Source: Kotaku

“I’d be surprised if it broke 1.5 million.”

These are the exact words spoken by the Almighty Mr. Lono just shortly after releasing our Spin Control article on Mario Galaxy. Well according to Nintendo, Super Mario Galaxy just sold a staggering 500k copies this past week in the US, making it the fastest selling Mario title of all time! Factor in Japan, Europe and the rest of the world and it puts the title at well above 1 million copies sold.

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Here’s a little snippet from the Nintendo Press Release:

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 20, 2007 - Could Super Mario Galaxy™ be the best video game of all time?

If you ask critics and consumers, the answer is a resounding yes. Reviewers for video game and mainstream media alike are responding with high marks to the boundless sense of wonder and fun the game brings to both experienced and novice players.

Independent review-tracking site GameRankings.com now lists Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo’s Wii™ system as the best-reviewed game of all time, and another review-tracking site, Metacritic.com, lists Super Mario Galaxy as having “Universal Acclaim,” with a score of 98 out of 100.

Now the number of copies sold may not be as impressive as Halo 3’s launch, but any title that sells one million copies in a week definitely deserves some recognition. Nintendo also didn’t whore out their mascot to every popular product on the face of the earth in order to shamelessly promote sales. With the Wii selling like it is and Mario being Mario, I wouldn’t surprised in the least if this game is labeled as the hottest selling Christmas gift this holiday season.

I’ve said it several times before and I’ll say it again: Please don’t badmouth this game until you’ve tried it. There’s a reason why every single reviewer and person that’s played it loves this game. Numbers don’t lie.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go into hiding during my long Thanksgiving weekend and hope that Lono doesn’t see this article when he gets back from his cruise.

*Runs away while laughing in victory*

Source: Kotaku, Joystiq

The all-night launch party is finally over and boy oh boy does Rock Band have one killer headache. Turns out that Harmonix must have spent a little too much time living the rock star lifestyle while creating Rock Band and not enough time manufacturing and testing.

According to several reports across the country, most Best Buys were shipped very few (usually only 1 or 2 bundles, if any) of the highly anticipated Guitar-Hero-Killer. The bundles are in such short supply that even Best Buy employees were told they won’t be allowed to purchase a bundle for themselves until January 08.  But there’s more… (more…)

Source: Engadget

Here’s a riddle for you: If the price of a PS3 dev kit falls in the video game forest, does anyone hear it?

Sony just announced that in order to attract more developers to their console they are dropping the price of their development kit from $20,000 to $10,250. For those that don’t know, a development kit (or “dev kit” as it’s known on the streets) is the thing needed by video game designers to have easy access to a console’s infrastructure in order to create games.

For the big developers like EA or Activision, this is chump change since their budgets for video games are several million dollars. This price cut is for all those lesser or unknown Mom & Pop style development groups that are just getting their feet wet in the world of video game development. What I’d like to know is does Sony really think this price cut will persuade independent developers towards their console? Before you answer that, consider a couple more facts.

See why Sony is accomplishing nothing with this price cut after the jump. (more…)

You excitedly read through the ground-breaking first article “The Good,” and then you sat through the long plot-building second chapter entitled “The Bad.” Well sit down and strap yourself in because after hours and hours of impatient waiting, the third installment to the trilogy is finally here!

I’ve saved the best for last (unlike The Matrix) because this one’s all about “The Ugly” aspects of the Wii Menu. Sad thing is, I was able to narrow it down to just one thing: The Virtual Console, more specifically the Virtual Console prices.

Read on to see why the Virtual Console really grinds my gears.

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My mission, now that I’m part of the SG Crew, is to bring a little more variety to this site and I plan on doing that by, as you may have already noticed, covering mostly Nintendo topics. The 360 has been getting all the love around here lately and I’m here to spread some of that love out, because all of the systems deserve some spotlight in this utopia of gaming that we live in right now.

I’ve decided to get down to basics and bring to the discussion the core of the Wii: The Menu.

Check it out after the jump!

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Source: Kotaku 

Get out your party hats and noise makers because Xbox Live is turning Five (or as they’re saying it “5ive”…stupid)! That’s right, it’s only been five short years since Microsoft single-handedly changed the way we all played online games by charging $50 a year for it. So what big plans does Microsoft have in store for this monumental birthday?! Not much really.

Read what’s new after the jump!

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Source: Kotaku

Nintendo announced that they will be adding a new channel specifically for all those Miis that you’ve spent so much time painstakingly creating on your Wii. This new channel, appropriately named “Check Mii Out,” will allow Wii owners to upload any of the Miis they’ve created and then other Wii owners will be able to browse them, rank them, and even download them for your own personal use.

Find out more, after the jump.

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I’ve done my fair share of bashing on the Wii, but I’ll also be the first to admit when something great comes along. So without further ado, here is my comprehensive fully-deserved love-fest over Nintendo’s newest addition to the Mario series.

Here’s all you need to know: SUPER MARIO GALAXY IS THE BEST PLATFORMER EVER! Hands down, without a doubt, no arguments possible. This game is even better than Mario 64. That’s right, I said it. If you own a Wii, then you had better be dusting it off and popping this game in on Tuesday or else you are going to be missing out on the best single-player game that will ever be released on the console.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of the game 10 days before it releases here in the states (no you can’t borrow it) and I’ve been playing the crap out of it the whole time. I don’t know what it is about Shigeru Miyamoto, but that man, without a doubt, was born to create video games. We might as well start calling him Midas, because everything he touches is pure gold.

I’ve had several people ask me what I think of the game during the past week that I’ve been playing through it and surprisingly I’ve had a really hard time describing it, but eventually I was able to narrow it down to two simple words: Fun and Unique.

Let me explain after the jump.

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Guest Writer: Yousty
Source: Amazon So, you’re a young engaged couple, about to become man and wife for life, but there’s only one thing left to take care of before the wedding date…registering for gifts! Usually, this is a very stressful time for a couple because they typically want very different things. The Groom typically requests a barbeque set and a poker starter kit, but the Bride always has to have overpriced china that you’ll never use, but have to prominently display in an even more expensive hutch, just in case. Still don’t get that one. Anyway, this is where the gift registry can lead to arguments with usually the guy giving in because, as we all know, that’s how marriages work.

Well thanks to Nintendo, that problem has been solved! Now there’s a gift everyone can agree on! The Nintendo Wii.

According to Amazon.com, the Wii is now the #1 most-registered gift. Forget those practical, reasonably-priced gifts that help furnish a home like a blender or a toaster, apparently the only thing newlyweds want to do is have fun! Or so they think…

Sadly, there will be many disappointed newlyweds on their honeymoons after vigorously opening their wedding gifts, because, like most stores, the Wii is sold out on Amazon. Thanks for ruining the happiest day of most peoples’ lives Reggie!

I guess newlyweds will just have to spend their honeymoon night the old fashioned way.

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