In this episode:

• the new Cobra Commander toy,
• an in-depth discussion of the original G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero mini-series in episode 19 of the Saturday Supercast podcast,
• the evolution of Chris Latta’s Cobra Commander voice,
• Orson Welles’s Unicron voice from The Transformers: The Movie (movie speed vs. normal speed),
• Eric Idle’s incomprehensible Wreck-Gar voice,
• 1980s cartoon insults,
• cliched cartoon plots and video game themes,
• the decline of the Star Wars franchise,
• our review of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with MotionPlus for the Nintendo Wii,
• and Famicom vs. NES video games.

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In this episode:

• listeners Paul and Juan is Missouri,
• Esteban quitting Please Save Me Robots,
• John Madden retiring and being sued,
• Keanu Reeves winning the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
• Coldplay being sued by Cat Stevens,
• celebrity deaths (Bea Arthur and Dom DeLuise),
• flat caps,
• the upcoming Ghostbusters: The Video Game,
• Nintendo Wii MotionPlus being released in June,
• a new Ghostbusters movie,
• watching internet videos on Verizon FiOS cable TV,
• and a guy acting like a maniac on the NYC subway.

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I attended Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii promotional event in New York City at 12:00 this afternoon and recorded a video:

I also snapped some photos:
Flickr – Mario Kart Wii promo event, NYC 4/24/08

Based on my experience with other Nintendo events in NYC – the Nintendo World grand opening in May 2005, the debut of Nintendogs with special guest Shigeru Miyamoto in September 2005, and the debut of Super Mario Galaxy in November 2007 – I anticipated a huge crowd, but when I got there, it was just me and one other guy standing in front of the Sheraton hotel on 7th Avenue waiting for Mario. Oh well. When Mario finally walked down the steps, the other guy and I surrounded him and were taking tons of pictures like idiots.

Eventually, a small crowd gathered and children were genuinely excited to see Mario walking down the street. I was surprised by how many adults asked to take a picture with him. It was cool.

The point of this event: Nintendo’s new racing video game Mario Kart Wii debuts Sunday, April 27, 2008, in the U.S. To promote it, Mario walked back and forth along the sidewalk holding the steering wheel that’s included with the game and hailed taxi cabs for people. Steering wheel…racing game…taxi cabs…it sort of makes sense, right? As a bonus, Nintendo paid $10 toward each fare, including mine. Thanks!

Being a video game fan and a Nintendo fan, I knew what the event was for, but I don’t think people walking by did. As you can tell by my video, this was an incredibly quiet publicity event. Mario didn’t talk, but neither did the woman who was with him. She should’ve been belting out, “Hey everybody, Mario Kart Wii is coming this Sunday! It features twelve-player online fun and a motion-sensing steering wheel! Who wants a cab ride? The first $10 is on us!” She wasn’t. There weren’t even any signs or free keychains.

I realize this event wasn’t really necessary because several million copies of the game will be bought automatically by Nintendo fans like me, but still, someone should’ve been handing out buttons or fliers letting people know what was going on. If you’re reading this and work for Nintendo, please consult me for your next game publicity event.

Our trip to Houlihan’s in NJ with special guest Dennis in CA!

In this episode:

• dealing with ridiculous customers at former jobs,
• PSEG’s upcoming Global Green Expo 2008 featuring Ted Danson and Ed Begley Jr. (www.nj.com/globalgreen),
• a truck accident in California releasing eight million bees onto the highway,
• The Swarm (1978),
• meeting Dennis at the Digital Press video game store in Clifton, NJ (www.digitpress.com),
• Thai-style calamari at Houlihan’s in NJ,
• the North Carolina Tar Heels,
• Esteban in South Dakota (pleasesavemerobots.blogspot.com),
• a guy in Texas who accidentally received Rob’s UPS package instead of the robot he ordered,
• Bicentennial Man (1999) starring Robin Williams,
• Will Ferrell,
• Be Kind Rewind (2008) starring Jack Black,
• Definitely, Maybe (2008) starring Ryan Reynolds,
• Explorers (1985) starring Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix,
• celebrity deaths (Arthur C. Clarke),
• Patrick Swayze’s pancreatic cancer,
• After Hours (1985) starring Griffin Dunne,
• GameStop’s midnight release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii,
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith,
• moronic families on Family Feud,
• Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones,
• Epic Movie (2007),
• and Arnold Schwarzenegger prank phone calls.

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In this episode:

• the 3rd Space Vest by TN Games,
• Halo 3 replica weapons by Jasman Toys,
• auto racing school,
• voice chat in online multiplayer video games,
• micropayments,
• Nintendo Wii points,
• a listener review on the iTunes Store by Brian in NJ,
• getting Dennis in CA on the show,
• Transformers (2007) vs. Masters of the Universe (1987),
• the new Verizon FiOS commercial featuring Michael Bay,
• and The Last Starfighter (1984) starring Lance Guest.

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In this episode:

• our Spider-Man 3 (2007) movie review with Adam in SC,
• Topher Grace as Venom,
• Stan Lee,
• this summer’s blockbuster movies,
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Nintendo Wii,
• car alarms,
• Lloyd Scott’s participation in the 2007 London Marathon dressed as Indiana Jones,
• a free online Flash video converter (www.vixy.net),
• meeting Elijah Wood on a subway platform in NYC,
• Michael Moore directing the upcoming movie The Hobbit (2009),
• “To Serve Man” (The Twilight Zone, 1962),
• The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) starring Leslie Nielsen and O.J. Simpson,
• and The Old Jingle of the Episode (Dr Pepper commercial).

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In this episode:

• Ninja Warrior on G4,
• the Double Dare obstacle course,
• Video Power hosted by Johnny Arcade,
• the Nickelodeon Super Toy Run,
• a get-rich-quick scheme (sue Toys “R” Us),
• Franklyn Pigott Jr. setting his house on fire trying to kill a bee,
• hunting of toxic squirrels,
• a Michael Jackson update ($100,000 pharmacy debt),
• Donald Trump’s redevelopment of Atlantic City’s Steel Pier,
• the Doomsday Clock,
• Stephen Hawking in outer space,
• the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest on KDND and Jennifer Strange’s death,
• and our Nintendo Wii review.

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In this episode:

• professional video gamers and Major League Gaming (www.mlgpro.com),
• Burger King video games for Microsoft Xbox,
• Sony PlayStation 3 launch day scams,
• Nintendo Wii bundles,
• bleem!,
• the hypocrisy of Apple fanatics installing Microsoft Windows on their new Macintosh computers,
• elevator common sense,
• the Power Glove by Mattel and other useless gimmick toys,
• Tyco slot cars,
• and Tom Cruise’s auto racing career.

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In this episode:

• celebrity deaths (The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin and Bruno Kirby),
• What Ever Happened To? (the entire cast of Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Tami Erin from The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, and Aileen Quinn from Annie),
• Twenty Good Years starring Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow,
• Arrested Development season 3 on DVD,
• The Hogan Family,
• Stan Lee,
• and the official release date and price of the upcoming Nintendo Wii.

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In this episode:

• a defect that causes self-heating Wolfgang Puck gourmet latte cans to explode,
• a get-rich-quick scheme (Doc Brown’s plutonium-heated coffee),
• the upcoming Nintendo Wii,
• old British street vendor in NYC Joe Ades selling peelers,
• stupid styles (small women’s shoes and men wearing flip-flops without cutting their toenails),
• bags of vomit being dumped throughout Mount Pleasant, IA,
• The Old Jingle of the Episode (Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes commercial),
• and local psychos from Dennis in NC (Willowbrook Mall customers).

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