Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Third Rate Minion Plays Wii U

Six years ago, we saw the last major console launches in the US with the PlayStation 3 and the Wii.  Since then, we have seen a multitude of new revisions, relaunches, and then some.  The Wii introduced motion control gaming to the masses, and PlayStation Move and Kinect came a few years later.  Digital distribution has become a major selling-point in the gaming industry, and social interaction has become more pivotal than ever.  All-in-all, the generation has gone on for years, but now, it is time to start the next generation of consoles.

Nintendo first announced its next console venture at E3 2011, unveiling both the focus of the system and the name itself: Wii U.  Wii U is said to continue multiplayer experiences from the Wii while emphasizing the togetherness of individual gamers, the "U" as it were.  By E3 2012, Nintendo finally unveiled its major games for the first half-year of the system's life, and there we also learned of its curious social network, Miiverse.  That September, Nintendo unveiled Nintendo TVii, a media-center aggregate system for the US, but as of this article, it has not yet released.

The Wii U finally launched in the US on November 18th, 2012, available with two bundles: Basic and Deluxe.  The Basic Set contains a white, 8GB Wii U, and the Deluxe Set contains a black, 32GB Wii U with extra system stands, GamePad cradles, Nintendo Land, and a Deluxe Digital Promotion which gives back 10% of every digital sale made for the next two years.  The system released in Europe on November 30th, and the Japanese launched on December 8th.  Now a month after the Wii U launch, we here at Third Rate Minion want to show you a walkthrough of the system's setup, the OS, MiiVerse, and anything else we can grab that comes with the system freely.  Check out the videos after the break and enjoy (or follow our Youtube Playlist)!  For our written impressions, check below as well.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Kirby's Retrospective Part III

Presenting our latest multi-segment retrospective video series - a look through 20 years of Kirby!

We are presenting this in association with Nintendo World Report.  They are cool guys, and you should all check them out (and if you were sent here by them, great to see you!)

In our final part, Kirby garners gamer attention on the Nintendo DS and reemerges onto consoles in full force.  From the innovative adventure Kirby Canvas Curse to the fabric fable of Kirby's Epic Yarn to the four-player cooperative sojourn Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby has really resurfaced among Nintendo's best these last few years.  Where will he go now?  If these past two decades have told us anything, it should be quite an experience either way.

Hope you enjoyed it!  Give us comments on the series and what you want to see in the future! :D

 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Kirby's Retrospective Part II

Presenting our latest multi-segment retrospective video series - a look through 20 years of Kirby!

We are presenting this in association with Nintendo World Report.  They are cool guys, and you should all check them out (and if you were sent here by them, great to see you!).  We'll be posting the other two parts in the coming days, so stay tuned!

In this part, Kirby ventures from the Super Nintendo to the wondrous world of 3D, but not without a few hard bumps. We cover games such as Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, all the way through the GameCube oddball racer Kirby Air Ride and the GBA adventure Kirby and the Amazing Mirror.  We witness the creation of WARPSTAR and the departure of Kirby's creator, and we end this part facing the current generation with still much more Kirby to come.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Kirby's Retrospective Part I

Presenting our latest multi-segment retrospective video series - a look through 20 years of Kirby!

We are presenting this in association with Nintendo World Report.  They are cool guys, and you should all check them out (and if you were sent here by them, great to see you!).  We'll be posting the other two parts in the coming days, so stay tuned!

In this part, we examine the pink puffball's first five years of existence, complete with such games as Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, and Kirby Super Star.  Can you taste the nostalgia?  Either way, watch and enjoy!  Big thanks to the online Kirby community which helped provide the multitude of artworks and boxarts and information for the games!