is reading this blog ... not!), as they recently released another teaser trailer for the game:



Although I've been a bit nervous that Hideki Kamiya (Okami's designer) and the Clover Studio crew aren't working on the sequel, the video above gives me hope that Kuniomi Matsushita and Motohide Eshiro (director and producer of Okamiden, respectively) are up to the challenge of creating the follow up to one of the most gorgeous games ever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm guessing some of you who visit this blog don't celebrate this holiday for one reason or another, but even so I'm going to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for so many things--my health, my home, my husband and parents and other family and friends--and all of you guys and gals, of course :)

(The image above is a portion of the latest 2P START! creation. The rest of it can be found here.)

Lady Gaga + LittleBigPlanet = Little Bad Romance

Someone with a lot of love for Lady Gaga (and, presumably, LittleBigPlanet) and a lot of time on his/her hands has given life to what may be the best (and gayest) game-related YouTube video ever:



To fully appreciate the exactitude of the homage, check out the actual "Bad Romance" video.

Did you know that Donkey Kong started off as a Popeye game?

That's just one of the things I learned while reading the latest of Nintendo's "Iwata Asks" interviews, which focuses on Shigeru Miyamoto's comments on the development of New Super Mario Bros. Wii but also includes tons of tidbits about earlier games featuring the world's most famous plumber.

For instance, after revealing that Donkey Kong started off as a Popeye game, Miyamoto mentions that Mario's original name was "Mr. Video" (not Jumpman)--and that someone at Nintendo of America suggested what has since become the most recognizable name in the gaming world.

Miyamoto also chats about why the character wears a hat, overalls and white gloves and sports a mustache--and why series staples like turtles and pipes popped up in the original Mario Bros.

Many more secrets are revealed in the full interview, so head on over to us.wii.com and check it out when you have a few minutes to spare. (Other "Iwata Asks" interviews--including one where Miyamoto talks about the development of Wii Fit Plus--can be found there, too.)