Blog Posts by Chris Morris

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Wii U (Credit: Nintendo)The Wii U has taken some heat from critics post-launch. The system is slow, they say. There haven't been any new games. Where's Zelda?

Nintendo met those accusations head-on Wednesday in the company’s latest Nintendo Direct online press conference, unveiling a collection of new games and enhancements that would cheer even the most skeptical fan. Before the year is out, Wii U owners can expect a double dose of Mario, Yoshi's return to the spotlight and a high-definition take on a classic Zelda game.

Atari 2600 console (Credit: Atari)One of the most famous names in video games has run out of lives.

Iconic video game company Atari has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to auction off all of its assets, including its famous logo.

It’s one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, but what if you could play Mario Kart for real?

A group of Texas gamers/engineers from Waterloo Labs decided to give it a go, and the results are pretty amazing. This real-life Mario Kart racing track features actual power-ups, including mushrooms, lightning bolts and even those pesky turtle shells.

The Wonderful 101 (Credit: Nintendo)Some of the biggest titles in the Wii U’s initial lineup have met with some big delays.

Nintendo today announced the delays of Game & Wario, The Wonderful 101 and Wii Fit U – which, alongside the previously delayed Pikmin 3, were initially promised to hit stores by the end of March. The company now says they’ll arrive in the “first half of the year.”

It’s a disappointment for fans of the system, since Nintendo first-party games are typically the best-selling (and often highest-rated) titles on its consoles. And it harkens back to some of the problems the 3DS faced in its early days: a distinct lack of first-party titles after the system hit shelves.

President Obama signing gun control order (Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)President Barack Obama, as part of a wide ranging proposal to reduce gun violence, has ordered the Centers for Disease Control to launch a study into the correlation between violence in video games and the real world.

The order, which does not require Congressional approval, was part of a Presidential Memorandum that laid out 23 actions designed to curb violence.

"If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we have an obligation to try it," he said. "I will put everything I've got into this, and so will [Vice President] Joe [Biden], but I tell you the only way we can change is if the American people demand it."

While the CDC

NRA: Practice Range (Credit: NRA)In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, CT, the National Rifle Association squarely pointed a finger of blame at the video game industry. But that isn’t stopping them from releasing their very own game.

On Monday the group released NRA: Practice Range, an iOS app that’s rated not for mature users, but for anyone ages 4 and up.

While the town of Southington, Connecticut decided at the last minute to cancel its controversial plans to collect and destroy violent video games, a Massachusetts town is following in its footprints.

The town of Melrose, Massachusetts is planning to launch a program that would encourage kids to turn in violent video games in exchange for gift certificates and homework-free nights. The city’s mayor, Robert Dolan, says he hopes to have things up and running by the beginning of February.

(Credit: One of Swords/Activision)When Activision-Blizzard launched Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure in 2011, there were a lot of questions about its chances of success. A hybrid toy/video game based on an aging franchise? Would people be interested?

The answer, of course, was yes. Skylanders has been a hit for toy companies and Activision alike. A really, really big hit, as life to date sales have now topped $500 million, reports Activision.