My nephew’s really lucky. It’s his birthday this Sunday and my parents decided to get him a Nintendo DS Lite. Aside from kiddy games like Pokemon Diamond and Mario Kart—none of that gory stuff—an R4 was of course included in the package.

The reason why the R4 is such a great companion for the Nintendo DS is because it lets you place all of your games in one microSD card. A 1GB microSD card was part of the bundle, which means I can put tens, if not hundreds, of games on it. Placing all your games into the microSD and plugging it into the R4 has benefits.

Even if they’re a lot smaller compared to say, the games for the GBA, lugging around lots of DS cartridges presents it own set of problems. They could get damaged, or worse, lost. By placing the game ROMs I’ve downloaded online into the microSD, my nephew only needs to bring the console itself.

And, swapping cartridges adds to the wear and tear of the device. Once you place it in, the R4 will never leave your DS’ slot, because you can just pull out the microSD card if you want to add or remove games. The R4 will always stay in the unit, protecting the cartridge slot.

These benefits mean that my nephew will enjoy his DS gaming experience a lot more. He can leave his game cartridges at home, and can choose a game to play from the R4′s main menu. Again, I must note that it’s only legal to use downloaded ROMs if you own the actual game catridges. Playing the Ace Attorney ROM without owning a legit copy is illegal for example.

Here are snippets from IGN’s editorial about how Nintendo has failed to market one of its biggest franchises to the hardcore gamer.

Where’s the pre-release hype? In 2002, prior to the original Prime’s release, Nintendo had convinced the world that it was GameCube’s Halo killer. And for franchise fans, it was. But since that time, the Big N’s enthusiasm for the series seems to have dwindled, at least openly. Perhaps this is because Prime 2 Echoes sold about half as well as its predecessor, a significant drop-off for what should’ve been one of the company’s most lucrative sequels. Of course, it could be argued that Prime 2 performed worse because Halo mania had caught on and, for some strange reason, Nintendo actually shipped Echoes three days after Bungie’s hugely successful first-person shooter hit the market. It could also be argued, however, that Nintendo’s heart just wasn’t in it — the pre-buzz hype, the PR campaigns and the aggressive advertising blitz that propelled the original game past the million-seller mark were not extended to the sequel.

While Nintendo has a kick ass site in Nintendo Power, it looks like the Metroid website guys have been on a vacation:

One astute poster pointed out a gross example of Nintendo’s seemingly oblivious backing of Corruption. While Super Smash Bros. Brawl has a dedicated website that is updated five times per week, a quick check of the official Metroid website (www.metroid.com) reveals that it is still dedicated to the long-ago-released DS effort Metroid Prime Hunters, with no sign of Corruption in sight. There is not even an icon for the game on the page. And need we remind you that Prime 3 will be available to buy in, yes, three weeks?

IGN did contact Nintendo regarding their observation and here’s what they said:

When we contacted NOA for comment about this editorial, the company offered the following statement: “Nintendo fans will be surprised by the quantity and quality of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption information that becomes available before the game launches on Aug. 27. Your patience will be rewarded (or Corrupted).”

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No trick question here folks. Playing on the HDTV was a much more enjoyable experience, simply because there was more visual real estate to work with. Many Wii games, such as the Ubisoft shooter Red Steel, require precision with the Wii-mote. Not being able to aim at the right place at the right time and right away literally means your dead.

It’s definitely easier to aim at a particular pixel on the big 40-incher than on the puny 13″ TV. The HDTV’s higher resolution had nothing to do with it. Rather, it’s the bigger screen size that made the experience much more enjoyable. It’ll be easier to make minor adjustments, until your Wii-mote is right on the spot.

The Nintendo Wii at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City costs about Php16,500 with 10 free games and a single controller. You will need to pay for additional accessories.

Read on to see the TV ad.

Looks like Nintendo’s quirky take on gaming also applies to their marketing. Here’s what the console maker has to say about the former Mrs. Cruise’s new role:

Ms Kidman was chosen by Nintendo because of her universal appeal to mainstream audiences of all ages and backgrounds, as well as
her reputation for being intelligent, entertaining and genuine. Her personality and ability to combine the world of film with a family centric home lifestyle was felt to be a strong fit with the Nintendo DS.

Which is basically PR speak for “we think she fits the gadget perfectly!”

The print and TV campaign will only run in Europe unfortunately. Good thing we’ve got the video here for you. Thanks to Just Jared for the heads-up.