Ape & Monkey Together = Awesome Game! A Year’s Worth of Donkey Kong Country Returns

Coffee Beans
     Donkey Kong Country Returns was released on November 21, 2010 at a MSRP of $49.99. The game was developed by Retro Studios, and published by Nintendo. It received an ESRB rating of “Everyone“, with “Mild Cartoon Violence” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent hoarding bananas over the last year in Donkey Kong Country Returns? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     Donkey Kong Country Returns now has 259,963 Wii owners that have reported data through the Nintendo Channel with 372 days possibly reported. The game has seen approximately 249,460 more Wii owners report data through the Nintendo Channel, compared to the number on its debut from December last year.
     DKCR has almost 5 million “Total Hours” of gameplay reported in just over a year, and the game’s average play-time per day/session is now 1 Hour 50 Minutes.
     DKCR’s “professional” review score average is now 87.79%, based on 53 reviews on GameRankings.com. The game still has 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, but now it is based on 306 customer reviews.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     Mrs. Coffee and I beat Donkey Kong Country Returns together earlier this year, but we haven’t really played it since. As a matter of fact, it is not currently in our game “collection”, as we traded our neighbors it back in July in exchange for Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Wii Sports Resort. Before we traded off Donkey Kong Country Returns though, how many hours did we put into the game?

     Our 65 hours reported are nearly all of just the two of us playing through the game together, with maybe an hour or two of the total being from us playing our own files in the game.
     If you have played Donkey Kong Country Returns cooperatively, you can probably relate to the frustration from the infuriatingly awesome level designs when trying to survive through a level with another player.
     Somehow, Mrs. Coffee and I survived the entire game together though, and we may have to give it another run in the future. Below is a video of Mrs. Coffee and me playing through DKCR’s World 5′s, Level 5-K Blast and Bounce. SPOILER WARNING - If you don’t want to see where at least one hidden puzzle piece is, don’t watch the video; but if you want to see us attempt a level together, just click play! I play as Donkey Kong, she plays as Diddy Kong:

     Donkey Kong Country Returns’ first year of reported data places it behind Mario’s games, but ahead of Kirby. Seeing the play-time that Mrs. Coffee and I reported, over 60 hours, compared to the average reported on the Nintendo Channel being under 20 hours, is really surprising to me. It makes me wonder if perhaps Donkey Kong Country Returns is so much of a challenge, that many of the players aren’t finishing it?
     I think DKCR is an excellent Wii game, and an excellent cooperative 2D side-scrolling platforming title in general. I really hope that Nintendo announces very soon Donkey Kong Country Returns is becoming a Nintendo Selects title so many more Wii owners can experience it.
     If you are looking for a new Wii game for Christmas that you can play with just one other person locally, I can recommend Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Questions
     Have any of you recently acquired and/or been playing through Donkey Kong Country Returns? If so, have any of you completed the game 100% cooperatively and, have you or anybody know you completed everything in the game, “Time Trials” and all?
     If you don’t own Donkey Kong Country Returns is it on your Christmas list, or would you purchase it almost immediately if it became a Nintendo Selects title with a MSRP of only $19.99?

If any of you are interested in Donkey Kong Country Returns, you can see prices for it and some Donkey Kong toys on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003ZHMMEM http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0038G5KFS http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003HOBM1M

Dance Fever is Contagious! Just Dance 3 Report

Coffee Beans
     Just Dance 3 was released on October 7, 2011, and it was the first game in the Just Dance series to be a multi-console release.
     Just Dance 3 was developed by Ubisoft Paris, and of course published by Ubisoft.
     The game received an ESRB rating of “Everyone 10+” with “Lyrics” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     Just how much have Wii owners been dancing with Just Dance 3, and how well does the game appear to be selling? Let’s take a look!

How many hours have you been dancing?

The Brew
     Just Dance 3 has 10,847 Wii owners that have reported game-play data, and the game’s average play-time per day/session is 1 Hour 32 Minutes. The average play-time per day/session simply means that each time Wii owners are firing up Just Dance 3, they are dancing for an hour and a half on average.

     Just how well has Just Dance 3 been selling though? I think the image below should put to rest any doubt the series is doing extremely well for Ubisoft, and I believe we will see Just Dance 4 in 2012:

I wonder what the ROI is for the games shown?

     As the image above shows, Just Dance 3 on the Wii has been ranked #1 on Amazon.com for at least the last three days, every time I have checked Amazon.com’s “Top 100 Video Games” list. I really think this should put to rest any/all doubts that third parties can find success on the Wii. Just Dance 3 has been outselling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and many other games on Amazon.com, that I wouldn’t have expected it to at this point.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     Here’s something fun from my caffeinated thoughts, be the first U.S. resident to email me(Scott@CoffeeWithGames.com) Just Dance 3′s Wii’s “professional” review score average/percentage on GameRankings.com, for example is it 65.00% or maybe 100.00%, and I will mail you one package of Ed Hardy Energy Sticks to help keep you dancing/gaming through the night! When you email me the “professional” review score average, I will update “The Brew” section with the “professional” and customer review scores as I normally show them in other posts.
     I have not played any of the Just Dance games, but after watching trailers/videos for many of the games, I can see the appeal. If you have not seen Just Dance 3′s debut trailer, take a look at the video below:

     If you missed it, go back and watch the kid dancing around the .15 second mark. I still LOL at him, the poor guy!
     As for the data, Just Dance 3′s data debuted in 52 days, which is slightly longer than Just Dance 2′s data did last year; but I think it’s impressive considering the game is available on more than just the Wii.

     While Just Dance 3 isn’t on my Christmas list (yet), as I mentioned above, I definitely can see how people enjoy this game and the fact that it is once again selling, apparently, extremely well, I think speaks volumes for how much fun people are having with the game/series.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing Just Dance 3, or have it on your Christmas list? If you have been playing Just Dance 3, do you think it is the best Just Dance game to be released? 
     Is it your first game in the Just Dance series, or have you been a fan of the series since the original Just Dance, and you played them all so far?

If any of you are interested in Just Dance 3 you can see the console versions on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG26C http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG122 http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG1EU

November Brewed! Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans
     First, if you are the proud owner of a 2011 Club Nintendo Original Calendar, don’t forget to change your month to December!

     Now, November was a great month! Not only was it Thanksgiving, and we have a lot to be thankful for, but we also had a family member visit us for a week. I was able to play a good bit of games, and consume coffee and caffeinated products throughout November. So, without further delay, let’s take a look at the games I played and the coffees I consumed in November!

Coffees & Caffeinated Products Consumed in November
     Community Coffee Medium Roast – This was a bag I discovered buried in our pantry. Now, when was this first consumed by us, and how long had it been hiding in our cabinet waiting for discovery? 4 MONTHS! Mrs. Coffee’s mom brought this up when she visited us in July, and it had somehow gotten stowed away in the back of the pantry. We finished the rest in November though, so no more Community Coffee, at least probably not until later this month…
     Folgers Black Silk Coffee – This was one of my birthday gifts in October from my wife, and we finished the container in November. I enjoyed it while it lasted, which sadly wasn’t very long.
     Chick-Fil-A Coffee – More random cups during work days when I would get off. As usual, I would grab a cup when heading out the door to drink on the way home.
     Yuban Original Coffee – This was another birthday gift from Mrs. Coffee for me, but I had held off on opening it until some of the other blends were finished. We not only opened the Yuban blend in November, we also finished it! We went through a lot of containers in November. I enjoyed the blend, and thought it had a good strong flavor.
     Maxwell House Gourmet Roast – This was a big 270(maybe 240) cup container Mrs. Coffee purchased for us in November, but we finished it about midway through the month. It was a new coffee blend by Maxwell House that I don’t think she had seen at the store before, so she decided to give it a try, and we both enjoyed it as a daily brew.
     Trader Joe’s Joe’s Dark Coffee – Remember Charlie from NicodemusAtNite.com? He sent me this container in August, and I had some of this still stowed away in the cabinet, but like the Yuban, Folgers, Community, and Maxwell House blends, we finished off the remaining bit of Joe’s Dark Coffee in November as well.
     Starbucks House Blend – I purchased one cup of Starbucks House Blend during the month, when I needed to use their WiFi to locate a post office. I’m one of those people that feels like if I use their “free” WiFi, I should at least support the business with a purchase of some sort. So, a cup of coffee it was!
     Variety of Ed Hardy Energy Snacks – I’m still eating a few of the Ed Hardy Energy Snacks, all in moderation (sort of!). The Coffee Rocks get consumed more than the other Ed Hardy Energy Snacks, but I’m finding their use very good. If I forget/don’t get my coffee at Chick-Fil-A, I’ll usually chew up five of the Coffee Rocks when I get in, to help give me a slight boost of energy, so I don’t pass-out!

Games Played in November
     Super Mario Bros. – Playing this game is becoming almost a nightly occurrence now. Our oldest little bean requests “Mario!” right before bed, basically as a delay tactic, but I usually give in and allow him to hop around. He has now progressed a little, and can actually walk and jump…and survives jumping over Goombas, which always surprises me. He doesn’t quite understand how to press “2″ hard enough for the higher jumps, so getting over pipes and higher blocks are difficult for him, but he still loves hopping around and the words “Mario epic fail!” are still said occasionally.
     Chess – I played a few matches of chess early in November, but not many after the beginning of the month. I still enjoy the games though, and will probably play some later this month.
     Tenchu: Shadow Assassins – I have been playing this one for more consistently since October. I think I’m at least half-way through it, but not really sure because I’m not sure how long these games typically are. The quick-time events are still fun, though a bit more variety with them would be nice this far into the game.
     PAYDAY: The Heist – This was the FPS released in October on the PlayStation Network, for the PS3. I have enjoyed my time with the game, and have almost finished the main campaign, which is relatively short, but I’m still finding it enjoyable and polished for a downloadable FPS. I have a video project I have had “in the works” for a bit now on this one, hopefully it will see the light of day!
     Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – I completed the single-player campaign in the game on November 20, and I enjoyed my time with it. I can even see myself playing it again, and trying to find certain items that are scattered around the levels. The game’s online multiplayer has been patched twice already, and the last time I played it, it seemed to be running pretty well.
     Wii Sports Resort – The biggest surprise of the month, would be this game. My father-in-law visited us early in November, and he was here for a week. He mentioned how he had played a game on the Wii, that one of Mrs. Coffee’s brothers had. He described it, and it sounded like Wii Sports Resort, and interestingly enough, we had it in our collection. Why is it interesting? Well, we don’t own Wii Sports Resort, but we had borrowed it from our neighbors way back in July, and NEVER PLAYED THE GAME. When he mentioned it though, I broke it out along with the Wii MotionPlus unit, and that resulted in hours upon hours of bowling and frisbee each night. The verdict? My father-in-law is amazingly good at bowling and the frisbee games, and I didn’t/haven’t beat his high scores yet.

Filtered Thoughts
     I consumed seven different coffee blends in November, and we finished off five different coffee blends we had in the house during November. You should be expecting a game-play video from Wii Sports Resort later this month, and also a video of PAYDAY: The Heist. I’m also working on a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video, but this one may take a bit longer because of what I’m HOPING to show with it.
     Also, we have had a bit of a coffee emergency the last 2 days, we are out of coffee! I know, how does “Mr. Coffee” run out of coffee? Well, luckily I found another hidden stash in the cabinet, that lasted through this morning with rationings being divided between me and Mrs. Coffee. She is actually at the store right now as I’m typing this, getting more coffee (and supposedly those other important food items).

     As for the games I played, if you own a PS3 and are looking for a unique take on the FPS genre, I recommend giving PAYDAY: The Heist a try, and it’s also available through Steam as well. If you enjoy the FPS genre and own a Wii, you would probably find Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 enjoyable, and I’ll be sharing more thoughts on the game throughout December.

Question
     What games did you play, and coffees (or other drinks) did you consume during November?

Kaos! Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure Hours Debut

Coffee Beans
     Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure was released on October 16, 2011 for the Wii, as well as the PS3, Xbox 360, 3DS, and PC. The game released in a “Starter Pack” with a MSRP of $69.99.
     The console version was developed by Toys For Bob, and published by Activision. It received an ESRB rating of “Everyone 10+” with “Cartoon Violence” listed as the only content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     Does it appear Wii owners are enjoying Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, and how many gameplay hours have they reported? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure has 2,496 Wii owners that have reported game-play data through Wii’s Nintendo Channel with 43 days possibly reported, and the game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 2 Hours 38 Minutes.
     The Wii version of SSA has a “professional” review score average of 80.22%, based on 9 reviews on GameRankings.com. The game has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 43 customer reviews.

Captured December 1, 2011

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I remember seeing initial coverage for Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure and thinking that it was a very unique idea for a game. If you have not seen the idea behind the game, the video below will give a decent idea:

     Basically, now you can literally “play” with toys in a video game. I honestly can see this continuing to be a success with proper marketing, and perhaps expanding to other toys.
     Seeing Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure average hours “Per person” being more than 20 hours on its debut is extremely impressive, and shows the audience playing this “game” seems to really be enjoying it, as I believe the Amazon.com customer reviews testify as well.

     I have never played a Spyro game, but I am definitely interested to see how this game continues to do. Mrs. Coffee watched the trailer as I was downloading it, and when she realized what it was she said, “Oh no, that game used to make me sick!” Now, I don’t know which older Spyro game she played, but the flying/gliding/free camera movement aspect is what made her sick. Hopefully though, that would not be such an issue with this game, as she could choose which character(s) to play with.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure? If so, what do you think of the game, good or bad? If you haven’t played Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, were you a fan of the older Spyro games?

If any of you are interested in Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure, you can see the Starter Pack of each console version on Amazon.com below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004VQENY8 http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004VQEO2E http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004VQEOA6

Modern Warfare 3 Wii Patched, Again! Patch Size & Details

Not the patch you were expecting?

Coffee Beans
     Modern Warfare 3 has been out less than a month, and Infinity Ward/Treyarch have been busy trying to make sure the game is running well for all console owners. Last week I posted how Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had been patched on the Wii, and the first patch addressed two major issues players were experiencing: corrupt save files and lag shooting.

     Well, Activision/Infinity Ward/Treyarch just released another patch for Modern Warfare 3 on the Wii.  How big is the patch, and exactly what “major fixes” does this Wii patch address? Take a look!

Patch size.

Major fixes

The Brew
     Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3′s latest Wii patch only requires 6 blocks of room, now making the required space for the two Modern Warfare 3 Wii patches 46 total blocks.
     This patch addresses four main/major problems, with the “Major Fixes” being:

• “MP – Major optimization work to improve host frame-rate issues (“host-lag”)”
• “Spec Ops – Major optimization improvement to help with reports of spec ops ‘rubberbanding/lag’”
• “Session Host Migration Fixes”
• “Added ‘Add Friend’ option in the multiplayer shell when selecting a player’s playercard”

     Overall, with the “Major Fixes” and the “Other Fixes” this MW3 Wii patch is supposed to address/fix 25 issues with the game’s online multiplayer and Spec Ops modes. The “Other Fixes” from this patch can also be seen in the image below:

“Other Fixes”

Caffeinated Thoughts

     I am very encouraged to see Modern Warfare 3 on the Wii getting patched, and not ignored. The fact that Activision is allowing Infinity Ward/Treyach time to work on patches for the Wii version, I think shows great respect to Wii owners that purchased the game. Not only will the game hopefully continue to improve with each patch, but hopefully word-of-mouth will spread that Activision is not ignoring the Wii version, allowing Modern Warfare 3′s Wii online community to grow stronger.

     After I downloaded the patch earlier this evening, I hopped online for one quick match to see if I noticed anything drastically different. I thought it was running a lot smoother than normal (normal with Netflix streaming in another room), and the video below shows off the first few minutes of the match:

     My online friend code for Modern Warfare 3 is 0359-9573-5494. If you add me, feel free to leave your ally code in the comments below, or by emailing it to me at Scott@CoffeeWithGames.com.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing Modern Warfare 3 on the Wii? If so, have you downloaded both patches for the game, and noticed an improvement in performance?

If you are interested in Modern Warfare 3, you can see prices for the console versions on Amazon.com below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00503E9UO http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00503E9FY http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00503E8S2

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Flies Onto the Scene! Debut Hours Report

Coffee Beans
     The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was just released for the Wii on November 20, 2011. The game was developed by Nintendo’s EAD studio, and it was of course published by Nintendo.
     The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the Wii’s first exclusive Zelda title for the system, as Twilight Princess was also available and basically developed for the GameCube, and Skyward Sword received an ESRB rating of “Everyone 10+” with “Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword since it released? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword already has 10,489 Wii owners that have reported game-play data through the Nintendo Channel, with only 8 days possibly reported.
     Skyward Sword’s average play-time per day/session played is currently 3 Hours 44 Minutes!
     Nintendo published/distributed two versions of the game. One version was the software only version with , which has a MSRP of $49.99, the other version was bundled with a special/limited edition Gold Wii Remote Plus with Triforce Symbol with a MSRP of $69.99.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     For Skyward Sword to debut on the Nintendo Channel only 8 days after its release is super fast, like other Nintendo first party titles, as most Wii games take at least a full 2 weeks to appear, if not much longer.
     If you do not have cable television, you may not be familiar with how Nintendo has been advertising the game. The video below is one commercial Nintendo has been running to help let Wii owners know that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is now available:

     I think it will be very interesting to see how The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword’s hours continue to increase, and where the average hours “Per person” end up in a few months.
     Seeing Skyward Sword’s average play-time hours per day/session reported played at nearly 4 hours makes me think the average hours “Per person” will increase pretty significantly each week over the next 2 months, as more Wii owners get the game and play it through to completion, and then perhaps as sales slow down for the title after the Christmas holiday.

     I have not played The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and I am currently debating on whether to add it to my Christmas list or not, based on the fact that I only played through Twilight Princess once. If I do end up with the game though, I will definitely share my thoughts on it.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword? If so, what do you think of the game from what you have played? Was it worth the wait?
     If you have already completed it, do you see yourself playing through the game many times, or is once enough?

If you are interested in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, you can see both versions of the game on Amazon.com linked below, as well as a hat you can wear to make you feel even more like Link when playing the game!
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002BSC54I http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002I0GEHI http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002UQM0PA

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’ Half a Decade of Hours

Coffee Beans
     The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released on November 19, 2006. It was developed at Nintendo’s EAD studio, and published by Nintendo for both the GameCube and Wii.
     The game received an ESRB rating of “Teen” with “Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     It has been half a decade since The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released on the Wii, and exactly how many hours have Wii owners reported playing Twilight Princess with 1,828 days possibly reported? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess now has 1,296,257 Wii owners that have reported game-play data through the Nintendo Channel, which is an increase of 74,354 more Wii owners that have reported data since May 16th this year.
     Twilight Princess’ average play-time per day/session reported is 2 Hours 21 Minutes, and the game has increased by 3,933,722 “Total Hours” reported in the last 6 months.
     As I reported on earlier this year, Twilight Princess released with a MSRP of $49.99 and remained at that MSRP for basically 4.5 years. If you are just getting a Wii system, or know somebody that is getting one as a Christmas gift you can now find The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for under $20, at its new MSRP of $19.99.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I believe The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess helped give the Wii system a great kickoff, and as the reported data shows (at least in the United States) Wii owners have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of the game. In just the last half decade since the game released, Wii owners in the United States have reported “Total Hours” which are equivalent to 7,156 years of straight game-play!
      If you have never seen what The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess looks like, below is a trailer to give you an idea:

Questions
     Have any of you purchased and played Twilight Princess in the last 6 months since it had the price drop? If so, what do you think about the game?
     If you have not played The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, do you perhaps have it on your Christmas list?

If you are interested in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and the Zelda universe in general, check out the items on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004WLRQMI http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002UQM0PA http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B001ECV764

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Turns Two! Hours in the 2D Mushroom Kingdom

Coffee Beans
     New Super Mario Bros. Wii has turned two!
     New Super Mario Bros. Wii was released on November 15, 2009. It was developed by Nintendo’s EAD studio, and published by Nintendo.
     The game received an ESRB rating of “Everyone” with “Comic Mischief” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii over the last 2 years, with 736 days possibly reported? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     New Super Mario Bros. Wii now has 1,442,116 Wii owners that have reported data through the Nintendo Channel, which is an increase of 620,982 more Wii owners having reported data since November 15, 2010.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 50 Minutes.
     New Super Mario Bros. Wii released at a MSRP of $49.99, and it’s one of the tougher Wii games to actually find on sale, even now 2 years after its release! Nintendo is now bundling the game with the “newer” modeled Wii, but for current Wii owners finding only NSMBW for under $40 is difficult.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     On November 15, 2010 NSMBW had 30,885,215 “Total Hours”, and seeing New Super Mario Bros. Wii now with 65,052,569 “Total Hours” reported I think is incredible because the game has doubled in “Total Hours” reported since last November.
     Being that Mrs. Coffee and I don’t have cable television of any sort, I don’t know if Nintendo has been advertising New Super Mario Bros. Wii any throughout the last year, or if it has simply been by word-of-mouth. If you never saw how Nintendo, at least initially, advertised for the game, below is a compilation video showing two commercials Nintendo put together for New Super Mario Bros. Wii when it released:

     The last time I played New Super Mario Bros. Wii was in August this year, when Mrs. Coffee and I started a completely new save file in the game, and started our first 4-player attempt through the game with our neighbors. While we made good progress the first night, we haven’t been back to it since, so we are due another New Super Mario Bros. Wii appointment!
     Our current “Total Hours” played as shown on the Nintendo Channel can be seen below:

     While my wife and I played through the game completely together, and we both started our own separate save files, neither one of us completed the game just by ourselves. I think this may show the magic that is in New Super Mario Bros. Wii’s cooperative mode!
     As I mentioned above, the game is hard to find on sale for under $40, but hopefully Nintendo will add it to the Nintendo Selects lineup in the near future, so many more millions of Wii owners can enjoy it!

Questions
     Have any of you been playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii recently? Also, if any of you have played the game cooperatively, did you play and beat every single level in the game with 4-players?
     If you haven’t played New Super Mario Bros. Wii and haven’t purchased it, would a price drop down to $20 get you to buy the game?

If any of you are interested in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002BRZ9G0 http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B005QWYKOE http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B002SW19GC

Black Friday Black Ops! Becoming the Wii’s most played FPS in only a year

Coffee Beans
     Earlier this week we looked at the Wii’s most played FPS game according to the “Total Hours” played, as reported through the Nintendo Channel; you can read that report HERE.
     This FPS Black Friday report though, takes a look at the reported game-play data for Call of Duty: Black Ops over the last year.

     Call of Duty: Black Ops was released on November 9, 2010. It was developed by Treyarch, as was World at War, and published by Activision.
     The game received a “Mature” rating from the ESRB with “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     While Black Ops does not have the most “Total Hours” reported, it has become the Wii’s most played FPS game “Per person” according to reported data.
     How many hours have Wii owners spent playing Call of Duty: Black Ops over the last year, with 377 days possibly reported? Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     Call of Duty: Black Ops now has 134,161 Wii owners that have reported game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel, which is an increase of 25,176 Wii owners having reported data since August of this year.
     Black Ops’ average play-time per day/session reported for Wii owners is now 2 Hours 44 Minutes. This simply means that each day/session Wii owners are sitting down to play Call of Duty: Black Ops, they are investing nearly three hours of their time in the game.
     The 10,511,714 “Total Hours” reported is equivalent to playing the game for 1,199 years. Nonstop, FPS action, 24/7/365 for basically 1,200 years. Do we have any volunteers?
     The Wii version of Black Ops released with a MSRP of $49.99, but can be found on sale at different retailers depending when you look.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I completed the single-player campaign in Black Ops earlier this year, as part of my New Year’s video game resolution, but I haven’t really played the game since. Like each Call of Duty game released for the last several years, Black Ops is still selling well considering it was released over a year ago.
     If you don’t know a lot about the Call of Duty games, and how they are marketed, below is a video that Activision and Treyarch released helping advertise Black Ops before it came out last year:

     As for the reported data, seeing Call of Duty: Black Ops with more than 10 million “Total Hours” reported in just a year, I believe is absolutely incredible for a Wii FPS. Black Ops already has 2/3rds of the “Total Hours” reported that Call of Duty: World at War has on the Wii, and World at War had a 2 year head-start.
     Not only do the reported 78 Hours 21 Minutes ”Per person” make Black Ops the most played Wii FPS per person and/or Wii console, but those hours put Black Ops in the Top 10 “most played” Wii games “Per person” as well. Again, this has happened in only a year.
     If Call of Duty: World at War’s and Call of Duty: Black Ops’ reported game-play hours don’t show third party developers that the Wii has a FPS audience, and one that really enjoys the genre, I don’t know what will at this point.

Questions
     Do any of you play Call of Duty: Black Ops on a regular basis? If so, which version do you play?
     If you are playing the Wii version, have you enjoyed the Zombie mode in the online multiplayer?

If any of you are interested in Black Ops, you can see prices for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii versions on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003JVKHEQ http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003JVCA9Q http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B003N3HEU0

2011′s Video Game Turkey Award!

Coffee Beans
     What do Bobby Kotick and Michael Pachter have in common? They received CoffeeWithGames’ Video Game Turkey Award in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
     The Video Game Turkey Award goes to either a video game company, and/or a person within the video game industry that through actions or words caused uproars in the video game community during the last year; and in return the company/person was roasted/baked/fried like a good turkey by the video game community.
     A lot has happened in the video game world in 2011, but did Bobby Kotick or Michael Pachter receive the Video Game Turkey Award again? Take a look and see which video game company/person receives the 2011 Video Game Turkey Award!

The Brew
     Reggie Fils-Aime, and Nintendo in general, receive the 2011 Video Game Turkey Award! Why do they receive the Video Game Turkey Award?  Here’s are the reasons, separated in bullet points:

• Nintendo released the new 3DS system and drastically dropped its price within months. The 3DS price dropped from $249.99, down to $169.99 in North America, and though Nintendo did the 3DS Ambassador program to alleviate people’s anger/concern, many people felt burned by the price drop.
• Nintendo released the 3DS without all its features fully functional: no web browser, no 3DS eShop, no effective communication with friends, etc. Why would a company release a system without having all its features fully functioning? I still have no idea.
• Nintendo failed to see the usefulness of a second circle pad with the initial 3DS’ design, and then it was leaked within months of the system’s release that a separate 3DS Circle Pad attachment would be coming out for the system, sold separately of course. This rumor/leak made many people wonder if an imminent 3DS redesign would be announced, something that I think will happen in early 2012.
• Reggie’s apparent failure to lead Nintendo of America by having very few first-party Nintendo titles for the Wii in 2011, lead to the Operation Rainfall effort. For me, this is why Reggie gets the 2011 Video Game Turkey Award. I know many Nintendo fans like Reggie, but I think he failed Wii owners and Nintendo fans in 2011 by not bringing either Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, or Pandoras Tower to the States; just one of those titles would have been nice. This wasn’t the first time Reggie and Nintendo of America failed to bring fully developed Wii game to the States though, as Disaster: Day of Crisis still has not been released for us, but it has been out for a few years now in Japan and Europe. The failure of Reggie Fils-Aime and Nintendo to support the North American Wii in 2011, with games that were already developed, makes me wonder what/if any pull Reggie actually has in decision making.

     While I have many more areas I could mention(Wii U), for me the 3DS’ rough start, and Reggie’s and/or Nintendo’s failure in bringing fully developed games to the Wii in North America, caused them to get baked/fried/roasted in 2011, and I believe most of it was absolutely deserved.

     If you are interested in trying to get Reggie and Nintendo of America to bring Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and/or Pandora’s Tower to North America, you can learn more about the ongoing effort at OpRainfall.Blogspot.com.

     I personally think that North American Wii owners will probably get Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and perhaps Pandora’s Tower in 2012, but then again I have been looking for Disaster: Day of Crisis for a while now.

Questions

     Do you agree with my 2011 Video Game Turkey Award? If not, what company/person would you give the award?

     Also, do you think, like I do, that the main three Operation Rainfall games are likely to see a North American release in 2012?