Acid for Blood

Danish block toys plus one of the most-loved science fiction franchises ever: it's Lego, it's Star Wars, it's Lego Star Wars! How could anyone resist? Sadly, only the first three films (continuity-wise) are covered here. Lego Star Wars is, of course, popular with its target audience -- children, however nostalgic adults like myself will probably appreciate it. Perhaps they will do the Classic Trilogy later on. What is interesting is that Lego Star Wars also covers Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Why was it released ahead of the film (out on 19th May)? Who knows. I don't like spoilers, so I'm kind of glad that I decided to wait for a price drop before buying this game.

At the store, we cannot seem to keep it in stock. On Sunday, there were about five or six phone calls asking about it, and more people coming in looking for it.

One of the most appealing aspects, apart from it being Lego and it being Star Wars, is the two player simultaneous co-op mode. And apparently you can kill your partner, which I'm sure will provide some amusement. Because it is a kids' game, it is fairly easy, however it should still be entertaining for any Star Wars fan.

Nintendo World

Nintendo World is opening in New York on 14th May. In addition to selling all sorts of Nintendo-branded goodies, Nintendo World will be a Pokemon Centre! You know, I haven't been to New York City in a very long time...

Nintendogs

Nintendogs is a super cute Nintendo DS game which was just released in Japan. Nintendogs is a virtual pet simulation game, and several versions of the game, containing different dog breeds, were released at the same time. At this point, there is no official word on a US release date, though the working title for a Western release is Puppy Times. I prefer 'Nintendogs', myself. Anyway, there is a Nintendogs-centred blog over at Puppy Times, written by the members of the Drinky Puppy Club (which originally started on the Gaming-Age Forums).

It's games like Nintendogs that may push me over to getting a Nintendo DS over a Sony PSP. Actually, I have been keeping an eye on Nintendogs ever since I saw some screen shots and heard about the concept in the middle of last year. The game just looks too cute not to get!

I'll make no secret of the fact that I don't like the bog standard Platinum coloured DSs. The US is due for an Electric Blue Nintendo DS this June. However, I already have a Pearl Blue GBA SP, and I think too many blue gadgets would be too much. Hm... I will just have to mull that one over.

Golden Sun DS?

Meanwhile, over at Girl Gamers, someone posted some exciting news (rumour?) about a new Golden Sun game for the DS. Apparently the title translates to Golden Sun: The Path of Alex. Intriguingly, it seems as if you will be able to transfer your party data from Golden Sun: The Lost Age to the new DS game.

Note: If you haven't played Golden Sun: The Lost Age to the end, by the gods, do not read anything in the post I linked to above. Massive spoilers. I myself haven't yet finished the game, so I studiously avoided reading most of the comments and the bulk of what was written by the person who posted.

From Game Girl Advance:

Reuters, AP -- Riding what can only be described as a licensing title wave, EA is set to announce that it has brokered an exclusive licensing agreement with God, The Almighty.

In an unofficial statement, Larry Probst said, "Well, we really feel it was a good deal for us. I mean, we have a quite a few titles that feature God in them, such as Populus, Black and White, and even The Sims, just to name a few. We felt that it was in our best interests to get the exclusive on Him before anyone else had the chance to snap Him up."

The contract is speculated to hold God to an exclusive five year deal with EA, including using His likeness on box art, marketing, and especially His Voice of God for trailers and previews to the song of twenty five billion a year for five years. "Everyone knows we have more money than God," Probst proclaimed, "we just figured we should leverage that and grab God while we still could."

Read More.

El Oh El.

GamesIndustry.biz: Giant merger will secure around 22 per cent of the US market; next stop Europe? --

America's largest videogame retail chains, GameStop and Electronics Boutique, have announced their intention to merge in a $1.44 billion deal which will create the world's largest games retailer, with around $4 billion in annual turnover.

GameSpot: GameStop Buying EB Games --

Upon its closing, the agreement will see the two companies merge operations under the GameStop banner, which will then fly over 3,200 stores in the US and 600 others in Europe and Australasia. However, to not disrupt plans for the 2005 holiday season, no changes will be made in either company's organization until 2006. Then, in mall locations where there is duplication in retail outlets, store closings will follow "when appropriate," according to a GameStop official.

<> It's nice that GameStop bothers to inform its employees (meaning me) of big goings-on like this. < / sarcasm > I'll bet they had a staff meeting about it. I'm sure they were as just as surprised and clueless as all the other employees that have been commenting about this online. Too bad I missed it because I only work weekends.

GameStop already sucked up Babbages, Funcoland, and Software Etc. The GameStop I work at used to be Funcoland back in the day. I sold some of my old SNES games to that Funcoland. I never regularly shopped at GameStop until I became an employee, nor did I frequent EB Games, either. Both retail stores always struck me as quite similar -- they offer basically the same products and services. Until GMR magazine stopped being published, they both offered 10% discount cards (on used items) with magazine subscriptions. Now only GameStop offers this (with Game Informer magazine).

I'm not a fan of industry collusion, despite the fact that the combined companies will account for about 22% of the US market. However, it seems that EB Games considers the merger to be a good thing for them, and obviously GameStop is doing quite well in order to acquire EB. I can see GameStop Corp increasing its expansion into international markets, perhaps trying to challenge GAME stores in a battle for the European high street.

There is an EB Games across the street from the GameStop where I work. I wonder which one will shut down. I know my store is doing very well. I wonder how the EB Games is doing.

I love Gaming FM.

I am requesting the following songs as often as I possibly can:

"Depend on You" from Thousand Arms
"Your Rain" from Silent Hill 4: The Room
"Gateway to Destiny" from Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
"Awakened Soul" from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
"Phendrana Drifts Theme 2" from Metroid Prime
"Tallon Overworld Theme 2" from Metroid Prime
"Brinstar" from Super Smash Bros. Melee
"Brinstar Depths" from Super Smash Bros. Melee

Yeah, I know -- I have awesome taste in music.

My (free) disembodied vinyl hand arrived in today's post! Thank you, Nintendo!

I have a couple of ideas for the competition. I have half a mind to do something lewd, since Nintendo's "Touching is Good" marketing campaign leaves itself so wide open to sexual innuendo, but I don't think an entry of that nature would score me a Nintendo DS and some cash-money. Hurh hurh hurh... :-P

It's time to get in touch with your creative side! Show us your mannequin hand doing what it does best, touching. Take a picture or make a movie, and submit it to us. The best submissions will be showcased in our gallery. Be cool, be clever and have some fun, because we've got some great prizes for the top three submissions. So grab your mannequin hand or whatever else inspires you and get out there and start touching.

Grand Prize: $1,000, a Nintendo DS, and 4 Nintendo DS games

First prize: $500 and a Nintendo DS

Second prize: $250 and a Nintendo DS

I'm at it again... Acquiring games when I shouldn’t. But, here comes my excuse, and it's a good one: Morrowind: The Elder Scrolls III is a rare RPG gem. It's an RPG that approaches actual role-playing -- consequences for every choice, and lots and lots of choices -- rather than what passes for role-playing games today in the video game industry -- Final Fantasy-type interactive narratives with scripted storylines and basically the same endings.

Urgh. I haven't even fucking finished Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, how am I supposed to complete this one? Honestly, I don’t know what I'm going to do with myself! Bah, it was only $9.99 at Wal-Mart (I know, I'm evil for shopping there!).

A couple of weeks before that, I got American McGee's Alice. I bought it from a customer at the store. He was selling a load of games because he had to pay his electricity bill. The store doesn’t buy PC games, so he was taking offers. I'd heard lots about American McGee's Alice, and he accepted my offer of $5.00 for the game, so I thought, "Why not?"

However, I do have some happy gaming progress news to report. I have a brand new sparkly Pearl Blue GBA SP, which I have been coveting for over a year. I am not entirely convinced by the Nintendo DS, and I don't want to spend $150+ for a handheld console (No prizes for concluding that I'm not about to spend $250+ for a Sony PSP.). Therefore, my new Pearl Blue SP (I call her 'Haru'.) has replaced my old Arctic GBA (which doesn't have a name, but I guess I could come up with one. Maybe I should take suggestions.).

I am about to make my point here. I have been taking the Metro to work and on the Metro I play Golden Sun: The Lost Age. If you have been reading my blog (which I'm sure you haven't, because no one reads this thing), you will have noted that Golden Sun: The Lost Age is on my list of games I need to complete. There! I am not being a complete slacker! See? I am a gamer, honest! Hooray for mobile gaming!

It's hard to find time for gaming when I get home and I have about three hours to do stuff before I go to bed at night. And that includes time for dinner. I always end up sleeping later than my desired bedtime. :-/