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The site Retrogaming with Racketboy has up a wishlist of sorts, calling out the classic titles begging to be released to the Nintendo DS. Along with the Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World cart that I've been wanting to see for a while now, Racketboy calls out Super Metroid, the Sega Genesis Collection, and the Namco Museum as great candidates for DS releases. He also asks for new titles, like a compilation of Wario titles and a NSMB-style remake of Super Mario Bros. 2. "MattG PressTheButtons also had a really great idea for an original DS game that would serve as a follow-up to the very popular New Super Mario Bros. But instead of continuing with the traditional Mario gameplay, Nintendo would go back to the Super Mario Bros 2. (Doki Doki Panic) action, complete with turnip-throwing goodness. Would it be quite as successful? Possibly not. But I think Nintendo is currently in the position to take some fun risks with some trademark franchises that could give the gaming community something new to talk about."

1up is running a piece looking back at the ten years since the N64's launch. The start of Nintendo's slump, the N64 still managed to come out of the console wars with some great and lasting memories, like GoldenEye, Smash Bros., and Ocarina of Time. From the article: "Nintendo certainly gave players plenty of time to get all 120 stars. By the end of 1996, the N64 still had fewer than a dozen games, and even that anemic library was glutted with mediocrity like Mortal Kombat Trilogy and Cruis'n USA. Sure, there were gems like Mario Kart 64 and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, and there was the stubborn optimism of Nintendo of America President Howard Lincoln (who insisted N64 games sold more than 250,000 per title), but industry commentators were starting to see through the emperor's clothes. Meanwhile, Sony was turning up the heat with massive blockbusters like Final Fantasy VII." The Press the Buttons blog has some additional commentary on Nintendo's first 'meh' console.

Via Press the Buttons, an interesting interview at the Sega-16 site with former Sega president Tom Kalinske. The company's former head burns bridges by laying blame for failures in the company, discussing the ways in which the Japanese office tried to run things, and revealing some of the phenomenally bad ideas the company somehow managed to overcome. From the article: "He was selling the Genesis with Altered Beast as the pack-in [instead of Sonic], and he was selling it at $189.99. There was also very little software activity going on in the U.S., and he hadn't built the company up (gotten permission to hire or didn't have the budget to), so there was no progress being made. If you remember, Sega sold the 8-bit machine - the Master System - prior to that against Nintendo, and it managed to get a 2% share of the market."

"Welcome, welcome, to the biggest show in town. For today only the Carnival of Gamers appears on your front lawn, and we've got quite a show for you. So, hurry up and step right inside, check out the booths and maybe win your lady a stuffed bear!" Today, Slashdot Games is hosting 'The Carnival of Gamers', a roving blog event that collects together some blog entries on gaming written during the previous month. The entries are all self-submitted, and cover everything from the legalities of online currency to the state of videogame reviews. This is a great opportunity to check out some sites you may not have had the chance to read before, and expand your thinking on gaming in society today. Think of it as a large quickies entry, grab your coin purse, and step inside. One of the most common themes among the entries for this month's Carnival was the now 'standard' way we as gamers look at things in the game industry. Both gamers and non-gamers alike have specific views on how games are played, what games are, and the coverage of gaming. Perhaps because of the new year's turning, bloggers wanted to reflect on the way things are normally done.

Mu Productions, for example, has a piece on the future of Machinima, a unique way to 'use' games outside of the norm.

Non-traditional use of games is the center of Press the Buttons' reflection on the 'games can control pain' study that was recently covered here on Slashdot. Using gaming to keep your focus and push away distractions ... I think we've all done that from time to time.

The Game Chair laments the mainstream understanding of games on an airline flight. Does he play his PSP near a young person with 'killer games' in the media?

Tea Leaves challenges the 'hardcore' mentality with a reflection on casual gaming. In his view 'big-box dinosaurs' are an endangered species. Younger, faster, cheaply made casual games will have their day.

Speaking of dinosaurs, Design Synthesis is saddened by the lack of respect we give older games, relegating them to the bargain bin. Where are the gaming museums?

Non-traditional gaming doesn't alway have to be fun. Outside Looking In discusses the JFK: Revolution title and what it could mean, if it weren't a puerile exercise in headline-grabbing. Why not a JFK simulation, but one that could inject some fun into learning history?

On the topic of learning: Late Night PC talks about preparing for a trip to the Game Developer's conference (something I'm going to have to do pretty soon as well).

Psychochild wonders aloud what exactly is a game? As some other entries have already noted, they can be use for more than just 'fun', so what constitutes a game?

Cathode Tan considers games as narrative and games as art in a piece cogitating the often discussed dismissal of games by Roger Ebert.

On the topic of fun: Buttonmashing owns up to an on-the job-Nintendo fix. Nostalgia and pure fun combine in Nintendo's titles: how is that a bad thing?

Finally, on the topic of standards, we come to the topic of game journalism. We've been discussing that a lot lately on Slashdot Games, and three commentators bring up the topic this month in the Carnival. Videogame Media Watch author Kyle Orland digs deep into the 1up DO4 controversy. The Curmudgeon Gamer talks about the *1* problem with gaming journalism, and Continuous Play dispairs in a piece on the state of videogame reviews.

Turning now to virtual worlds, MMOFun talks the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to MMORPG communities. Those selfsame communities can turn on the hand that feeds them, a topic Man Bytes Blog covers in How I learned to Stop Leveling and Love the Nerf Bat.

For a humorous look at community gaming, Kill Ten Rats compares real-life work practices to Raiding. Raiding for the win, apparently.

When Julian Dibbell began talking about online currency being possibly taxable, I know many people desperately cried "Shh! They might hear you!" Play No Evil risks government audit by considering the legitimization of the virtual economy.

On a final general note, Virgin Worlds has a great post looking at some of the best MMOG podcasts around. Well worth listening to if you have a spare ear at work, especially to the sublimely amusing Taverncast.

Commentators couldn't resist talking about their favorite (or least-favorite) massive games, and our last selections this month are all about specific games. Heartless, for example, rips the blood-pumper from Dungeons and Dragons Online. The game, still in Beta, disappointed him by falling short of the pen-and-paper roots he was hoping for.

Darniaq talks about the recent Star Wars Galaxies NGE upgrade. He gives the new content and systems a thorough going-over, and finds both good and bad in the changes to the Galaxy far, far away.

I'll own up to it: I do some extra-curricular blogging myself. I couldn't resist making some doomcasting remarks about the original Everquest. The changes Sony Online seems to be working into all of its games leave but one option for the near future; In my opinion, a graceful shutdown of EQ Live has to be in the cards.

I've said before '5.5 Million people can't be wrong', and our last submissions this month are all about World of Warcraft. Top of Cool concurs with Blizzard's decision about gay guild recruitment in a commentary piece called 'Why Blizzard is Right'. Tobolds talks more traditional games with a Warcraft twist by reviewing the World of Warcraft board game. AFK Gamer has a great, humorous, piece about what he would do if given GM Power in Azeroth.

As you leave the Carnival, for the time being, one last post to consider: Scott Jennings takes a long hard look at the gap between casual players and hardcore raiders in Blizzard's hit MMOG. In his view the only way to fix the gap will require some major surgery. Read the post to find out what sort of stitching it will require.

Many thanks for reading, and I hope you find some of this month's contributors worth adding to your regular browsing habits. If you liked today's post, make sure and make the Carnival of Gamers a part of your monthly reading. Next month the Carnival will be setting up shop at the VirginWorlds blog, on March the 2nd. Until then, the midway is closed.

Press the Buttons has the news that, thankfully, this year's E3 will attempt to return to the 'industry only' event it was always intended to be. From the post: "The first day of the show is only for authorized media (meaning no more paid-by-the-hour GameStop clerks roaming the floor just for fun and taking up a journalist's valuable time in line for the next big thing) and, as Portico points out, there's now a more dignified dress code in place for the 'booth babes'." I'm glad that PAX exists for everyone to attend, just as I'm glad there are events like E3 where game journos can do their thing. Update: 01/23 17:56 GMT by Z : Joystiq posits that these new guidelines may lead to censorship for mature games. Update: 01/23 22:16 GMT by Z : Additional opinions on this are available from Gamers with Jobs and Heroine Sheik. There's an official response to discussion of this decision from the E3 media relations team over at Gamecloud.

Press the Buttons has commentary on a short, interesting piece at the Miyamoto Shrine site. There, they look back at the making of Mario 64. From the article: "Possibly the most important part of Mario 64 was making sure Mario was easy to control. Before any of the levels had been created Mr. Miyamoto had Mario running around and picking up objects in a small 'garden' which he uses in all his games to test gameplay elements. 'Alot of the animation was actually in there before any of the game' explains Goddard. 'The Mario that he had running around basically looked the same as he did in the final version. Mario's movement is based on good physics, but you have bits on top that you plug in so you can do things you shouldn't be able to do. They spent a lot of time working on the swimming, it's harder than running to get the feeling right, they didn't want you to avoid the water, the wanted to make it an advantage and fun to dive in.'"

Joystiq reports on new details on using the Revolution's controller from an unlikely source. National Geographic Kids Magazine has a spread on a trip they took to Nintendo's HQ, and what they saw when they were there. From the article: "Backwards compatibility is of course something we've known about for awhile; however, the "old favorites" mention is so provocatively vague! They list The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Brothers, and Donkey Konga. Question is, are they listing games or franchises? If they are listing games, does this mean the "old favorite" versions of these games (Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Melee) will use the Revolution controller to slash a sword or work as a shield?" Update: 01/10 05:35 GMT by Z : Yeah. It's a fake. Sorry about that, but I thought you could trust National Geographic. Points to Press the Buttons for the DS9 reference in mentioning the fakery.

Press the Buttons has word that, finally, a DVD Edition of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show will be available in March. From the article: "While the show-within-a-show The Legend of Zelda saw release at the end of 2005, now the company has announced definitive details regarding the animated Mushroom Kingdom adventures. Twenty-four episodes of the show will be released in a four-disc set on March 28, 2006 and will include the bizarre live action segments featuring Captain Lou Albano as Mario and Danny Wells as Luigi."

Press the Buttons has an interesting and plausible sounding set of theories for the year ahead. From the article: "Sega will finally create an exceptional 3D Sonic the Hedgehog title when Sonic Team puts the entire extended cast (Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Blaze, Shadow, and the rest) back in the toy box for a while and focuses on what made the original Sonic games so much fun: blue skies and plenty of speed." Some of them may just be wishful thinking, though.

The Press the Buttons blog has a rundown on some of the finest game compliations currently on offer. From the post: "After more than two decades of cranking out hit titles, the game industry has come to love compilation cartridges and discs. Publishers can crank out collections for relatively nothing in terms of cost, and fans can pick up a slew of their old favorites in a single box for a low price. However, as compilations have matured over the years some companies have become lazy about the process."

Via Press the Buttons, an interview on the site Deadly Hippos with Philip Bouchard, designer for the original "Oregon Trail". The classic game of food, hunting, and cholera was a staple for many folks around my age growing up, and the piece makes for interesting reading. From the article: "Unfortunately, in real life it was all too easy to kill a buffalo with a rifle. In later decades hunters would kill vast numbers of buffalos and take only the tongues. So I wanted kids to feel a sense of shame for killing too much and then wasting the kill. That was one of the reasons for allowing the player to carry back no more than 200 pounds of meat. I wanted the kids to develop a sense of conservation while playing the game - to say "We should not shoot more meat than we can carry". Our field testing showed that this lesson was indeed effective."

Nintendo's official birthday for the stout plumber is September 13th, and today marks his 20th Anniversary. Via Kotaku, an Edge Online article celebrating the man's greatness. From the article: "Undoubtedly, you will have played at least one of those games - so let's talk about how far he's come, and why he's so great. In terms of his history, it's one filled with successes, and a few mysteries to boot. The working class hero has spent more time beating a fantasy tyrant to save royalty than he has on his serviceman job" Nintendo.jp also has a bunch of congratulatory messages from Japanese groups, all for the man in red. Update: 09/14 05:48 GMT by Z : Push the Buttons has a really great tribute to Nintendo's finest that I felt should be added to this post.

celerityfm writes "With the US release of an MP3/multimedia player add-on for the Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance just around the corner, Nintendo is already busy creating content for it with their first Podcast, produced by podcast pioneer Carl Franklin. Check out the first episode, it's all about Nintendogs." Commentary is available at Press the Buttons. From that post:"From the sound of things, girls love Nintendogs. Dog training tips are exchanged, fans are briefly interviewed, and even a parent weighs in now and then. Ms. McCollom's segment goes in to why girls are apt to love raising portable puppies and just how the Nintendo DS's wireless mode enables gamers to meet new players and their dogs. Teen People even proclaims the experience 'better than Barbie', so if that's not a young girl stamp of approval, I don't know what is. "

Nintendo sure has a lot of people scratching their heads, with news of the Revolution's hook still a ways off and Zelda moving ever further into the distance. Gamemethod thinks they know what's up, and have an editorial talking through Nintendo's strategy. From the article: "The most problematic system for Nintendo appears to be the GameCube. Clearly, support for the indigo box has declined rapidly over the past couple years, with third-party publishers cutting off support and many of its exclusives (especially those from Capcom) spreading to other consoles after experiencing little success with the GameCube's limited user base. GameCube has seen a couple terrific first-party exclusives recently; such as Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door; but in order for the system to hold up at all against the technologically superior Xbox 360 (not to mention the original Xbox and PlayStation 2), Nintendo needs a new killer app for their console.". Gamemethod aren't the only ones thinking about the big N. IGN has a rundown on the new GBA Micro, and Press The Buttons unearthed some gems: legally viewable Super Mario Bros. Super Show episodes. That's more Italian plumber than you can shake a stick at.

Press the Buttons has commentary and release dates, now that Nintendo has released their Fall release plans. Frustratingly Metroid Prime Hunters, Mario Kart DS, and Animal Crossing DS have all had their release dates moved back. From the article: " Q1 2006: Metroid Prime Hunters from Nintendo. Bad Nintendo, bad! This game has slipped down the calendar so many times it isn't even amusing anymore. First it fell from a June 2005 release down to August, then to October, and now it's dropped into next year. Here's hoping they're using this extra time to add online multiplayer support, because if not a lot of people are going to be even more disappointed."

Rockstar's next title, Bully, has already come under fire from anti-bullying groups. Activists have taken it up another notch, though, by demonstrating outside of the NY Rockstar offices. They've also laid out a list of demands to the game developer, hoping to get the company to change its ways. The Peaceoholics demand Rockstar "Not to release Bully under any circumstances, Volunteer to sell its violent and sexually explicit games in adult video stores only, Let parents return Grand Theft Auto for a full refund until they do a national awareness campaign to educate parents of content and possible effects, Create a fund for victims of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and car-jackings, etc, Make a national apology for misleading and lying to children, parents, and legislators about their intentions and causing insurance premiums to sky rocket, Give a written response within five business days of receipt of these demands" Press the Buttons has commentary, and uses some words I'd like to myself.

Press the Buttons has linkage to and commentary on an N-Sider story explaining some of the wacky decisions that Nintendo has made over the years. From the post: "There are a lot of unanswered questions out there in Nintendoland: Why was there never a Metroid 64? Why did cliche villain Wario become a major character, and then only for the Game Boy? What was the Virtual Boy supposed to accomplish? Why was there only a Game Boy follow-up to Kid Icarus? The short answer is 'politics'."

Press the Buttons has an article up discussing some of his least favorite Nintendo box art. The article is a follow-up to a box art column on Gamespy. From the article: "I eventually did get the game, but it never occurred to me how unexciting this box art actually was until sometime later. How did SNK expect this to sell? 'Mom, Mom, I want the game starring Lee Trevino that's endorsed by the U.S. National Video Game Team!' I hope that SNK's target audience was adults here, because if not then they have only themselves to blame."

Via Press the Buttons, a website entitled The Castlevania Dungeon. Everything you could want to know about the Belmonts and their quest against undead ickyness is detailed here, with extensive plot details and screenshots. The site also has several features, including details on who made the games, magazine scans from previews and reviews, and Simon Belmont on Captain N.

Merrill Lynch Japan has conducted research that indicates that the PlayStation 3 will retail for $399. According to Gamespot's coverage of the paper, the unit will cost $494 to manufacture. Sony will thus be taking an almost $1 Billion loss in the first year of the PS3's lifespan. From the article: "It is normal for game companies to take a loss on hardware whenever a new console launches, since they typically focus on acquiring market share rather than generating a profit during the first year. During the second year and afterward, they can recover the losses with the savings that come from mass production and with licensing fees from publishers." Meanwhile, Press the Buttons is reporting on a Pro-G article in which SCEE Chief David Reeves states that "I feel proud that E3 went well from the presentations that they did...I feel very happy about that, but I told the troops: OK now we go underground. The PS3 goes underground until it comes out next year."

25 to Life isn't even out yet, and already it is under fire by everyone from NY Senator Charles Schumer to CNN host Nancy Grace. Commentary on the illogical feeding frenzy is available at Gamasutra, Press the Buttons, and Game Girl Advance. From the Press the Buttons article: "As you read this transcript, pay attention to how Grace and her guests frame their sentences. Although this plays out like an off-the-cuff debate, each and every spoken word is primed to invoke outrage. There are plenty of loaded words and phrases in there: 'murder simulators', 'rewire the brain', an attack on Bill Gates for personally allowing this game to exist (as if he himself is out there coding it), and so forth. The program also showed photos of real police officers who were killed in the line of duty at the same time the game's preview trailer was on screen."

Captain Lou Albano's wild and staring eyes can once again grace your television set, with the upcoming release of the Super Mario Brothers Super Show, Mario cartoons, and Zelda cartoons. Press the Buttons has the details. From the article: "...the complete series of the 1989-90 cartoon/live action programs The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Friday special The Legend of Zelda are headed to DVD this coming October in 4-volume and 3-volume sets respectively. A "best of" Super Mario DVD has been available for some time, but die-hard fans out there can now finish off their collections."

Press the Buttons has a post about an independently created Mario game which combines elements of Super Mario World and Super Mario Sunshine to create a great 2D gaming experience. From the post: "Equipped with the FLUDD water pack, Mario must collect pieces of a warp pipe, assemble them, and then exterminate the Piranha Plant living inside. FLUDD functions as both a jetpack and a weapon, and when the water supply runs dry Mario must get a refill at the local water hole."

Gamecube Advanced has the news that the Revolution will not support HD signals. From the article: "Nintendo doesn't plan for the system to be HD compatible as with that comes a higher price for both the consumer and also the developer creating the game. Will it make the game better to play? With the technology being built into the Revolution, we believe the games will look brilliant and play brilliantly. This can all be done without HD." Sony and Microsoft are hanging the moon on the HD phenomenon, with both consoles supporting at least 720p or 1080i. Press the Buttons has commentary on the announcement.

CNN Money's Game On column has an interview with legendary designer Miyamoto in which the respected Mario-maker says that today's games are just too long to capture his interest. From the article: "There's not a lot I want to play now...A lot of the games out there are just too long. Of course, there are games, such as 'Halo' or 'Grand Theft Auto,' that are big and expansive. But if you're not interested in spending that time with them, you're not going to play." Commentary on the column at Press the Buttons.

Press the Buttons has a link to an interview with Nintendo veterans Miyamoto and Aonuma. In it they reveal the identity of the cloaked woman in the trailer and more information about where in the Zelda timeline the new game falls. Press the Buttons has commentary as well: "From time to time I still see posts on online message boards claiming that Twilight Princess is the Zelda game 'we should have gotten instead of Wind Waker', a train of thought that extends from the fact that some people are still against Wind Waker's highly animated visual style despite having never played the game."

Press the Buttons has up a look at the Nintendo game comics that were published in the early 90s. He includes some scans of the truly excellent writing and storytelling that could be found in those four color masterpieces. From the article: "Five series of comics were published: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Captain N: The Game Master, Game Boy, and the compilation series Nintendo Comics System that consisted of reprints of stories from the other comics. Sold in limited quantities in comic book shops and an occasional K-Mart, the Nintendo comics never took the world by storm and today are mostly forgotten. When I was in the second grade my father would drive me to the local comic book shop each month so I could buy the latest issues."

Last week was so interesting I caught the plague and died for two days. Now that I've gotten a rez and E3 has wrapped up, a look back is in order. Ferrago takes a look at E3 no-shows, like STALKER, while GamesIndustry.biz has a look at statistics. The big three PR conferences were some of the highlights of the Expo, and Gamespot tells us who 'won'. The best way to get a feel for what happened last week, though, is to get it firsthand. The Casual Gamer Experiment is over, with his impressions now available. Personal accounts are available at Press the Buttons, GamersInfo.net, CliffyB.com, Grimwell.com, John Davison's Blog, and Jeremy Parish's Blog. Was there any firsthand E3 coverage that you particularly liked this year? What did you think of G4's live broadcasting, if you caught it? Update: 05/23 18:56 GMT by Z : Obligitory PA link. From the post: "I don't believe there is any such thing as a 'Playstation 3' yet, and I don't believe in the Killzone video. What I do believe is that Sony harnessed the media and then rode it from place to place, one hand on the bridle while the other waved madly in the air."

Press the Buttons has the news that if you have a DS at E3 2005, this year's demos will be downloadable via wireless networks. From the article: "Now this has me thinking... since data downloaded into the Nintendo DS wirelessly stays in memory until the system is turned off, wouldn't it be possible to download, say, a Mario Kart DS demo at E3 and then just keep the system in sleep mode whenever it wasn't in use, thereby keeping the demo in your hands for weeks or even months after E3 is over?"

Press the Buttons noted that one of the games slated for unveiling at this year's E3 is a handheld console remake of A Boy and his Blob. The classic tale of a jellybean eating blob and his nameless boy may be coming for either the DS or the PSP, or both. From the article: "In the company's E3 press release a number of games are listed for the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable, one of which is A Boy and His Blob. Which of the two systems the game is for isn't clarified (it could be one or both), but seeing as how Majesco tried to revive the series for the Game Boy Advance several years ago, I'm betting it's for the DS."

Via Press the Buttons, a Nintendo Power feature on Super Mario Bros. 3, and the making of the game. From the post: "It's an interesting little article that has largely been forgotten over the years, as I've never seen any of the little tidbits and factoids in the piece resurface in other places (such as the existence of a centaur power-up instead of the raccoon leaf)."

Press the Buttons has commentary on the recent Bungie patches and stats reset for Halo 2. From the article: "Previously a Level 30 player would not be matched against a Level 2 player because the Level 2 player would lose the game before the game's title screen even appeared. Now that the stats have been reset we have Level 30 players out there who appear to be Level 1 players and these folks will play against real Level 1 players. Resetting a number on a screen doesn't reset the gaming skills of the player. This actually doesn't seem very fair at all."

Press the Buttons has a post up about a Linux version of Tetris called Bastard Tetris. The name is well founded, as the game evaluates what shape you need the least and sends that as your next piece. From the Bastet site: "Have you ever thought Tetris(R) was evil because it wouldn't send you that straight "I" brick you needed in order to clear four rows at the same time? Well Tetris(R) probably isn't evil, but Bastet certainly is. >:-) Bastet stands for "bastard tetris", and is a simple ncurses-based Tetris(R) clone for Linux. Unlike normal Tetris(R), however, Bastet does not choose your next brick at random. Instead, Bastet uses a special algorithm designed to choose the worst brick possible. As you can imagine, playing Bastet can be a very frustrating experience!" Sounds like the sailing puzzle in Puzzle Pirates.

Cube.IGN has more details on the upcoming Legend of Zelda title, gleaned from Spanish gaming publication Hobby Consolas. From the article: "From screens printed in the magazine, the new outfit looks to blend peasant clothes of different cultures to achieve an altogether unique style. These same screens show the Triforce emblazoned on Link's left hand. Cool indeed. Link himself looks different from any other Zelda title. Eiji Aonuma wanted Link to sport a manga-inspired look, partly because the Link shown in the Space World 2000 looked like a lifeless puppet." Commentary on the single-mindedness of the fanboi rumormill available on Press the Buttons.

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft confirmed this morning that the Xbox 2 will be revealed on live TV on May 12. MTV will air a half-hour long special to launch the system. 'It doesn't make sense to unveil the product behind a closed door, at a trade-only event,' according to Microsoft corporate VP Peter Moore. 'We wanted to talk directly to the consumer first.'" More coverage available on GamesIndustry.biz and Press the Buttons.

From Press The Buttons, an article entitled Acquisition: The Art Of Purchasing Used Video Games. In it, the author lays out useful tidbits for getting the most from your hard earned gold pieces. From the article: "Yes, you could go all willy-nilly and toss a handful of game paks into a shopping cart down at the local Electronics Boutique, but the most obvious way of obtaining a used video game is not always the most economical. Allow me to share with you a few rules I have learned over the years about locating and acquiring used video game entertainment."

Via Press the Buttons, a page that has scans of the classic Nintendo Power comic series Howard and Nester. From the page: "Anyone who has read Nintendo Power since its beginning has, obviously, at least glanced at the little comic strips in a couple of pages of the magazine called "Howard & Nester", which chronicled the adventures of bowtie-wearing Howard Philips (who was an actual employee of Nintendo and president of the Nintendo Fun Club at the time) and a stubborn redheaded teen named Nester." I, um, recall them being a lot funnier when I was a kid. The Maniac Mansion comic is still pretty cool, though.

Via Press the Buttons, a node over at Everything2 with an excellent synopsis of the lifespan of the Nintendo Entertainment System. It details the background of the video game industry at the time that the NES came onto the stage, the launch and the peak of its success, and the factors that led to the console's eventual decline. From the writeup: "In the aftermath of the home video game crash in 1983, nobody in North America seemed to want anything more to do with video games. Having been burned by the atrociously bad Atari 2600 games flooding the market and the rise of the home computer, both retailers and parents, and to a lesser degree gamers, were reluctant to risk their hard-earned money on another console. Analysts claimed that video games were yet another fad in an infamously faddish time that came and went and now are gone."