Remember when Nintendo announced the newest version of their Gameboy? The Nintendo DS broke boundaries with its controversial dual-screen technology. Looking back, I remember seeing countless threads using the words “Virtual Boy DS” as a slam towards Nintendo’s upcoming hand-held. I imagine threads such as those are printed out, used as decorations for the Nintendo offices like the severed heads of defeated enemies. There is absolutely no doubt about it, the Nintendo DS has sold an amazing amount of hardware and software, and quietly continues to absolutely dominate the gaming Market. Nintendo, you can feel free to take your victory lap.

So what is it? For those of us currently “DS-less”, we have to ponder the unnatural success of this dual-screened enigma. So, if we were to buy one of these systems, what games should we be on the look out for? Let’s take a look at the most popular games for the DS after which maybe we can ascertain the true nature of this phenomenon.

Check the list below:
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If Mario in a ridiculous bee costume isn’t cute enough for you, there are certainly plenty of other options. Putting our faithful plumber into equally stupid-looking outfits could pretty much be considered a series staple at this point. Frogs, Racoons, Doctors, no subject is too taboo. Here’s a brief glimpse of some of Mario’s varied wardrobe.

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Ryan and I just returned from the Nintendo Press Conference. The company had a hard road to hoe catching up to last year’s presentations but President and Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime kicked everything off with a nice overview of Nintendo’s changing impact on game demographics.

Statistics he cited showed an amazing growth in the non-traditional markets of men and women 25 and over as well as the septuagenarians (old folks) in the audience. This was nothing surprising to anyone that has been following the Wii’s explosion in the market.

Nintendo did move on from the numbers to introduce a new Wii accessory – the Wii Zapper. The Zapper is a cradle for the Wiimote and nunchuk controller that turns it into a light gun setup. The company emphasized its interest in making the Wii a premiere platform for FPS games and used EA’s Custom Medal of Honor Wii, Capcom’s RE: Umbrella Chronicles and SEGA’s Ghost Squad. The accessory will launch later this year with a Nintendo designed game (Duck Hunt Wii anyone?) for $19.99.

Next we got to see updated impressions of Legend of Zelda on the DS, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Smash Bros Brawl. All look good and the news that Super Mario Galaxy would hit shelves December 3rd 2007 seemed a bit disappointing since it falls late in the Christmas buying season.

Mario Cart Wii and a Wiimote racing wheel will be bundled and Nintendo claimed to be doing online play but we all failed to notice. I’m not sure Reggie and I have the same definition of online play. There is a new channel launching- Check Mii Out, meant for sharing, searching and rating Miis from around the world.

The previous news is all fine but the big push of the entire event was on expanding the Wii into a new space with Wii Fit. This exercise and wellness program is bundled with a two step weight pad that gamers will stand on to perform exercises like Yoga moves and mini-games like soccer ball blocking and a half-baked DDR clone.

Nintendo has had a great year so far and the titles they showed in their event were interesting but the move to become a holistic device attractive to all comers may in many cases put off the long time fans. As more and more Brain Age type titles and Wii Fit products hit the market gamers might become concerned that Nintendo doesn’t care about them as much and is looking to pander to the “normals”- despite the fact they very well could be doing what the industry needs to move forward.

I filled you in last week on the games recently made available for the Wii Virtual Console. Now here’s a list of games that were just released today.

Dragon Spirit
600 Wii points
This Namco game from 1987 is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade later ported to the TurboGrafx-16. You play a soldier named Amul who, after being transformed into a blue-dragon, must save Princess Alicia from the serpent demon Zawell. According to the Wikipedia article, “the game is next to impossible,” so those of you who give it a shot may have a challenge in store. It was an arcade game after all.

Ecco: The Tides of Time
800 Wii points
Sega Genesis’ Tides of Time is the second in the Ecco the Dolphin series. Controls and gameplay are both similar to the first game, with a few additions. Players could now use the metasphere, transforming Ecco into a number of different animals including a seagull, a shark, a jellyfish and even an entire school of fish.

Super Mario Bros. 2
500 Wii points
Perhaps the most exciting new addition to the VC stable is SMB2. Nintendo originally created an entirely different Super Mario Bros. 2, which was released in Japan. Realizing the game was frustratingly difficult, they scrapped the North American release and instead published an altered version of the Famicom game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Opinion is still divided on the game due its wildly different gameplay, but I personally love it. And it sold like gangbusters back in 1988, selling over 10 million cartridges to become the third highest selling game ever released on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Only the first and third SMB titles sold more.

Cartoons based on video games are about equally hit and miss as Hollywood movies of the same kind. Occasionally, the odds are broken and some great cartoons based on video games hit the television screen. I’d have to admit, that most cartoons based on video games ended up looking like crap and tasting even worse, but the list of the worst cartoons based on video games is for another day. Most of the great cartoons on my list come from the ass kicking days of cartoons when Saturday morning was worth waking up for. Videos of #2 through #5 follow the break. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

• #1 Dungeons & Dragons
• #2 Pole Position
• #3 Super Mario Bros. 3
• #4 Dragon’s Lair
• #5 Captain N

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When I think of the Nintendo DS, I think of games like Brain Age, Hotel Dusk, and New Super Mario Bros. But I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d live to see the day a Mortal Kombat game would hit the DS. And I know Mortal Kombat has been on previous Nintendo handhelds, but is it just me or does Mortal Kombat kinda not fit into the whole “Nicole Kidman Playing Brain Age 2” image they’re going for lately.

Enough of my babbling and onto the tasty information. If you’ve played Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 in either the arcade, Super NES, Sega Megadrive, Sega Saturn, PS2, or XBLA, then you know what to expect here. The DS version of UMK3 will come with Puzzle Fighter (originally only found in Mortal Kombat: Deception). Also, expect to be able to take on all comers through the Nintendo Wi-Fi service.

*UPDATED*

In what may go down as one of the most critical holiday seasons in gaming history, the major players in the console market are swinging for the fences. This list is a venerable who’s-who of major gaming titles. The list itself is staggering, with more than 60 titles represented. (That’s not to mention the titles that I omitted for lack of popularity). Just glancing at this list makes my wallet burst into flames.

Disclaimer: For purposes of this list, the holiday season starts 8/1. I checked multiple sources for verification of these release dates. Nevertheless, most of these release dates are not 100% confirmed. If I missed a title you are eagerly anticipating (And no, MGS4 is not coming out this year) be sure to let me know, I’ll try to update the list if necessary.

Two Worlds – 8/2/07
Bioshock – 8/21/07
Blue Dragon – 8/28/07
Eternal Sonata – 9/19/07
Halo 3 – 9/25/07
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation – 10/25/07
Lost Odyssey – 10/30/07
Tom Clancy’s Spinter Cell: Conviction – 11/15/07
Too Human – TBD ‘07
Mass Effect – TBD ‘07
Project Gotham Racing 4 – TBD ’07
Alan Wake – TBD ‘07

See the rest of the list after the jump:
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Over at Craftster, one inventive seamstress made their very own plush Nintendo Entertainment System. The only word I can use to describe this is adorable, and I only use the word “adorable” maybe twice a year. I mean, I really liked my old NES console, but I never wanted to hug it and bury my face in its plastic hide. The creator of this squishy masterpiece hand-stitched all of it and even hand-dyed the felt. They even took the extra time to make sure the cartridges, zapper, and controller could plug into the main box. And then they topped it off by stitching screenshots from Super Mario Bros. 3 and Duck Hunt for a plush TV. Awwwww, Nintendo. We wub roo!

Hey paizanos! Looks like the DVD set of the Super Mario Bros. 3 cartoon is out today. The show came after the popular Super Mario Bros. Super Show, but took out the live-action sequences. The cartoon featured Mario and Luigi thwarting the different schemes of King Koopa (a.k.a. Bowser) and his seven children, the Koopa Kids. Though they never explain how one reptilian male produced offspring without a “Mrs. Koopa,” the series did have a number of adventures in “the real world” that had cameos by then-president George Bush Sr. and Milli Vanilli. For some reason, I really don’t mind having my childhood re-packaged and sold to me all over again. It still comes with that warm and fuzzy feeling.

This is one of the coolest things I have seen in quite some time. Okay, I’m a huge dork so I’m obviously a bit biased, but come on!

What do you think, is this cooler than Jonathan’s post about the theremin yesterday? I’m a huge fan of both the Zelda and Super Mario Bros. scores, but I’m going to have to go for the SMB.

Why? Because it’s two huge

This is one of the coolest things I have seen in quite some time. Okay, I’m a huge dork so I’m obviously a bit biased, but come on!

What do you think, is this cooler than Jonathan’s post about the theremin yesterday? I’m a huge fan of both the Zelda and Super Mario Bros. scores, but I’m going to have to go for the SMB.

Why? Because it’s two huge