Pro Tips for Playing Mario Kart 8

You’ve been playing Mario Kart 8 for a few weeks now and have been having a great time. The 50cc races were a piece of cake, and the 100cc races weren’t too challenging, but the 150cc trails were tough. Harder yet, securing top honors while playing online seems near impossible with some players clocking in nearly 30 seconds ahead of you! I know; I’ve been there. Without a doubt I’m still there, but I have been steadily getting better with each passing day. Practice most definitely makes perfect, even in the world of Mario Kart 8, but there are some bonus tips you can use to better your odds of winning in every scenario.

 

Animal Crossing Cosplay!!

At this year’s Fanime Convention in San Jose, California, a few friends of mine decided we needed to take our liking of the Animal Crossing: Sweet Day game in Nintendo Land for Wii U to the next level.

 

Top Ten E3 2014 Moments

The 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo has officially come and gone, and left in it’s wake are mountains of exciting games to play, systems that look a hell of a lot better, and gamers who are proud to pronounce their hobby to any and all. Last year’s show was filled with announcements about the next generation consoles, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, so this year it was expected that Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo would put out plenty of new software to go with that shiny new hardware. These ten moments were the defining times of E3 2014, and the games I am most excited to play.

 

You Might as Well Buy the Photos With Mario Cards

If you frequent Target stores, specifically the electronics section of Target stores, you may have come across one of these special pre-paid Nintendo Points cards.

They look like this

They’re $10 Nintendo eShop cards that also come with a small bonus: an AR card that can be used with the Photos With Mario app.

 

Jayne & Andy: The Tomodachi Life Edition

---

---

---

---

---

 

Top Ten Dream E3 2014 Predictions

In what might be the only tradition I have here at SlickGaming, we are one week away from the 2014 Electronics Entertainment Expo, which means it’s time for some dream predictions! I’ve come to realize that while these are mostly in good fun, they are all actually things I really would like to see come out of the show. Interestingly enough, some of these predictions have come true (more or less): Nintendo has actually made significant progress in the online gaming department, and the PS4 and, more recently, the Kinect-Free Xbox One do indeed retail for under $400! Two out of twenty isn’t that bad, right?

Without delay, here are my predictions for this year’s show!

 

Stages I Want to See Most in the New Super Smash Bros. Games

With E3 nearly upon us and information about the new Super Smash Bros. trickling out in steady succession, my mind has been stirring with thoughts of what may come to be. You can browse just about any gaming blog and find a most wanted character list, or even now some of the confirmed characters for the game. But the game isn’t just about the combatants: the stages you play on are just as important and memorable as the fighters! Any Smash fan will have their favorite stage, or a special moment thanks to some background element being thrown into the fray. While many stages have already been announced, here are a few of the stages I want to see in each version of the game.

It’s also worth nothing that the 3DS version of the game will be slightly different than the Wii U version. Some of the stages in the 3DS game are going to come from exclusively portable games, opening up a whole barrel of awesome, unique ideas for stages!

 

Pro Tips For Playing Mario Golf: World Tour

Now that we’ve been hitting the greens for just over two weeks with Mario and pals, it’s time to up your game. I’m not talking about Toad’s practice sessions, which can be helpful for sure: I’m talking about hardened tips that only the pros get from experience. Advice on how to putt to perfection (most of the time); how to unlock every secret in the game; and how to deck out your Mii with the best gear. But mostly, it’s just how to play the game better. Here are some useful tips for playing Mario Golf: World Tour on 3DS!

 

Review: Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Golf: World Tour is a perfect example of how a game in real life can be boring, slow-paced, and difficult to master, but a video version of said sport can be incredibly entertaining, fast, addictive, and easy to pick up and play. I’m beginning to believe Nintendo just needs to throw Mario into anything mundane and it’ll become a best seller. Mario Knitting could be the next big hit. Perhaps even Super Mario House Chores would be a parent’s dream come true for their Nintendo loving children. But let’s be real: Mario’s best non-Bowser-thwarting outings are always on the links. Or the tennis courts. Or the race track. Or the fighting arena.

 

The Rise of the Wii U?

Nintendo has been around for awhile. They’ve weathered many storms and come out, for the most part, better for it. Not everyone was on board with the Wii, thinking motion controls were going to flop big time, but here we are in 2014 with the Wii selling near 100 million units, which is more than both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And let’s not forget the 3DS’ rocky launch. It was plagued by poor sales and lack of software, but fast forward three years after its release and its arguably the best system on the market. I won’t mention the Virtual Boy, but it was a think that Nintendo persevered through, too!

So where does the Wii U stand? The follow-up to the insanely popular Wii features HD graphics, a nifty game pad, motion controls, a better online community and support, as well as a much lower price point than its competitors. But much like the 3DS before it (even worse, in fact), the system has failed to be commercially successful, selling less than 10 million units in 1 1/2 years on the market.

There’s one rule I’ve heard floating around the gaming world that I have to agree with: never count Nintendo out. The Wii U looks dismal now, but maybe this is the year for the Wii U. As an owner of the console myself, I must say that I am indeed having fun with the system. Even better though, I’m looking forward to the future and am actually getting excited to own a Wii U. Nintendo needs to sell this console to gamers, and it’s looking like 2014 could be it.

Last year was definitely the Year of Luigi.

2014 is the Year of the Wii U.