Charles Martinet recently joined us for a chat and explains what it’s like to be the voice behind the oldest and most recognisable video game character of all time – Mario. He’s also behind a whole host of other Nintendo characters who’ll be appearing in the forthcoming New Super Mario Bros for the Wii which we’ll be reviewing soon, make sure you order your copy in time for holiday season for what’s sure to be a Christmas hit for all the family.

Preorder New Super Mario Bros now
New: Buy New Super Mario Bros from Amazon.com
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Related: Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games review, Mario Kart review

Tags: Mario, Charles Martinet, New Super Mario Bros, interview, Wii, Nintendo, DS

Related: Games Media Awards finalists, Nominate Gamesweasel for the Games Media Awards

Tags: Games Media awards, results, GMA

Offers: Visit the Gamesweasel offers page for Godaddy coupon codes

Update

Nominations have now finished so thanks for everyone who put our name forward for the awards and we’ll keep you updated if we win anything.

Tags: Games Media Award, awards, Gamesweasel

Video gaming superstar Marcus Fenix came literally face to face with the British press in London’s West End this evening, as a night dining with friends at the Groucho Club ended in a scuffle with a paparazzi photographer.

In the UK to promote his new Xbox 360 game, Gears of War 2, the gaming icon was reluctantly snapped leaving the celebrity hangout but took offence when one unfortunate hack got too close. As these shocking pictures show, he was then restrained by his minders and piled into a taxi. An onlooker said: “Marcus is a big guy and it was pretty scary – he just totally lost the plot.”

Related: Gears of War 2 release date, Gears of War 2 gameplay footage

Tags: Marcus Fenix, Gears Of War, Gears Of War 2, Groucho Club

It’s true and the proof is here in digital glory. Whilst appearing for a press event to promote the imminent launch of Samba De Amigo for the Wii, Samba the monkey couldn’t stop himself from checking the latest edition of Gamesweasel TV! Ahhhh, bless the little ugly ball of fluff.

Related: Samba De Amigo party, Samba De Amigo trailer

Tags: Samba De Amigo, monkey, weasel, ape, gibbon, wet patch on desk

Get the Gamesweasel video show now for free!

The PES 2009 release date has been announced for the 17th October for the 350, PS3 and PC, check out the PES 2009 trailer and screenshots. This time they’ve got the exclusive Champions League licence and news to my ears, the Livepool licence along with Manchester United.

Update: Amazon limited deal – PES 2009 Pro-Evolution Soccer from only $19.99

Ends December 30th – We’ve discovered a great promotional deal over at Amazon, head to the Pro Evolution Soccer 09 Amazon page and get the game for only $19.99 when you spend $50 or more, pay with Bill Me Later then enter the code BMLSAVES at checkout for $10 off the game, you’ll even get super saver shipping thrown in. This offer is limited to one per customer and valid until December 30th 2008.

Buy Pro Evolution Soccer 09 now
New: Buy Pro Evolution Soccer 09 from Amazon.com

Related: PES 2009 screenshots, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, Youtube PES 2009 trailer

Tags: PES 2009 release date, PES 2009 trailer, PES 2009 gameplay, PES 2009 screenshots, Pro Evolution Soccer, 2009, Konami, PES2009, PES 2009 trailer

Starting today at the Battlefield: Bad Company website players worldwide can vote to determine which two single player levels will be turned into unique maps for the multiplayer Conquest mode. This vote gives players the chance to revisit popular locations from the single player campaign, such as the golf course in Par For the Course, now in an intense multiplayer match. The two maps with the most votes by Tuesday, September 2nd will win.

Related: Battlefield: Bad Company website

Tags: Battlefield Bad Company, Battlefield, Bad Company

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Eidos Interactive presents a tantalising taster of Tomb Raider: Underworld’s stunning Thailand setting in which Lara shows off a beautifully smooth repertoire of moves against an evocative and atmospheric backdrop.

Related: Tomb Raider Underworld playtest impressions, Tomb Raider Underworld announced

Tags: Tomb Raider Underworld, Trailer, Tomb Raider Underworld video, Tomb Raider video

Last night I attended the Samba De Amigo party in a Mexican venue in Old Street, London. We got to see the game in action and have a few free drinks courtesy of Sega.

The game has over 40 Samba-inspired songs and will probably have you accidentally knocking precious vases off shelves as you swing your nunchuck and remote to the beat of the music, strike poses and showboat. Your Mii can also join in the fun and you can play solo, co-op and view online leaderboards to see how well you shake against others round the world. The Samba De Amigo party release date is mid September.

And I wasn’t even drunk! First person to send these to me as an animated gif wins a prize.

Mammy, Mammy! -Sonic shows us his Jazz Hands

There’s nothing normal about an ant in a bikini and a cactus with maracas.

Looks like a mad Beatles trip.

Related: Viva Pinata Trouble in Paradise, Wii Music

Tags: Samba De Amigo, party, Samba, Wii, Mii

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced its first European Metal Gear Online Championship, with entrants competing to win a luxury trip to Tokyo – home of series creator, Kojima Productions! Entry is open to players over 18 from all PAL territories, and entrants are invited to visit their site to register to play. The first competition will be held on August 15th.

Konami is planning to host four preliminary tournaments per week – each preliminary tournament will feature six players per team, with one back-up member, and will span 16 games of 16 teams competing within the ‘Team Deathmatch: Direct Elimination’ mode and with the maps changing each game. Each match will comprise one round of 15 minutes and the best two teams from each preliminary Tournament will advance to one of two European Final Tournaments.

The two European Final Tournaments featuring teams who win their preliminary rounds will be played in September, with 16 teams each competing for the main prize of a trip to Tokyo between 9th-13th of October where they will be entered for the Grand World Finals at this year’s Tokyo Game Show where further prizes await the successful teams!

Buy Metal Gear Solid 4 now
New: Buy Metal Gear Solid 4 from Amazon.com

Related: Konami registration, Metal Gear Online review

Tags: Metal Gear Online, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear

CONTROLLER AND PRICE		COMPATIBLE TITLES
		Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock	Guitar Hero Aerosmith	Rock Band	Rock Band 2	Guitar Hero World Tour	Guitar Hero Metallica	Guitar Hero Smash Hits
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul	$59.99	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar	$59.99	Yes	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rock Band Guitar	$59.99	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Rock Band 2 Guitar	$52.99	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
ezJam Wireless Guitar	$69.99	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wii Shred Ax Guitar	$25.99	Yes	-	-	-	-	-	-
Frontman Wireless Guitar	$36.95	Yes	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-
Rock Thunder Guitar	$50.00	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gene Simmons Axe Guitar	$66.96	Yes	-	-	Yes	-	-	-
Wii Rock Icon Guitar	$39.99	Yes	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dazzle Wireless Guitar Hero Controller	$39.99	Yes	-	-	-	-	-	-
Intec Universal Wireless Guitar	$69.99	Yes	-	Yes	-	-	-	-
Wii Guitar Evolution Wireless Guitar	$49.99	Yes	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Xtreme Wireless Guitar Controller	$47.99	Yes	-	-	-	-	-	-
Guitar Hero World Tour Drums	$79.99	-	-	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rock Band Drums	$99.99	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Rock Band 2 Drums	$89.99	-	-	Yes	Yes	-	-	-

Recommended Guitar Controller

If cross-compatibility is critical then the most suitable 3rd party controller we’ve looked at is the $69.99 ezJam Wireless Guitar which works across the board with all titles. Although build quality isn’t up the same standard as the official controllers it isn’t let down by features – strum, tremolo and whammy bars are all covered along with a tilt sensor to take advantage of features found in later versions of Rock Band and Guitar Hero. If you are after something less ‘Nintendo white’ and a little more ‘rock’ with the same compatibility as the ezJam then the glam styled Rock Thunder might be more suitable with a quieter strumming action than the ezJam.

Runner up

If it wasn’t for lack of compatibility with the original Rock Band for the Wii we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the $59.99 Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar as the axe of choice – these guitars are exceptionally well built compared to every other guitar controller we’ve played and guaranteed to work with all Guitar Hero titles along with Rock Band 2. If you have your heart set on playing tracks from the original Rock Band with there is a workaround. Using the $29.99 Rock Band 2 you can transfer the 55 songs from the original Rock Band disc over to a suitably sized Wii compatible SD card. You’ll then be able to use Rock Band 2 to play your mega library of tracks from the original Rock Band, Rock Band 2 plus any of the 800+ downloadable songs you may have acquired along the way. We’re hoping that Harmonix will implement a similar export key system for transferring tracks from the forthcoming Beatles Rock Band and Lego Rock Band.

Additional accessories

Whilst researching these guitar controllers we came across a must for any serious guitar collector wanting to keep their controllers tidy in the living room – there is a $13.99 Dual Guitar Holder which doubles as a mic stand and a Triple Tree Guitar Stand which holds up to 3 guitars for $29.99.

We’ve also found a specially designed storage box for holding Rock Band accessories – once your kit is tucked up inside your visitors won’t know you are a secret plastic rocker. Amazon have shaved around 50% off so if you are in the market for some new furniture and want somewhere to hide a pair of guitars, a set of drums and a mic then have something to put your feet up on after a heavy rocking session then this is a great space saving idea.

For those of you wanting to play a Wii music game without the need for instruments then we recommend a look at Disneys multiplayer Ultimate Band which uses strumming and drumming actions on the Wiimote and Nunchuck to play – watch our review of Ultimate Band to see what you think.

Buy from Amazon.com:

• Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul – $59.99
• Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar – $59.99
• Guitar Hero World Tour Drums – $79.99
• Rock Band Guitar – $59.99
• Rock Band 2 Guitar – $52.99
• Rock Band Drums – $99.99
• Rock Band 2 Drums – $89.99
• ezJam Wireless Guitar – $69.99
• Wii Shred Ax Guitar – $25.99
• Frontman Wireless Guitar – $36.95
• Rock Thunder Guitar – $50.00
• Gene Simmons Axe Guitar – $66.96
• Wii Rock Icon Guitar – $39.99
• Dazzle Wireless Guitar Hero Controller – $39.99
• Intec Universal Wireless Guitar – $69.99
• Wii Guitar Evolution Wireless Guitar – $49.99
• Xtreme Wireless Guitar Controller – $47.99

Related Wii music articles:

• Guitar Hero 2 review
• Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock review
• Guitar Hero World Tour review
• Guitar Hero Aerosmith review
• Guitar Hero Mii support
• Rock Band review
• Rock Band 2 review
• Rock Revolution review
• Wii Christmas party games
• Samba De Amigo review

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Tags: Wii, Wii Guitar Hero controller, Rock Band

Buy Guns Of The Patriots Sountrack now
New: Buy Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots Sountrack from Amazon.com

Tags: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots soundtrack, soundtrack

Related: Spore official site

Tags: spore

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Related: YouTube TNA Impact interview with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, Calling all TNA Impact fans

Tags: TNA Impact interview with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, , Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, TNA Impact, Interview, video

Related: Metal Gear Solid 4 Xbox 360 version

Tags: Metal Gear Solid 4

UPDATE: We are now closed for comments – questions which made it for the 16th when we did the interview can be found at TNA Impact interview with Samoa Joe and AJ Styles

Tags: TNA, TNA Impact fans, TNA Impact, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Petey Williams, sport

According to the press release “RockStar 08 open to everyone, young old, groups or soloists, with the only stipulation being that any entrant must be unsigned and ready to lay everything on the line in the pursuit for ultimate victory”.

Tags: RockStar, RockStar 08

Tags: Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear, Yoji Shinkawa, Metal Gear Solid 4, gaming

The 360 version will sell at £24.99 and the PS2 version at £19.99. Good news for abyone who heard about its teething problems online and has waited before getting involved in Konami’s beautiful game.

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Tags: PES 2008, release date, sport

Tags: GTA IV sales figures

Offers: Use our Gamesweasel Godaddy coupon codes to save money on web domains and hosting – watch our GoDaddy coupon video for more details, use the CCS discount code ‘AFGAMEFS’ to get free shipping on orders over $30 and ‘AFGAME15′ for 15% off orders over $75, use the Squarespace coupon code ‘WEASEL’ to get 12% off for the lifetime of your account.

I’d heard rumours that if you can’t be bothered to send it back to Microsoft, you can try to fix it yourself by wrapping your machine in towels for 20 minutes.

The theory is you cover the air vents and make it overheat, thus making it somehow solder the loose connection back together. So, I went to the bathroom, laid my Xbox on the floor and wrapped it up nice and snug. 10 minutes later I checked back and there were only 2 red lights – a promising sign. I waited another 10 minutes, unwrapped the Xbox and held my breath. Would it work? Surely it can’t. I turned it back on and – the green lights rotated and the Xbox logo came on my telly. It was back from the dead! Unfortunately a week later it’s died again so I’m toasting it one more time before sending it back to Microsoft!

And if you don’t believe me, check out the video of the Xbox Towel fix by watching the video version of the podcast – Gamesweasel TV to see this miracle in action.

Tags: Xbox Towel fix, xbox 360 red ring of death

Tags: Gauntlet for the DS, Gauntlet, DS, Gauntlet DS version

Because I was walking round the event with a camera I didn’t actually get to go on any of the games but I did get to see what was on show and what was playable. The new Soul Calibur was there in force with lots of screens for people kick each other in the face in front of – and people got to gamble themselves silly in aid of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 – win the most chips and you win a holiday to Sin City.

Also available to play was Rock Band. If you can afford it and you have the space you and your mates can play guitar, drums and bass and warble over the top of your favourite tunes.

Not-playable was Ghostbusters which looked cool thanks to the Ray-Parker Junior soundtrack and being able to fight the green blob in the ballroom – nice! Also, what I could see of the Bourne Conspiracy looked pretty cool too.

Upstairs Sony were showing off GT5 prologue with some racing pods. Pity you’ll be playing at home with a non-rumbling Sixaxis pad.

And there was some entertainment. Young girls waited for ages to see a band I never heard of called Saving Aimee, some Vegas showgirls danced and didn’t even get a clap for their troubles, a young lady dressed as a Soul Calibur character didn’t quite know what to do with her sword and Darth Vader looked – shorter than in the films.

It may have been a wet weekend but everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves – if not for the games, then just to be in the warm out of the rain. Be sure to check out the video in episode 42 to see Iain Lee, Gemma Atkinson, Darth Vader and Slimer in the flesh.

Tags: play.com, iain lee, gemma atkinson, Ghostbusters game, Soul Calibur, Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Tags: Trauma Center – Under The Knife 2, Trauma Center, Under The Knife 2

We’re not sure exactly what it will show but it’ll probably be another mix of geezers waving guns at each other, shouting, driving cars and shooting people.

And if you fancy getting yourself 1000 free Microsoft points, pre-order your game at HMV.co.uk, you’ll also get a voucher booklet saving you a further £130 off selected items in-store.

The game will be packaged with a Guitar Grip peripheral that fits snugly into the DS and a unique Guitar Hero pick-stylus that brings a new dimension to handheld gaming and the core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero: On Tour has been designed specifically for the DS platform and will offer the DS audience an all-new compelling music experience. It will probably be lost of fun but you may look very weird on public transport though – almost as sad as that girl on the DS advert who asks if her dog wants its belly rubbed on a packed bus!

There will be a special edition complete with a hard-backed artwork book and high-quality slipcase will be available exclusively with selected online retailers as a pre-order item to customers while stocks last.

Square Enix tell us that Crisis Core is the highly anticipated prequel to the biggest selling Final Fantasy of all time, taking players on an exhilarating adventure filled with grandeur, excitement, characters that captured the hearts of a generation and many new secrets to discover hidden within the world of Final Fantasy VII. With additional game play challenges not included in the original Japanese version, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of Final Fantasy VII from an all-new perspective.

Tags: Crisis Core Special Addition, Crisis Core PSP, Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VII PSP, gaming

Lewis Paul asked:
i think that you should add more leagues to the game i.e. portuguese and scottish leagues, and are you going to attempt to get the bundesliga back?

PES team:
We are constantly looking to expand the number of official clubs and leagues in PES. We have a team of licence specialists who are currently working hard for the forthcoming PES, and we hope to detail new additions to the rosters in the coming months.

Jason Young asked:
Please ask them how PES 2008 was an absolute disgrace to modern day gaming and that it was also one of the biggest PR disaster i have ever seen – How do you bounce back from that, what do you have up your sleeve? I loved Pro evo but right now Fifa rules!!!!

PES team:
We’re sorry that you feel let-down by PES. We value our audience hugely, and are constantly striving to build upon the series reputation as the most realistic football title for any format. It is too early for us to detail out plans for the next game, as the team are all hands to the pump working on key new additions.

Raul asked:
Will PES 2009 have LAN support? and will the whole on-line mode be worked on so there is less lag?

PES team:
It’s a bit early to detail what will and won’t be in the next PES, sadly. All will be revealed in the coming months…

Related:

• Review of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for the Wii
• Video review – Gamesweasel episode 42 (subscribe for free from the Gamesweasel page in iTunes).

Tags: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Pro Evo 2008, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Wii event

And remember, pre-order your copy with Game and you get 500 Free Microsoft points with which to check out some of the online content. Wicked!

Related: Free Microsoft Points Codes, GTA IV release date

Tags: GTA IV downloadable content, GTA IV Xbox Live, GTA IV, GTA 4, Free Microsoft points, gaming

I can, however, tell you that it looks fantastic and it’s modern, yet still retains the look and feel of the older games. Although with a 2D style, all the characters are in full 3d and fight like you remember them to from left to right and vice-versa. I played as Blanka in the single player mode and somehow managed to win three fights in a row (a feat which hadn’t been done yet during the morning session may I add). We then all had to leave the room while the multiplayer build was set up so we didn’t see any characters they want to keep under wraps. Guile and Chun-Li were paired off to fight each other and for some reason Guile’s corn-like hair’s shorter and Chun-Li’s thighs are fatter.

Each player has a super move which they can unleash when they’ve made a number of hits, but also revenge moves which can be activated to devastating effect if you’re taking a bit too much of a beating. This can certainly turn the tables if you’re about to lose.

Needless to say I got pummelled by a human opponent, so I grabbed a can of Diet Coke, a packet of crisps and a Twirl and left promptly.

No word yet on a Street Fighter IV release date but remember to subscribe to the Gamesweasel blog rss feed to keep informed with more updates when we hear about them, including a Street Fighter IV game review and a Street Fighter IV trailer.

Related: Street Fighter IV screenshots on our Flickr pages.

Tags: Street Fighter IV, Street Fighter IV preview, Street Fighter IV features, Street Fighter IV screenshots, Street Fighter 4, Streetfighter IV, Streetfighter 4, Street Fighter IV Video Game, Street Fighter IV Game Review, street fighter iv scans

Update: PES 2008 – Your questions answered

Tags: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Pro Evo 2008

The game will be released on a Blu-Ray disc containing both Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Kojima Productions’ Metal Gear Online – a dedicated online title that uses locations and gameplay elements from Guns of the Patriots. Together, they form a stunning conclusion to Hideo Kojima’s involvement in the final chapter to the Solid Snake saga.

With the anticipation for Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Online growing at a phenomenal rate, Konami will whet appetites with a public beta version of Metal Gear Online before the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. Full details of the public beta program will be announced shortly.

Concluding Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid saga, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is set in a battle-scarred future where huge conglomerates fight for supremacy using armies of hand-picked mercenaries. This devastated world is seen through the battle-weary eyes of an older Solid Snake who has been charged with infiltrating a number of key locations across the globe, including the Middle East and South America. As such, the epic end to Snake’s story offers ground-breaking combat elements, a refined control system that offers unprecedented control over the aged hero, and the tying up of key plot lines and loose ends.

Similarly, the accompanying Metal Gear Online features all the stunning stealth and combat elements of Guns of the Patriots, as it drops the player into a series of war zones and game options. With all-out ‘Last Man Standing’ battles to rescue and protection missions, Metal Gear Online effortlessly transfers the sublime control system of the series to an online competition, creating an absorbing battle between like-minded fans.

Tags: Metal Gear Solid 4 release date, Metal gear Solid 4 launch date, Metal Gear Solid 4, PS3, Metal Gear Online, Guns of the Patriots, gaming

Buy Silent Hill Homecoming now
New: Buy Silent Hill Homecoming from Amazon.com

More: See all 8 Silent Hill V screenshots

Tags: Silent Hill V, screenshots, screenshot, screengrabs, PS3, Xbox360, Silent Hill 5, gaming

So, if you have an HD-DVD player for your 360 – quick, get it on eBay now before everyone cottons on that they’re worthless!

Tags: HD DVD, HD DVD dead, HDDVD, xbox 360, xbox HD DVD, format wars, blu-ray, bluray, blue ray, toshiba, microsoft, xbox 360 HD player, HD DVDead, gaming