Show and tell time! Just for fun in this newest Ethos Video Review entitled My Video Game Collection, I reveal my own personal collection. Consider this a sort of exhibition video. Feel free to comment and discuss your own collection! Click the link below to watch the newest video. Thanks for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZc0ekHCxUc&feature=channel

-Kurt L.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCQKyAXx-NY

-Kurt L.

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     As compilations go, Metal Slug Anthology is a rather complete collection. It contains Metal Slug, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, Metal Slug 5, and Metal Slug 6. That is a whole lot of Metal Slug! Hardcore fans will be in their glory, newcomers to the series will have everything they need. While this anthology contains essentially everything you need to get your Metal Slug fix, you'll notice that these games are all pretty much the same. There are some minor variations in terms of character selections and whatnot, but overall, the experience doesn't vary. Depending on your perspective, that is either great or disappointing. For me, it's a good thing because I happen to enjoy these games from time to time despite them all being so similar to one another.

     The Wii remote functions pretty nicely. You turn it sideways to resemble an NES controller, and you can flick the remote to throw a grenade - and that is pretty cool. There are also ways to customize your game; you can set the difficulty, and the amount of lives you get (including unlimited lives).

     It's a fine game, one that utilizes the Wii remote as a strength in a simple yet effective way, and provides you with plenty of games for your buck with a decent amount of customizable options. Plus, the graphics are lush and beautiful with some nicely ordained 2D environments. If you can look past some of its shortcomings, you'll enjoy this compliation. The Metal Slug games are brief and very similar to one another, but still fun. And that's exactly what you'll have - fun! And isn't that what a game is all about?

-Kurt L.

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*2009 Ethos Critic Pick for Game of the Year*

     What was old is now new again! New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the new ultimate experience for the classic Mario Bros. franchise. For the first time since 1991, Mario is back in a side-scrolling platforming game, and he is back with a vengence. While some great and revolutionary Mario games have been released in that 18 year gap, most notably: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995), the legendary Super Mario RPG (1996), Super Mario 64 (1996), Paper Mario (2001), and of course Super Mario Galaxy (2007), just to name a few, this new entry in Nintendo's flagship franchise harkens back to the days of the good-old NES and pays its most homages to my favorite game of all time - Super Mario Bros. 3. This is a game that I've been waiting for, and finally it has arrived on Wii, and better yet, it is a classic Mario game for an entirely new generation of fans to enjoy that provides a new outlook and serves as a history lesson on some of the greatest video games ever created.

     Mario Bros. Wii is a pure blast to play. It embodies everything that made Super Mario a household name in the first place: it has supreme level design, the memorable, retro sound effects, catchy music with new themes and ones from the yesteryear, and terrific visuals. This classic take on the franchise has been retrofitted with some new, welcomed additions. First off, the most obvious revamp was that of the graphics - we see a nice 2D/3D engine that was first seen on the somewhat similar DS game New Super Mario Bros. - but on Wii, which clearly has a lot much large graphical palette, the visuals are very well-fleshed out and look amazing, popping with some vibrant colors and make the case that 2D games can still impress and wow in this modern era of 3D powerhouses.

     As I alluded to earlier, this game harkens back to Mario 3, and it does so in numerous ways. When I played through it for the first time, I noticed so many nuances that referenced either Mario 3, or Super Mario Bros. 1, Super Mario World, and even Super Mario 64. From secret warp zones, to the Bowser battleships, to the classic themes, to the flagpole at the end of every stage, to the inclusion and triumphant return of Yoshi, this game encompasses everything that is Mario! It's just such a great experience.

     As expected, the control is top notch, as you simply turn the Wii remote sideways and it acts as an NES controller. You could also plug in the nunchuk attachment and play that way, but, it is actually easier to manuever with such the remote by itself. Initially I was hoping you could use the Wii's Classic Controller attachment, since it closely resembles a Super NES controller, but it doesn't work for this game - but after the first few stages, you just forget about all that and become completely entrenched in the wonderful experience of this game.

     One of the newest, and perhaps even revolutionary, concepts to appear in this game is the debut of the simultaneous multi-player feature. For the first time, you can now play side-scrolling Mario action at the same time with other players like you couldn't do before. In the past, 2 players would take turns and only one player could be on screen at a time, either as Mario or Luigi. In this game, you can play together, and Mario and Luigi can run about the screen wreaking havoc as you please. You can play up to four players at once (the two other playable characters are two differently colored Toads - yellow and blue respectively). Playing with just two players on screen is hectic enough, but, it is so much fun. You can pick up your friend and carry them through the stage, you can throw your friend into other enemies, jump on their heads, or work together and finely tune your teamwork - either way, it is a pure blast! For this aspect alone, the game is worth its weight in gold, but couple it with everything else, and it is an instant classic.

     The only thing missing in this game is an online option. And that is really my only gripe with this game. These days, most games are online, in fact, it practically is a staple for them to be so. Unfortunately, Mario Bros. Wii is not, and that is a shame because this would be an ideal game to play online with friends. This, and this reason alone, is why I gave the game a 4.8 out of 5.0, otherwise, this game deserves a full-blown 5 out of 5. I just found it a little strange because Nintendo seemed to really emphasize their new brand of multi-player action with this new game, but yet, didn't even include the multi-player intesnive online feature. In any case, this game still rocks, online or not.

     There has been a lot of talk of this games challenge as well. And yes, it definitely has a good, strong challenge, but it is surmountable. The game definitely isn't too hard, nor is it too easy either. It is the right blend of vintage challenge that I was, and still am used to with the NES and Super NES Mario games. The levels challenges ebb and flow throughout, and culminates with an utterly thrilling showdown with Bowser. In fact, the final battle with Bowser is perhaps the most thrilling fight you'll ever have in a Mario game - simply brilliant. The ending is actually quite challenging indeed, and I wonder how much more difficult (but also fun) would it be to fight Bowser with other players simultaneously!

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii is an instant classic, and one of the definitive reasons to buy a Wii console today. Indeed, Super Mario has made history once again as he has ushered in a new era of side-scrolling action that I hope continues to flow through Nintendo's veins for generations to come. It is a new classic, and ranks up there with some of Nintendo's untouchable elite. It is my personal Ethos Critic's Pick for the 2009 Game of the Year - try it for yourself and see why. It simply further cements Mario's indelible impact on the game industry and why he is such a icon of gaming. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is surely a game that I will be playing and re-playing for years to come. All hail the King of Gaming - Super Mario!

-Kurt L.

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