Pearl Pink 3DS Announced for the US.

 

In their ever frivolous attempt to shut me up and prove me wrong, Nintendo of America has announced that the Pink 3DS, called Pearl Pink which sounds dumb, is coming stateside on December 4th. I'm all for this, the 3DS could use some more color schemes and I thought the Hot Pink DSi was one of the best colors for the DS. Not as big of a fan of this metallic one but either way, we could use some new colors. It also comes bundled with either Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle and New Friends, or Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog and New Friends and will only cost 169.99, the regular price of the 3DS now, instead of the 199.99 the Zelda and Mario bundles cost. So that's cool, you get a 3DS and a "game" for the price of the regular 3DS, that's neato.

But wait, hold on. How come the Pink 3DS comes bundled with Nintendogs? Are they saying only girls like Pink and since girls like pink they must also like puppies? What if I happen to really like the color pink? What then, Nintendo?

Look, I'm not a girl gamer, okay, obviously, but over the past decade, female gamers have become almost as prominent as male gamers, in fact, I know several and most of them don't particularly care about Nintendogs. Why can't the pink 3DS come bundled with Mario or Zelda? These franchises aren't such hot sellers because only males play them. I'm aware this bundle is likely being targeted at little girls rather than teenage/adult girls who are likely more into games like Zelda or Mario but really, am I the only one who sees this as a little weird?

Maybe I'm looking too deep into this. After all, you don't actually have to pay extra for the bundle. You can buy the 3DS just for the 3DS and get a game for the price of nothing. I just think it's a little stereotypical for Nintendo to package the shiny pink 3DS with the game about puppies and kittens.

Ladies, help me out here. Am I wrong? Does this bother you like it bothers me? Or am I really the sexist pig here? Sound off below.

New Pokémon Sheet: Cacnea

As you can tell by the Title, I finished yet another Pokémon Sheet: Cacnea!

Cacnea's Definitely an awesome Grass type, and he even looks the part...I mean, who doesn't want a Cactus Ball with Arms?


Time for the next Hint!

Next up is the only Pokémon to be able to have the move 'Sharpen,' that is, aside from the Porygon line

The Top Ten Game Franchises That Need to Make a Comeback

The last few years have been pretty good years for older gaming properties. With the resurgence of sidescrolling games thanks to NEW Super Mario Bros. and the whole download market allowing developers to make smaller games, tons of game franchises both new and old are seeing revisits. Games like Rayman Origins, A Boy and His Blob, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Mega Man 9 & 10, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Yars’ Revenge and plenty of others have all brought attention back to long dead franchises. As well as other games returning still existing franchises back to their roots such as Sonic Generations, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land. The point is, we live in a world where nostalgia rules, especially the gaming industry.

No, the other Bionic Commando reboot.

So it got me thinking about what other franchises I’d like to see get a facelift. There’s plenty of great gaming franchises from the past that are well deserving of making a comeback and for some, there’s no excuse. Not all of them need to be retail releases and most of them don’t even need to make the leap to three dimensions; all we need is for them to come back. So without further delay, let’s take a look at the ten game franchises I want to make a comeback.

VGM of the Week #4

Ricky here, with my choice of VGM this week.

I've decided to start the bar high and share my personal favorite VGM of all time; I don't necessarily think it's the best, but let's just say it would take more than a silly little blog post to express the depths of my appreciation for this tune.

The Ace Attorney series has some consistently fantastic music that's always perfectly tailored to the situation, but this version of the iconic Cornered theme, appearing at the very end of Trials and Tribulations, is the best of them all. I can't recall another video game track that does a better job getting me pumped up. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Mario Kart Madness Strikes Back Videos Are Up

Did you miss our second Mario Kart Madness? Well, for shame. But don't worry, we recorded it so you can watch all of it on our Youtube channel. The first video is located below, the rest you can find in the video section in our Mario Kart Madness playlist. It was good fun and we appreciate everybody who showed up.

Mario Kart Madness Strikes Back TONIGHT

Playin' some video game tunes right now until the show starts at 8 PM EST! Watch live video from Adamant Ditto LIVE! on www.twitch.tv
Want to join us? Add Ricky's Friend Code (2492-4798-2487) and give us yours in the chat!

Review - The Muppets

When Jim Henson brought the world The Muppet Show some 40 years ago, the world was a simpler place. It wasn’t as dark and cynical as it is now. There were no reality shows, no CSI, no MTV or E! The world has changed, some for the better and a lot for the worse. So in a world ruled by CGI, explosions and Jersey Shore, is there still a place for the goofiness and innocents of The Muppets?

Yes. Yes there is. You will smile. You will laugh. You may even cry. The Muppets are back and it’s all thanks to Disney, Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel. This movie is pure Muppets bliss from beginning to end and it will take you back to a simpler place and time, even if you weren’t around when The Muppets were at their prominence. It just has that way about it.

Good thing Mario Kart Madness isn't today

While we know not everyone celebrates this American holiday, the majority of us at Adamant Ditto does! We encourage everybody to spend some time with their families and remember to give thanks to those who brought you to where you are now in life.

 

See you guys tomorrow for Mario Kart Madness at 7pm CST/8pm EST.

LTTA: Kirby's Dream Land 3 Parts 9 & 10

Another day, another set of Kirby's Dream Land 3 videos. These don't seem to be very popular. We haven't gotten very many comments. What's up with that? Do you not like this game? Are we not funny enough for you? I can't blame you either way but it'd be nice to know.

Kyle Analyzes Family Feud This Week

I'm a bit early because of Thanksgiving and Black Friday and whatnot. I'm not shopping, I'm serving you people. And by you people, I mean the people coming to Target in Hattiesburg. Feel free to not come, either.

Anyhow, it's time for another game show to come under my microscope, and this one has cultures of life. Family Feud is one of the longest running game shows around. Oldest goes to $64,000 Question, but that's not important.

Mario Kart Madness Strikes Back

Yes, we're doing another one already. The last one was just so fun and pretty successful, so why not try for two? All of us here at Adamant Ditto want to do another so we're doin' it. So join us this Friday at 8 PM EST for Mario Kart Madness Strikes Back.

Oh and here's a dorky announcement video I made.

LTTA: Kirby's Dream Land 3 Parts 7 & 8

Another day, another set of Kirby's Dream Land 3 videos. Fun times were had by all. Part 8 is shorter than the others because I was going for two stages per video, but the second stage that would have been in that video takes us sooo long, it had to be it's own video.

The Top Six Characters I Want in the Next Smash Bros. that Have No Chance of Making It

When it comes to Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series, it seems like the one thing everybody always talks about is the roster. No matter what gaming site, blog or forum you visit, you’re bound to find a topic dedicated entirely to fans discussing and debating which characters deserve to be in the game, who they think will be in the game and who they want in the game. We here at Adamant Ditto have plenty of discussions about it, in fact, before Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released, it was all we talked about.

Everybody has their own opinions and favorites when it comes to Nintendo characters and it’s not hard to see why. Nintendo more so than any other gaming company out there has so many lovable and unique characters, there’s always going to be some character that people feel was unfairly left out. Though sometimes, it can be a little ridiculous. Just because a character is cool doesn’t mean they stand a chance of being playable. You may be a big fan of Umbreon or Agent J. from the Elite Beat Agents but chances are, they weren’t even considered.

Though thinking about it, we'll probably get Wesker instead.

So that’s what I’m looking at today. I’m counting down the top six characters I want in the next Smash Bros. game but have no chance of making it on the roster. Now keep in mind, this isn’t my list of my most wanted characters, there’s plenty I want in the next game that I feel actually stand a decent chance, such as Krystal, King K. Rool, Lil’ Mac, Starfy, Mega Man, I could go on and on. Yet, there are some characters I want to see that I know have no chance whatsoever of ever being playable. So without further delay, let’s begin the list.

New Pokémon Sheet: Whismur

It's that time again! I finished another Pokémon sheet! This one makes 312!

Yes, everyones favorite Bunny Pokémon who evolves into things that are far more Terrible: Whismur!

Not much to say about this one, other than the fact that while making it, my Computer decided to be a dick and crash a bunch of times...Anyway, that's all handled now (as it now stands)

Now, something I've been doing for a long while on the Spriter's Resource (Where I submit these), but it's something new to here, Hints for the next Pokemon Sheet!:

Next up is a Pokemon who can avoid Damage from Sandstorm, despite not being a Ground, Rock or Steel Types

Review - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

A warning: please be aware that while this review does not contain plot spoilers, it does contain minor character and boss spoilers.

Skyward Sword is a terrific game.

But of course it is, right? We've come to expect such accolades from a Zelda game. No, the question becomes, when discussing a new Zelda adventure, how terrific is it?

Is it exceptional? Is it a masterpiece? Is it the new best Zelda game? Questions like these in a review like this might typically end with "Yes and no." I'd like to answer them with "Yes... but almost no."

VGM of the Week #3

So it's my turn for the VGMotW. Easy selection for my first choice. I'm not following Matt's footsteps and playing music from a game coming out today, which would be Skyward Sword, woo!

Instead, I'm picking something from a series which turned heads, got lots of attention, and it deserved every bit of it.

Viewtiful Joe was an awesome series that was a blast to play over and over again, with a vast array of stylized music that made every stage friggin' amazing. It's just a shame Clover Studios got shut down, leaving us Joe 3-less. Even though Capcom is still having all kinds of fun with their stuff in TvC and UMvC3.

Still, music, awesome, here, listen.

LTTA: Kirby's Dream Land Parts 5 & 6

I know you're all excited about Mario Kart Madness. As you should be, those videos are hilarious. But we are still doing a Let's Play so not to be forgotten, here are the next two parts of Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Mario Kart Madness Videos are Up

Hey, did you miss our first Mario Kart Madness? Well that's okay, because we've put the videos up on Youtube. We had a blast playing Mario Kart Wii with you guys. It was such a success, we plan to do it again sometime in the near future, so be on the look out for that. For now, enjoy the videos of last nights show.

And sorry for the low quality, we did rip it right from our stream after all. But don't worry, the laughs are still plentiful.





That's just part 1, you can find the rest over on our Youtube channel. There's also a link for it now in the videos section. So click on this here fancy button and it'll take you right to the playlist.

Review - Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

One of the most unexpected hits on the DS, the Professor Layton series, developed by Level-5, managed to bring text and puzzle based adventure games to the mainstream, US audience and quickly became one of the DS’ biggest franchises. So naturally, it makes sense that a movie would eventually be made based on the series. Each game has such a heavy emphasis on story, that it’s the perfect candidate for a movie adaptation.

So in 2009, an animated feature film version was released in Japan, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. Instead of taking one of the stories from the games and making it a feature film, they decided to go in a completely different direction and make a brand new mystery for the Professor to solve. The movie finally made it to American shores thanks to Viz media and it’s a good thing it did because it is a pretty fun film.

Lingo, why it was such a good game show and why it absolutely sucks now.

Alright, it's about time I blogged something again. I wanted to do a whole thing about game shows and how much I love them and how disappointed I am there are next to no good ones on television anymore. I guess a little blurb on that before I continue, a little background for people who are less game show inclined.

First and foremost: I love game shows. Period. They are or can be fun little distractions that are or can be better than you can have fun and test your own knowledge while having fun, more so than having a story presented in its entirety for you, and it's miles ahead of what reality shows give you. But lately, it's been really bad. For some reason, people aren't watching when great game shows come on, like Million Dollar Password, and still tuning in for mediocre ones like Minute to Win It. GSN, Game Show Network, the place where you would expect some serious reliability on quality game shows had the worst offense if you ask me. It's summer line-up for prime time consisted of The Newlywed Game, which I've never minded so much; Drew Carey's Improv-a-ganza, which isn't a game show and certainly wasn't Whose Line is it Anyway?; Baggage, which is a complete joke and is nothing next to The Dating Game, Love Triangle, which I will never watch a single episode of as it glorifies all the sorts of things I find as attributing to the decay of modern society; and the newly revived Lingo.

LTTA: Kirby's Dream Land 3 Parts 3 & 4

Hey, thanks to all you folks out their who joined in on our Mario Kart Madness. It was a big hit and a lot of fun, even if I disconnected a lot. Sorry about that. If you missed it, I'll be putting up the videos probably within the next few days so look out for that.

In the mean time, here are the next two parts of our Kirby's Dream Land 3 Let's Try That Again. Enjoy!

Mario Kart Madness is LIVE!

Watch live video from Adamant Ditto LIVE! on www.twitch.tv
Want to join us? Add Ricky's Friend Code (2492-4798-2487) and give us yours in the chat!

Mario Kart Madness TONIGHT

So anyway, join us tonight at 8 PM EST and we'll be playin' some Mario Kart Wii. Hook us up with your friend code if you wish to join. Should be a grand ol' time had by all.

And uh yeah.

LTTA: Kirby's Dream Land 3 Parts 1 & 2

Well, with Paper Mario out of the way, guess it was time for us to move on. Actually, we recorded this one during Paper Mario in anticipation of Kirby's Return to Dreamland. It just sort of happened, really. But it was still pretty fun and a little frustrating.

Happy Birthday Shigeru Miyamoto!

Yes, 59 years ago today, the man himself was born. It's hard to imagine the gaming world without him. He's been with Nintendo for more than half of the 59 years he's been alive! It's also pretty cool that his birthday this year just happened to fall inbetween the releases of Nintendo's two biggest games of the year, Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, his babies. What a way to celebrate!

So here's to you, Miyamoto! Thanks for everything you've done and everything you've changed about the way gaming is played.

Review - Sonic Generations

Sonic The Hedgehog has been one of gaming’s most recognisable faces since his debut twenty years ago. His “way past cool” attitude and insatiable need for speed has earned the love of millions worldwide, and his fanbase has remained loyal through good times and bad – unfortunately, bad times have been dangerously abundant in recent years for the blue blur. A series of mediocre titles may have tarnished Sonic’s legacy somewhat, but Sega is striving to repair the damage by literally taking the series back to its glory days with Sonic Generations.

Christopher Walken: The Car: The Video Game

Gamers never cease to impress me with their dedication to their field. Whether it's filming incredible speed runs on Youtube or making ridiculous stages in Super Mario World, fans are lovably insane. But today I discovered something relevant to the interests of Adamant Ditto and if you've watched our videos regularly, you'll understand why.

Needs more bears.

Yes, that is Christopher Walken the car or the Walkenmobile as I like to call it. It was designed by gamer afxwinter and is one of his many high class designs in the X-Box 360 game Forza Motorsport 4.

Now admittedly, I've never played Forza 4 nor did I know there was four of them but I just couldn't pass up posting something involving both gaming and Christopher Walken, hero of Adamant Ditto. If you do happen to play the game, you should track this design down and download it yourself (assuming you can do that). Do it for us if nothing else.

The Ten Worst Mario Characters to Ever be Playable

Over the course of his 30 years in video gaming, Mario has made a lot of friends and a lot of enemies. So like any normal human being, he enjoys spending time with these people. Sometimes he likes to golf with them, maybe shoot some hoops or even throw a pretty crazy house party. Whatever he’s doing that day, Mario always has a colorful gang of characters to join him.

It's better than doing math.

But sometimes he makes some pretty dumb decisions when making up the guest list for these events. Doesn’t he ever stop to think that maybe those of us at home don’t want to go kart-racing as Baby Peach? Or lobby some tennis balls as Donkey Kong Jr.? Yes, the Mario universe has a great and varied bundle of characters but not all of them deserve to be playable. So I’m taking a quick look at the ten worst offenders. This is my list of the Worst Playable Mario Characters. 

But before we begin, I do want to get this out of the way now; no third party characters are on this list. Yes, I know Mario played basketball with Cactuar. I also know he once raced against some Tamagotchi thing. And yes, he has snowboard and jumped hurdles with Silver the Hedgehog. I know. But none of them are on this list. I’m looking specifically at Mario universe characters. Just because Bomberman once fought against Wario does not make him a Mario character. So without further delay, let’s start the list.

And you thought I was making the Tamagotchi thing up.

LTTA: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Parts 41 & 42

We finally did it. We finally finished Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. So here's the final two videos of me taking on the Shadow Queen and the end of the game. It's pretty exciting, actually.



Now all that's left is to take on Bonetail and Atomic Boo. But we'll get to those later.

Thanks for joining us on this Let's Play. It's been an absolute blast. I never expect to tackle this game for the channel. It's a pretty long game. About 22 hours of videos were recorded. So if you've stuck with it that long, thank you. We appreciate it. Next time, we'll be playing some shorter games. Can't handle another 20 hour game right away and I'm sure you guys don't want that either.

VGM of the Week #2

Hey folks. I'm takin' over the Video Game Music of the Week this week. We haven't quite decided an order yet but I'm doing it for now.

Anyway, in case you missed it, Super Mario 3D Land came out today, so in honor of that, here's the main theme from the game! It feels classic. It's catchy, it's upbeat, it's Mario. I like it a lot and think it's one of my favorite main themes from any Mario game. But the again, that's a very hard claim to make. All of them are so good. Regardless, here's the VGM of the Week.


Also, this wasn't my original choice for my first VGM of the Week but I decided to do it anyway because, the game just came out!

Fan-Made 4 Player Mega Man Looks Amazing

A few days ago, I posted a video of a fan game called Abobo's Big Adventure. It was basically just one big homage to the NES era and it looks amazing. Well, for the second time in a week, fans continue to impress me with their takes on gaming classics. Today, I discovered an upcoming fan game project by the name of Mega Man Perfect Harmony and it's all about four player action.



As you can tell from the video, you traverse through the worlds of Mega Man fighting off swarms of enemies, roughly 6,000 bullets, tons of classic Mega Man puzzles and of course, a robot master at the end of each stage. So far it looks like you can only play as Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass and Enker for some reason. But browsing the website suggests that more characters such as Roll, Punk, Ballade and several robot masters will be playable in it's final release.

While I'm not sure if a multiplayer Mega Man game is something fans have been clamoring for, it's looking to be a lot of fun. I commend these diehard fans for putting together something like this in the first place. I could never do it.

You can find more information and a downloadable demo over at Rocks Clan.

Review - Super Mario 3D Land

At long last, the 3DS has a stand-out original title that not only looks great in 3D, but actually uses the third dimension and integrates it into its gameplay. Super Mario 3D Land is the first 3DS game to feel that it was designed specifically to be played in 3D. Even as colossal spiked pillars fly towards the screen, the application of the 3D feature somehow manages to avoid feeling gimmicky, instead feeling perfectly natural, as if it were an extension of the game.

LTTA: Paper Mario: TTYD Parts 39 & 40

Just put two up yesterday and here's two more for today. Only two more videos to post and we will have officially beaten the game! Well, except the optional bosses. We'll get to those later.

LTTA: Paper Mario: TTYD Parts 37 & 38

As you know, last night we did a live stream of the final chapter of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Well, here's the first two videos from that little escapade. ENJOY!

The US IS Getting the Limited Edition Zelda 3DS.

Turns out, Nintendo of America does love us after all. Gamestop's Black Friday ad leaked this morning and on it was a few 3DS bundle deals. The first is a red 3DS complete with Super Mario 3D Land. The second one was...well, take a look for yourself.

Also they buy old iPods.

I AM SORRY, NOA. I AM SO VERY SORRY. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I WILL NEVER SPEAK ILL OF YOU AGAIN!

Erm...Ahem...

You can check out the full ad here if you're so inclined. I'll keep you posted if anything else about this black beauty comes up.

New Pokemon Sheet: Clefairy

Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the Live Streaming of the Final Chapter of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

Before we did that tonight, I finished this Clefairy sheet:

As to not upstage our Livestream on our own Blog, I decided to hold off on releasing it for you guys to see...I've also Animated a great deal of the sheet so you guys aren't just staring at the Poses:

Until next time Adamant Ditto Viewers!

Hide Yo Kids! Hide Yo Wife! Steam has been Hacked.

With the birth of technology, the internet specifically, the world has become a much more interesting place to live. Information is easier to find and share, everyone can have an opinion and a bunch of nerds from around the world can get together to play video games poorly in front of 10’s of other nerdy strangers around the world. But, with the internet becoming such a dependability in society these days, there’s always a cost. The biggest being of course, hackers.

Yes, as you know, earlier this year, the Playstation Network was hacked, leaving millions of users unable to use the service as well as potentially having their information in the hands of said hackers. Well, it’s happened again today as Steam president Gabe Newell has reported that hackers have indeed gained access to the Steam database. I’m sure you all already know this, but just a friendly reminder to let you know to keep an eye on your account and credit card information. While Newell was quoted as saying “We do not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating.” He still suggests keeping an eye on your credit card statements and activities if you have indeed allowed the company access to said information.

As a user of Steam, I personally am not too worried about the situation, especially considering the same thing happened to the PSN, another service I am a part of, and nothing ever became of it. But I will remain cautious nonetheless (not that they'd get anything out of my bank account). Ya know, why can’t we just live in a world where people leave other people’s personal information alone? What do you gain from taking username and address from people you don’t know and who likely live all over the world? Also, why isn’t their better security measures on these things? You’d think after the PSN debacle, every other online service that deals with people’s money ever would take note and amp up their guard. I guess not. To quote a semi-famous, fictional postal worker “This is a sick world we live in! Sick people!”

Oh well. As long as my Sniper Mask is fine, I guess that’s all that matters.

Paper Mario: TTYD Final Chapter Live Stream

Yep. We've finally reached the end of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and we want you to join us! Stop by our stream this Friday at 8:30 EST and watch us complete the game! Short notice but we hope to see you there. You can find a link to our stream on our side bar to the right.

Announcement - Josh's Pokemon Project

Hey guys, Josh here, and I'm here to tell you about how I've decided to bring my Pokémon Sprite Project to the Adamant Ditto Blog!

You can see it by Clicking on the Comics Tab, and looking under Sprites

And I'd also like to announce that I will be using this Blog so you guys can see every new sheet that will be made...I'm planning on making the remaining Pokémon, so be on the lookout for...Many Future Posts by me!

Abobo's Big Adventure is the Game of the Year

Do you like the NES? Of course you do! Everybody does. What if their existed a game that combined all your favorite NES games and was free to play? Well, then Abobo's Big Adventure is the game for you.
                      
                    


Yes, that is Abobo, the big muscle dude from Double Dragon, punching his way through hordes of Kung-Fu guys, Death from Castlevania and the old man from the Legend of Zelda. My personal favorite part is that the seaweed in the Mario Bros. underwater stage electrocutes you. That's just cruel.

The game is set to be released later this year and is going to be free to play, likely to avoid copyright issues. Hopefully all of the companies who hold the rights to the games and sprites have any sort of sense of humor and allow this game to exist. I'm looking forward to this love letter to the NES one way or another.

You can find more information at the game's official site located here.

Review - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Find out why Modern Warfare 3 is the best game ever (until the next one is released) after the jump.

Nintendo of Europe's a Pretty Cool Guy

Since you’re currently on the internet, looking at our little independent, nerdy game blog, it’s safe to assume you’ve already seen this super fine new 3DS bundle being released in Europe later this year. If not, take a look, it’s amazing.

I want to bear it's children.

Now, I’m not here to bring the news that this beautiful handheld is actually going to made available to people in a certain part of the planet, though that alone is totally worth posting about. No, I have an ulterior motive here. I want to complain about Nintendo of America for a second. I promise not to take up too much of your time but I want to get it out there.

The 90's were the greatest time to enjoy cartoons

Alright, so I guess I need to have a post on this blog, too. The guys haven't been harassing me about it, but I know it's gonna bug me until I do.

People that know me in the real world know I'm a huge advocate for cartoons and animation. People that can't tell the difference between the two are the flavor of ignorant that I can't stand, but hopefully just addressing that should be enough. Anyways, on to where this blog is going. The AD cast is full of children of the 90's. The 90's are an interesting time when you look back on it; it was full of newer, simpler fashions and weeded out the garbage the 80's tried to carry. The decline of good music also started here; I'm not saying that 90's music sucked, but it wasn't as good as the classic rock we had in the 80's. I mean, the 90's gave us Boy Bands, a dark spot on all music, but it was also the high point of this kind of music. Sure, we look back and say, "my gosh, the Backstreet Boys were awful," but none of us are ashamed to know ALL THE WORDS to their songs.

But being a kid means one thing in particular: cartoons. We got a boatload of the best cartoons. We were given the gift of whole channels devoted to them! Nickelodeon  and Cartoon Network! And you can just LIST the good shows from childhood from here, but the best thing about the 90's was that there was a past to enjoy, too. So lemme just get you some numbers.

Adventure Daycare - Page 2

Been more than a month since I made the first one. Real satisfied with how this one turned out.

VGM of the Week #1

Every Sunday from now on, we will be posting some of our favorite tracks from video games!

So here's to a bright future full of adventure!


If you have any suggestions for what gets put up as VGM of the week, you can post it in "The VGM Thread of Nerdy Goodness" on our forum.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Mario Kart Tracks

When it comes to video games, Mario Kart has to be the most prominent and important series in my life. Mario Kart 64 was the first Nintendo game I owned and was the whole reason I ever got into Nintendo as much as I did. It’s also the main reason I met everybody I’m great friends with today. If it wasn’t for my love for Mario Kart, I never would have joined my first internet message board, Mario Kart Central, and I never would have met the person who would lead me to meeting all the people I am currently associated with today. Mario Kart means more to me than any other video game ever could. Hell, my internet handle was Toadkarter for many years. Needless to say, I frickin’ love Mario Kart.

One of my favorite aspect of the Mario Kart series is it’s incredible track design. Nintendo has such a way with creating unique, fun and often times challenging levels and stages, so it makes sense that same creative genius would spill over into Mario Kart’s tracks. Whether avoiding boulders on Choco Choco Mountain or launching off of tree branches in Maple Treeway, the Mario Kart series simply can’t be beat when it comes to track design. So today, I’m counting down my top ten favorite Mario Kart tracks. It’s pretty difficult to narrow down over 90 tracks to just ten, but I’m going to attempt to do it the best I can.

Admittedly, this is still the best racing game with Pac-Man in it

Now before I begin, I just need to get this out of the way; there are no courses on the list from the SNES or Gameboy Advance entries of the series. The tracks in those games are mostly boring and just don’t stand out very much. It’s not really Nintendo’s fault, the game consoles they were working with just weren’t powerful enough to handle any truly wacky tracks that weren’t just…flat. Sure, Super Circuit has some cool ones like Cheese Land or Ribbon Road, but those are purely aesthetic. The tracks are still flat and boring. Likewise, there’s no tracks from either of the arcade entries on the list either. Partially because I’ve only played each of those games a few times, but also because the tracks in that game are pretty boring too. Racing through Diamond City from WarioWare is pretty cool, but look at the map in that screenshot there. It’s boring and uninspired. So no Arcade games this time around. Feel free to disagree, though. Anyway, let’s start the list.

Review - Kirby's Return to Dreamland

Before I delve into a thorough analysis and review of Kirby's latest Wii outing, let me get something out in the open air.

I'm a person who loves Kirby games.

I've grown up with the little pink marshmallow, and his platforming escapades are near and dear to my heart. Kirby's Adventure is the first game I remember playing to completion, and since then there are few Kirby adventures I haven't played to completion. Kirby Super Star (and by extension, Kirby Super Star Ultra) is one of my very favorite games ever made.

So forgive me if this review comes garnished with a dash of bias.