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New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review

The Geek — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:31:01 +0000

Nintendo has done it again. Going back to a formula that has worked since the creation of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mario is once again back to rescue the Princess from the likes of Bowser. Keeping in line with the original Nintendo games, New Super Mario Bros. is a side scrolling adventure pure and simple, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. Not that games like Super Mario Galaxy aren’t great additions to the series, its fun to jump back into a modern take of an old classic. Don’t think though that the game doesn’t pack any surprises though. As usual there are a few new items, such as the propeller mushroom that gives the player a beanie hat like propeller that can launch Mario and his team high into the air, only to slowly and humorously awkwardly come back down to land. There is an option to spin quickly down as well to hit enemies below with a powerful strike. Other new items include an ice flower that allows Mario to freeze enemies into blocks and either break them, jump on them or smash them into other enemies, and a penguin suit that gives ice flower abilities as well as better traction on ice, and better swimming… just remember penguins can’t fly!

You may have noticed my use of the phrase Mario and his team… and that’s because the game offers a co-op mode with up to four players. Depending on your play style this can be either really fun, working with one or more partner clearing goombas and jumping over obstacles, but it can also be really frustrating, with everyone jumping all over each other trying to get places first… not that a little competition is a bad thing, but it can make already challenging levels that much more difficult. I played through a good portion of the game with a single partner, and the two of us would utilize different power ups to make us a little more rounded in abilities, and even took turns carrying the other through tricky areas to prevent an errant jump from knocking someone into a pit of lava or a field of spikes. For those that want a little more competition there are both coin battle and free for all matches to be played with two or more players. For those joining in, other playable characters include Luigi and two different Toads.

The play style is very reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3 with a world map that culminates with a castle and/or airship. There is also a dash of Super Mario World thrown in for good measure, with secret exits on some stages to either get to shortcuts or warp cannons scattered throughout the board. Yoshi also makes a cameo in a few levels, though finishing the stage with Yoshi won’t let you take him with you as in Super Mario World. Also, each level has three star coins to collect, which can then be used to purchase hint videos at Peach’s Castle in the first world. These videos can be used to show secret level exits, as well as guides for each of the levels. In order to purchase the videos one needs both the coins, and to complete the prerequisites such as finishing levels, or collecting all the star coins in different levels.

All in all, I give the game 4 out of 5 geeks. Good quality fun, both solo and with friends, though sometimes just a little lacking compared to a game like Super Mario World that had huge depth. Difficulty can be very challenging at times which is nice as it helps draw back older fans that played the other games in the series when they were younger. Definitely one of better games to come out for the Wii lately, and a must have for fans of the original Mario side scrolling games.

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski

The Geek — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:40:40 +0000

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski is a literary mash up, of the movie The Big Lebowski, a Cohen Brother classic, with the literary style of The Bard himself William Shakespeare. At first glance this might seem a little out of place, but it’s not, there’s something just a touch Geeky about rewriting a movie into Shakespeare, [...]

People of Walmart Viral Website

The Geek — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:45:23 +0000

CNN has an article on a a viral website titled People of Walmart. For all its wealth of information, sometimes the best thing to come out of the internet is a website like this. Seriously, its like therapy, reminding you that as weird and messed up as you are, there’s always someone out there that’s just a little more so…

CNN article

People of Walmart

Star Wars Lego Set Echo Base 7749 Review

The Geek — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:50:27 +0000

Part of the 10 year anniversary of Star Wars Lego sets, the Echo Base set fits in with any Star Wars Lego collection or is a nice set to start a new one! Echo Base is a great army building set coming with both two Hoth Rebels, plus two Snowtroopers. Round this out with a Han Solo on a Tauntaun and a nice set of fortifications this set is more than worth the modest price tag of twenty five dollars.

Set Rundown
As I said the set makes a really good army building set and thats part of where this set shines. Coming in with two Rebels and two Imperials this set makes nice boost to existing Hoth themed sets such as the Hoth Rebel base, one of the Snowspeeders or AT-AT’s that have been released over the last ten years. The fortifications themselves are both a lot of fun, as they include a firing turret, and a flip up panel that sends the rebel troopers flying. The turret albeit is a bit underpowered but on the plus side its very unlikely to shoot off one of the missiles and take someones eye out. The flip up platform is an awesome idea and works very well. Pushing down on it will send the troopers flying after a simulated direct hit takes out their position! The turret can be attached to either side, and easily combined with additional copies of this set to build and even more impressive fortification. The Snowtroopers also come with an E-Web blaster, allowing for more variation than just the standard hand blasters. Finally, rounding out the set is a snowbound Han Solo with Tauntaun. A very nice addition as it is the first Hoth themed Han Solo with his winter hood, plus it is the first inclusion of the Tauntaun mount. Comes with a pair of binoculars and is ready to ride out into the night to find Luke Skywalker. (Not included just where it fits into the movie) The Tauntaun itself is a very nice mold, made especially for this purpose. All in all a very nice set and a must have for anyone who wants to expand on their Hoth/Ice planet themed Star Wars Lego sets!

Quick Facts

5 Minifigs, four troopers plus Han Solo

Action ready fortifications

Low price for what’s included

Rating

Five out of Five

Happy Pi Approximation Day

The Geek — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:05:03 +0000

All of us here at Geek Junk, all 3.14 of us, want to wish everyone out there a Happy Pi Approximation Day! Go out and cut loose! To help with the festivities I have added a Pi Approximation Day Comic just behind the cut!

Geek Fun: Geocaching

The Geek — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:51:08 +0000

Modern Day Hide and Seek

Ever wanted to combine the fun and enjoyment of being outdoors with the fun that you can get from a new tech gadget? Ever long for the days when you could search your backyard for buried treasure? If you’ve answered yes to either of these questions, its time to enter the world of Geocaching and rediscover the outdoors and have a little bit of an adventure while doing it. Geocaching is fun the whole family can enjoy as well and helps one get out and take a break from the hustle and bustle of day to day lives.

What in the world is Geocaching?

Geocaching is a sport where you take a set of Global Positioning Satellite or GPS coordinates, and use them to find a hidden container or cache. The cache is often full of trade items which you can exchange with similar items that you bring with you. In addition to the trade items there will also always be a logbook. Here you sign the date, your Geocaching name and any extra comments you want to leave about finding the cache. The caches themselves can be hidden and found almost everywhere. From a crowded shopping mall, to a remote section of woods, the limit is only in the ingenuity of those hiding the caches. Hiding of the caches is actually done by the same people finding them. There are a set of guidelines to follow, but other than that any registered user can go out and place a cache. I recommend waiting till you have found a decent amount to get an idea of what other cachers are doing.

The actual act of caching itself, is more about finding the cache rather than what’s in it. Often times trade items are trinkets and other low value items, however often times caches are placed in either scenic views or less traveled areas. If you are only looking to gain and collect things then this may not be the hobby for you. If you are looking to get out and explore however, then I urge you to check out Geocaching and give it a try.

Tips and hints

First and foremost, before you go out caching, always make sure you are prepared. Obviously you will need your GPS receiver, but it is also a good idea to bring both a pen to sign the log book (some caches will have one, some won’t!) and either a printout or notes about the cache(s) you are seeking. In addition to that it is usually a good idea to get map of some sort of the area you are going to, to help get around. It is all well and good if the GPS tells you the cache is 600 feet away, until you realize theres a natural obstacle in your way, that a map might show you how to get around. Always read the description ahead of them as it may give you insight in to how to prepare. Some might be simply hidden under a pile of logs, others might be way up in a tree. Its always good to know what you are in for before heading out into the woods unprepared. Look at the rating as well as it may give a clue if you are up to that particular challenge. Sometimes it can also help to bring along a buddy, though that is entirely up to you. If you do go out alone, I recommend at least telling someone where you are going just in case something happens.

21st Adventure

In short, Geocaching is a fun way to get out and explore and use a little bit of a very cool piece of technology. It isn’t for everyone, but if you even remotely enjoy being outdoors, check out this modern version of hide and seek!

Star Trek Teaser 2

The Geek — Wed, 06 May 2009 01:31:25 +0000

The second of my cousin Rebecca’s Star Trek teasers. The worst part is I have a good handful of the action figures that get shown here… though mine were much more played with… Oh boy…

Star Trek Teaser 1

The Geek — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:09:51 +0000

My Cousin Rebecca works out in Hollywood and gets to spend a lot of time meeting stars and going to big premiers. Anyway, in anticipation of the new Star Trek movie coming out her company is putting out their own fan made trailers to get people pumped up for the event. Here’s the first one!