Blog Posts by Mike Smith

Epic Mickey

Platforms: Wii

Epic Mickey

Choosing a video game to unveil its reimagined version of classic figurehead
Mickey Mouse, Disney's in the spotlight this week. Though the 3D platform adventure Epic Mickey looks pretty traditional, it's actually dark, daring, and devoid of amusing
cartoon sidekicks -- the boldest reinvention of Mickey Mouse so far --
but is it truly epic?

Not particularly, according to its critics. Disney's game, which casts
players as a morally ambiguous, paintbrush-wielding Mickey let loose in a
land of forgotten Disney characters, is turning in an average score of
78% on review aggregation site Metacritic. While not exactly an encouraging performance for what was expected to

Read More »from Critics: Camera issues plague Epic Mickey

Onlive's MicroConsole

Streaming
"cloud gaming" service Onlive offers consumers a way to play the latest
games, but it's always been hamstrung by its high price. Purchasing
games on the digital service can cost as much as buying regular versions
in stores.

But that's all set to change, the company revealed today, with a new
Netflix-style subscription plan dubbed "PlayPack" that'll allow Onlive
users to play a wide range of games for a single $9.99 monthly fee.

Currently, 11 games are confirmed as supported, including Prince of Persia, Tomb
Raider: Underworld, and Warner's LEGO Batman. Onlive expects to expand
that selection to about 40 by the time the new service officially
launches on January 15, the company

Read More »from Onlive aims to be gaming’s Netflix, unveils subscription plan

Looking for a few good gift ideas for the gamer in your life, but don't want to break the bank? Check out these ideas.

Mario All-StarsSuper Mario All-Stars Limited Edition [Wii]

At less than $30, this collection is the perfect gift for Mario fans.
Bundling Wii-compatible versions of four of Mario's best adventures
together with a ton of extras, it's an outstanding value. Look for it to
launch on December 12 -- get your pre-orders in now.

Hori LCD Monitor 3 [PS3]

Cheap it might not be, but a bargain it most certainly is. If you're facing a
holiday season of tedious travel to tech-deficient households, this
creative product is just what you need. It's a 720p LCD monitor
custom-made to snap on top of a PS3

Read More »from Great Gaming Deals

2010’s Late Bloomers

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Platforms: Wii

Donkey Kong Country Returns

He typically plays second banana to Mario, but this week original Nintendo tough-guy Donkey
Kong swings back into action as the star of his very own Wii game. Donkey Kong Country
Returns is the spiritual successor to the 1994 Super Nintendo platforming great Donkey Kong Country -- and if critics are to be believed, its 16-year evolution was worth it.

Averaging a potassium-packed 89 at Metacritic, the Wii-exclusive is garnering some pretty glowing praise.

"The magic of Donkey Kong Country Returns lies in its
ability to genuinely capture the sensibilities of the original without
pretense," says writer Christina Troup in an 'A' review for 1Up,
adding

Read More »from Donkey Kong is king of the video game jungle this week

Wii, DS: still crazy (popular) after all these years If a lack of games is dampening consumer interest in Nintendo's market-leading Wii and DS consoles, you wouldn't have known it from this year's Thanksgiving sale offers. Widespread Black Friday discounts on the machines brought an early Christmas present for Nintendo, according to its internal
estimates.

DS sales -- buoyed by discounts, bundle deals, and the release of new
hardware colors -- totalled 900,000 over Thanksgiving week, a number
significantly in excess of the half-million or so units Nintendo could
reasonably expect to sell over a normal month. The Wii did almost as
well, "only" selling 600,000 or so systems, again easily more than the
system's normal monthly tally.

Nintendo's

Read More »from Black Friday anything but black for Nintendo

Gran Turismo 5 Six years in the making, the latest in Sony's genre-defining Gran Turismo
series skid onto shelves Wednesday. It's been far from a smooth road,
though, as the game was originally scheduled to be released in March,
but repeated delays left some fearing it would miss 2010 altogether.
Those fears proved unfounded, but have the delays given Sony's Polyphony
Digital time to deliver fans the polished experience they wanted?

Yes, says Destructoid's Dale North.
Scoring it a perfect 10, he lavishes praise on its size ("massive"),
its driving feel ("both accurate and exciting at the same time"), and
its visuals ("one of the most visually pleasing games ever released").
Its damage modeling, a new

Read More »from Critics: Gran Turismo 5 good, but not for everyone

Ah, Black Friday. Half the nation is in bed, nursing the year's biggest
tryptophan hangover -- and the other half is beating down the doors of
their local retailers, baying for bargains with a glint in their eyes
and wallets in their hands. If you're going to tackle the crowds, you're
going to need a game plan -- so here, for your convenience, are our
picks of the best Black Friday video game deals.

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Gamestop

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Gamestop: used Go-to video game retailer Gamestop is less of a hot Black Friday destination than other stores, and that's reflected in the selection of deals. You might do well with their buy-two-get-three offer on used games, but that'll depend completely on your local store's inventory. All the Read More »from Black Friday Video Game Deals