You guys remember “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”, the show that was basically a weekly, half hour version of Ferris Bueller? I remember I used to love that show, especially Kube. Dude was like a gentle giant. That was back when TV used to be good, especially TV that was geared towards the teen/tween market. (Side-note: I’m pretty sure that when I was what would now be considered a “tween” that phrase hadn’t been invented by Disney yet. We were just called kids back then.) Nowadays it’s so crap, but there’s one show that takes the cake, “Secret Life of the American Teenager”.. Mrs. Mike watches the show because she got sucked in during a sick day when there was a marathon of it on TV. Isn’t it funny how you can get sucked into marathons? I remember one weekend I think I didn’t watch anything but “Law & Order:SVU”. Anyway, the basic premise of this show is about a moron girl who got impregnated by a moron guy and they are surrounded by more morons. The worst part is the acting; they don’t so much act as just read the lines. (And. They. Do. It. Like. This. Sentence. By. Sentence. Apparently. The. Writers. Have. Never. Had. A. Real. Conversation.) The girls dad on the show only takes advice from his other, younger, daughter and their dog; Ricky (the guy who got the girl pregnant) only wants to have sex and loves his son; and the girl with the baby pretty much hates everyone, especially her baby. I don’t even want to get into the other characters on the show, but The Tominator is by far the best one; Tom plays a friend’s brother on the show and has Downs Syndrome and still manages to out act and entertain more than anyone else there. Ugh. This show is awful. If I didn’t know any better I’d think it was made by Canadians or something, probably the same ones who came up with the worst Opening Ceremony ever for this years Olympics. Basically, for one hour each week while this show is being watched in my household, I kind of want to just bang my head against a wall, that would probably even be more productive…

Looking back on yesterday’s posts, you’d think that the only thing that happened at the Nintendo Summit, or anywhere else for that matter, was Samus and Mario love. Well, there was a bit more and we’re going to talk about one of the other games that made an appearance now. “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is Ubisoft’s true sequel to “Sands of Time” and will be acrobatting onto store shelves May 18. As I already reported, the game is reportedly going to be one of the best looking Wii games yet. The game is a multi-platform release, but the Wii version is being developed as a completely separate game and story. There are a few new gameplay elements in Forgotten Sands, including an interesting one when it comes to combat. The larger groups of foes will have a “boss” amongst them that supposedly has a bit of a glow about him, I’m pretty sure it’s not because he’s pregnant, but who knows. Anyway, if you don’t feel like fighting all of his goons, just go after him. Once you take him out, his cronies will go away. I’m not sure if it makes a difference other than saving time and the fact you won’t get level points for anyone but him. Still, if the fights are repetitive this could come in handy; there’s nothing worse than games with the “Travel here. Unlock door A by solving puzzle B. Fight 5 guys that respawn 3 times each before the boss shows up. Then repeat the process until you’ve done it for 6 hours” formula. The Forgotten Sands also includes jump-in/jump-out co-op mode that takes a cue from Mario Galaxy; a second Wiimote will control a reticule that can be used to help solve puzzles. No, there’s no other character that can be on screen with you duking it out “Double Dragons” style, that would be sweet though. “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is an ambitious title, and one that could set the bar for graphics when it comes to future Wii titles. For a few pictures of the pretty all you have to do is check ‘em below. I’m also giving you a video of Jay Electronica on stage with Mos Def & Diddy, because it’s just sick. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

See More Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Screenshot at IGN.com
See More Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Screenshot at IGN.com
See More Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Screenshot at IGN.com

Jay Electronica Calls On Diddy to perform “Exhibit C” from Mikey Fresh on Vimeo.

I want you all to know that I think highly enough of my readers to comfortably assume that your memory is strong enough that you can go back a few hours time where I gave you the release dates for “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ & “Metroid: The Other M”. I mean, you guys can probably read, and mastered the internet enough to, at the very least, bookmark TheSpin, so there’s no need to tell you again, is there? If, by some chance you’ve got the memory of a 95 year old man, you can at least follow the page down just a bit further and read that post, right? Oh, alright! You win, I’ll succumb to the pressure and go along with this charade.

As I posted here Nintendo held a Media Summit today in San Francisco, my invitation was lost in the mail. Prior to this event, as in yesterday, they announced the time frame for the release of Galaxy 2 and Other M would be between June & August. As you can guess, this infuriated me to no end. The only thing I dislike more than vague “release windows” would probably be a Canadian Ginger. It’s hard to say as I’ve been lucky enough to have not encountered that mythical beast yet, but I fear that sooner or later my day will come. That day is not today, but today is the day that Ninty announced the actual day they would release the soon to be mega-hits. (Side-note: Man, I just used the word day a lot there. Like, A LOT.) Since I’ve let the anticipation build to a proper level allow me to announce those dates to you, again. “Metroid: The Other M” will be released on June 27. That’s really not that far away if you think about it. I mean, it’s like four months or so, but we’re almost in the third month of the year, so you do the math. (Side-note: Is it just me, or is this post making anyone else’s brain hurt?) “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ will come out a month before Samus gets her game on, with a scheduled release date of May 23. This date makes me happy and sad; it’ll be here before we know it, but I’m pretty sure Mrs. Mike and I will be on holiday when it comes out and she wouldn’t be too happy if I spent our vacation playing Wii. So, you’re probably wondering, “Is this post going anywhere or is this another one where he just rambles because he can’t think of anything worthwhile to put up?” Yes, this post is going somewhere and we’re pretty much there. Since Cammie and Ninty apparently misplaced my media credentials at the same time they did my address, I don’t yet have access to all the media that’s been put out. Luckily for you, Kotaku has and they’ve been friendly enough to post it up. If you’re looking for a gallery full of beautiful screens from “The Other M”, you should check the link. I’ll post a couple of choice ones below, be warned that Nintendo has said that these are of higher resolution than the Wii can put out, so don’t get your hopes too high. I’ll also post the new trailer for “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ for your viewing enjoyment. These two games look stupidly good, and the fact that they are coming out early summer indicates to me that Nintendo has something big planned for the holidays. Maybe that oft-rumored Wii HD? Time will tell. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

I wish I could tell you that I was attending Nintendo’s Media Summit, but I’m not. I know, I still don’t get no respect. It works out though; the way I see it, I can let the other “big” sites do all the work, while I ride on their coattails and regurgitate what they report. I’m kind of like one of the members of Destiny’s Child that way, Beyonce is the one that really matters and people care about, but occasionally people notice me too. Like that one time there was the video of that one member in the group who fell on stage. Beyonce just glared at her and stepped over her. I’m pretty sure that lady hasn’t been heard from since…

Something else that we’ve not heard much, nay anything, about is “Metroid:The Other M”. Honestly, we’ve not really gotten anything on the upcoming adventure starring Samus Aran aka the most BA Betty in all of gaming. What we do know is that Team Ninja is developing it, and it’s supposedly going to be a bit darker. I’m drooling right now. Another title that Ninty’s been a bit mum on has been “Super Mario Galaxy 2″, the sequel to Mario’s first outing on the Wii. Some people think SMG was the best Mario to date, I’m not one of them. Don’t sleep, the game was fantastic, and tons of fun, but nothing will beat “Super Mario Bros. 3″, there’s just something about that damned racoon cap… Anyway, the Big N preempted today’s Media Summit with yesterday’s announcement of a “release window” for Other M & Galaxy 2. I don’t like release “windows”, it leaves too much room for interpretation. Like when you ask your wife/spouse “what do you want for dinner?” and they reply “I don’t care, I feel like spaghetti or sushi or mexican, but whatever you want is fine. You pick.” They don’t really mean “you pick” they mean “you pick but it better be the choice I was going to make or else I’ll make you change your mind.” When a company says the games will be out “between June and August”, that’s like a 90 day window. Do you know how much you can get done in 90 days? Let me put it in perspective, we’re only 55 days into 2010, think of all you’ve gotten done since New Year’s Day. Yeah, I hate windows. Whatever, at least they didn’t say October or something stupid like that, I can wait till mid-summer to get my hands on what will surely be two instant classics. If anything new comes out today on these games, you can count on finding them here, as long as someone who’s “important” enough to get an invite from Cammie puts it in the interwebs. Until then, let’s relive the glory that are the first, and only, trailers from “Metroid:The Other M” and “Super Mario Galaxy 2″, and just for fun I’ll put the video up of the now missing member of Destiny’s Child. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

UPDATE: Nintendo announced firm release dates for the two games. “Super Mario Galaxy 2″ will be launching May 23, and “Metroid:The Other M” will hit shelves June 27. See, I can handle firm dates, who needs stinking windows anyway?!!? Stay tuned for more on news coming from the Summit.

I don’t know if I’ve ever properly vented my loathing for cell-phones here, but I kinda hate them. Actually, I think it’s just phones in general; I really can’t stand talking on them. What do I have to say, or does someone have to say, that can’t be said in an email? I rarely answer my phone, and it’s even rarer for me to actually carry the thing on me. To be honest, I blame Apple and their damned iPhone & iPod Touch. You see, I have an iPod Touch, and I love it, it’s always with me. It’s got my music, email, and whatever else I really need. Thing is, it’s not a phone, and I don’t feel like having it and a phone in my pocket. It’s like they are forcing me to buy a damned iPhone, the fact that my phone quit working the other day and I’m now relegated to using the like 4 year old cell that Mrs. Mike & I got for free way back when sure doesn’t help. I don’t even need a phone, I really wish my iPod got email, maps and web anywhere I went, because that’s the only feature I’d really use. It’s so dumb….Yeah, I totally hate cell-phones. Maybe Google will get their junk together and release a phone about as good as the iPhone. (Side-note: I say that because I hate the fact that everyone has an iPhone. It’s not at all a cool device anymore. It’s basically the new Motorola Razr, which is lame.)

Something else that’s lame is that I have to wait another month before I can play Red Steel 2 and the folks at IGN got a nice lengthy demo to run through. One day I’ll be a big shot like those guys, and those Frenchies at Ubisoft will come to me with their new games. Yeah, that will probably never happen. Still, a dude can dream, right? Another thing I can do is read their write up and get jealous about the time they’ve had with some ass-kicking samurai cowboys before throwing a hissy-fit in which I pound my fists to my keyboard like that fat German kid from the YouTube. They say it helps to watch a nice video preview, but it just made me more sad. If you want to emo out with me, then check the video below and try not to be too sad. I mean, we’ve only got another month to go…. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

So, the big news today is that Tiger Woods finally broke his silence and issued a public apology. Honestly, I find it a bit unnecessary and, now that I’ve seen the apology looped on ESPN for the past four hours, a bit annoying. Dude plays golf, Mrs. Mike doesn’t even consider that a real sport. Why is it any of our business if he had an affair and got caught then tried to drive away in some kind of strange drunken-pill induced sex coma only to crash his car like 15 feet from his house and then falling asleep in the grass? Sure, he’s kind of dumb, but I don’t care what he does in his personal time. If anything, he should be apologizing to me for Debo’ing ESPN for the past 4 hours!! It’s so ridiculous, surely something else happened in the world of sports at some point in the past 24 hours!! I mean, there is the Olympics and all happening right now. But nooooo, we need to hear some guy who probably feels like the only person he should be apologizing to is himself and maybe his wife go on and on about how he messed up and hopes we forgive him. Tell you what, if ESPN stops showing this in time for me to watch PTI, I’ll forgive you. If not, you better start writing more apologies!! (Side-note: Since we’re on a sports kick so far, check the quote from Vitali Klitchscko, boxings Heavyweight Champion of the World from his retirement announcement: “I only have to win one belt. So this year I will hang up my boxing gloves. And I’ll stop visiting different cities to beat somebody’s face in.” WHAT!!?!?! That is the most BA retirement announcement of all time. I just hope he gets the chance to beat David Haye’s face in first.)

Now that we’ve got that bit of ultra-violence out of the way, let’s get all wholesome for a bit, SEGA style. I haven’t done a single post on “Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing”, and I’ve got good reason for that. You see, I’m sick of half-assed “Mario Kart” clones; since the definitive “character” racer debuted on SNES years ago, there’s been no shortage of them, and almost all of them have been crap. It seems that SEGA and Sumo Digital feel the same way, because their upcoming title actually looks pretty good. Don’t sleep, it’s still very much a Kart clone, but it looks to be one that’s done with as much individuality as possible, and with the intent of ensuring that all the fun Ninty delivers is there as well. (Side-note: I almost got uber-lame and called it a “Kart Klone”, but I chose not to. Seriously, my finger was paused above the letter k for at least a minute as I weighed the ramifications of going down that road. Yeah, these are the things I think about as I write TheSpin.) Yes, the game is going to have power ups that you drive over to collect. Yes, the game is going to be very arcadey. Yes, the game is basically going to be “Mario Kart” but with SEGA characters instead of a Nintendo cast. That’s a good thing though. If you can take all the things that Kart does right, and put your own name, label, and spin on the game, while managing to keep all the fun factors intact, then go for it. We’ll have to wait until February 23 to see if SEGA pulls it off, but judging by the trailers below, “Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing” will be giving “Mario Kart” a run for its money. (Side-note: Try to ignore the obnoxious people in the first trailer, it’s like SEGA paid them to be as cliche as possible…) Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

(Side-note: As I wrote this up I had the TV on ESPN and I’m pretty sure they showed Tiger’s apology in entirety, went to a commercial break, and then started it from the beginning when they got back from the break. This is going to make me hate ESPN…)

In case you didn’t catch the end of my last post, yesterday was Mrs. Mike’s birthday, and what a glorious day it was! My birthday fell on a Saturday, which was basically spent indoors, due to the cold rain that provided a blanket of miserable over Atlanta, and with me on the phone yelling at Dell for some ridiculous policies. (Side-note: Is it just me, is Dell not ONE company? Because according to their employees, it’s basically a whole bunch of different companies with one name and one common goal: aggravating me as much as humanly possible! I mean, if you’re stupid system won’t allow me to use the coupon YOU GAVE ME online, it’d makes sense for you to try to rectify the problem instead of diverting me to the other Dell who has no idea what I’m talking about… Yeah, I was mad.) So, for her birthday we both decided to take the day off, and the weather blessed us for doing so. We also made a new addition to our family in the form of a 5 month old Shih-Tzu we’ve named Rambo. Dude is so BA, his face marking resembles a mask which makes him look like some sort of awesome caped crusader. Not sure how Roxy is going to take to him, my guess is she’s gonna sink into a pit of emo that’s filled with like Death Cab music playing as she sulks in the corner before finally warming up to the epicness that is Rambo. At least, that’s what we want to happen; I’m not sure we can afford for Roxy the Dog to like us any less. (Side-note: She may be the meanest dog ever. Not mean as in “I’m going to bite your face off”, but mean as in, “Why are you looking at me? Don’t even think about petting me. Great, you’ve ruined my life with your love and affection, why can’t you just feed me when I need it and leave me to my cutting?” She hates puppies. At X-mas my dad’s new puppy was trying to play with her/sniff her in that way dogs do when they are curious, she growled at it basically saying, “Get away from me. I hate you.”) Maybe I can get a pic or two up of them in action, and by action I mean they’ll probably just be sleeping.

If you watch any TV at all, you’ve surely seen previews for the upcoming Disney re-hash, “Alice In Wonderland”. The film, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, looks absolutely bonkers. I remember as a kid, “Alice” was one of the Disney movies I actually enjoyed watching, especially if I was a bit under the weather. It was just so…weird. Plus, it didn’t have any singing that I can recall. If it did, they either kept it to a minimum, which was a huge bonus if you were a little boy, or I’ve completely blocked it out of my mind. I mean, sometimes singing can be a bit…much. Well, take that film and just throw it out the window; it looks as though Burton and Co. have upped the “weird/strange/bizarre” factor of Wonderland by about a million. They’re also releasing it in 3D, which is so choice. After seeing the win that was “Avatar”, I am a faithful believer in 3D, and as long as a movie looks good, I plan on seeing it. Suffice it to say, “Alice In Wonderland” looks ridiculously good. Now, I’m not sure about the 3D gaming revolution that is being hyped up all over the place; luckily, Disney Interactive won’t be releasing “Alice In Wonderland: The Movie” the videogame in 3D; however, judging by the picture I posted up there, it does seem like they’ve captured all the strangeness that Tim Burton is injecting into the film. If that shot has got you fiending for a bit more of that Wonderland strange, you’re in luck. Below you’ll find a few more screen shots of the game, and if my interwebs can ever get its act together I’ll also add the latest trailer for “Alice In Wonderland:The Movie” (the videogame), which is due out for the Wii on March 2, which is just in time for you to play it through and spoil the ending of the movie for anyone who’s lived under a rock the past 30 years and hasn’t seen the original. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

Update: The internet decided to finally be my friend, so as promised, here’s the latest trailer for “Alice In Wonderland”.

I’ve never really liked any of the “Prince of Persia” games, they just never really did it for me. Even last year when Ubisoft decided to go in a new direction and style for the series, I found it a bit meh. Sure, the game looked nice, and I guess that sort of exploration was all well and good, just not for me. I wish they were my cup of tea, because on paper it seems like something I’d really enjoy. I mean, dude can slow down time, is a badass swordsman, and can do all sorts of parkour style stunts including running along cliff walls. For some reason, all of that never translates into fun in my eyes. I feel like it’s that way with tons of gamers; that PoP is just one of those middle of the road series, selling just enough to warrant sequel after sequel. I know there must be a fanbase for the series, I also know it’s not me. Well, Ubisoft doesn’t seem to worry much about that, as they are gearing up for yet another sequel in “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands”. The title is going to be launching on all next-gen consoles, and according to the press release will tap into the Wii’s reserves for the best graphics we’ve seen. I guess we’ll have to wait to actually see if they also manage to make the experience something I want to play. You know, because Ubisoft really needs to make games that I want to play. You can find the aforementioned press release, as well as a few screenshots of “The Forgotten Sands” below. I’m also going to post a video of clips from “So I Married An Axe Murderer” below that, because it’s Mrs. Mike’s favorite movie and today is her birthday. Happy Birthday babe & thanks for everything you do (which includes making sure I get off my butt and keep The Spin running)! Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

About the Game
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for Wii is a new installment in the popular Prince of Persia series and presents a new adventure within the Sands of Time universe. After leaving his father’s kingdom to prove his worth, the Prince is drawn toward a mysterious realm. He quickly discovers that he must harness his acrobatic abilities and powers over the environment to not only survive, but to save a mystic palace from unfathomable evil. Game features include:

* Classic Gameplay Reinvented: By utilizing the Prince’s acrobatic prowess, players will be able to perform unparalleled feats from maneuvering through treacherous traps and combating massive enemies, to solving elaborate puzzles in an effort to survive.

* Create Your Own Path: The Prince will possess supreme mastery over his environment and enemies. By manipulating his power over sand, The Prince will uncover new areas to explore that will only be accessible by wielding his new powers, skills and abilities.

* Impressive Graphics for Wii: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands utilizes advanced technologies to deliver a smooth, clear and impressive graphical experience on Wii. With 15 hours of original storyline as well as alternate paths, secret areas and unlockables, The Forgotten Sands provides players with a significant adventure that rewards exploration and encourages replay ability.

* A Blockbuster Experience: Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will treat players to a variety of unforgettable locales that complement the Wii’s unique controls and capabilities. Epic in-game moments aim to have fans on the edge of their seats as the Prince battles with ferocious beasts and colossal bosses.

For more information on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands please visit: www.princeofpersiagame.com

Remember how last week I was bitching about the blizzarding that was going on in Atlanta, and the fact that my lovely employer did not find it necessary to give us the day off? Well, luckily for everyone they did decide to close early, at 4pm. Which is one hour after I get off work. Yeah, whole lot of good that did me. Somehow I always get shafted, it’s like my destiny or something. Take, for instance, the fact that right now my phone is doing this weird thing where the screen doesn’t show anything at all. The rest of the phone seems to work as it should, except I can’t even tell if it’s turned on unless I hit the sequence of buttons that calls someone, then it’s anyone’s guess as to whom I’m calling, and God only know whether I want to speak to that person or not. It’s kind of like Maxim magazine in a way, you may not know who the person they put on the cover is, and you may not really want to see them posing in a quasi-sexy photo shoot, but you get the magazine regardless. Actually, I got the magazine either because I had to use up some frequent flyer miles or I found out a way to get it for free. That’s all besides the point…I don’t know what the point is now that I think about it. I’m sure I was going to make some witty attempt to connect my only half working phone with Maxim’s half working magazine. Oh no he didn’t…. Let’s divert attention from my diss on Maxim by showing you a few pictures of the blizzard.

In the pic above, those are my footprints leading to the road. Yeah, it was deep…

In keeping with the traditions of The Spin, how about I post some screenshots that have been circulating the interwebs for at least a month. As you all remember, I got super hyped over the announcement that “NBA Jam” was coming exclusively to the Wii for it’s resurrection. This excitement led to me actually getting “NBA Jam: Tournament Edition” for the Virtual Console, that junk is super fun!! One thing though, Grandmama and ‘Zo aren’t quite as dominant as I remember. Now, when I’m playing with the Seattle Supersonics, Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton dominate the competition. Don’t even think about me bringing Detlef Schrempf off the bench!! I’ll hurt suckas hard. (Side-note: Imagine we put this post in a time vault and buried it for 50 years. The children who read this will have no idea who the Supersonics are. I can’t explain how sad this makes me.) Any way, I promised those screens of “NBA Jam”, and I’m not going to let you down. Even if you’ve surely already seen them on almost every other game site there is. Enjoy, and stay thirsty my friends.

See More NBA Jam Screenshot at IGN.com
See More NBA Jam Screenshot at IGN.com
See More NBA Jam Screenshot at IGN.com
See More NBA Jam Screenshot at IGN.com