When I went to Best Buy to purchase Mario Kart Wii yesterday, I was asked if I wanted a $5 extended warranty on the game to protect it from scratches. This sounded absolutely ridiculous, so I declined. However, the manager was kind enough to remind me that the game came with the Wii Wheel, a piece of hardware that was ALSO covered by the $5 warranty! This makes the $5 warranty much more valuable than normal $5 warranties because it protects so much more. I still wasn’t convinced I needed it until she revealed that if the Wii Wheel ever lost its wireless connection, I could get it replaced. WHAT?!?!? The scary part to me is that this line probably works on some ignorant parents that buy the game for their kids. There were so many things I could have said at that moment, but I kindly declined for the third or fourth time and left the store shaking my head. I suppose if you’re worried that your piece of plastic will cease being plastic or fail to hold your Wii Remote, the warranty will give you peace of mind. Anyone else get peddled like this?

Mario Kart Wii is out and we’ve both tried it. Listen in as we try to guess each other’s first impressions. We also discuss the great technical skills Tim had to employ in order to resurrect the website this weekend, plus our regular segments!
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 Ep. 27: Kart Edition [38:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Ep. 27: Kart Edition [38:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I’m not sure what was going on today, but my apologies for the site being down most of the day. Hopefully things are fixed now…(crosses fingers).

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Hope this edition of Name That Game keeps you occupied for a bit. If you’re new to this little game, rules are posted after the break. Good luck!

[Update]: We have a winner! The game is:
Show ▼

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So there’s been a lot of talk going back and forth on the usefulness of Mario Kart Wii’s pack-in, the Wii Wheel. The consensus seems to be that it’s better than using the Wii Remote by itself since you have something round to hold onto, but it doesn’t really DO much (see image above) and still isn’t as precise as a traditional control scheme. I can see myself trying it out while I quickly charge the batteries in my Wavebird and never touching it again. It may get some use from curious, casual visitors that want to play, but I doubt I’ll be using it much. I realize that the game would be $50 with or without the Wii Wheel, so it truly is a freebie, but just out of curiosity, what would you do if you were given a choice?

Ray fans out there will be glad to know that the collected works of Ray Hargreaves (outside of 2P START!) is now neatly packaged on the revamped Raybob Industries website as his official portfolio has been completed! We’ll discuss this and other site updates alongside the usual segments. Check this one out as Ray declares it’s his favorite podcast yet!
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 Ep. 26: Portfolio [35:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Ep. 26: Portfolio [35:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I am pleased to announce that my portfolio is now available. It’s my personal works of art, music, videos, and animations. So if you’ve ever wondered what I’ve done outside of 2P START!, then you’ll find plenty of things to see. Take a look around and let me know what you think, and be sure to spread the word about it!