Hasta La Gadget!

In what could be a move for Nintendo to drum up last-minute excitement for the Wii U, the man at the head of the Super Smash Bros franchise will give a rare public keynote address at a game developer conference later this summer. Masahiro Sakurai gained Internet fame in the months leading up to Super Smash Bros Brawl because of his constantly-updated blog that became the source for all Brawl-related news.

But when it comes to making appearances at trade shows and professional events, Sakurai largely remains in the background. However, as Nintendo tries to prove that the Wii U and 3DS are strong contenders in this ever evolving gaming market, it has decided to allow the developer to give a headline address at the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in August.

While Sakurai is most known for his involvement in the Smash Bros environment, he is also the one who created the iconic pink blob Kirby, and he also headed up the recent Kid Icarus revival on 3DS. In other words, he has nothing but solid street cred when it comes to Nintendo. It’s unlikely we’ll see any major Super Smash Bros announcements at this event, but Sakurai’s speech will no doubt be analyzed to death for any insight into his current projects.

[via CVG]

Super Smash Bros head to deliver coveted keynote is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A flag Tweeted out by Jeff Gerstman, may cause at least a bit of minor controversy. The Assassin’s Creed-branded flag is being used to promote the upcoming Assassin’s Creed III game, which is set during the American Revolution. The problem is that it apparently violates the  U.S. Flag Code.

As Eric Limer from Geekosystem points out, however, the Flag Code, even though a Federal law, is basically useless since the Supreme Court has ruled that punitive enforcement of the Flag Code would be unconstitutional. I only bring it up because Eric did and because this is sure to upset some of those die-hard people who feel that the flag should never ever be dirtied, burnt, left unattended for more than 5 minutes, used as gift wrap, or in this case, used to promote a video game.

Me, I don’t have a problem with it. I think it is an awesome way to promote the game and it looks great. You have to keep it all in perspective. I tip my hat to them and look forward to the game.

[via Geekosystem]

Happy Tuesday, everyone. This is Google I/O week so be sure to check back tomorrow and beyond for all the huge Google news that’s sure to break. But for now, here’s what made headlines today – Bioware Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut is released, Windows Phone 7.5 getting official Web presence, and Farmville 2 unleashed by Zynga.

Featured: So as previously mentioned, Google’s big annual I/O event is this week, and our Chris Burns calls out the company for something it still hasn’t managed to get right – I/O 2012 is Google TV’s last chance for a reboot. And moving right along to our other featured article today, on a completely unrelated note – The Amazing Spider-Man movie: our first look. Again, be sure to check back tomorrow for all the breaking Google and Android announcements and hands-on reports.

iPhone, Podcasts, & Mars: So what else made news on this fine Tuesday? Let’s check this out. Here’s some news that is nice to hear but shouldn’t surprise anyone – iPhone 4S remains Verizon’s top-selling handset. And speaking of Apple stuff, we also have this – Apple Podcasts app cuts out the iTunes middleman. And finally something that everyone in the world should think is awesome – Mars One project wants to put a reality show on Mars. No, seriously.

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: June 26, 2012 is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Telltale’s video game adaptation of the cult hit-turned smashing success of a TV show The Walking Dead, will be getting its second episode on Friday, June 29. The Walking Dead: Episode 2 will go live on console digital download stores at that time, and your experience will vary depending on how you played the first episode. Telltale says it tracks every decision you make throughout the game’s multiple episodes.

The full game is set to be split up into five episodes, each of which will be sold on the digital download platforms for $4.99. Or, if you have a strong feeling that you’ll want to buy all five, you can buy the entire series upfront for $19.99, saving you an eventual $5 or so compared to buying each episode individually. Even though it’s a zombie game, though, don’t expect a hack-and-slash adventure.

Instead, this game is heavily driven by story and dialogue, and making decisions within the game. “Your decisions or actions might have an effect in the episode you’re playing or might affect the entire season. You could answer a question in a certain way and have a character become suspicious of your motives, or you could be forced to choose who to save when two people are in mortal peril but only one can be yanked back from the zombie horde. Your decisions will stay with you throughout the series, and their repercussions could mean that you and a friend have a very different game experience,” Telltale wrote in an earlier PlayStation Blog post.

[via PlayStation Blog]

The Walking Dead video game continues Friday is written by Mark Raby & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Star Fox 64 is as famous for its one liners as it is for its origami style vehicles. If you’re a fan of the game, these figurines by Takara Tomy won’t let you down, sir. They’re actually based on the 3DS remake of the game, but these are the first and thus only official models of the vehicles, so there’s no sense in nitpicking.

Although the models are available separately, Ryan Deaver of Nintendo Connect bought a whole set and was kind enough to share these pictures of his assembled vehicles. Although these are currently limited to Japan, Deaver says the instructions and labels are in English, so you don’t have to worry about messing up the Arwing, Landmaster or Blue-Marine.

Even though the models are not officially for sale outside of Japan, you can do what Deaver did and get them on eBay, where you can find a whole set for as low as $28 (USD).

[via Nintendo Connect via GoNintendo]