Mario Kart Wii, like Smash Bros, is hedging its bets when it comes to control schemes. Probably because, like Smash Bros, it's ostensibly a GameCube title, with its gameplay mechanics in place long before the now-mandatory waggle was ever brought to the table. Which explains why, when you sit down to play it, you'll have a choice of five control schemes, a mix of the new (waggle) and the old (no waggle). Having played the game for the past week, and played using all available control schemes, I figured I'd let you know how the five shape up.

Wow, I'm not sure where to begin with this one. I'm not often overly critical of games, especially ones that haven't released yet, but I have to say here and now that I was very disappointed in the Fifty Cent game. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I was presented with.

Time for a Frankenreviewreview. Let me explain. Mark has his Frankenreview feature running like a well-oiled machine. Mike's GTA IV write-up is the only review of the game this site's ever going to need to write. So this isn't an exercise in reviewing GTA IV. Or in comparing the reviews of GTA IV. It's an exercise in reviewing the reviews of GTA IV. Or, to be more precise, the hyperbole. Because when a game gets 10/10, 100/100 and five stars across the board, you've gotta do something to break up the monotony, right?

I had been curious about Prototype since I heard the title. For some reason on my various jaunts to game events I had never gotten a chance to see it demoed. So I seized the opportunity to check it out at Sierra's Spring Event.

A few months ago, I spoke with EA Sports' Chris Erb about Madden. Guy said that every year they had "100 guys calling us, begging to appear on the cover". So it's odd that when settling on a cover star for Madden 09, they went not for a player who's Madden crazy, but a guy who positively bah humbugs the thing.

Good old Crash Bandicoot, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking. And tick he will in his next game, for the Xbox 360, PS2, PSP and PSP. It is a follow up to Crash of the Titans and this time the story takes form in a spoof of the iPhone. A techno device has hit Crash's world that everyone wants and MUST get their hands on. What they don't know is, this device is being used to control their minds by nefarious forces. The only one who seems to not be affected by the device is Crash who must use his powers to save the day.

I post a lot about SingStar here. And when I do, I get a ton of Americans saying "who cares?" Here's the thing: a lot of people do. Just not necessarily Americans (and not necessarily that woman on the right up there). Take Europe, for example. Europe cares. SCEE have let us know this morning that since the first game launched on the PS2 in 2004, they've sold over 12 million copies of SingStar. Those are big numbers for any game, but for a game that's only really popular in PAL territories? They're very big numbers. Oh: SingStar PS3's out in the US on May 20, in case you're wondering.

World in Conflict, the PC based Cold War conflict RTS is grinding its gears to make its first big debut on consoles. The developers are billing this tale of the Soviets invading Germany not as an expansion but more of an "enhancement" to the original. The game is essentially the same as the PC version with some key differences such as this time rather than being from the Soviets perspective, we get the US perspective. That makes up the majority of the story changes and other changes have been implemented in the controls and menu system.

New Sonic Unleashed screens? Sure, why not. They're not from the most official of sources, but then with this game, what else is new. I'm kinda sure I've seen one or two of these before. But I've included them just in case. I'm definitely sure the rest are new, though (from what looks like a pre-level fly-by), so bon appetite.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Spyro franchise, Sierra and Estranges Libellules are teaming up to bring you The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. This title will complete the trilogy of Spyro games that includes A New Beginning and The Eternal Night. Spyro has long been considered a kids game and while it is still being marketed to a younger audience, the franchise has definitely grown up.

It's spring! The weather's warmed up, and it's perfect for getting out and moving. Why stay inside couped up all day in front of the television? Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto agrees. Get off your asses, kids. Just listen:

Real Mario was creepy. Real creepy. Also apparently a big inspiration for internet photoshoppers, because German art student Marcus Blättermann has taken Pixeloo's premise and applied it to Bowser. Who no longer looks like a bad guy. He just looks like a dinosaur. Or a chicken. Oh, and a turtle too. Whatever, he's not creepy.
Realistically Painted Bowser [essenmitsosse, via Go Nintendo]

Sierra had a few XBLA titles to show off as well at their Gamer's Day, so I have compiled them together into this one article for easy digestion.

Misery loves company! It's OK, Capcom. You weren't the only ones to leave an IGN watermark on your own Okami art. Bradygames left one on the cover of their Okami Wii strategy guide, too! What's even kookier is that the watermark appears in a different spot on the book's cover than on the game's cover, meaning it's not just a case of re-using the same art from Capcom's cover. Whoops. Wonder if they'll offer replacement dust covers?

The Ghostbusters game is still early in it's development so we didn't get to see a whole lot of it at Sierra's Spring Event but what we did see was mighty impressive. First we were shown a little sample of what the Infernal Engine is capable of. The setting was the New York Public Library reading room which should be familiar to any Ghostbusters fan. The fully rendered backgrounds were gorgeous and we watched as a thousand boxes were moved about the room simultaneously, objects were sliced using the Proton Pack and slime tethers were used to link objects together and hang them from the ceiling.

The whole time this demonstration was happening, more and more objects were being dropped into the environment to show exactly how much this hearty engine could handle. More boxes, people and even cars fell from the ceiling, filling the room with thousands of objects without a hiccup in the frame rate or a slowing down of the action. At one point a monster was created using hundreds of books that came flying of the library shelves only to be taken down, book by book by the power of the Proton Pack.

The PSN and Xbox Live Arcade are getting Bionic Commando remakes. But what about the original game? Why isn't that on the Virtual Console? BC producer Ben Judd told IGN: "If it's not on the Virtual Console, you can bet there's a reason for it." Game blog Siliconera points to Capcom mouthpiece Christian Svensson added his two cents: "Guys, you have to take this up with Nintendo. This is NOT, repeat NOT, a Capcom issue. Please remember, Nintendo calls the shots on what goes up on VC, not third parties." Let the conspiracy theories commence!

Got questions about Grand Theft Auto IV? We've maybe got some of the answers! In an effort to address some of the frequently asked questions about the game, its two console versions and the particular quirks of each, we're compiling a handy reference guide which we hope you find informative. If your question isn't answered, ask in the comments and we'll hunt down an answer for you. On with the questions...

How's the game? Any good?
Yes, yes it is. Check out our GTA IV review. It's spoiler-free and almost totally free of "teh biases"!

Should I get the PlayStation or Xbox 360 version?
That's up to you. They're nearly identical and it's hard to go wrong with either version. We found the feature set to be better on the 360, but the PS3 holds up a bit better technically. Check out our PS3 versus 360 GTA IV comparison piece.

To: Ashcraft:
From: Owen
Re: The Weekends are Made for GTA

Well, the weekend was mostly Crecente and McWhertor's show after the 10 am embargo ("OGrabMe" spelled backwards) broke. I think our servers held up under the GTA IV traffic better than Xbox Live did for the Halo 3 release. Needless to say a lot of stuff gets plowed under when a mega-game hits the set.

Here's what we did this weekend:

Grand Theft Auto IV Review: Life, Liberty City And The Pursuit Of Happiness
Mario Kart Wii Friend Code Dump
One Kotaku Editor's Introduction to Gaming
Ken Levine on "Narrative Drive"
The Inaugural All-Time Video Game Character Draft
GTA IV: Best Game Since ... Well, When?

Of course I am talking about LET'S PILATES for the DS! Woot! This amazingly deep sandbox-MMO-driving-multiplayer-movie tie-in lets you build flexibility, strength, endurance and coordination IN REAL TIME! An exclusive review gave it 11/10! Best game since Shaq Fu!

Oh yeah, Mario Kart Wii is out, Iron Man is coming Friday and uh, Grand Theft Auto IV or something. So which of these gets your hard earned gamer coin?

Variety's Ben Fritz thinks so. Provoked by IGN's 10/10 rating of Grand Theft Auto IV, he draws a line that seems to connect "exclusive" first-crack reviews of games and superior, almost historic ratings (as is the case in GTA IV.)

For example, Game Informer gave Mass Effect a near-perfect 9.75 out of 10, while citing many problems that might otherwise lead to a lower score (and the fact Dan himself doesn't think it even comes close, but never mind that.) Without passing judgment on GTA IVs 10/10ness, he thinks that exclusive reviews are "ethically troubling" at minimum.

Some of us here at Kotaku Tower are a little divided on Braid: I had a discussion with another editor who declared that the story ruined it for him, since it "reads like a prepubecent boy wrote it." Ouch! As I referenced in a recent essay, I enjoyed Braid a lot, though I felt the story was trying a little hard in spots (which I suspect is why the aforementioned critic wasn't a fan). But despite my sometimes strident opinions on Jonathan Blow, the game's creator, and my apparent propensity for managing to irk the man with practically every post I make about Braid, I liked the setup of the game and was always looking forward to discovering what new mechanics a level would bring.

Destructoid has a handy list, on the heels of TechRadar's "Signs you are no longer a hardcore gamer." Now, Kotaku is an open environment where fanboys are very evidently welcome. But fanboyism is, like terrible driving and owning yap dogs. In case of the former, no one admits to it. The latter, well, you're just a better owner of a more well behaved yap dog. Or some other bullshit.

Among the 10 signs:
• Any criticism of your chosen love is a result of bias
• Call everyone else a "fanboy" before they call you one
• Justify even the stupidest decisions/games

Well, I think we can all safely agree that none of these apply to any of us! And btw, I am toats not in the bag for Xbox 360, Rockstar sandboxers or any western-themed game.

Ten Golden Rules of Video Game Fanboyism [Destructoid]

Lots of people have taken the criticism bull by the horns the past couple of weeks: with the Resident Evil 5 kerfuffle, the expected lead up to the GTA IV launch, and various other reasonably recent debates all coming together, it's no surprise that a number of talented writers have latched on to the faults of the gaming community (namely, we can dish it out but we can't take it). Mitch Krpata of Insult Swordfighting is the latest, and he takes on some recent community uproars:

N'Gai Croal of Newsweek's Level Up takes us on a tour of the hipper-than-thou launch parties Rockstar threw to kick off GTA IV over the past two weeks. Billed as "a rare series of intimate events representing the eclectic musical soundtrack," they were really a big meet-n-greet pairing gaming writers with artists and other Rockstar types.

Only a Game has an enlightening look at some old (early '80s) research on gaming, long before it was the 'next hot area' for study. Thomas W. Malone was looking at the educational possibilities of games when PacMan was the height of advanced (coin-op) games, and the piece looks at two of his papers and what they can still tell us about games today (or should be telling us about good game design). What Chris Bateman thinks is almost criminal is that more people haven't referenced his research:

ResignedGamer's back at it again with a series of odes to Leisure Suit Larry and San Andreas' Carl Johnson, bravely touting them "the last true romantics." Rejection again is the theme, at least for Larry — which was a game more about getting shot down than it ever was getting hooked up. An example:

infinite fetch quests
chocolate, roses, and rings
won't make her love you

So true.

Haiku for the Last of the True Romantics [Resigned Gamer]

Michael Abbott has another little thought provoking post over at the Brainy Gamer on whether or not we need 'boutique' developers — just like the heavies of the film industry have divisions that deal in 'boutique' titles:

Portal is a boutique studio project. Valve could have made it bigger, longer, and splashier and unveiled it as their NEXT BIG IP. Or they could have simply bought the team and plowed all those great ideas into the next edition of Half-Life. Instead, they made a game that was just the size it needed to be with just the amount of attention it required.

This kind of story deserves its own new word: Chutzpidity. Because a guy in Minnesota had both in equal and voluminous supply for this particular scam. Over a full year, this guy bought nearly 200 games, worth more than $25,000, replaced them with blanks, got the refunds, then sold the real games on eBay. The re-sale netted him almost $US19,000.

Now, while the alleged scammer was clever enough to forge a label on the blanks, and then repackage the games to make them look brand new (and also avoid an inspection that would discover the blanks) did he honestly think no one would notice 192 REFUNDS on a credit card and start asking questions? It takes enormous gall or a lack of brains, or both — hence chuzpidity — to keep going with this after getting $10K in tax-free ill-gotten booty and leaving a paper trail that stretches to Sioux Falls.

I love architecture — and still have days where I think I probably should've gone into architectural history — so I always enjoy BLDGBLOG's game-related posts. This week is a chat with Daniel Dociu, Chief Art Director of Guild Wars. The interview is worth reading for a look at the pictures alone, but a look at how gorgeous environments are created is interesting, too:

EA Sports launched NCAA Football '09 at a gala event in New York on Friday night, taking advantage of so many college stars being in town for the next day's NFL Draft. As AOL Sports' Fanhouse pointed out, the game is touted as the "best-looking yet" while, to a trained eye, is just now getting around to putting in the kind of atmospherics that made NCAA Football 2002-2004 such a joy to play.