Mario Madness! Mario Sports Mix Debut Data Report

Coffee Beans
Mario Sports Mix was released on February 7, 2011 in North America, with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo.

The ESRB gave the game an "E for Everybody" rating, with "Mild Cartoon Violence" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

A portion of the game's Amazon.com description reads, "Mario Sports Mix is a fast-paced and fun sports game for Wii featuring all your favorite Nintendo characters in over-the-top Mushroom Kingdom athletic action.  Events included in the game include basketball, volleyball, dodgeball and hockey playable both on ice and elsewhere.  Additional features include: multiplayer support, including four-player co-op play and two-on-two competitive play; special devastating moves available for each character; the ability to use koopa shells and other means against opposing players; a variety of game environments and more."

How many hours have Wii owners spent playing basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, and hockey in Mario's Mushroom Kingdom, with 22 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting
Mario Sports Mix has 7,341 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Nintendo Channel, on its debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported
Mario Sports Mix has 89,820 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average "sports" play-time of 12 Hours 17 Minutes "Per person"(or console) reporting data. The game's average play-time per session is just over 2 Hours 39 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price
Mario Sports Mix's Amazon.com sale rank is #64, and it's currently selling for $49.99 from a third party on Amazon.com. (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 9:30PM, on 2-28-11)

Review Score Averages
Mario Sports Mix's "professional" review score average is 64.69%, based on 26 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Mario Sports Mix has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 8 customer reviews. Mario Sports Mix's customer review score average is 85%, when converted to a 100% review scale.  You can see the customer review scores breakdown in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 9:30PM, on 2-28-11)

Filtered Thoughts
I haven't played Mario Sports Mix, and I probably won't play (or buy) it anytime soon, though I am interested to see how hockey plays in the game.  I really enjoyed Mario Strikers Charged, because it reminded me a lot of the NHL Hitz hockey games I used to play.  If the hockey game in Mario Sports Mix plays like either Mario Strikers Charged or the NHL Hitz games, I would probably enjoy that sport the most.

If you haven't seen how Nintendo has been advertising Mario Sports Mix, here's a compilation trailer showing three commercials I believe Nintendo has been running for the game:


As for the game's debut game-play hours, they actually took one week longer to debut than I expected for this game, considering it's a Nintendo published title with the name "Mario" in its title.  The debut hours are pretty solid for a game initially debuting though, and I think it will be interesting to see how the game performs over the next few months considering it has online multi-player, as well as local multi-player.

I guess with March Madness almost upon us, Nintendo's release of Mario Sports Mix in North America was well timed for basketball fans, that are perhaps also Mario fans.  It's like Nintendo basketball fans can have a "Mario March Madness" in the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario Sports Mix!

Questions
If you have played Mario Sports Mix, do you think the game is closer to an 85% review score like the customer reviews, or do you think it's closer to the 64.69% "professional" review score average?

Also, if you played the NHL Hitz hockey games, how does hockey in Mario Sports Mix play compared them if you can remember?


If you're interested in Mario Sports Mix, you can see prices for it listed on Amazon.com linked below:
  

An Exciting Wii Racer - Ignored by Nintendo, Not Known by Wii Owners

Coffee Beans
When you think of the Wii and racing games, what's the first game that enters your mind?  Mario Kart Wii, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, or perhaps even the Wii release title Excite Truck?

Well, I think one Wii racing game that has flown under the radar since it was released is ExciteBots: Trick Racing.
  
ExciteBots: Trick Racing was released in North America on April 20, 2009 with two versions: one for $39.99 that was the game by itself, and one for $49.99 that included a Wii Wheel.  The game was developed by Monster Games, and published by Nintendo.

Now you may be thinking, "What do you mean that it was ignored by Nintendo?"  Well, it was released with little fanfare and given basically no media attention from Nintendo.  Considering how well the game plays, and the amount of content in it, I'm really surprised that Nintendo didn't give the game at least one commercial(if they did, I couldn't find a record of it).

I received ExciteBots: Trick Racing as a surprise gift from my wife in May of 2009.  She had one of my friends call me and ask me what new Wii games were out, that HE may be interested in.  After thinking of Endless Ocean: Blue World and ExciteBots: Trick Racking, I told him I had seen a video of ExciteBots, and I thought he would like it. Well, a few days later Mrs. Coffee presented me with a gift, and I unwrapped ExciteBots: Trick Racing!

As for ExciteBots not being known by Wii owners, I remember talking with my neighbor one day (same neighbor who gave me the 2011 Club Nintendo Calendar I used in the Contest/Giveaway last month!) and mentioning ExciteBots to him. He hadn't heard of it. I ran into the house and grabbed my copy of ExciteBots and let him borrow it.  He's a pretty regular gamer on the Wii, and knows when games are releasing, but ExciteBots had flown under his radar.

If you haven't seen any footage of ExciteBots: Trick Racing, here's a video of me racing against Daemion, from MyLittleGamer.Blogspot.com:



Filtered Thoughts
I've really enjoyed my time with ExciteBots: Trick Racing, and if you're looking for a unique racing game on the Wii that offers many hours of fun, I highly suggest ExciteBots: Trick Racing.

ExciteBots: Trick Racing features both local splitscreen multi-player for two players, or online multi-player races for up to six racers. The game has 40+ races to participate in through the "Excite" and "Super Excite" modes, and 19 ExciteBots to choose between for the races. The game also features a "Poker Race" mode where you are playing poker DURING the race.  It also has a separate section for the 10 "Minigames" you encounter during many races, allowing you to practice and get/record high scores for each minigame.

One example of a minigame in the video above you may have noticed, was me driving through bowling pins during the race, and it would give me Star points for each pin I knocked down.

If you want to see what Daemion thought of ExciteBots, you can read his review HERE, http://mylittlegamer.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-of-excitebots-trick-racing-feb.html.

If any of you own ExciteBots: Trick Racing, and are looking for people to play with/against online, feel free to add my Friend Code for the game:  0860-9995-8866.

Questions
If any of you own ExciteBots: Trick Racing, what do you think of the game...good, or bad?  Also, if any of you want to see more coverage/videos of ExciteBots: Trick Racing, please leave a comment letting me know!


If anybody is interested in ExciteBots: Trick Racing, you can see prices for the game on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Paint By Numbers! Disney Epic Mickey's Data Report

Coffee Beans:
     We last looked at Disney Epic Mickey's game-play hours the week they debuted on the Nintendo Channel, on December 27, 2010.
     Just about 2-weeks after I posted that report, it was reported that Disney Epic Mickey had sold 1.3 million copies its first month, basically being all of December 2010 considering it released the very last day of November.

     How many hours have Wii owners been painting in Mickey's world during the 57 days reported since the last report?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Disney Epic Mickey now has 81,197 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel.

Reported Player Increase:
     How many more players are reporting play-time data for Disney Epic Mickey since the debut hours report?
     Well, Disney Epic Mickey has seen an increase of about 71,557 more gamers reporting game-play data through the Nintendo Channel, since the hours from December 27, 2010.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Disney Epic Mickey now has 765,347 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 687,263 Total Hours in the last 57 days reported.
     The average play-time for Epic Mickey is 9 Hours 26 Minutes "Per person" reporting data, which is an increase of 1 Hour 19 Minutes since the debut game-play hours.
     Disney Epic Mickey's average play-time per session is now just over 2 Hours 8 Minutes.

Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:
     Disney Epic Mickey's Amazon.com sale rank is #108, and it is currently selling for $43.99.

     The Disney Epic Mickey Collector's Edition Amazon.com sale rank is #1,834, and is currently on sale for $55.57.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 11:30PM on 2-26-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Disney Epic Mickey's "professional" review score average is now 72.21%, based on 52 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Epic Mickey has a 3.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, now based on 211 customer reviews.
     Disney Epic Mickey's customer review score average is 71.65%, when converted to a 100% scale.

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:30PM on 2-26-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I think it's interesting seeing how quickly Disney Epic Mickey sold more than a million copies, especially with the mixed bag of reviews the game received after it released.
     I'm sure having Disney behind the product helped, and perhaps the way Disney marketed Epic Mickey should be looked at by other third party Wii developers/publishers, to get ideas for marketing their games?
     Being that my wife and I don't have cable television, I have no idea what(if any) commercials Disney ran, and how long they ran them for Epic Mickey, so if you saw any commercials, leave a comment if you can remember what time/what channel you saw it on perhaps.
     If you haven't seen any commercial or trailer for the game, here's a trailer that shows some game-play elements, as well as giving a brief idea behind the story:


     I think Disney Epic Mickey will continue to see a steady increase in the game-play hours reported, as it appears that the game is being played slowly and the gamers aren't rushing through it.
     On my last report, CoffeewithGames reader gLitterbug left several comments about his experience with Disney Epic Mickey, and when it came to his play-time he said, "I've finished the game in about 3-4 session and tallying up to a bit over 18 hours."
     I think seeing the "Total Hours" reported for Disney Epic Mickey being already close to one million game-play hours is very good a third party game with no online element, and I think it will be interesting to see when this game crosses one million Total Hours reported, since many Wii games released will never reach that.
     While I still haven't played Disney Epic Mickey, I am making progress through my backlog of games, so perhaps I will play this game before the end of the year!

Questions:
     Have any of you played and beaten Disney Epic Mickey since the game released?  If so, about how many hours did it take you to complete from start to finish?
     If you have played it and beaten it, have you found yourself going back to play it again to try and make different decisions than you made the first time?

If anybody is interested in Disney Epic Mickey, you can see prices for the game and Collector's Edition on Amazon.com linked below:
   

The Legend of Zelda's Birthday - Another Year Older, More Game-Play Hours Reported

Coffee Beans:
The Legend of Zelda was released on the NES in North America on August 22, 1987.  The Legend of Zelda was originally released in Japan on February 21, 1986, so the game had been out for more than a year before Nintendo brought it to the United States.

Nintendo re-released The Legend of Zelda in digital form through the Wii's Virtual Console service on November 19, 2006 for 500 Wii Points, which is $5.
  
How many hours have been spent in the land of Hyrule, during the last 4 years with Link's first adventure?  Let's take a look!

Link, does he take coffee and cake?

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
The Legend of Zelda has 230,769 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel, with 1,556 days reported.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
The Legend of Zelda has 1,454,030 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 6 Hours 18 Minutes "Per person" reporting data. The Legend of Zelda's average play-time per session is just over 50 Minutes.

Sales Information:
The Legend of Zelda is currently in the top 20 on the Virtual Console's "Popular Titles" section, sitting at the #7 spot, and it has the highest spot of the "Zelda" games in the "Popular Titles" section.

The Legend of Zelda's North American WiiWare version has made Nintendo about $1,153,845 (before taxes!), based on the approximate number of players reporting data and the game's $5 price point.

Filtered Thoughts:
I honestly can't remember playing and beating The Legend of Zelda, but I do remember watching it being played when I was younger.

Many of you may have seen posts this week noting that The Legend of Zelda turned 25, which I thought was interesting mainly because Nintendo didn't release any special edition Zelda game disc, like they did for Mario's 25th birthday.

If you don't remember what The Legend of Zelda looks/plays like, here's a very brief video showing some footage from the game:


Perhaps once I complete my Video Game New Year's Resolution, I can attempt to play The Legend of Zelda, and at least then KNOW that I beat it.

While I've enjoyed some of my time spent in the land of Hyrule, I hope the Zelda series continues to mature in ways other than age, like perhaps trying new game-play elements not normally in the "Zelda" games(FPS shooting style elements) and perhaps a more involved story, with character development.

Questions:
Have any of you played through and completed The Legend of Zelda in the last 4 years?  If so, was it as good as perhaps you remembered in the past?

Also, are any of you surprised, like me, how Nintendo didn't seem to do much for The Legend of Zelda's 25th birthday?

If any of you are interested in The Legend of Zelda, you can still download the game from the Wii's Shop Channel for $5 using either Wii Points(pictured below) or a credit card:

Duck the Puck! NHL Slapshot's Hours Debut

Coffee Beans:
     NHL Slapshot was released on September 7, 2010 for the Nintendo Wii with a MSRP of $59.99.  $59.99 included the game, NHL Slapshot, as well as the NHL SLAPSHOT Hockey Stick game accessory.
     The game can be played by 1-4 players, and the description for NHL Slapshot on the Nintendo Channel reads, "Deke, check, and shoot with the all-new NHL SLAPSHOT Hockey Stick game accessory, included with NHL Slapshot.  Simply plug the Wii Remote and Nunchuk into the hockey stick and take over any game like a true NHL All-Star."

     NHL Slapshot was developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports.
     The ESRB rating for NHL Slapshot is "E for Everyone", with no Content descriptors listed for parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent on the ice with Wayne Gretzky since NHL Slapshot released?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     NHL Slapshot has 3,236 Wii owners reporting data through the Nintendo Channel on its debut, with 168 days reported.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     NHL Slapshot has 50,175 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average "hockey" time of 15 Hours 30 Minutes "Per Person"(or console) reporting data.
     NHL Slapshot's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 45 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     NHL Slapshot's Amazon.com sale rank is #804, and it is currently selling for $46.99.
     (Sale rank and advertised price were recorded around 11:35PM, on 2-22-11)

Review Score Averages:
     NHL Slapshot's "professional" review score average is 77.38%, based on 21 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     NHL Slapshot has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 41 customer reviews.
     NHL Slapshot's customer review score average is 90.24%, when converted to a 100% scale.

You can click the "41 customer reviews" and read what the customers had to say!

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:35PM, on 2-22-11)


Odd Bean:
     I thought it was interesting that NHL Slapshot received and "E" rating from the ESRB, which made me wonder, "Does this hockey game have any fighting?"
     Well, according to NHL Slapshot's Wikipedia page, it says, "It is the first game in the NHL series since NHL 2005 to receive an E rating, mainly because the game does not include fighting."


Filtered Thoughts:
     I remember thinking, "Gimmick!" after seeing the NHL Slapshot Hockey Stick when the game was announced for the Wii.  I really didn't think the use of the shell, with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk would work well at all, but after reading several "professional" reviews and many customer reviews, it seems the set-up functions pretty well.
     Here's a quick video that shows the NHL Slapshot Hockey Stick setup, as well as a few tips when using it, followed by some game-play footage that shows players being able to use Wayne Gretzky:


     I haven't played NHL Slapshot, but I enjoyed hockey games a lot during the last generation of consoles.  While 168 days isn't extremely fast for a Wii game to debut, it does make NHL Slapshot the fastest Wii hockey game to debut that was released in 2010.
     As for NHL Slapshot's price, as I stated in the "Coffee Beans" section the game released with a MSRP of $59.99, but Amazon.com now has the game with a list price of $49.99, and has put it on sale a few times during the last month.  So, if you're interested in NHL Slapshot, you may want to watch Amazon.com's prices to see if/when the game goes on sale again if the current asking price of $46.99 isn't your budget for the game.
     I think seeing the average hours of 15 Hours 30 Minutes "Per person" reporting data, should be encouraging to the developers and show them the Wii owners that are playing it seem to be enjoying it a good amount.  I think if the game included online play, the game-play hours would be even higher.  So, perhaps if there's a NHL Slapshot 2 in the works, hopefully online multi-player will be included.

Questions:
     Have any of you played NHL Slapshot, and if so what did you think about it?  Is it a game you would recommend to other Wii owners looking for a fun hockey game, and did the NHL Slapshot Hockey Stick function well from your experience with it?

If any of you are interested in NHL Slapshot, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Too Sick To Game

Miidicine...medicine for Miis?  Click to enlarge.

    
Coffee Beans:
     Some of you may have noticed last week that I only did one "data" story, and that was it.  I didn't do my "FPS Friday" post as I had done 4-weeks in a row prior to this past Friday, and I didn't get to finish my post(now coming this week) I was working on about Mrs. Coffee and I finishing Donkey Kong Country Returns.

     Well, last Thursday morning I woke up feeling a little cold.  I thought, "What'd we leave the heat on last night?!"  I finished getting ready for class, and as I was about to leave Mrs. Coffee handed me an egg, cheese, and toast sandwich she had prepared me...I usually wolf those down...but after one bite, I said something like, "I'm not hungry, but I'll take it with me."
     As I was sitting in class, I was still feeling cold, but dismissed it after another classmate said, "It's cold in here!"
     After surviving the drive home, I walked in the door and set my still unfinished breakfast sandwich and backpack on the table, and told my wife that I wasn't feeling well, and was going to lie down.
     I slept Thursday afternoon until about 4:30PM when she woke me up, and when I checked my temperature it was around 102 degrees at the time.  She found some Nyquil-ish type cold/flu medicine and gave it to me.

     I stayed up Thursday evening like a zombie watching our son, but played the "Stay as far away as possible" game, hoping to not get him sick.  I ended up staying in the bed pretty much all day Friday with a fever, then helped watch our son for a few hours again Saturday morning, and as soon as my wife walked in the door, I headed straight back to the bed.
     Before I got sick last Thursday, I had told a blog follower(who runs his own gaming blog, MyLittleGamer.Blogspot.com) that I would try to play some online matches of ExciteBots: Trick Racing with him and/or his son, and record footage of the matches.

     It didn't happen Thursday, and it didn't happen Friday.  When I was awake Saturday morning, I knew it wasn't going to happen then either, so I sent him a message Saturday afternoon before passing back out, letting him know I was sick and I wouldn't be hopping online to play for a while because I was sick.

     I got out of the bed briefly Saturday evening to eat some soup, and headed back to it soon after.  I was taking the cold/flu medicine about every 4 hours(as directed), but it didn't really help with sleeping, as I just found I myself to be tossing and turning often.
    
     Saturday evening I decided to bring my DS Lite to the bed, and see if perhaps I could play some while I was tossing and turning...after only playing for a period of about 10 minutes, I knew I was too sick to play!  I couldn't concentrate on the game enough with my headache, neck-ache, backache, and random coughing fits, so I put the DS Lite away, and went back to tossing and turning for a few hours before falling asleep again.

    Today marks the fifth day of fighting this(apparently the flu), but I'm feeling better than I was this past Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday...though feeling better than those days, isn't saying a whole lot!
     I should be getting back to posting on a more regular basis this week, with a data post coming later tonight...

Thoughts/Questions:
     I really hope all of you and your family/friends stay well, and avoid getting what I've had.  This was the first time, in the longest, that I can remember actually being too sick to game, and instead preferring to sleep.
     Can any of you recall being so sick, that you didn't feel like gaming or doing anything other than sleeping?

The Donkey Kong Island Report - Hours of Pain, or Hours of Pleasure?

Coffee Beans
     First, happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  I hope you all had a great day, and perhaps had the chance to spend it with others.  For this report, we're taking another look at Donkey Kong Country Returns!
     Donkey Kong Country Returns was released 86 days ago, and we last looked at the game-play hours as they were reported on January 17.
     I'm including a video of my wife and I playing World 1-1, Jungle Hijinxs, with this week's data report, and you can find the game-play video in the "Filtered Thoughts" section down below.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent on Donkey Kong Island in the last 29 days, and were those hours of pain, or pleasure?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     How many players does Donkey Kong Country Returns have reporting their play-time data?
     Donkey Kong Country Returns now has 111,906 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Reported Player Increase:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns has seen an increase of about 34,904 gamers reporting game-play data, since the data reported on January 17.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns now has 1,523,884 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 693,524 Total Hours of game-play in the last 29 days.
     The average play-time for DKCR is 13 Hours 37 Minutes "Per person" reporting data, which is an increase of 2 Hours 49 Minutes more than the last average reported.
     The average play-time per session(or day) reported for Donkey Kong Country Returns is just over 1 Hour 59 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns' Amazon.com sale rank is #43, and it is currently selling for $43.99.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 11:45PM, on 2-14-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns' "professional" review score average is 87.69%, based on 48 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     DKCR has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 215 customer reviews.
     Donkey Kong Country Returns' customer review score average is now 90.41%, when converted to a 100% review scale.  You can see the customer review score breakdown for DKCR in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:45PM, on 2-14-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     Since the last report, Donkey Kong Country Returns has crossed 1,000,000 Total Hours of game-play reported, in 65 days reported.  I think it's interesting, though not unexpected, that Donkey Kong Country Returns took 65 days to cross one million Total Hours of game-play reported after it released, while New Super Mario Bros. Wii took just 44 days to cross one million Total Hours reported after it released.
     As for the play-time with the game in our house, my wife and I have completed Donkey Kong Country Returns 100% (102% now!), since I did the last report, and we had a blast with the game...even though we aren't "officially" done yet.
     The video below is of my wife and I playing through World 1-1, Jungle Hijinxs, in Donkey Kong Country Returns.  I'm playing as Donkey Kong and she's playing as Diddy Kong in the video.
     SPOILER ALERT - Also, if you don't want to know how to get all the K-O-N-G letters or where all the puzzle pieces are in World 1-1, you shouldn't watch the video, as we do collect them all in the video.  Here's the video:


     I think DKCR will continue to see a steady increase in game-play hours, but like I stated in the last report, Donkey Kong Country Returns' Amazon.com sale rank is still lower than New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Kart Wii.  While DKCR has definitely sold well for Nintendo, I wonder how the game is going to end up with sales in a year's time.

     While we enjoyed our overall time with DKCR, many of the hours/levels were agonizingly painful (in a video game difficulty sense!)!  
     Being today was Valentine's Day though, if you're looking for a video game to spend time with a "special" someone in your life, I would highly recommend Donkey Kong Country Returns...just beware the game is challenging, but it will give you many hours of pleasure.

Questions:
     Have any of you been playing Donkey Kong Country Returns in the last few weeks, and if so, have any of you beaten it?  Also, have any of you perhaps played through the entire game co-op with another person, like my wife and I, and found it to be really enjoyable?  Or, was your experience more "pain", than "pleasure"?

If anybody is interested in Donkey Kong Country Returns, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Amazon.com Sales - 50+ PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii Games/Accessories Sales

Coffee Beans:
     Here's a list of PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii games currently on sale.  The list is separated by console, and the accessories/games are listed alphabetically for easier browsing.  Each accessory/game is linked directly to its sales page, and clicking on each accessory/game name will redirect you to the sales page.
     Every accessory/game listed is either sold directly from Amazon.com, or is fulfilled by Amazon.com, which means you won't have to deal with third party vendors.
     Also, every video game or video game accessory listed below includes free shipping.

PS3:
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood for $47.49(Save 21%, Ships Free)
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $47.99(Save 20%, Includes Free Shipping)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Collection for $39.99(Save 56%, Ships Free)
Dead Space 2 for $41.99(Save 30%, Includes Free Shipping)

Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition for $59.95(Save 25%, Ships Free)
DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Black for $43.99(Save 20%, Ships Free)
DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Blue for $43.99(Save 20%, Ships Free)
DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Silver for $42.99(Save 22%, Ships Free)

EyePet for $24.99(Save 38%, Includes Free Standard Shipping)
FIFA Soccer 11 for $39.95(Save 33%, Ships Free)
Madden NFL 11 for $37.99(Save 37%, Ships Free)
NBA Jam for $34.90(Save 30%, Ships Free)

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit for $47.99(Save 20%, Ships Free)
Sports Champion for $24.99(Save 38%, Includes Free Standard Shipping)
You Don't Know Jack for $29.99(Save 25%, Ships Free)

Wii:
FIFA Soccer 11 for $29.95(Save 40%, Ships Free)
GoldenEye 007 for $39.99(Save 20%, Ships Free)
Just Dance 2 for $29.99(Save 25%, Ships Free)
Just Dance Kids for $19.99(Save 33%, Includes Free Standard Shipping)

Kirby's Epic Yarn for $39.54(Save 21%, Ships Free)
Madden NFL 11 for $29.99(Save 40%, Ships Free)
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for $29.96(Save 40%, Ships Free)
Metroid: Other M for $33.09(Save 34%, Fulfilled and Ships Free by Amazon)

New Super Mario Bros. Wii for $34.99(Save 30%, Ships Free)

FPS Friday - Killzone 3 Multi-player Beta Thoughts & Video

Coffee Beans:
     Killzone 3 will be releasing later this month, February 22 to be exact, and Sony currently has the "Killzone 3 Open Beta" for the game's online multi-player and Botzone modes available for download on PlayStation 3.
     I downloaded the Beta last Thursday, and have played a few matches since then.  Here's a video of me playing just one match from of the online multi-player from the Killzone 3 Open Beta:


     While I only played as the Field Medic class in the video, the Killzone 3 Open Beta has five classes you can choose to play as, and they are:

• Engineer
• Marksman
• Tactician
• Infiltrator
• Field Medic

     The game describes the Field Medic class by saying, "The Field Medic gives what the battlefield takes away.  Life is his to give and take but the truly skilled Field Medic can bring soldiers back from the brink of death to be more effective than they ever were before."

     The Killzone 3 Open Beta has three multi-player modes, and each is listed below with the description for each mode:

• Guerrilla Warfare - "The winning faction is the team that reaches the pre-set body count first, or accumulates the highest number of kills before time runs out."
• Warzone - "Warzone features multiple randomized mission types for each faction to accomplish, creating dynamically changing gameplay from one game to the next."
• Operations - "The ISA and Helghast battle for control of specific objectives - the ISA on the offensive and the Helghast defending.  The best players are featured throughout the match in cutscenes depicting their successes."

     Each mode can be played with 8 players on each team, for a total of 16 players online.

     The map that you see in my video above is called Frozen Dam, and it's the only map in the Open Beta.  Other areas of the map open up that you didn't see in my video, in the other multi-player modes.

Filtered Thoughts:

     I've enjoyed my brief time with the Killzone 3 Open Beta, I'm about to go hop back into some matches right now, and while I only showed/talked specifically about the Field Medic class, I'm hoping to try a few of the other classes in the next week.

     The graphics look extremely nice, even on my standard definition television...though reading text is extremely annoying, like most PS3 games on my standard definition television.

     I think the game controls pretty well, but adjusting back to dual-analog controls(from Wii Remote and Nunchuk FPS controls) takes a little while for me to get used to, as I don't have the Sony Move to play the game with.
     I do like how the Botzone mode allows you to play each class, with all the "perks" of each class already unlocked.  It allows you to test each class' strengths, before spending your points that are earned through leveling up in the online multi-player.

     I can't say I'll be purchasing Killzone 3 because of the Open Beta, but I have been enjoying my time with it so far.

     If any of you are playing the Killzone 3 Open Beta and want to find me online to try and play together, my PSN name is Hoj_Latte.

Questions:

     If any of you have been playing the Killzone 3 Open Beta, what do you think about it?  Has it helped you to determine whether you are buying the game or not?

If you are interested in Killzone 3, you can pre-order/reserve the game on Amazon.com linked below:

    

Water, Ice, and Steam Forecast! Fluidity's Debut Game-Play Hours Report

Coffee Beans:
     Fluidity was released on December 6, 2010 in North America through Nintendo's WiiWare service.  Fluidity was developed by Curve Studios and published by Nintendo.  The game is available for download through the WiiWare service for 1200 Wii Points, which is $12.

     A portion of the game's description reads, "Tilt or twist your Wii Remote controller to use the various forms and properties of water on your free-flowing journey through Aquaticus, where every page has multiple panels and illustrations that have come to life.  ...additional powers, such as sticking to objects as a block of ice or shooting bolts of lightning as a steam cloud, will be needed to win the day and destroy the Influence and its minions."
     The ESRB rating for Fluidity is "E for Everyone", with "Comic Mischief" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent sloshing and sliding their way through Fluidity, in the 64 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Fluidity has 5,961 Wii owners reporting game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel for its debut, just 64 days after it released.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Fluidity has 53,108 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average "sloshing" play-time of 8 Hours 54 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Fluidity's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 36 Minutes.

Sales Information:
     Fluidity is currently in the top 20 on the WiiWare's "Popular Titles" section, sitting at the #11 spot.
     Based on the approximate number of players reporting data, and the $12 price point of Fluidity, Curve Studios' net sales on Fluidity would be about $71,532 in the United States, before profit sharing with Nintendo.

Review Score:
     Fluidity has been received well by the "professional" reviewers, and its current "professional" review score average is 86.78%, based on 9 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Odd Beans:
     I thought it was interesting that Fluidity allows you to take on the different states of water: solid(ice), liquid(water) and gas(steam).
     With H2O in each of those states, you could use the water to brew regular coffee, use the ice to make iced coffee, or use the steam to make an espresso drink...how fitting!

Filtered Thoughts:
     First, if you haven't seen anything about Fluidity, check out the trailer below, and it will give you a good idea of what the game is about:


     Second, if you think you might be interested in the game, but aren't sure; I highly suggest going to the Wii's Shop Channel and downloading the free demo for Fluidity and giving it a try.
     I just completed the demo, and found it to be rather fun and interesting.  If you like puzzle-platform type games, I really suggest you give it a try!

     If you go to the Shop Channel to find the Fluidity demo, here are the steps to find the demo:

1. Click the "Start Shopping" button
2. Click the "WiiWare" button, located at the top of the screen in the middle
3. Click the "Newest Additions" button on the top right
4. Click the right arrow at the bottom right, and go to page 3, and the free Fluidity demo should be second from the bottom

     Considering that Fluidity is a brand new IP, and a WiiWare title, I think the fact that it debuted in just 64 days is really awesome for the game.  With the game's price tag being $12 compared to a lot of other WiiWare titles with lower price points, I think it's a good sign for Curve Studios and Nintendo that the game is still in the top 20 right now.
     The one bit of game-play data that I'm really surprised by is the average hours "Per person" being 8 Hours 54 Minutes...especially for a $12 game!  There are many full retail games that release at $50 or more, that have about the same number of hours for a single-player campaign.
     Being that I haven't played the full WiiWare version of Fluidity, I don't know how many hours it takes to complete just the main campaign, but I do know there are items players can go back to find in levels to unlock another mode in the game; so the 8 Hours 54 Minutes could be reflecting more of the "completionist" players that are going back to collect everything.

Questions:
     If you have played and beaten Fluidity, about how many hours did it take you to complete?  From your experience with Fluidity is it a WiiWare game you would recommend to other Wii owners looking for a good puzzle-platforming type game?


If anybody is interested in Fluidity, you can use a Wii Points card shown below, or a credit card to pay for the game from the Wii's Shop Channel:
  

GoldenEye 007's Multi-player Black Box Videos - Defense

Coffee Beans:
     About a week and a half ago, I wrote a post titled, "GoldenEye 007's Multi-player Black Box Mode - Defense".  In the post I explained the objective of being on the "defensive" team in Black Box matches, and I included a multi-player video showing one of the matches I had played.

     If you aren't subscribed to my YouTube Channel, I just uploaded two more Black Box videos from GoldenEye 007's online multi-player that you may have not seen.  In both videos, I was on the "defensive" team, and hopefully these videos will give you a better idea of how the matches normally go:

Black Box match on Archives map


Black Box match on Facility map


     If any of you are still playing GoldenEye 007 online, feel free to add my friend code to your list, 2043-7355-3797 and my username will appear as "Coffee".  If you add my code to your list, feel free to leave your friend code in the comments, or email it to me at Scott(@)CoffeewithGames.com(remove the parenthesis from around the @ symbol).

If any of you are interested in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Congratulations Cheeseheads! Madden NFL Wii Games Hours Report

Coffee Beans:
     Well, well, well...congratulations to all the Cheeseheads out there on the Green Bay Packers' big win last night!  While I was rooting for the Packers, neither of the teams playing were "my" team, and I didn't watch the game, but just refreshed ESPN.com every now and then to see updates and the scores.

     Last year after the Super Bowl, I showed the reported game-play hours for Madden NFL 08, 09, and 10.
     With another Super Bowl played and a full year of data reported, how many hours have Wii owners played Madden NFL 08, Madden NFL 09 All-Play, and Madden NFL 10 in the last 365 days?  Let's take a look!

Hours reported are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Click image to enlarge to read text in bubble.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Madden NFL 08 now has 213,430 Wii owners reporting game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.
     Madden NFL 09 All-Play now has 180,180 Wii owners reporting their game-play data.
     Madden NFL 10 has 93,084 Wii owners reporting game-play data now.

Number of Players Increased Reporting Data:
     Madden NFL 08 has seen an increase of about 38,165 more gamers reporting data in the 365 days between recorded data.
     Madden NFL 09 All-Play has seen an increase of about 55,328 more Wii owners reporting data since the last report.
     Madden NFL 10 has seen an increase of about 65,095 more Wii owners reporting data since last year.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Madden NFL 08 has 6,494,606 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 30 Hours 25 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Madden NLF 08 has seen an increase of 1,364,171Total Hours reported since February 8, 2010.
     Madden NFL 08's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 44 Minutes.

     Madden NFL 09 All-Play has 5,404,102 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 30 Hours 0 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Madden NFL 09 All-Play has seen an increase of 2,145,025 Total Hours reported since last year's report.
     Madden NFL 09 All-Play's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 47 Minutes.

     Madden NFL 10 has 2,336,676 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 25 Hours 6 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     Madden NFL 10 has seen an increase of about 1,883,500 Total Hours reported in the last year.
     Madden NFL 10's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 45 Minutes.

Odd Beans:
     I was curious as to how long it takes to make a block of cheese, so I made a few phone calls today to two Wisconsin cheese factories.  I spoke with two gentlemen at Mullins Cheese(same last name, no relation!), and one gentleman at Bletsoe's Honey Bee Cheese, and they informed me that it averages between 4-5 hours depending on the type of cheese being made, and that the cheeses are usually made in 40LB blocks.
     Based on the 14,235,384 Total Hours of game-play reported for all three Madden NFL games shown, we could make between 3,558,846 and 2,847,076 blocks of cheese.
     With the 5,392,696 Total Hours reported just in the last year for all these games, we could make between 1,348,174 and 1,078,539 blocks of cheese...that's a lot of cheese in a year!

     I also learned since researching last night that the famous Cheesehead hats, like my Mii is wearing, are a compilation of three cheeses borrowing shape, color, and holes from a different cheese for each.  If you want to read all about the Cheesehead hats, here's a great article I found, HERE.

Filtered Thoughts:
     First, if you're wondering, "Why isn't Madden NFL 11 included with these games?"  Well, Madden NFL 11 isn't listed on the Nintendo Channel yet, and while it probably has enough hours to be reported by now, I can't access that information until Nintendo or EA get it added.
     As for the reported data, I think it's interesting that Madden NFL 10 only gained 9,767 more players than Madden NFL 09 All-Play did in the last year, and I assume it's because Madden NFL 09 All-Play can be found for lower prices, new or used, at stores.
     If you haven't seen any footage of Madden NFL Wii games, here is a video containing footage of Madden NFL 09 All-play and Madden NFL 10:



     Again, congratulations to the Green Bay Packers, and to all the Cheeseheads, on their big win last night!

Questions:
     Did any of you watch the Super Bowl last night, and if so, were you going for the Packers or the Steelers?  If neither team was "your" team, who do you hope wins it next year(as I'm hoping the Titans will finally win the big game next year).
    Also, if any of you own any of these Madden NFL Wii games, or even Madden NFL 11, are they games you would recommend to other Wii owners that may want to give a football game a try?

If you are interested in any of the Madden NFL Wii reported, or the newest one, you can see them priced on Amazon.com linked below...you can also see see a Cheesehead hat linked below as well!