Section: Gaming News, Features, Collecting, Nostalgia

Danielle mentioned that Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker is among the more unique collectibles from theKing of Pop’s career and now speculators are moving the game on eBay.

Bids on a non-working copy of the Sega Genesis game are up to $61 at the time of this article and working copies complete with instruction manuals have fetched as much as $1,000.

Before Jackson’s untimely death, you would have been hard pressed to get $5 for this cartridge even in excellent condition. Some sellers have set pretty lofty goals and set a Buy It Now price of $1,999.99. Good luck with that, guys. For whatever reason, there isn’t as much action on his appearances in Space Channel 5 and Ready 2 Rumble Round 2.

That could be because Moonwalker is sort of a pixelated love letter to Jackson’s classic Smooth Criminal video. Or because of the pure awesomeness of the old Sega Genesis system. With collectibles, you never know what’s going to happen.

Opinions on the game’s actual quality vary. Danielle loved it, while a reviewer at Game Freaks had a completely different take. You can hit eBay and judge for yourself, just don’t buy the $60 non-working copy.

Read [Gamertell]? Also Read [PlayStation Lifestyle]

Full Story ? | Written by Brian Allen for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Originals, Features, Columns, Nostalgia, Opinions, Consoles, Wii, Handhelds, DS, Updates, Wii-Virtual-Console

Can you say, “the dog days of summer”? This Nintendo download update is certainly on the sedate side, with 2 water-based titles on WiiWare (including a fishing game!) and Sudoku (yes, Sudoku!) on DSiWare. I’m interested in the sole VC release, Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa, and potentially Silver Star Reversi on WiiWare, but if you’re still not satisfied, hell, Natsume does make a mean fishing game. Nintendo adds to it’s virtual game stores each Monday at 9 AM Pacific, and Wii points may be purchased at a rate of $1=100.

Nintendo’s Descriptions:

WiiWare

Water Warfare
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme – Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park – is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing – it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console

Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

Read Nintendo Life

Full Story ? | Written by Danielle Riendeau for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Section: Gaming News

Haven’t caught all of the Gamertell news this week?? Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!

• Gamertell Preview: Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament for PSP
  ” I’d never had the opportunity to play Irem and Atlus’ PS2 Steambot Chronicles, but had heard good things. So when given the chance to test drive the portable Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament, I looked forward to an interesting…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Science Girls for PC, Mac and Linux
  ” Title: Science Girls! Price: $9.95 System(s): Windows (also available for Mac and Linux) Release Date: May 28, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Hanako Games (Hanako Games and Spiky Caterpillar) ESRB Rating: N/A Pros: Adorable character…” MORE ?
• Nintendo Downloads for June 22, 2009
  “We’re entering summer 2009 with a rather bizarre mix of downloadable games. But on WiiWare/Virtual Console/DSiWare, that’s pretty much par for the course, no? The smart money is on the funky sounding new puzzler from YUKES (NEVES Plus) and potentially the new Art Style game, though if you’re really dying…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled for DS
  ” Title: Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled Price: $29.99 System(s): DS Release Date: June 9, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Graffiti Entertainment (Studio Archcraft) ESRB Rating: “Everyone” for Mild Fantasy Violence and…” MORE ?
• PlayStation Store Update: Another PS1 Classic, new movies available (June 21 to June 27, 2009)
  ” This week an old PS One classic comes to the PlayStation Portable, the game that started it all…” MORE ?
• BioShock and Oblivion bundle available in July for Xbox 360s and PCs
  ” We love it when a good deal comes along. We especially love it when we find it difficult to decide which of two great games to play first. Starting on July 7, 2009 BioShock and The Elder Scrolls IV:…” MORE ?
• Bethesda discusses Fallout 3 Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta DLC
  ” On May 20, 2009 Bethesda announced two additional episodes to the Fallout 3 universe. “Point Lookout” will be released first on June 23, 2009 for Xbox 360 and PC for 800 MS points ($10) and “Mothership Zeta” is coming out in…” MORE ?
• GTA: Chinatown Wars is headed to PSP in fall 2009
  “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was, by most accounts, a completely awesome game. Released on the DS last March, critics loved the gritty, comical portable version of everyone’s favorite open world series, though it didn’t sell well – at all. According to…” MORE ?
• Activision boss calling for PS3 price cut, or else
  ” The head of Activision Bobby Kotick has expressed his concern over the price of the PS3 and how he was disappointed a price drop wasn’t announced at E3, but we never though he’d go this far. In an interview with…” MORE ?
• Gamertell Review: Wallace and Gromit Episode 3: Muzzled! for PC
  ” Title: Wallace and Gromit episode 3: Muzzled! Price: $8.95 or $34.95 for the series System(s): *PC, Xbox live Release Date: June, 15, 2009 Publisher (Developer): Telltale games (Aardman)? ESRB Rating: “E for everyone+10”…” MORE ?

Full Story ? | Written by NEWS for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?

Amber has been a tad bit occupied lately.

TARDIS

Random Time Lords podcast.

Me and Steven Perez discuss things that are going on.

Check it out.

Also don’t forget about the comic.

Section: Gaming News, Consoles, PCs

Retail stores have experimented with different methods to prevent the theft of games in the past. Some stores surround the disc case in a thick plastic prison cell, some have games locked in display cases and others keep the games behind the counter where only employees have access. All these methods have their advantages and disadvantages but none of them are perfect. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2010 retailers may adapt a new system that uses radio frequencies to unlock discs once they are sold.

The Entertainment Merchants Association proposed that retail stores could earn up to $6 billion a year if it switches to this new system. Under this system, disc based media such as games, Blu-ray discs and DVDs will be unplayable until they are scanned at checkout. A specific radio frequency then unlocks the disc and makes it playable from that point on.

In an effort to appease critics that may think this is another case of digital rights management (DRM), the vice president of public affairs for the EMA Sean Bersell spoke to GameSpot and said this is not the case. He says this technology is not meant to stop people from making illegal copies of disc media but rather to prevent theft from stores in general.

The president of the Entertainment Consumers Association, Hal Halpin, also spoke to GameSpot about how videogame publishers may react to this method. He doesn’t see publishers going along with the idea unless the EMA could guarantee the games could not be resold at a later date.

Via [GameSpot] Read [Geek]

Full Story ? | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gamertell. | Comment on this Article ?