Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Marvelous has announced three (three!) new No More Heroes games for Japan. Even though they aren't for Wii, or DS, or really any game system, they still look pretty great.

The three mobile "No More Heroes Flash Games" include Travis, in which an adorably chibi Travis fights UAA assassins and thugs who approach him; Schpel Tiger, an isometric driving game using Travis's giant motorcycle, and Glastonberry, a shooting game starring a giant robot from the fake anime Travis enjoys.

Each of these games will be distributed over cell phone networks for 100 "points," which we assume is equivalent to 100 yen each. They look simple, but we'd certainly enjoy paying small amounts of money for them.

We say it's a game for people who enjoy awesome games. But, hey, we're just some internet blog. Although, when you think about it, being on a TV network that nobody watches might be better than being an internet blog that nobody reads.

But, we digress. Any favorable exposure for No More Heroes is certainly welcome, because we're absolutely sure that every person that owns a Wii console also needs to own this game. In fact, we still have nightmares about how mixed the game sales were.

Head past the break for the video.

He may be ranked 9th in the UAA assassins' competition, but Dr. Peace is the first of the No More Heroes cast to release his own single. An 8cm (3") mini-CD single of "The Virgin Child Makes her wish without feeling anything" will be available from Grasshopper Manufacture's website on June 25.

The disc will contain four versions of Dr. Peace's signature tune: the "normal" version, sax and trumpet versions, and a (presumably) instrumental karaoke version. We'd gladly pay 1,000 yen ($9.50) for such an item if we could, but, like everything else in the GHM store, it only ships to Japan. It makes us want to listen to some sad music, but ... yeah.

In an interview with Ubisoft UK's Managing Director, Rob Cooper, GamesIndustry unveiled some insight regarding Ubisoft's policy on Wii-exclusive titles. Many gamers have complained about the piles of shovelware and lousy ports while Wii Play and other mini-game compilations continue to dominate sales charts worldwide.

His line of thinking makes sense. While it may be easy to port the latest rubbish from other consoles, Wii gamers are clearly buying original titles by the bucketload. Cooper explains that exclusive titles for the Wii will always get that extra bit of attention, and since gamers are already rocking out with casual party games, they will be looking for bigger games you can't find anywhere else. Okay, Ubisoft still likes to throw a few random games out there, but based on Cooper's interview, from a business perspective they know what will end up being the most popular.

Need some examples? The Raving Rabbids series, No More Heroes and yes, even Red Steel are some of the successful names in Ubisoft's portfolio. As gamers, we already know the Wii is something different entirely, and it's good to see some positive reinforcement from the powerful players in the industry. For further Ubisoft shenanigans, check out the full interview.

We had cosplaying on the brain recently, and we figured we'd divert from the usual gaming-oriented morning topic to ask if you're a fan of the practice or one that participates in it? Enjoy it? Have any pictures (unless you're this person, in which case we ask you keep them to yourself) you want to share? Tried it once and didn't care for it? Of the mind these people are loons? Tell us what you think!

Cosplayers are perpetual purveyors of entertainment. Die-hard fans never miss a chance to dress up, while some fans would rather die. Some do it so well that everyone becomes a fan, if only for a moment. Anyone grossly offended by the glory of cosplay should look away now (we're kidding, keep reading), as we present the new Guiness World Record for "Most Video Game Costumes in One Place."

It is estimated over 600 fans showed up to A-Kon 2008 dressed in video game attire, easily besting the previous "record" of 80 Marios. Characters from all walks of Nintendo life were found at A-Kon, and we've gathered a few of the best to check out after the break. Cosplay done right looks rad.

We were just wondering to ourselves this morning about the team-up title Sonic & Mario at the Olympics and how such a combination of mascots has been a huge financial success. It caused us to wonder what other kind of team-up could be not only a commercial success, but also a game we actually want to play.

And, like responsible bloggers, we decided that we couldn't think of anything good and instead would pass the buck onto you. So, what do you all think? Can you come up with some titles? How about a Duck Hunt clone where Mega Man and Samus compete to see who can shoot the most clay Metroids? Or, what about having Dante from Devil May Cry in a No More Heroes sequel?

Of course, that last one is just a selfish suggestion from us.

When we received our Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk, we thought about what games would be the most appropriate to use the nunchuk with. As such, pretty much all of our games qualified as good candidates, so we went with Super Mario Galaxy, No More Heroes and Wii Sports. How did the Kama stack up against Nintendo's nunchuk? Read on to find out!

Next week is going to be hard on your wallet. Circuit City is going to be having a big sale, according to DVDTalk, and our favorite Wii game is going to be available for insanely cheap. Supposedly, you'll be able to nab Suda 51's No More Heroes for only $19.99 (or you can try your luck at nabbing it from us). If, for some crazy reason, you haven't gotten the game yet, you need to do so next week.

Aside from that, the deal is further sweetened through the retail giant offering buy one, get one %50 off on select games. These games include:

• LEGO Star Wars
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympics
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
• Mario Kart Wii
  

Outside of the games, they've also got DVDs and other junk on sale. If you're into that sort of thing.

[Thanks, Nate!]

Update: The contest has come to an end. Winners have been contacted and confirmed. Thanks to all who entered and better luck next time!

We're going to be honest here: we just couldn't trust you to do the right thing and get No More Heroes. So, we picked up three copies ourselves to make sure that some of you got your hands on the game. The only crummy part is that we have but 3 copies and not the 50 we wanted to order. We blame our bank account, which is mainly filled with loose buttons and bottlecaps. Our bank account is a shoebox under a loose brick in our cell that Joystiq keeps us locked up in, if you were wondering.

But, we digress. This is about you! And about how you are going to get a free copy of No More Heroes (retail value $29.99)! What do you need to do to enter? Well, for this, we thought about the game's protagonist, Travis Touchdown, and how he's such a punk, rebel badass. So, tell us the most rebellious thing you've ever done! Did you, like our own JC Fletcher, get spotted checking out a Ramones CD once in a local music store? Or, have your rebellious spurts been more tame than that?

Simply leave a comment (you can leave one once per calendar day) between now and the end of the giveaway, which is Thursday, May 8th at 11:59pm ET (winners will be selected via random drawing the following day), and you're entered. The giveaway is only open to legal and current residents of the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) who regularly check their email (we're serious, folks, if you don't check your email and win, someone else is getting your game so be on top of that). Also, you have to be 18 years or older. This is a mature game, folks!

Best of luck to you all and don't forget to give the official rules a read.

Look, folks. We've presented you with many opportunities to pick up Suda 51's amazing game for a lot cheaper than the usual $49.99 price tag. Now, Amazon is selling this game at a ridiculously low price of $29.99. That's thirty frickin' dollars. Thirty!

Whatever your excuse for not opening up the Amazon page right now and ordering the game, know this: it isn't a good enough reason. We're serious about this; if you don't own the game and read our site, we're going to call your parental units and rat you out. That's how serious we are about you needing to buy, and play, this game. Especially when it's this cheap.



[Thanks, Steven! You're a kind and wonderful person!]

Game|Life's Jean Snow, along with a very exclusive audience that naturally did not include us (we'd be happy just to be able to buy the CD), attended the launch party for the No More Heroes Dark Side CD, which features remixes of Masafumi Takada's excellent soundtrack by other game and chiptune musicians. The party took place at Shinjuku's 8-bit Cafe, a retrogaming-themed restaurant with displays of classic games, and even a bin full of games for customers to play at any of the systems set up around the shop.

Once the event closed, the celebration moved to another bar called 16 Shots -- as in Takahashi Meijin's button-mashing record. You'll never hear a geekier name for a business, at least until our loan goes through.

Wii Fanboy favorite No More Heroes is the focus of this week's Zero Punctuation, and it actually gets off fairly easily compared to the roasting received by most games. In between describing Suda 51 as "the 51st result of an illegal Japanese cloning experiment to create the world's most auteur game designer" and fretting over what the game is satirizing and what it isn't, Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw admits he enjoyed playing as Travis Touchdown, and eventually praises Grasshopper's game for its "unpredictable story and quirky aesthetics."

Finally, as if we didn't already admire the man enough, he reveals his deep-seated love of Branston Pickle. Way to make us forgive every mean thing you ever said about our favorite games, Yahtzee. Hit the break for the full, NSFW review.

The thrifty kids at Cheap Ass Gamers have compiled a list of Wii games currently on sale at Amazon, digging up almost 40 different deals. Of course, most of them are junk -- pet sim shovelware and titles based on movie licenses -- but there are a few marked down that you'll likely find interest in:

• Alien Syndrome - $19.99 ($29.99)
• Battalion Wars 2 - $23.31 ($49.99), read our review
  
• Bust A Move Bash - $29.99 ($39.99)
• Nights: Journey of Dreams - $29.99 ($49.99)
• Nitrobike - $19.99 ($29.99)
• No More Heroes - $33.99 ($49.99), read our review
  
• Soul Calibur: Legends - $18.90 ($39.99)
• Sonic and the Secret Rings - $20.99 ($29.99)

We can't guarantee how long these bargains will last, so jump on them now while you can, or you'll end up having to settle for Chicken Shoot. Bring your cart past the post break for the full tally of discounted games.

Hey, you! No, not you, kid, the person over 17 next to you. Buy No More Heroes! Your concerns about finances are becoming increasingly irrelevant, because the price on Amazon keeps dropping. It's currently at $33.99 with free shipping available!

We would recommend No More Heroes to anyone (of the appropriate age) who enjoys action games -- and we did! It's by far the best action game on the system, and it holds up well against other action games of the last couple of generations. In fact, just talking about it now makes us want to turn on the Wii and get back into our second playthrough.