Mashing buttons since 1984
So Mario Kart
I’ve got to say that the Nintendo DS is a fabulous piece of gaming hardware. I’m still jamming on Advance Wars, just picked up Metroid Prime Pinball and will be getting Mario Kart and Animal Crossing in the next few weeks. That’s not mentioning the other games on the wish list! I can’t get over how good this little piece of hardware is.
Come on, friends of the buttonMasher, you guys need to pick one of these up!
Choo choo! All aboard the Pittman Express! Now boarding for the State up North!
Nothing like a warm-up a week before the Buckeyes roll into Ann Arbor to play the team-that-shall-not-be-named. OSU played its last game at home against the Northwestern Wildcats. They looked like Wildcats for about the first 3 minutes of the game and looked liked something else the other 57. OSU never looked out of it, of course, but watching Basanez drive 80 yards for the first score was a little disconcerting. Of course, NW does have a top ranked offense but still! This is the Buckeyes! No one comes into our house and does that. And they paid the price.
I have been impressed with how much Troy Smith has improved. I’ve mentioned before that his throwing motion has always looked awkward to me. I’m not sure what it is but it’s never looked fluid to me. But he has really been making strides and I think he’s made a lot of progress. This offense is still relatively young so I’m pretty excited about not just this year but next year as well. Running for 300 yards is pretty impressive. Things are looking good for the Buckeyes as they prepare for you-know-who.
I mentioned to a guy at work how quickly this season has flown by. Buckeye fans (as well as other college football fans, I’m sure) go through phases of anticipation, thinking about football season. There’s thoughts of the next season right after whatever bowl game we’ve played in. Then there’s a big burst of activity during the high school all-star games and the OSU Spring Game. Interest wanes a bit during the summer, but about the beginning of August comes around, our minds quickly turn to the inevitable season. This year there was, more than most, a feeling that it could be The Year. While those hopes were dimmed after the Texas game, there was still hope. The flame burned out in Happy Valley and here we are now. Time has flown. Here’s to hoping we go out with a bang and end up in a BCS bowl. The season may not have gone how we hoped but it has still been exciting and the future looks bright.
I was reading the always excellent Dubious Quality and Bill linked to a blogger talking about his “shrinkwrap shrine.” I’m sure a lot of us have a similar shrine — a backlog of games we never get around to either playing or finishing. I mentioned something similar to this a while ago but I really enjoyed Doug’s piece. I’ve found that the increase in disposable income has definitely increased my ability (and propensity) to accumulate games. I’ve got a long “queue” of games waiting to be played, only to be pushed further down the line as new games enter in. It’s a neverending battle.
The reason I singled out this piece was I liked his way of dealing with a short attention span. He doesn’t start a new game until he finishes the one in already in the console. I thought it was a pretty smart “GTD” way of playing games. Of course, if a game is blowing royal chunks, there’s no point in continuing. But if you’re in the middle of a decent game, trying to finish it before you pick up the latest release might not be a bad idea. Still, that takes some serious self-control.
Especially when the last few months are jam-packed with great games. Why won’t anyone release a good game during the summer?!
List of Xbox games that will be backwards compatible with the SnackBox 360. (via Blog for the Sports Gamer)
Dear Santa (and other gift giving acquaintances) – I know you’re busy, what with your millions of stop on Chistmas Eve and all, so I thought I’d make it easier on you by listing my wish-list in easy to read format (complete with Amazon links to get the ball rolling). I’ll start with the small stuff:
I know it may be tough, but if you could wing it, I certainly could use one of these
I know it may be tough to get down the chimney but if you could pull some strings (or just ring the doorbell), one of these
Question: can one person ever have enough games?
Answer: it appears this guy does.
I wanted to promote a new site a friend of mine is starting. It’s called “binswap” and it’s a little like a cross between eBay and a swap meet. You create a list of items you have (and want to sell/trade) an you create a list of items you want (to buy/trade). You’re matched up when ever someone is looking for something you have or someone lists an item your looking for. Seems pretty straightforward. It also seems like an excellent way to trade in those old video games you have lieing around gathering dust. It’s better than trading them in at the local used video game store, getting a pittance in return.
I’m linking to the site with my “referral tag” here (so I can win that iPod!) but you can click here, unfettered by my referral info. Your choice.
Just give it a looksie. I think it’s a great idea and I hope my friend is sucessful with his new endeavor.
Must be video day here. Here’s a video of Animal Crossing on the DS. I’m still playing Animal Crossing on the Gamecube (the buttonDaughter loves it). Online Animal Crossing is going to be addicting. I need to talk some friends into buying their own DSes. (screen shots, too)
The touchscreen for the Nintendo DS lends itself well for control of a golf game. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005
Watch this movie for the new golf game on the DS called True Swing. Maybe Tiger Woods should be called “I’m trying a new swing” Golf. The use of the touchscreen looks a thousand times better than Tiger Wood’s interface. I swear Tiger Woods has some kind of random noise it injects into the control scheme to hose your shot, because I’ve never had two good shots in a row. True swing looks like it’s head and shoulders above TW. I can’t wait. The visuals look similar to the MMOG Shot-Online (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). There’s mention of downloading the game for mulitplayer, but I’m hoping for some online love. That would be the cherry on top.
You can see more screenshoots of True Swing at Kotaku.