Control Factor: Nintendo's Wii U GamePad in Dollars

With the recent reveal of Wii U's pricing and release plans, Nintendo was mum on details regarding the North American pricing of a second, standalone GamePad controller. In fact, none of the games on release will support the second GamePad controller, and it will not be available at launch on its own. But in Japan, it will be available. So just how much will you pay? If you like your pills to swallow huge and bitter, get ready for your fix.

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QCF: Legasista

Dungeon crawlers have been touch-and-go as of late. Sure, they’re addictive and they’ll quench the thirst of anyone who’s looking for a hearty challenge, but boy, they can be a burn. Where the genre became insipid, however, was the frequency of these all too similar experiences, and their releases lumped in so closely with one another. Refreshment is in the air for this once ambitious genre, and its name is Legasista.

From NIS America, Legasista tells of a tower covered in an ivy growth that climbs to the heavens; in it is an ancient weapon capable of granting miracles and unleashing utter destruction. Grounding the conventions of the dungeon formula, Legasista outlines its intentions pretty clearly to bridge the gap of accessibility for the obtuse crawler types. The story of one boy and his task to undertake the ultimate sacrifice hits most targets and marks a stimulating sign of the dungeon crawler heading in the right direction.

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Impressions: Wii U Preview Conference

If you’re holding your breath for Nintendo, you can finally exhale. After months of waiting, the Wii U console has a price point: $299.99 USD for the “regular” white console and $349.99 for a “deluxe” black Wii U with Nintendo Land included.

The real question, however, is whether or not Nintendo’s fabled console is really worth it. We’ve seen some neat presentations, including ZombiU and Scribblenauts Unlimited, but what we’re also seeing are rehashes of games we’ve already played. Aside from that, we’re noticing other clues that Nintendo could continue its path as the unfortunate broken record it became after the original Wii’s launch.

Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s chief operating officer, held a special conference on Thursday to show everyone what they can prepare their own bodies for, and proving whether or not the Wii U is truly an investment worth looking into.

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QCF: New Super Mario Bros. 2

If you came to me 22 years ago and told me I'd be second guessing the number one plumber in video games, I would have told you to fuck right off (in a much more polite, 8-year-old tone). Until very recently, I had always been a ridiculously faithful Mario fan -- especially as a child. I collected everything from posters and comics to pasta noodles (seriously). I even had a letter printed in the September 1991 issue of Adventures of Super Mario Bros. by Valiant Comics (which I'm searching for again, so contact me if you have it).

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PPR 63

So wait, George is planning to go vegan? Moreover, Killer Instinct 2 is a completely different game from Killer Instinct Gold? We answer these questions and many more on the latest episode of Press Pause Radio. The main subject of discussion this week is Cross-play, we’ve seen this sort of thing before with the GBA/Gamecube connectivity functionality in the past, hell we’ve even seen with the Dreamcast VMU, but what about the modernized concept for the future? The Wii-U is just around the corner and the Vita is supporting Cross-play functionality with the PS3, there’s plenty to speculate towards the potential this gimmick may actually offer. If you like what you’ve hear and haven’t done so yet, you should totally review us on iTunes and Zune! We’re also on YouTube now so subscribe to us there and follow more of our upcoming streams on our Justin.TV page!  

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Want Bunny Must Die on Steam? VOTE TODAY!!

At PAX East 2012, I was privileged to receive the world-exclusive first look at the first full North American build for Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the 7 Devils, the upcoming metroidvania action release developed by Platine Dispositif.

Bunny Must Die! Finally has a release date, set to be published October 12th, 2012 by Rockin' Android on both Desura and Gamersgate. But hold on, what about Steam?!

Well, it turns out a Steam release is a bit trickier; In an ironic twist, Bunny Must Die requires to be green lit by fans in order to see a release to ensure there's enough interest, despite Rockin' Android's Gundemonium Collection (also developed by Platine Disositif) seeing a very positive reception and decent sales. So here's where you come in! Head on over to the Steam Greenlight page and vote up Bunny Must Die!

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PPR Presents Lime Light: Knuckles Chaotix

We’re doing an impromptu Limelight tomorrow night! The game on the green spotlight this time around is Knuckles’ Chaotix for the “tumor” of Sega hardware, the 32X! The game that first featured Vector the Crocodile and all of those other Sonic friends you guys know and hate are here, but you know—are actually cool in this game. Tune in around Sunday, September 8^th, at 8:00 PM pacific time and join us in the chat on our Justin.TV account or settle in for the stream right here where George and surprise guest/friend of the show get drunk and play a game that might end up making them hate each other. 

PAX Prime 2012: Runner 2 Q&A with Direct-Feed of Hands-on Play

This game alone made the trip out to Seattle completely worth it. Watch the video for much more! 

Special thanks goes out to Gaijin Games for providing this test build of Runner 2 for preview, and for taking teh time to speak with us on the show floor! Check back for our full review of Runner 2 when it launches in 2013!