November 13, 2007 - Super Mario Galaxy Day!

Today is a day that I revel in the nerd part of my screen name. I have no qualms about being a fan of Nintendo games. I was a fan even before the Wii came out and it became cool again, and I have owned every Nintendo console since the original NES. I guess you could say I am a Nintendo fanboy, because I have never owned any other companies systems (outside of the original Atari), and I really have no inclination at all to own an Xbox or Playstation. I am also pretty fascinated by the video game business. It really is like a greek tragedy with secret meetings, backstabbings, and faded and recaptured glory.

I also come from a family of gamers. My grandmother had/has an NES, and she actually had the Super Nintendo before I did. She also still takes her GameBoy Advance everywhere she goes. My father has a Gamecube, mainly to play Tiger Woods Golf. My mother has a GBA, and her day pretty much is not complete unless she's played various iterations of solitaire on her laptop. My sister has a GBA, too, and she has a GameCube for my nieces. You get the point.

Since I've had the Wii, which by the way, I stood outside at a Target in February at 6am with 11 other people waiting for the opportunity to spend the cash, I have been amazed at how many people have enjoyed playing it. My nieces demand that I bring it over whenever we have family get togethers, and my 7 year old niece actually almost bowled a perfect game on Wii Bowling, which is something I have yet to come close to doing. They also love Cow Racing, which is a one of crappy little demos that came on the Wii Play disc pretty much free with a controller. Additionally, I've had parties with Romeo, Blanch, HR, Athena, Artemis (Athena's sister), Mom, and various other friends where we've just played Wii games all night. Heck, for my upcoming vodka infusion party, people are already asking on whether we'll be playing.

Now, today is the day I have been waiting for since the Wii came out. Today is the day Super Mario Galaxy is released to stores. I have wanted this game for so long that I have actually, patiently, held onto a Best Buy giftcard that I got for my birthday in May. I was a little disappointed in Super Mario Sunshine, which was the last true Mario game to be released. So, you really have to go back 11 years to 1996, when Super Mario 64 came out, for me to have actually loved and finished (and purchased again on Wii Virtual Console) a great Mario game. You can bet, that the first thing I do after I get off work and go to the gym, is to head over to Best Buy and get this game.

Here is a video review. It is pretty long, and I found myself zoning out the reviewer and just watching the images.



Here are some videos of upcoming games that I am looking forward to as well:

Trauma Center: New Blood - This is a surgery game!



Super Smash Brothers Brawl - This will be my next purchase. Between level editing, online, Sonic, and myriad other reasons, I cannot wait!



Wii Fit - Not really a game, but a health and fitness device to help with balance and other aerobic type exercises. It kind of reminds me of a yoga or pilates mat hooked (wirelessly) to a game. I know it looks pretty goofy (especialy the dance portion on the video), but as anyone who has played Wii Sports can attest, it can be a very good workout. Hard to describe...watch the video!