I have moved!!

J has left the building...(and holed himself up in a new one alot like his old one).

www.randomjblog.com

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Game review: Mario Kart Wii

A new Mario Kart game has touched down on Wii, imaginatively titled Mario Kart Wii. The graphics look like Double dash!!, the game comes packed with some cheapo looking steering wheel and it doesn't look anything special. So why is it worth buying?

Mario Kart Wii is more of what Mario Kart lovers have loved for the past decade. Racing around a bunch of courses whilst trying to stay ahead of the pack and not get a red shell shot up your arse. Whilst there isn't anything majorly different with Mario Kart Wii in comparison to Mario Kart DS and those that came before - underneath it all are little tweaks here and there which have a great effect on proceedings. Mario Kart Wii is probably the most refined Mario Kart game to date. The game still includes (the love or hate it) snaking, but it's gone through some changes. Players have no longer have control over how soon they can build the charge to boost out of a powerslide. Snaking can still be done, but it's something everybody can do and because your Kart leans in so hard during powerslides, it's alot more difficult to snake on straights than it was in Mario Kart DS. Plus there's an option to have it done automatically for you.

The Wii wheel is surprisingly good to play with. Despite how cheap and light it looks, it's actually pretty weighty and sturdy. Especially once you slot in the remote, which we all know is a solidly built piece of kit. There is a definite learning curve to using the wheel, because you instinctively thumb the D-pad to turn on occassions and even move the wheel around, before you remember you have to turn the whole gizmo whilst keeping its position in place. It'll be interesting to see how the wheel holds up on a more hardcore racing sim, because none of the courses in Mario Kart Wii are particularly difficult to navigate. But the wheel is very responsive and a solid peripheral. You don't ever feel like you're at a disadvantage when using it. Gamers will be glad to know that you can also play with the Wii remote & nunchuk, and also the GameCube controller. Every control setup works brilliantly and each player will have a favourite and find an advantage and disadvantage with each setup. But be prepared to have to muck in some time with the Grand prix mode and time trial with the Wii wheel before taking it online, as there is a learning curve with it and taking it online straight out of the box will have you losing races.

The courses in Mario Kart Wii are all great; each unique and quirky in their own way. The awesome twists and turns of Koopa cape, the Monte Carlo esque square corners of Daisy circuit, the frantic dash up and down escalators in Coconut mall - every new course is a winner. But the retro tracks feel lacking, as Nintendo opted to choose some of the most boring ones. Some of the retro courses are also too similar to one another. Do we really need 2 old versions of a DK track alongside the new one? Or 3 iterations of Bowser's castle? It's ridiculous. Leaving out the likes of Donut plains, Choco mountain, Waluigi pinball and Koopa Troopa beach amongst others was a crime. Nintendo could put more retro courses up for download at a later date, but we know they bloody well won't. The old stages also look too retro. I'm all for faithfulness to the original material, but would it have hurt to have put some textures on the red carpet and hang a few pictures on the wall on Bowser's castle 64? Or to have made the old courses look less bare? Also, as brilliant as the new courses are, it's a shame we didn't get a couple based on stages from Super Mario galaxy. There are a couple of nods to the game on Rainbow road and one of the unlockable characters, but a stage based on the game would've been nice.

The online play is Mario Kart Wii's opening gambit and it's solid. The 'no communication what-so-ever' policy is still in full effect, but in terms of quality and ease of use - the online play is incredibly robust. I've engaged in 12 player races where half of the players are all the way in Japan and there's been zero lag and no latency issues. Things may change when the game releases in North America and we've got another several thousand gamers melting down the servers, but my experiences on the Nintendo WFC have been faultless thus far. Being able to sit with a friend and take your split screen races online is also a nice touch, as is playing battle mode online. Sadly there's no online Grand prix mode - but online races with up to 12 players is so fun that you probably won't care anyway. We also get a first look at online unlockables. Winning a certain amount of races online will unlock new karts and characters, which is nice touch and paves the way for an Xbox live style achievement system. It's still a shame that Nintendo haven't opted for a EA nation style setup that was well showcased with Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 though. No voice chat I can deal with (it's probably a blessing) - but not being able to at least send a message to a random racer or add somebody you had a good race with to your Friends list is stupid. Nintendo still need to step it up when it comes to the online gaming arena, but Mario Kart Wii at least shows signs of Nintendo taking it alot more seriously. The online components are solid, features a decent wealth of options and a nice amount of stat tracking. You will NOT be dissapointed with the online play in this game. It's what every Mario Kart fan and Wii owner has been waiting for. It's incredibly addictive. If it were crack, Amy Winehouse would be all over it.

The graphics in Mario Kart Wii are not amazing. They're just about decent. The graphics look no better than they did in Double dash!!, but everything does run alot smoother. The lack of detail and the blockiness of the graphics give the game an unpolished look though. Bloom lighting and soft focus does mask some of the blocky edges - but still doesn't hide the fact that the graphics in this game are too basic. This is especially evident during replays and fly throughs of courses where things are seen up close and can be scrutinized. Having this game look as fly as Super Mario Galaxy, have the cartoony style of Zack & Wiki or even Super Smash Bros. Melee at the very least would've been nice. Hopefully the next time around Nintendo will give things more graphical flair.

Mario Kart audio is never a major issue and Nintendo always manage to get it right. Mario Kart Wii has characters talking shit and making noises as they race around the track. It should annoy you but it doesn't. Hearing a characters' mad yelps and gurgles and they get hit by a red shell never gets old. The music is also pretty decent and each course has its own theme - with no chronic re-hashing as with previous Mario Kart games. The music isn't that memorable and the themes won't stick in your head as they with with Super Mario Kart - but the themes are all well composed and suits the courses.

Mario Kart Wii doesn't feel as fresh as Mario Kart DS did because it doesn't bring as much new stuff to the table as Mario Kart DS did. It just builds upon it. But this is no bad thing by any means, as the end result is still a fun game and what has to be the most refined Mario Kart game to date. It's worth buying for the online play alone, as 12 player races offer the kind of fun no other Mario Kart game in the series can come close to offerring. Every Wii owner should buy this game. Any doubts you have will dissipate the second you take this game online. It really is THAT good.

An essential purchase fo every Wii owner.

RATING: 8 / 10

Pro's
+ Playing online rocks!
+ Fun to play
+ Fresh new courses
+ Refined gameplay

Con's
- A weak selection of retro tracks
- New weapons aren't anything special
- Graphics could've been a heck of alot better
- Nintendo's 'no communication online' policy dampers the experience a little

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Worlds collide

This is the new promo trailer for the forthcoming Mortal Kombat game. And that dude dishing the beat down in the trailer was indeed Batman. It seems everybody is jumping on the cross franchise bandwagon now. Solid Snake in Smash Bros. Yoda and Darth Vader in Soul Calibur. Now Batman in Mortal Kombat. I'm not all that excited about this game. I've never been a big DC comics fan (I'm a Marvel whore), plus I lost interest in the Mortal Komat franchise at Deadly alliance. There's not much news on the new game though other than it will be a Mortal Kombat VS DC comics affair and that there'll be little to no blood and no fatalaties - which is no doubt because of the inclusion of DC characters. DC don't want their beloved heroes to have their limbs ripped off and bleed to death. Plus, it'd go against the characters powers and abilities. Superman wouldn't be able to be decapitated unless his head had a blade got at it made from kryptonite and Wonder woman would be damned before she let a man go near her titty to rip out her heart.

I'd always wanted Capcom to gain the rights to DC, because they did a great job with the X-Men franchise in the beat 'em up arena after several other developers got it horribly wrong. But it'll be interesting to see what the Mortal Kombat team do with this game though. It's not like DC beat 'em ups have set any kind of substancial benchmark in the past - so this game can't be any worse than what's come before.

Official website: Mortal Kombat vs. DC universe

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Cosplay of the day: Auron

Now THIS cosplay is correct. The dude looks just like Auron! I'm glad somebody was able to do him justice when it came to the cosplay, because Auron was one of the few decent things about Final Fantasy X. It actually upset me a little that he wasn't rewarded with some poontang. Auron definitely should've gotten some action from Lulu.

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Pissy pissy

I just got home from a night of sitting in a bar and I'm a little tipsy. After a bunch of cocktails, a sambuca shot (that I can still taste) and snapping pictures of me and a couple of girls in shopping trolley - I'm feeling pretty jolly. I was sat on the bus on the way home trying my best not to look like I've been drinking for 4 hours straight. I'm impressed how well I can hold alcohol though. It's always been a strong point of mine. I've never thrown up as a result of a piss-up and it takes alot for me to get ridiculously drunk. So that's that!

Hello. My name is J and I'm tipsy. I'm about to go and have a shower and head into bed. I hope I don't slip in the shower, knock my head and end up unconscious. I could die. That's not good. Definitely a no no. It's a shame I have work in about 8 hours time. I feel like a pizza or some nachos; anything loaded with cheese and tomato.

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My Mario Kart Wii Friend code

If any of you lot have your Wii's online, a copy of Mario Kart Wii and wanna race me, here's my Friend code...

Random J 0774 4375 1263

Feel free to add me. The more that do the better! But remember... We won't be able to race or see one another online unless we have each others' Friend codes. So if you do add me, be sure to drop your Friend code in the comments or e-mail me so I can add you too.

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Fiddy's new game

Not being content with being an abomination to music, he's here to stink up the gaming joint as well with his forthcoming game 50 Cent: Blood on the sand. Why is this game in development!? Fiddy must've paid a development studio serious money to make this game. Because I cannot for the life of me think why a developer in their right mind would think "Oooo! Let's make a 50 Cent video game!" The first game was just about acceptable. Every artist is allowed to whore themselves out in at least one game. But a sequel is pushing it. I would've much rather had a Britney Spears game. They could've had it play like Bioshock: Playing as some crazy bitch with powers trying to get her kids back from her ex-husband. Now THAT is a game somebody needs to develop. I'd buy an Xbox 360 just for it.

With Grand theft Auto IV imminent on both PS3 and Xbox 360, I can't see why this 50 Cent game is even on the cards. They should just cancel the damn thing.

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First impressions: Mario Kart Wii

Right off the bat I'm going to tell you that this game is fun. Mario Kart Wii feels like a bigger and better version of its sibling on the DS. More courses, more characters, more items and a new wheel peripheral to play with. Then there's the online mode. Any doubt or lack of excitement you had for this game will dissapear once you've taken part in a race online with 11 other people. The online play rocks some serious socks and will have you neglecting the Grand prix mode.

I'm going to leave it at that because I want to show restraint and don't want this turning into a review (which I'll try to have up this weekend). Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to hustle some bitches online.

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The proud owner...

I gots it!! First impressions and my Mario Kart Wii Friend code to come later this evening...

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ASDA to sell Mario Kart Wii at 0:00 hours

To all of my UK gamers out there. Have you tried to order your copy of Mario Kart Wii on GAME, Play.com and Amazon.co.uk and had zero luck? Uh-huh. I'm not sure what the deal is - but online games retailers do not seem to be offerring Mario Kart for sale or pre-order. Surely the game can't have sold out already!? Could that whack promotion of Nintendo's I was slating yesterday actually have worked!? This doesn't affect me so much, because I always planned to buy the game in a store. I can't be waiting 1 or 2 days for dispatch. I need my shit day of release.

If you want to playing Mario Kart Wii at the early hours of the morning, you can always head to an ASDA at midnight, as some branches will be selling the game from then. So if you want Mario Kart Wii as soon as, then ASDA's is your gig. If there's a store near to you, be sure to check they have an Audio and visual department that sells Wii games. Not every ASDA branch sells Wii games, so check before hand they'll have Mario Kart for sale before you toddle down to the store for the stroke of midnight. I always buy my games from ASDA anyway because they're as cheap, if not cheaper than amazon and play sell them for.

It goes without saying my arse will be parked up at an ASDA the car park like a serial killer from 11:45 pm. As soon as it hits 11:59 pm I'll be running through the shop and fly kicking anybody I see holding a copy of the game. Coming home empty handed is not an option. I will slap a child in the face to get a copy. Don't think I won't.

(Try to) buy Mario Kart Wii @ Amazon.co.uk | GAME | Play.com

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Back in the game

I got my Wii back today! Being hopeful rules! I should be it more often. All of all my save data and address book data was intact, but my Wii menu was wiped clean and I have a new Wii console code. So I'm thinking Nintendo may have just replaced my Wii and transferred my data over. My Wii didn't have any distinctive marks or scratches on it for me to be sure the unit I have now was the same one I sent away.

It feels good to have it back. Even more so because I have it just in the nick of time to murder Mario Kart Wii something chronic over the weekend.

If you'd like my new Wii console code, you can find it in my sidebar. I'll be in no hurry to keep my Wii on standby this time around though. I can't have it messing up on me again. Plus, what's the use on keeping it online just for the odd WiiMail anyway!? It's not like keeping your Wii online serves any major purpose.

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Mario Kart Wii promo wagon

Mario Kart Wii releases across Europe in a couple of days and for the past week adverts having actually been airing on TV! I almost had a damn heart attack when I first saw it, because Nintendo's promotion for their console titles in the UK borders on non-existant.

I wish Nintendo would revert back to airing UK commercials that have a context and a short story, and kill the 'boring people sat on a white sofa waving a Wii remote around' style adverts. I'm sick to death of them. Aside from the Mario Kart Wii adverts being really short and really boring, none of the commcercials I've seen so far mention anything about the online play for up to 12 players - which I think is silly considering it could be a huge selling point for the game. Hopefully Nintendo will kick their shit into overdrive from Friday, because the current ads are pretty whack.

If you haven't seen it already, this is the trailer doing the rounds on Nintendo's official Mario Kart website. It would've made a cool TV spot and been even cooler if Mario, Luigi and Peach looked this way in-game...

Remember folks, Mario Kart Wii releases worldwide in April. Be sure to hit me up with your Friend codes as soon as you get the game, and I'll be sure to do the same. If you know friends with Wii's, force them to buy this game. I'm already on it with forcing the guys at work with Wii's to buy the game.

Official website: Mario Kart Wii

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On the mend

I sent my Wii off for repair last week. It took me a while before I could actually send it off, because I had to wait for the SD card I'd ordered to arrive so I could back up all of my save data and Virtual console titles. I doubt I'm going to receive my console back before Mario Kart Wii arrives and even if I do it'll probably be in as bad a condition as I sent it. But I stay hopeful. Hopeful is my new thing now as opposed to thinking everything is going to go wrong and I'm going to get shafted. Even in the face of being a UK gamer and dealing with Nintendo, I'm going to stay hopeful. I should have my Wii back by next week at the very latest, which is fine. Whether I have my Wii come this weekend or not - I'm still buying Mario Kart Wii day of release. I'll just read the manual from cover to cover until I receive my Wii, or show up unexpected and uninvited to a mates' house and completely impose myself and play the game there.

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Sonic is unleashed...again

There's a new Sonic unleashed trailer... Well,kinda new. It's pretty much the same as the last one. Except it looks more like a professional trailer and less like some Beta rip of the game that a Sonic team employee uploaded to GameTrailers when they weren't supposed to. And we get to see more of Sonic running around areas which resemble Africa and Greece.

And we have definite confirmation the game is headed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 2. It goes without saying that the lovely trailer is of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. The Wii version will probably look the same as the PlayStation 2 version, which will probably look like Sonic heroes. I'm not going to get my hopes up for this game. I'm sure there are enough die hard Sonic fans who have their hopes right the way up enough to compensate for me not caring. Sega need to do right, because if they don't, that's 5 consoles the game is going to suck on. Not 2 like Sonic the hedgehog for Xbox 360 and PS3 - but five!! I've been saying that Sega need to just kill Sonic for years (I think my idea of Super Sonic flying into the Sun with the chaos emeralds and dying is a good end), but if Sega mess up with this game, then they really will need to just end it all. There's only so many dissapointments fans can take and so many shit Sonic games the world can put up with.

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Another NiGHTS game?

A tentative list of games to possibly be shown at Sega's gamer's day in May had been released and NiGHTS is on it. There's no confirmation as to whether it's the PlayStation 2 remake of the original that was rumoured last year or an all new game. Of course there's no confirmation the game will make an appearance at all! But if it does, then I hope it's a remake. It'd be a damn shame for Sega to f**k up the NiGHTS into dreams franchise the same way they've f**ked up the Sonic one. Golden axe and Samba de amigo are also on the list - looking like they're possible subjects to Sega's butchering. Sega have fallen off Britney style over the years. The only classic franchise of theirs that they've kept on top of is Virtua Fighter. Everything else has seen drastic dips and dives in quality from sequel to sequel. I'm almost glad Sega haven't done a sequel to Burning rangers. I'd be upset if they tarnished my memories of a brilliant game with such a cruddy sequel that's so bad it makes me want to cry into my pillow at night.

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