FPS Friday! GoldenEye 007 and Conduit 2 Hours Report

Coffee Beans
Do you know that FPS games are horrible on the Wii?  Do you know that the Wii is for kids, and Nintendo fanboys stuck in the 80s and 90s?  Do you know that when it comes to FPS games on home consoles, graphics matter more than actual game-play?

Well, if you do not know these things, you should go read more sites like IGN, Destructoid (most of their Wii FPS reviewers seemed to enjoy them, they just have had low/no Nintendo coverage of the Wii, and seem to ignore tips about legitimate Nintendo things from developers), Joystiq, and basically every "modern" game site that exists that doesn't contain the word "Nintendo" in its title, and you will become well versed in "modern game language" and the understanding that graphics trump game-play, AND that Nintendo is for the kids!

While there are many video game "journalists" that seem to think the words "Wii FPS" do not belong together(and to some those words might not even exist), as evidenced by their written opinions in reviews and articles, I think they are 100% wrong. I digress!

GoldenEye 007 was released on November 2, 2010 and Conduit 2 was released on April 19, 2011.  Conduit 2 received an overall lower "professional" review score average, so does it appear from reported game-play data that Conduit 2 is not as enjoyable as GoldenEye 007, proving that the "professionals'" opinions were right?  Let's take a look!

The Winner of 2 Years' Worth of Coffee Is...

Coffee Beans
     Last month, I posted up a contest/giveaway for 2 years' worth of coffee, and that contest/giveaway is now over!  To enter the contest, the entrants had to write a poem about coffee, with at least one video game reference in it.
     If you have entered any of my contests/giveaways in the past, you know how I usually randomly select the winner; but for those of you that don't know how I select the winner, the images below explain it(you may remember the first two images):

     So, who won the contest/giveaway and what was their poem?  Let's take a look!

National Coffee Day Is Today - Get Free Coffee!

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     Today, September 29, 2011, is National Coffee Day in the United States.  One month ago, I posted how CoffeeWithGames.com had turned two, and to celebrate I announced the contest/giveaway for 2 years' worth of coffee.  I had no idea at the time that the day I chose for the contest to end, which is today, was National Coffee Day!  Kind of ironic the way that happened, but I thought it was pretty cool when I realized it.
     If you are out and about today, keep an eye open for any coffee shops, gas stations, or fast food restaurants that are giving away free cups of coffee.  Also, if you enjoy brewing up your own coffee, you have just a few more hours to enter the contest/giveaway for the 2 years' worth of coffee I am giving away.  You can enter that contest HERE!

     So far, I have had two cups of Maxwell House's Master Blend coffee today, and I am currently finishing a third cup now.  I don't think I'll be venturing out to get a cup, but if I do, I'll update where I get my free coffee in the comment section below!

Questions
     What coffee drinks have you had today, and did any of you not know that today is National Coffee Day?
     Also, if you find a store that is giving away a free cup of coffee today, feel free to name it in the comments below!

Super Mario 64 Turns 15 - Birthday Hours Report

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     Super Mario 64 was originally released for the Nintendo 64 on September 29, 1996; 15 years ago today!  Super Mario 64 saw an updated release of sorts, with the release of Super Mario 64 DS in 2004.
     The original Nintendo 64 version was re-released through the Wii's Virtual Console service on November 19, 2006 at a price point of 1,000 Wii Points, which is $10.
     The Virtual Console version received an updated ESRB rating of "Everyone" with no content listed for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported running around Mario's first 3D world with almost 5 years of data reported?  Well, with Super Mario 64 having its 15th birthday today, let's take a look!

Mrs. Coffee's Poem - Kirby's Epic Ode to Joe (Contest/Giveaway Deadline Reminder!)

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     So, last month the site turned two, and to celebrate I decided to do a contest/giveaway of two years' worth of coffee.  The deadline to enter the contest is tomorrow night:  Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 11:59PM EST.  You can read the simple rules and enter the contest/giveaway HERE!

     If you are wondering what you have to do to enter, all that is required is to write a poem about coffee and at least one video game reference in the comment section of THAT post.

     If you have not seen the entries for the contest/giveaway so far, you can read them HERE.  They have all been really good, and Mrs. Coffee and I have enjoyed reading them.
     My wife, Mrs. Coffee, wrote a poem as an example/inspiration for the contest/giveaway.  So, again, if you have not entered the contest/giveaway to win two years' worth of coffee, do so now HERE!  If you haven't entered yet, but are needing some inspiration, perhaps Mrs. Coffee's poem can help.

Her poem is titled, "Kirby's Epic Ode to Joe":

I like my dark roast nice and warm
while I play Kirby's Epic Yarn.
The subtle flavor on my tongue
helps me beat level one.
And while my enemies run in fear
my happy mouth grins ear to ear.
As I gather beads to advance
my taste buds do a happy dance.
The smooth brew goes down easy
while I am fighting King Dedede.
When the last drop of the pot is gone
my game is 100% done.
So it's back to the coffee pot
turn on the percolator.
As I start a new file
of Rage of the Gladiator.

Grab Your Wakizashi! Samurai Warriors 3 Report

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     Samurai Warriors 3 (SW3) was released for the Wii in North America on September 27, 2010 with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Omega Force, and published by Nintendo for its release in the United States and Europe.
     Samurai Warriors 3 received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB with "Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence" listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.
     SW3 is classified by Nintendo as a "Tactical Action" game on its press page, and the game features a single-player campaign, local split-screen multi-player, as well as online multi-player for 1-2 players.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent hacking and slashing in Samurai Warriors 3 since it released last year?  Let's take a look!

Trader Joe's Coffee - Interview with NicodemusAtNite.com's Charlie

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     If you have been reading my site for a while, you may remember a post from June 2010 which was titled, "Coffee by Mail?!"  In the post, I stated how my friend Charlie, who writes on his own site NicodemusAtNite.com, had mailed me a package of Trader Joe's coffee.
     Well, last month, another package arrived at the house from Charlie, and it contained this:

     Charlie and I met through a mutual friend, and I believe the first time we met we played GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64.  I remember we only played one match, and it was on the Temple level.  GoldenEye 007 was easily my most played Nintendo 64 game, and I enjoyed the game's single-player as well as its multi-player.  It was not until I played against Charlie in that match though, which was in 2002 or later, that I realized the respawn points were pre-determined in the levels, and he knew exactly where they were!
     Charlie started NicodemusAtNite back in April of 2009, and his writing/blogging was part of the inspiration for me starting CoffeeWithGames; so you can partially thank, or blame, him for CWG!
     Last June, Left 4 Dead 2 was Charlie's favorite game at the time.  In the last year, has another game moved into L4D2's place for Charlie, and are there any games he would recommend now?  Let's take a look!

Does SpongeBob SquarePants Cause ADD or ADHD? Truth or Square Report

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     SpongeBob's Truth or Square was released on October 26, 2009 for the Nintendo Wii with a MSRP of $39.99.  The game was developed by Heavy Iron Studios, and published by Play THQ, which is "the family division of THQ".
     SpongeBob's Truth or Square received an "Everyone" rating from the ESRB with "Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief" listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     If SpongeBob's cartoon can cause ADD in young children, and video games are portrayed as even more evil than television by the media in general, by jumping to irrational conclusions we can assume that SpongeBob's Truth or Square video game causes ADHD!  So, does the reported game-play data from the game provide any evidence of this?  Let's take a look!

Guitar Hero 5 versus The Bealtes: Rock Band - Hours Played

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     Guitar Hero 5 released on September 1, 2009 for the Wii.  It had at least two versions for sale, one was the software version only and one was a "Guitar Bundle".  The Wii version of Guitar Hero 5 was developed by Vicarious Visions, and published/distributed by RedOctane and Activision.  The game received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB with "Mild Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes" listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.
     The Beatles: Rock Band was released on September 9, 2009 for the Wii, and it had at least three versions selling on Amazon.com at the time.  The Wii version was developed by Pi Studios, and published/distributed by MTV Games and EA Distribution.  The game received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB with "Mild Lyrics, Tobacco Reference" listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     Both games released a little over 2 years ago, and we last looked at the data from May 3, 2010.  Let's take a look and see if The Beatles: Rock Band still has more Wii owners reporting data, or if perhaps Guitar Hero 5 has been strumming its way along, and has now passed The Beatles: Rock Band.

Shinobi Mini Ninjas Alert! Hours Report

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     Mini Ninjas was released on September 8, 2009 with a MSRP of $39.99.  The game was a multi-console release with the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 all having a version.
     The game was developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive, which is part of Square Enix.
     Mini Ninjas received an "Everyone 10+" rating from the ESRB, with "Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor" listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reportedly spent being ninjas in the last 2 years, as the hours reported are the only evidence we have of actual ninja activity?  Let's take a look!

Metroid: Other M's Hours Played - A Year's Worth

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Metroid: Other M was released on August 31, 2010 as a Nintendo Wii exclusive, with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Team Ninja with help from D-Rockets for the CG portions, and published by Nintendo.

Metroid: Other M received a "Teen" rating from the ESRB with "Animated Blood, Violence" listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

How many hours have Wii owners spent running around Bottle Ship, in Metroid: Other M with 370 days of data possibly reported?  Let's take a look!

$10 for 8 Hours, or $40 for 8 Hours - You Decide! Star Fox 64's Hours Report

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     Star Fox 64 was originally released for the Nintendo 64 on June 30, 1997.  Star Fox 64 was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console service in North America on April 2, 2007 with a price point of 1,000 Wii Points, which is $10.
     The original N64 game was rated "K-A" by the ESRB, which meant the game was for "KIDS TO ADULTS".  The Virtual Console version received the updated ESRB rating of "Everyone" with "Violence" listed at the only content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     If you are a Nintendo 3DS owner, Nintendo is releasing Star Fox 64 3D tomorrow, September 9, for the system.  The 3DS version of Star Fox 64 has a MSRP of $39.99, and features updated graphics and two control methods, one which uses the 3DS' gyroscopes, and it features local multiplayer across 3DS systems.

     So, with Star Fox 64 3D releasing this week, how many hours Wii owners have played the Virtual Console version of Star Fox 64; and do the reported hours show Star Fox 64 3D might be worth its $40 asking price, or would gamers be better off purchasing the cheaper Virtual Console version for just $10?  Let's take a look!

Fore! Hours Spent Playing Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters

If you had a big enough cup, a golf hole flag could be used as a coffee stirrer!

Coffee Beans
     Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters (TW12) was released on March 29, 2011 for the Wii, with a MSRP of $49.99.  TW12 was the first game of the Tiger Woods golf games to feature and allow players to compete at the Augusta National Golf Club.
     The game was developed by EA Tiburon, and published by the EA Sports branch of Electronic Arts.  The game was also released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 29; and just today, September 6, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters released on the PC and Mac platforms.
     TW12 received an "Everyone" rating from the ESRB, and has no content descriptors listed for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent golfing in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters since the game released?  Let's take a look!

Great Game Advertising - Sony's Example with Resistance 3

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     If you are a PlayStation 3 owner and you are a FPS fan, today is the release of Resistance 3 for the system.  Sony appears to be going all out with support for Resistance 3, as I was just hopping over to my YouTube account to upload a video, when I noticed a massive Resistance 3 ad at the top of YouTube.
     I have no idea how much it costs to buy ad space on YouTube, but I can imagine Sony paid a pretty penny(or two) for the spot.
     What's the Resistance 3 ad space look like, and what video is Sony using to advertise the game?  Take a look after the break!

Grab Your Guns! Interview with RespawnAction.com's Founder

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     Call of Duty: World at War, Borderlands, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune are all PS3 games in my collection, and they all have one thing in common other than the console they are on; I received them all from RespawnAction.com's founder, Keith.

Lots of respawn action in these games!

     Keith and I started chatting over a year ago, after he commented on one of my data posts.  We were both new to the blogging scene, and we would talk about different issues and ideas with our sites.
     If you just started reading my blog this year, you may have missed one of our ideas that came about last year, but was short lived.  Tornadoes in Alaska!  It was our version of a video game podcast, but it ended abruptly when Keith(yes, he is the one to blame!) went on vacation.
     So, what is RespawnAction.com about, and what type of games and coffee does Keith enjoy?  Find out after the break!

3 x 1 = 1! Samus' Three Adventures, Metroid Prime: Trilogy - Data Report

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     Metroid Prime: Trilogy (MPT) was released in North America on August 24, 2009 with a MSRP of $49.99.  Metroid Prime: Trilogy was the original Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, all put on one Wii disc.  Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, which were originally GameCube games, were updated with Wii controls; but other than the updated controls, all the games were nearly identical to their original releases.
     The Metroid Prime games were developed by Retro Studios, and published by Nintendo.  Metroid Prime: Trilogy received an ESRB rating of "Teen" with "Animated Blood, Violence" listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners played Samus' three adventures in the last 2 years?  Let's take a look!

Nintendo Recycles - Nintendo Selects: Super Paper Mario

Coffee Beans
     Super Paper Mario was originally released for the Wii on April 9, 2007, with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by an internal team at Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo.
     Super Paper Mario was a continuation of the Paper Mario series that started on the Nintendo 64, and continued on the GameCube with Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
     Super Paper Mario received an "Everyone" rating from the ESRB with "Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence" listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     Last Sunday, August 28, Super Paper Mario joined the Nintendo Selects lineup of Wii games(like this game!), and now has a MSRP of just $19.99.

     How many hours have Wii owners run around in Super Paper Mario since the game released more than 4 years ago?  Let's take a look!

August Brewed - Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans
     Family, work, school, and flying out for a friend's wedding is where a lot of my time was invested in August, but I did make time to play some games, and coffee consumption was a daily occurrence as usual.
     With the 31 days of August 2011 now history, let's take a look at the coffees I consumed, and the games I played during August.

Soccer, or Football! Nintendo Selects: Mario Strikers Charged

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     Mario Strikers Charged was originally released for the Wii on July 30, 2007 with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Next Level Games, and published by Nintendo.  Mario Strikers Charged is a sequel of sorts to Super Mario Strikers which was released on the GameCube, and was also developed by Next Level Games.
     The game received an "Everyone 10+" rating from the ESRB, with "Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence" listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     On Sunday August 28, 2011, Mario Strikers Charged joined the Nintendo Selects lineup of games, and now has a MSRP of just $19.99.

     How many hours have Wii owners played soccer(or football!) with Mario and friends since Mario Strikers Charged released just over 4 years ago?  Let's take a look!