Mario Kart “Weeeeeee!”

It’s finally here. One of the most anticipated titles for any new Nintendo System. The Mario Kart of that particular hardware. In this case, it’s Mario Kart Wii. This game is fun.

As I’m sure everyone has heard by now, the game includes the new Wii Wheel. What an improvement over that piece of crap that game with, well that piece of crap monster truck game I suckered myself into buying, had. That game had me convinced that wheel turning with motion based turn reconigition wouldn’t work. I’ve played that Monster Truck 4X4 game approximately 4 times, and for periods no longer than probably 30 minutes a time. The control scheme is disasterous.

Mario Kart Wii reinvents the wheel folks. The turning is spot on with tight cornering and the true feeling of driving a little go cart around a track. I was completely dumbfounded and impressed by the greatly improved response time and handling engineered into MKW. Power sliding around a hairpin corner has never been more fun or realistic. Also, they even built in an IR window for the Wii-motes infrared controller so you don’t have to constantly go back and forth from wheel, no wheel for trivial menu selections. Thank you for thinking it through whoever thought to add that little detail in!

On to the game itself. Well there aren’t many surprises. Afterall, it’s Mario Kart. Same 50CC, 100CC, 150CC action that we’ve all grown up with. There are a few twists such as the inclusion of motorbikes for the 100CC class and unlockable karts and charactors. Also, the online play worked amazingly well for this being the launch date. I picked up the game around 10AM Central and by 11:30AM I was racing round after round with players from literally around the world. As the players connect, it even shows you on that cool Wii Globe provided by NASA where they are connecting from. How cool is that?

So I definately give the game my personal Kudos and am now finally relieved that the wait is over. I am also so thrilled that the multiplayer functionality actually works out of box unlike a certain other Nintendo Title that released just last month (*coughBRAWLcough*). Not only did it work, but I was in a race with 7 other players in less than 5 minutes. Now that’s service. It took atleast 30 minutes of connecting/disconnecting and then finally player searching for me to get into my first online brawl match. Thank you Nintendo WFC for paying attention and making improvements. I am most appreciatative.

So to recap, the Wii Wheel works! The Nintendo WFC is showing much improved signs of life. Finally, the games mix of new, previous, and even retro Mario Kart tracks and charactors along with the added experience of placing your favorite Mario World Charactor in a souped up Kart or Motorbike definately gives this game the 15 pieces of flare it needs to be a Wii Classic. Thanks again Nintendo.  

 

Game Party Redemption

Okay, short post but to make a point. Game Party has redeamed itself. Though some of the games are tacky and awkward, I have caught myself having fun playing solo. Shuffle Board really isn’t so bad once you know how to score. Same for the Ping Cup.

For multiplay, the Darts is actually one that my wife will play with me. Few and far between are the games that she will actually request that we play together. Darts happens to be one that she has latched onto. I think it is only because she can beat me at it. Also, we did finally try out Air Hockey and that is probably one of the better games on the disc. The physics and style of play are fairly decent. Finally… we caught ourselves having fun with the Trivia that is included. Though some of the questions have already repeated making for obvious correct answers, my wife and I have been challenging each other for control of the highscore board. she’s got me by like 5 points. 

All in all, for $25 it could be worse. I have actually played it more than once. More than I can say about some PC games in the past that I have paid twice as much for.

Jealousy 4x

Right now I am poor. Both by choice and by lack of monetary funds. The choice part actually isn’t my choice. It’s more of imposed will. It has been imposed on me (for good reason) that until I have provided my family with a house, I cannot provide myself with computer upgrades. I have sqeeked a video card through this policy but despite constant trying, I cannot get approval for the appropriation of the necessary funds for the overhaul I so badly desire. However, those around me seem to be having no trouble whatsoever.

My good friend who I LAN with and game with often, has just upgraded his rig. He is now running an Intel Quadcore 9000 series (can’t remember which specificially) which he has clocked at 3.4GHz. Four cores at 3.4GHz a piece. That’s insane. Also he has 6GB of DDR2 Ram and a new video card. That is one hell of a beefy system. Though I haven’t seen it yet, when I do, it will certainly be the most power personal computer I have ever seen.

Next, a colleague of mine just informed me that he was also able to upgrade recently. Also going with an Intel Quadcore. He chose the Q6600 with only 2GB of ram, but also picked up a new video card. To boot he got a shiny new case with all sorts of cable management. That must be one heck of a PC.

So yes, the green eyed monster has awakened. Only now instead of motivating me to push myself to build a faster rig (I don’t have to be the fastest, but I like to be in the same ballpark as my friends), it only depresses me lately. It’s like a social class system almost. They have money. I don’t. They have fancy new rigs that can probably blow smoke rings around my dumpy bargain builder. Lets hope they don’t actually start blowing smoke rings though, that would probably be a bad thing.

A brief tale of my past. When I was in highschool and first got into building computers, I could never afford the latest and greatest. I was not yet willing to risk buying my precious hardware online. That was still a risky venture back then. Obviously since then I’ve wised up. But the point is I was always lagging far behind my friends with their PCs. They were running 32MB TNT2’s, I was running an 8MB TNT. They were running GeForce 256’s when I was running their old TNT2. They could play Q3 at 80FPS while I could barely push 30. Yet I labored on, turned my settings down, secretly resented their knowledge and their seemingly unlimited sources of money.

Since then I had wisened up some more. Learned how to stay on top of emerging tech. Learned how to play the pricing game and get it for a decent price but not after it was obsolete. I don’t mind being bleeding edge. Economically it makes sense. Even after awhile I started keeping up. Now, I feel like that kid again. Stuck in the corner with the broken down crap that nobody wants to talk to because his computer is old news.

So what will come first? The house? The breakdown and the computer upgrade? I guess only time will tell.  

TF2 Rules… Hurry up Mario Kart!

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Orange Box by now, it’s almost too late. Now they are selling the immensely popular Team Fortress 2 by itself for $35. My advice is pay the $50 and get the 5 in 1 Orange Box collection while you still can. Half Life 2 Episode 2, Half Life 2 Episode 1, TF2, Portal, Counter Strike, and the Original Half Life 2 are all included. Even if you have one or more of these titles it’s still worth it. They actually let you “gift” any doubles to anyone you want. I gave mine to a customer’s kid whom I refurbished a gaming computer for. Now he has a free copy of Half Life 2. Also, Portal is insanely fun for not being a violent shooter but using the same mechanics and engine. One more thing that they don’t even tell you on the box, when you buy Orange Box, you also qualify to download Peggle for free. This is another fun time waster. By time waster I do mean intriguing puzzle game that I myself have spent a few hours completing. It’s hard to stop when you start getting through the levels.

I know it’s only a week away, but it feels like forever. I want Mario Kart Wii already. I am not looking forward to the midnight release party again. I was so embarrassed at the Brawl midnight release I can’t imagine ever doing that again for anything less than the next super system from Nintendo. Counting down the days, and then the hours. Only 7 days, 22 hours, and 17 minutes to go.

Last but certainly not least, I just learned something about DVD Burners that someone might find useful. If you have a LiteScribe capable burner and you pick up some third party burning software such as a version of Nero that was not bundled with your burner (mine only came with a trial), you may need to go to http://www.lightscribe.com and download the latest lightscribe drivers. No one had ever told me that before and I’d spent a few hours installing, and reinstalling trying to figure out why my Nero was telling me I didn’t have any lightscribe devices installed when the front of my DVD+-RW says “LightScribe”. I downloaded this 8.5MB installer, ran it, and reopenned my label software and sure enough, there was the option. Go me, and once again, Thank You Google for holding most of life’s answers!

Party Games and the Wii Zapper

Okay, okay. I know I said I was looking for a sound card upgrade. Well I’ve been having trouble finding something affordable and decent. That website I was given http://us.creative.com/shop/shopcategory.asp?category=84& is awesome and I am considering a card picked from here. The Audigy 4 they have for $30. Looks like a solid card. But I also like the idea of that Audigy 2 ZS with all the software it comes with since it is new. I am so torn. Also broke. Let me tell you why.

So like most Americans, when I get a little down, and a little money, I get the idea that spending that money on myself will make me feel better. Usually it does, for about 10 minutes. But it’s kinda like any other substance abuse. When you don’t have it, that ten minutes is worth whatever it takes right? I know what I’m talking about here… I just quit smoking and sometimes I feel like I’d pay $50 for a pack.

So I shopped around for sound cards. Compared prices and models (yes that Audigy 4 is the best deal I’ve found) and even got it into my cart. However, I for whatever reason decided that I needed instant gratification so I thought I’d check out some places locally. Long story short, I never made it to anyplace locally that sells hardware. Instead, I ended up with a rushed trip to Gamestop. Man I love Gamestop.

For whatever reason, I ended up with Game Party (yes, that’s the title.) I was sold with the idea of basketball and ski ball to be honest. I also ended up with a Wii Zapper. I’ve been wanting one of those for awhile. So all in all after those and renewing my Game Informer Subscription at a nice discount I ended up with a $60 tab. For $20 less I could’ve had that sound card and paid for shipping. But hey, I love my Wii.

So… Started playing Zelda Crossbow Trainer with the Wii Zapper. Awesome game. Fun experience. I would recommend it for anyone. Duck Hunt, eat your heart out. Any arcade shooter, eat your heart out. Definately one of those that Game Informer got right. For a quick “mini game”, it actually has several levels and modes of play. Though, like most shooters, it is a highscore based reward system, it is definately a rewarding experience. Not too shabby… and hey, it even includes the Wii Zapper!

Game Party on the other hand… incredibly disappointing. If you like these type of games, go for Wii Carnival. It has way more of them and it’s way more entertaining. Everyone loves a Carnival right? And you don’t have to smell the carnies. This game includes 7 games. Arcade style basketball (which isn’t even multiplayer), Ski Ball, Shuffle Board (are you joking? Unfortunately no…), Pingcup (yeah… WTF?), Trivia (which is kinda fun, if you know whats going on), darts (throw like you have the arm of an 4 yr old, or else you’ll over throw everytime), and air hockey which honestly I haven’t even tried yet. I managed to get my wife to try this game out with me and she was complaining 45 minutes into darts that this game was crap. I tend to agree. The only enjoyment I found in this one was setting a ridiculusly high highscore in the basketball game once I found my “spot”. All in all, save your $25. Go for that third or fourth nunchuck instead. That will be way more interesting during a Wii party.

 

A sad day…

Saturday was a sad day for me. Despite the awesome LAN I went to, it was overshadowed by a loss. The loss of my Hitachi Drive. The end of an era for me. The end of IDE hard drives. Now only two things remain from my joyful period of working at the computer store. My Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer and my Creative Inspire 5.1 speakers. The speakers I still use everyday. The Xgamer unfortunately has been demoted to voice chat device as my onboard sound is inherently superior.  I am however looking at some lower end SB Audigy cards as a potential upgrade.

 Anyway, I felt the need to tell the story of this drive as it was an important part of my computer. Even being IDE and much slower than my Sata drives, I could never bring myself to part with it. After all, it was 120GB in capacity. This was awesome back in 2003. Even up until Saturday it was a useful capacity for many things.

When I bought the drive, I was working at a computer store in Cadillac, MI. I was the store manager and I was putting together an order for the store. I happened to mention to my technician that I was in the market for a new hard drive as we were given a really nice employee discount on parts. I was at the time looking at some options from Western Digital and shying away from the Seagate and Maxtor drives of the time. My technician informed me that Hitachi had just recently purchased IBM’s hard drive technology and was now producing top quality hard drives. I was leary as I hadn’t seen much of Hitachi or IBM drives at the time to have any good bias for comparison. As I recall, the price was decent, but still an investmant. I believe at the time drives were selling for somewhere near a dollar a gigabyte (compared to todays 19 cents per). So I let myself get talked into it, and both my technician and I bought the drives for our computers (as well as a couple for store inventory.)

For the last five years, this has been a fine investmant. The drive was perfectly reliable, and not too shabby for access times. I used it as my main drive for some time. Afterall, it was 7200rpm and ATA100 which was about as good as you could get at the time without going Scsi. At 120GB it was more than plenty for Windows XP and the games of the time. I never had any complaints.

Then Serial ATA came along. At the same time, onboard RAID controllers became the norm. So at the advice of some friends, I built a new rig with a Sata RAID 0 at 160GB. I used this as my primary drive as it was much, much faster and with that much capacity I didn’t need much more. That was the beginning of the end for my Hitachi. It was bumped down to second string, and onboard backup. Actually, for the time, I left my music and other non essentials as well as copies of anything essential. I don’t fully trust RAID 0’s as there is twice as much risk of a failure counting on two drives to act as one.

Shortly after that, I purchased two more hard drives at 250GB a piece and configured them into a SATA 2 Raid 0 and turned that into my storage and game drive. My friends told me that running your OS on it’s own drive and running software on another would be faster (which turned out to be wrong.) But that is the configuration I have today. One Sata 1 160GB 0 array and one Sata II 500GB Sata 0 array. And up until Saturday, my configuration also included one 120GB Hitachi Deskstar IDE hard drive for internal backups.

Boy did that come in handy. A while a go I was screwing around with Vista and ended up hosing my 500GB array. Not wanting to lose all my critical XP files on my 160GB array, having that 120GB array helped me save the majority of my media files and utilities. I had both the array and the hitachi filled to capacity with emergency backups so that I could repartition and reformat to get away from the mess that Vista created. Up until Saturday, I still had backups of anything I considered critical on that Hitachi drive.

Yes it was slow. Yes it was IDE. But man, that drive had some history and some great uses. I will miss it’s presence in my computer as my M: Drive also labelled as Backup. I will be forever paranoid about one of my array’s failing and me losing a ton of stuff because my backup is gone. I will forever wonder if my technician and friend is still running his Hitachi drive that he so boasted about. Finally… I am now in the market for a great deal on an external hard drive.