Chibi Robo: Park Patrol for the Nintendo DS is a WalMart exclusive.

Why, God, why!?

According to a Gamespot article about why all Gamestop reserves for Chibi Robo: Park Patrol were cancelled, the official word from Nintendo was that the game is now only sold at the urban blight redneck paradise of WalMart.  While losing Gamestop's support for Chibi Robo isn't all that big a deal, seeing as there are many places in the world that sell video games, limiting its sales to… um…

Yeah, trying to figure out the WalMart demographic for Chibi Robo isn't working here.

Anyway, Chibi Robo: Park Patrol ships for the DS on October 2, and probably arrives on the shelves at a location near you a minimum of a week afterwards.  Now I'm just going to cross my fingers that smaller local suppliers aren't counted in the exclusivity deal.

[Via Gamespot]

Think fast:  What was the highlight of E3 2007?

Time's up.

The correct answer is that the entire event sucked dirty balls.  I've been looking for something (anything!) E3-related to write about, but I keep drawing a blank.  Every announcement was either something we all saw coming ten miles away (PSP redesign, yet another 360 SKU), or something so fucking asinine that words fail me (PSP redesign, Scene It?).

Here's a quick re-hash for those who just absolutely need it:

Nintendo

You still can't buy a Wii unless you're willing to turn tricks behind your local Circle K.  The DS is still a phenomenon.  And I think Reggie said there was a slim possibility that they might be making some sequels and spin-off games for a few of their popular franchises.  Sounds like a lovely change of direction.

Microsoft

Yep, there's another version of Xbox 360 to consider.  Halo 3 is in development.  The rumors were true, it seems.  They're looking to strengthen online gaming or something.  I didn't catch it all.  At this point I was looking for free Scandinavian foot fetish clips in another window.

Sony

In an effort to breathe new life into the PSP and gobble up some handheld market share, Sony unveils a redesign that… looks exactly like the original.  Brilliant.  There was also something about Metal Gear Solid 4, which knocked me right the hell out of my chair.  Don't read this if you hate spoilers:  Snake is a lot older this time.  

Big Finish

And now, I humbly submit to you my personal favorite moment from E3 2007:  Tecmo's refusal to so much as appear.  Apparently, their VP had some unambiguous words about the new format and the people running the joint.  That made me smile more than any game I saw covered.  (Okay, with the exception of Super Mario Galaxy.  The immature bastard child in me really, really wants to be Bumblebee Mario…)

That's my take on E3 2007.  Drink it up.

PS - I know this is juvenile, but did anyone else giggle when they read "Wii Zapper?"  It made me think of an old girlfriend… and why I'm no longer allowed within 500 feet of her.

Microsoft

What can be said about Microsoft’s briefing? Easily the most boring of the three because Microsoft chose to focus primarily on games that will be available this year and only briefly mentioning big 2008 titles like Too Human, Alan Wake, Fable 2, and Banjo Kazooie 3. The entire thing just felt like a giant rehash of things everyone already knows. Don’t get me wrong, MS is in an enviable position being the only system on which you can play both Halo 3 and GTAIV and they made sure no one forgot it. That’s going to be a hard combo for Sony to counter, especially when the 360 is cheaper, to boot.

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Unlike the rest of the crew, I could pretty much sum up my thoughts in a few words or less: underwhelming. Just about every conference left me wanting more. More games. More surprises. More to actually be genuinely enthusiastic about. While there's a few out there who actually miss the E3 of old, the rest of the industry has more or less embraced the leaner, quieter atmosphere which now resides within select posh hotels and the new epicenter for featured demos: Barker Hanger.

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Sonic hasn’t had a happy couple of years. The games sell well enough, but the quality has sunk through the floor, culminating in the wretched PS3/360 Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii was kind of ok, but that’s hardly a ringing endorsement for what used to be Sega’s flagship mascot. Finally, though, a bright ray of sunshine breaks through the oppressive clouds of doom hanging over Sonic’s head with the announcement of Bioware working on a Sonic RPG for the DS, due sometime in 2008.

At this point, that’s the whole story right there- Bioware, Sonic RPG, 2008. Gameplay, visual style, characters, and even a name are all a mystery at this point. About all we’ve got to work with is a sense of anticipation for a Sonic game that’s finally going to be worth playing, and the lingering question as to why the only good Sonic in recent years has been on the DS.