Wii Buy

Supplies of Nintendo Wii remain relatively low in Europe! Certainly there's been no upsurge in inventory and eBay sellers continue to exploit the market. Purportedly more stocks will arrive in March. This coincides with the launch of Sony's PlayStation 3!

For those readers lucky enough to own a Wii. If you haven't already purchased a Secure Digital (SD) memory card, which is required for storing game saves (in addition to the built-in flash memory), photo editing and downloading Virtual Console games. Amazon.co.uk is selling SanDisk's SD 512MB Memory Card, officially licensed by Nintendo, for £8.87. That's a massive 56% reduction on the suggested retail price of £19.99! Mine arrived this morning and it's a bargain.

Wii Want

Nintendo has announced that its next generation console (code-name Revolution) is officially known as Wii. The company explains:

"While the code-name 'Revolution' expressed our direction, Wii represents the answer. Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else."

"Wii will put people more in touch with their games … and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean? Wii sounds like 'we,' which emphasizes this console is for everyone."

"Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii. Wii has a distinctive 'ii' spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play."

"And Wii, as a name and a console, brings something revolutionary to the world of video games that sets it apart from the crowd. So that’s Wii. But now Nintendo needs you. Because, it’s really not about you or me. It’s about Wii."

In addition, Nintendo hit on a number of Wii-related points. Nintendo stated that "A number of Wi-Fi-enabled launch titles are in development that will employ Nintendo's newly announced wireless gaming service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection."

Also mentioned was an SD memory card expansion bay that will allow users to complement the 512 megabytes of internal flash memory.

The company also touted Wii's two-format disc drive. "Instead of a tray, a single, innovative, self-loading media bay will play both 12-centimeter optical discs used for the new system as well as Nintendo GameCube discs. Owners will have the option of equipping a small, self-contained attachment to play movies and other DVD content."

At first I scoffed at Nintendo's nomenclature! However, who would have thought that TiVo and iPod would become part of our consumer lexicon? And controversy sales.

Wii, like the original iMac, will be available in an assortment of candy colors. To paraphrase Steve Jobs. Wii is gaming for the rest of us. Nintendo may have struck marketing gold by mining Apple Computer's rich lifestyle brand ethos.

Captain N: The Game Master

The title of this post, and its intrinsic camp value, refers to the live action/animated series, which ran for three seasons and was broadcast on ITV between 1989 - 1992. If memory serves correctly the show was a vehicle to blatantly promote the latest Nintendo video game releases and included appearances from popular properties Link (Zelda) and Simon Belmont (Castlevania).

In the '80s you could start your day by waking up in your Nintendo-themed sheets, wash your hair with Super Mario shampoo, eat Mario & Zelda cereal, and go to school with your Nintendo backpack. How times have changed. Did someone say Harry Potter?

Last Thursday I unpacked a shiny new platinum and black limited edition Nintendo GameCube. You know, the livery emotes sophistication and it's fun to posit whether or not Big "N" should have adopted this color scheme at the console's launch in 2002?

Aside from the glaring omission of a 251 Slot Memory Card from the bundle. I'm delighted to be reunited with Mario, Pikmin and Zelda franchises once again. This time for keeps. Viva la Revolution!

Discovered Galaxy FM. Anyone with a passion for Dance/R&B should listen (digital receiver required). The first song played was Opposites Attract (Paula Abdul featuring MC Skat Cat). The College memories.

Goodies

On my Birthday I went with friends to Pizza Hut (a personal favourite) and dined on BBQ Chicken Wings, Garlic Bread, Potato Wedges, Chicken Feast Pan Pizza, New York Style Baked Cheesecake and Pepsi. We usually opt for commercial cousin KFC.

A fabulous day was rounded-off with a Neo-Geo 2.5D fighting fix.



SNK's Advanced Entertainment System (AES, 1990), promoted by its hugely successful arcade incarnation Multi-Video System (MVS, 1989), failed to set the home gaming arena ablaze. This was due to the forbiddingly expensive hardware (£100+ cartridges) and the Nintendo/Sega duopoly. However, Neo-Geo plays attractive host to Fatal Fury, Metal Slug and The King of Fighters franchises. Memory card interoperability allowed gamers to save progress between AES and MVS, a feature that has never been duplicated. Neo-Geo is the longest officially supported games platform eclipsing Nintendo's original Game Boy.

This March Nintendo DS and Sony PSP are expected to launch in Europe.