Nintendo World is one of my favorite places in New York City. I was in the neighborhood today, so I thought I’d checkout the new Nintendo 3DS. It’s the latest portable gaming system from Nintendo. The main feature is that it has three-dimensional effects, but without the need for special glasses. This is not something that can be photographed or recorded by conventional means. I had to see the device with my own eyes. After having done so, I’m surprisingly disappointed. The 3DS just wasn’t that impressive to me.
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My background has more to do with marketing than sports. So naturally, I’ll be watching the Super Bowl for the commercials. That’s especially true with a recent update to Angry Birds. During the fourth-quarter of the Super Bowl, there will be a commercial for the movie Rio — an animated film from the creators of Ice Age. According to the 1.5.1 update, that commercial will have information to help unlock a secret level of Angry Birds. So while millions will be watching for the outcome of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Green Bay Packers, I’ll be looking out for the level unlock information.
When I first learned about the 2010 Apple TV, I thought it was an amazing. This device represented an opportunity for Apple to truly enter the living room — with a gaming console. Apple’s iTunes App Store is already putting fear into Nintendo. The biggest threat to the Wii and the Nintendo DS is not from Sony or Microsoft, but from Apple. With 99¢ games and ubiquitous Apple hardware, Nintendo is in trouble. The Apple TV can literally be a game-changer. But instead, the latest version of Apple TV has been rather wimpy.
Fruit Ninja is one of the most popular iOS apps, but there was something a little odd about this game. Why do ninjas hate fruit? That’s basically the entire premise of the game’s lore. You play as a ninja that slices fruit in half — in a seemingly violent fashion. If you’re looking for a rich plot, filled with detailed character development, this game will not satisfy your search. You can play through the entire game without ever seeing a ninja. Perhaps this is a video game about the best ninja ever.
This is a family friendly puzzle game from Chillingo and ZeptoLab. The concept is to feed a monster called “Om Nom”. It likes candy. This sugary sustenance is delivered by slicing ropes in a strategic fashion. One of the first things that popped into my head while playing this game was… why… why am I feeding this monster? This mysterious creature just shows up at my door and I’m supposed to feed it? How is this not the start of an alien invasion? What is Om Nom going to be when it grows up? With a steady diet of candy, I don’t think it’s going to be good.