Cooking Mama by Majesco Entertainment is a cute, stylus-based cooking game for the Nintendo DS. With the accomplished chef “Mama” looking on, players practice their cooking skills by transforming raw ingredients into culinary masterpieces.

Although everyone can agree that the graphics are adorable and the title's novelty is tempting, is this game really worth buying? Is Cooking Mama an appetizing gaming accomplishment, or a culinary clunker?

GAMEPLAY: Mastering the Stylus

Cooking Mama is easy to understand, and even easier to pick up. Players select a dish they want to test their culinary mettle on from Cooking Mama's menu. To make a recipe sucessfully, players must win a series of timed mini-games in which they prepare ingredients, mix them together, and cook them up using the stylus as a universal chef's tool. Most mini-games are easy, but some, like peeling carrots, are much harder than they look.

The completed recipe is given a Bronze, Silver, or Gold rating depending on how well the player fared on the mini-games. Mama unlocks a new recipe to try after each one is complete, to a certain point.

THE GOOD: Graphics, Audio, and Pace

Cooking Mama brings a lot to the table. The graphics are colorful, cute, and bright. The top screen features a smiling, friendly Mama, who offers players advice and encouragement. At first, players will be tempted to fail mini-games just so they can witness Mama's hilariously disappointed expression, her fists clenched and her eyes literally en flambe.

The sound design earns a big thumbs up as well. Be sure to turn the volume up on your DS when frying, sauteeing, chopping, or boiling up your latest creation. The sizzling, percolating, and cutting sounds are expertly done and really add to the gaming experience.

The game itself is also extremely easy to pick up and can be initially addicting. Each recipe only takes a few minutes, so it's easy to play while on break at work or while waiting to be seated at a real-life restaurant. Cooking Mama also very successfully integrates the stylus as the main mode of control, and offers some replay value as it is easy to complete most recipes but difficult to get a gold rating on the first try.

THE BAD: Lack of Depth, Multi-Player Mode

Although the title has a lot going for it, there is still room for improvement. The main problem with Cooking Mama is that the game has very little depth. It doesn't include much real information about cooking aside from listing some of the ingredients necessary for each dish, and gameplay is restricted  to completing recipes.

Unfortunately, the game's multi-player mode is very disappointing. Players can't assist each other with recipes, and are only able to transfer the recipes that they have completed in the single-player game back and forth.

In the end, Cooking Mama is charming to begin with but won't be engrossing for long. Players might find themselves shelving the game after only three to four hours.

THE VERDICT: Is it Worth Buying?

Cooking Mama is great for casual gamers, or those looking to add a simple game they can play while killing time to their collection. The stylus-based controls are well implemented and the graphics are attractive, but the overly simplistic gameplay hurts this title in the end. Since the game is relatively cheap at $19.99, however, it should deliver enough bang for your buck.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team a monté des linkers  ou r4i r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes conseils en matière de linker deuis le
09/05/2006 (Comme celui là : R4i ou M3i zero) voici un ptit post…

A bientôt

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With everything from action to adventure to puzzle games planned to be released, the highly popular and successful Nintendo DS will have its share of games to entice every kind of gamer. It's hard to keep track of what you should be interested in and what just plain isn't worth your time. This guide is meant to inform and help you decide on which games might just be worth getting in the upcoming months for your Nintendo DS.

One of the biggest games coming out in the following months is Square Enix's Final Fantasy III. Since it's the only game from the Final Fantasy series that was never released outside of Japan, expect this one to be huge to almost every gamer. Originally made for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the game might be considered a little outdated to the unknowledgeable. However, almost anything from this RPG series will get gamers hyped up and this one is not excluded from that rule.

Perhaps the most surprising upcoming game to be released by Nintendo is Yoshi's Island 2. The game is a sequel to the Super NES game, which was praised for its unique puzzle-platform gameplay and brilliant art design. Although some gamers are concerned that it is not being developed by Nintendo and instead by Artoon, people that have played it have only said good things about the game. The game looks to expand on its puzzles, as it includes new characters such as Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, and Baby Wario which all have different abilities. The game is scheduled to be released in November and will likely be a hit.

From the mind of Suda 51 comes Contact, an adventure game that is reminding avid gamers of Earthbound, a very popular NES game. The game has some interesting ideas, which is no surprise as Suda 51's other game was the schizophrenic Killer 7. The game actually advertising itself as “shattering the fourth wall entirely,” as the game is completely aware that you a gamer who is meant to help the characters in the game. With some clever humor and out of the ordinary gameplay and ideas, Contact could very likely be the next cult hit game for the Nintendo DS.

The next iteration of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is set to come out for the Nintendo DS in just a few weeks. The puzzle series allows players to navigate Mini Marios through many various levels filled with obstacles. Fans of the original will be especially interested in this one, but the level creator will allow almost infinite replay value with this game. Gamers can even send their maps to friends through Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection. The Nintendo DS has some great puzzle games and this should one will likely be added to that wonderful list which includes games like Meteos and Tetris DS.

One of Nintendo's flagship series, The Legend of Zelda, will also have its first game for the Nintendo DS released in March of 2007. Although it recently got pushed back to that date, the hype for this game remains high. The game brings back the overhead view gamers saw in the first games in the series and those on the Game Boy Advance. It also features the unique cel-shading art style found in The Wind Waker, which was released for the GameCube several years ago. The control scheme for the game is essentially all touch-screen based, as gamers are able to control Link with the touch-screen and are able to tap enemies to attack them.

The Nintendo DS will be offering brand new games for every kind of gamer in the upcoming months. These five games are the ones that almost every gamer are keeping an eye on. Hopefully this guide helped inform you about some the of the most popular and best upcoming Nintendo DS games.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team a crée des linkers  ou r4i r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes petites connaissances en matière de linker deuis le
25/02/2006 (Comme celui là : R4i ou M3i zero) voici un ptit post…

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The Nintendo Wii is one of the most popular game systems this Christmas and here are ten great presents for those who already own a Wii or who will be receiving one this year under the tree. All of the below listed items are available from a variety of retail sellers including Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop and others.

The one gift every Wii gamer needs to the Madden NFL 09 All-Play. This game in the classic game series is the football game to own. Madden NFL 09 All-Play will cost around $50.

Mario Kart with the Wii wheel is a great game for all members of the family. Mario and friends are well known characters to most gamers. Mario Kart is a racing game with numerous tracks that will keep the gamer entertained for a long time. Mario Kart will cost about $50.

Guitar Hero is another game that has taken the nation by storm. Various packages are available for the Nintendo Wii.

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is a classic fighter plane game for the Nintendo Wii. Blazing Angels reasonable cost of about $20 makes it a great bargain.

Call of Duty: World at War is a mature shoot 'em up game for the Nintendo Wii. For about $50 this game can burn off a lot of stress.

A lower cost alternative of Call of Duty: World at War is the Medal of Honor: Vanguard. This game is a little over a year old and you can find them for less than $20. Other titles in the Medal of Honor series are great games to consider as well.

For those looking for an 'educational' game, consider something from the Sims series. The Sims series games have players build societies and other similar tasks that require reasoning and prioritizing skills.

Older games might be interested in the Namco Museum Remix which includes numerous classic games for the early years of video games including Super Pac Man, Dig Dug, Galaxian, and others. This game will cost about $20 or less.

A wireless controller for the Nintendo Wii is another great item to avoid tangled cords and pulling the Wii onto the floor. A wireless controller from Nintendo will cost about $50.

Still not sure what to buy? How about a gift card from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop or other retailers that sells games and accessories for the Nintendo Wii. A gift card will allow the gamer to choose their own present and get just what they want this Christmas.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team a crée des linkers  ou dstt r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes astuces en matière de linker deuis le
12/05/2008 (Comme celui là : R4i ou M3i zero) voici un ptit post…

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When you buy your Nintendo Wii, you will immediately realize that you are dealing with one of the most advanced gaming consoles on the market today. Many other products offer some of the features that the Wii has, but no other game console offers them all in one sweet little package. With that said, there are still some things you will want to invest in to fully enjoy your new toy. When it comes to the Nintendo Wii availability of accessories you might need to look at them separately or bundled. Be sure, however, to check out the Nintendo Wii Starter bundle which has a selection of components that most people will want when starting out.

Purchase Nintendo Wii Accessories

The Nintendo Wii availability is much higher as bundle packs for your game console which sold together at a discounted price rather than separate components. If you can find the correct bundle of products, you'll be very pleased. You will want to do some research into the individual parts of the bundle to make sure that you'll actually be using everything included.

That way you'll get the most benefit from buying a bundle. For instance, while you receive a controller with the Nintendo Wii, you might want some extras so that when you have guests, there will be enough to go around especially if you're playing an interactive game. Having enough controllers makes for a more fun time for everyone because you don't need to take turns, and it is more interactive as a result.

Shooting games is another area where the Nintendo Wii makes it very realistic

All you need to do is plug the realistic guns into the sockets in place of the traditional controllers. Having lifelike guns makes hitting targets much easier and you can really get into the game with the realistic look and feel of it. The same thing would go for the fishing and golf games where you'd want the fishing pole or golf controller to increase realism and enjoyment.

Nintendo Wii availability of game and sport bundles that include microphones as well as extra controller sets is another way to increase your fun and at the same time have extra controllers for people to interact with as they play. You can have a fun night with karaoke, run a golf marathon or shooting marathon and avoid getting trapped into playing those same old video games from the past.

Nintendo Wii Features

A major difference from older traditional video games is that if you stop, you no longer need to return to the beginning levels over and over again. With earlier games, most people get bored or became obsessive and play all weekend trying to get to the end of the game. Challenge was missing because you had to keep starting over.

Those days are gone with the advent of the memory card which allows you to pick up where you left off. In this way, not only do you get to continue and avoid the bored “Groundhog Day” start over, but you can play a number of different games and pick and choose all with the knowledge that you will start right where you left off last time. This eliminates boredom. It is recommended that you get a separate memory card for every player. That is the only drawback to date.

Where Can I Find A Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii availability of bundles, memory cards and games are at a large variety of locations. Now that the newness of the product has worn off Nintendo Wii availability is at a high level because it's now a standard game console that most retail stores carry. Gone is the camping out for your game console blues. Now, you can get the Wii and its bundles and accessories just about anywhere. You can also shop online at most electronics places like Amazon, Newegg and Best Buy.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team a installé des linkers  ou m3 ds real r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes conseils en matière de linker deuis le
04/09/2007 (Comme celui là : R4i ou M3i zero) voici un ptit post…

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Everyone in the New York City area tomorrow jonsing for some rock and roll and a little hands-on time with Wii should make their way to the Nintendo World Store. Nintendo’s Fusion Tour is rolling into the city that never sleeps at 12:00pm where the first 300 customers to arrive will be treated to a thirty minute acoustic set from emo rockers Hawthorne Heights as well as try out a few Wii games on display. The demos available will include Wario Ware: Smooth Moves, Excite Truck, Wii Sports, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. If by any chance you live in the tri-state area but aren’t able to make it the World Store on October 3rd, the Fusion Tour will be making stops in Syreville, New Jersey on Friday, October 6th and then back to New York City on Sunday, October 8th at the Roseland Ballroom, a venue well suited for rocking out and getting your freehand game on.

Details:

Where? Nintendo World Store, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York
When? Tuesday October 3rd, 2006 12:00pm – 1:00pm
What? Hawthorne Heights for rock, Wii for play.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team a mis en route des linkers  ou r4 r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes petites connaissances en matière de linker deuis le
15/03/2008 (Comme celui là : R4i ou M3i zero) voici un ptit post…

A tres vite

Developers: Nintendo DS2 To Be Revealed At E3 With Accelerometer and Higher-Res Screens

GDC is over for another year, but the omission of any solid Nintendo news—particularly in the shape of a new handheld console—was not enough for RPAD.tv, who spent the whole show digging for DS2 information from developers.

Blogger Raymond Padilla pestered developers for any details they could bestow upon him, and judging by what he published on his blog, his extra-long eyelashes must've fluttered in the right people's faces.

The next console—name still unknown, but let's call it the DS2 for continuation's sake—will have two screens, just like every other DS. However—and this sounds most intriguing—they can be used as two separate screens or one giant screen, displaying the same content spread across both LCDs. They'll be bigger, with “higher resolution,” the developers told Padilla, but no word on if they'll actually be HD.

It's hardly surprising, but an accelerometer has been mentioned again—which would offer tilt-motion and all sorts of fun not seen in a portal gaming device since…the iPhone.

There was one last piece of information we hadn't heard before—supposedly the DS2 will perform most similarly to a GameCube or Wii, based on the dev kit. It could also run on a Tegra chip, so speedy performance would be a certain if so.

E3 is being pointed at again for the big reveal, but judging by when the developers are finishing their games, Padilla has reckoned on a late 2010 launch. [RPAD.tv via Kotaku]

Send an email to Kat Hannaford, the author of this post, at khannaford@gizmodo.com.

The (in)famous Reggie Fils-Aime, CEO of Nintendo America, sat down with blog Kotaku and gave a candid interview on his opinions on the PlayStation Move, Xbox’s Project Natal, and the possibility of a high-def variant of the Wii coming anytime soon. While Nintendo is interested in high-def video, Reggie says, that “high definition by itself is not the next frontier.”

Reggie says that for Nintendo to work on a new console, it would need something new to create a compelling user experience. He admitted that some important people at Nintendo, namely Satoru Iwata (Nintendo’s president) and Shigeru Miyamoto (Famed Nintendo developer behind Mario, Zelda, others), have voiced an interest in a high-def console.

Despite that, don’t expect a high-def console anytime soon. Mr. Fils-Aime: “ to be 120 percent crystal clear, HD by itself in our view is not enough to go for a new console past the Wii.” He says that Nintendo’s next console will be something “consistent with what we brought to market with Wii and with DS.”

Of course, Sony and Microsoft have been moving in on the motion-control market. The PlayStation Move, Sony’s Wii-like motion controller add-on, was unveiled last week at GDC. Project Natal, Microsoft’s controller-less motion control add-on, has been demoed and rumored forever and is expected to be released this holiday season.

On the Natal and Move, Reggie said: “I think a hallmark of Nintendo is that we are constantly trying to innovate, I think we would have been embarrassed to do what our competitors are currently doing.”

Definitely some candid comments from the Nintendo boss. The rumors of a Wii 2 or Wii HD have been circulating for a while, and I think Mr. Fils-Aime has just put them to bed.

Ca fait plus de 3 ans qu'une team r4 a installé des linkers  ou dstti r4 ou supercard ou acekard ou m3i zero donc pour vous faire part de mes conseils en matière de linker (Comme celui là : R4i) voici un ptit post…

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16/11/2007 : 13 reasons to love this beach

It could not be immediately determined if Foulk had an attorney.

Foulk was appointed director of Napa State Hospital in 2007. Hospital officials declined to comment.

“We did not know anything about this until Long Beach police came to the hospital and arrested him this morning,” said Nancy Kincaid, spokeswoman for the California Department of Mental Health.

She noted the alleged incidents predated Foulk's arrival at Napa State Hospital.

“He was not in one-on-one contact with patients,” Kincaid said. “He had no clinical hospital privileges, so he wouldn't have been offering treatment.”

Dr. Stephen W. Mayberg, director of the state mental health department, said Foulk had been fired.

Napa State Hospital Administrator Dolly Matteucci is serving as acting executive director while the department searches for Foulk's replacement, Kincaid said.

At the time of Foulk's appointment to Napa State Hospital he was lauded for his lengthy career in mental health services in both the private and public sectors.

Prior to taking the position in Napa, Foulk worked for the state Department of Mental Health as the Chief of Program, Policy and Fiscal Support, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported. Before that, he held positions as chief executive officer and chief operating officer of private community acute psychiatric hospitals, including CPC Horizon Hospital and Clinic in Pomona and CPC Alhambra Psychiatric Hospital in Rosemead, according to a Department of Mental Health news release.

Napa State Hospital is one of the largest state mental health facilities in the United States, with about 1,260 beds for patients. Many of the hospital's patients come from the criminal justice system – including those found not guilty by reason of insanity. No juveniles or child molesters are treated at Napa.

___

Associated Press Writers Denise Petski and Shaya Tayefe Mohajer in Los Angeles, Terence Chea in San Francisco and Donald Thompson in Sacramento contributed to this report.

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There are typically three reasons people go on vacation: they want to experience a climate different from their usual (at least for the time being), they want to eat without counting calories (guilt comes later, of course), and they want to leave work behind (ahhh, no stress).

Vin (my boyfriend) and I did just that this past week. Our destination: Mazatlan, Mexico. We'd like to say that we carefully picked the vacation spot, but we'd be lying. We didn't care where we went, we just wanted to fulfill those key causes for leaving the Northeast. And, success! We accomplished our intentions, and Riu Emerald Bay, the all-inclusive resort where we spent seven days, met our expectations.

Here's what we discovered…

Hello, Mazatlan!

When one travels outside of their comfort zone — usually to a foreign territory — you can't help but feel a little suspicious. Upon our arrival to the Mazatlan International Airport, we were greeted by gorgeous weather and friendly faces. Weirdness came a little later when finding a taxi became a recruitment session to lease a timeshare. Luckily, we were not prime candidates — we were under the age of 30 and unmarried. (If there was ever a good reason to lie about your marital status and age, keep that in mind if you ever visit Mazatlan).

Once we nabbed a taxi without an agenda, it took about 30 minutes — with a little bit of traffic — to get to Riu Emerald Bay. At check-in, we were given cool, fruity beverages, as well as plastic bracelets to wear at all times to indicate we were resort guests. Okay, so the bracelets were a little reminiscent of those pesky things you'd wear around your wrist at under-21 dance clubs, but we were too mesmerized by the hotel's beautiful lobby and great scenery to react.

We escorted ourselves to our oceanfront jacuzzi suite (you can also have a bellboy bring you if you desire), dropped our bags, and headed off to explore the food that awaited us.

Buffet, Anyone?

Although typical dining options are offered at the resort's Mexican restaurant and steakhouse whereby you order from a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts, Riu Emerald Bay thrives on being plentiful. By that, I mean endless selections in a buffet style.

Unlike the all-you-can-eat restaurants you sadly might be familiar with — quantity over quality, spooky salad bars, unidentifiable dishes — the buffet options at Riu Emerald Bay exhibit some finesse and sophistication. Yes, there's a wide variety, and sure, some dishes might be too exotic to recognize, but quality was made a priority (and luckily, everything is labeled).

For breakfast, stations await you where you can order anything from poached eggs to a custom omelette — feel free to add some delicious salsa at your leisure. Lunch provides scrumptious specialties like paella and empanadas. And, carving stations that serve proteins like lamb, duck and ribeye sprout up at dinnertime. There are also chefs available on demand should you want steak, pork loin or pasta made to order (just to name a few).

Of course, the menu doesn't just end there. The options were vast and the food was quite tasty, that by day three of our weeklong trip, we were wishing we brought sneakers and exercise clothes to make use of the resort's modest gym, or at the very least, do some cardio on the beach.

Ahhh…

In between stuffing our faces, however, we took full advantage of the sun. We lounged on the beach in the morning located just steps from the resort's backdoor, at one of the three swimming pools in the afternoon with occasional dips in the refreshing water, and in our 19th floor suite's balcony jacuzzi to watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

FIY, each guest is only allowed one beach towel at a time. You can trade wet ones in for dry ones throughout the day, but come nightfall, you have to bring yours back in exchange for a card to use the following day. Although it might seem a little cumbersome, we actually loved the rule as it discouraged annoying lounger savers and towel wasters.

On our last day in Mazatlan, we took in a couple's aromatherapy massage at the Renova Spa, located on the resort's premises. Before or after treatments, guests can take a dip in the spa's lavish indoor jacuzzi, sit in the saunas located in gender-specific locker rooms, or just enjoy some tea on a lounger.

The only snag? Although robes and hand towels were readily available, there were no large towels in sight! We looked everywhere, and finally had to ask spa attendants for a couple to dry ourselves off from our dip in the jacuzzi. Minutes after use, they disappeared. Were there other patrons desperate for big towels? Or, are their spa attendants just that quick to tidy up? We'll never know.

By week's end, it was apparent — the towel limitations, trying bracelets and guilt-ridden eating frenzies were no match for all that this all-inclusive resort had to offer. We'd gladly come back for the glorious weather, tasty food, luxurious amenities and the kind hospitality of the Riu Emerald Bay staff alone. It's a small price to pay for paradise.

Source :   acekard