This Week in Gaming News: 9/1/12 – 9/7/12

Have you ever given any thought to the order of the Mario games? Does Mario Tennis happen before Super Mario Bros. 3? Or better yet, did Mario just throw a few parties between saving Peach and defeating Bowser? Apparently someone thought about all this, because I found out this week there are gamers dedicated to finding out a definitive Mario timeline.

Also this week, A distant Zelda Wii U title sounds pretty amazing.

And on another sad note, gaming TV station and website G4 is likely coming to an end. Read on for more!

Japanese gamers can import their UMD-based PSP games to the Vita for a price

It was something gamers were all thinking when Sony announced the PS Vita would not support UMD games: transferring their already purchased PSP UMD games to the Vita. Well Sony made that a possibility finally in Japan (and likely later in future locations). But it’s all for a price. After downloading an app on the PSP and inserting the UMD game, you can digitally download a copy of said game on the Vita. The downloadable game will set you back $5 to $20 depending on the game. I see why Sony can’t make this a free feature, but damn! $20 to play a game I already payed for? Come on Sony, you can do better than that! (Source: Machinima)

G4 is going bye bye

As reported by Variety and to the surprise of few, G4TV is going to be going away. NBC Universal, the company that owns the station, is rebranding the tech/video game oriented channel, going for a more “GQ” look to appeal to young men. Details on what exactly that entails in terms of content is still unknown, but you can expect big changes for the channel. I enjoyed G4 while I watched it, but was honestly surprised the station still existed with only 1 1/2 worthwhile shows. I think the departure of Adam Sessler and Kevin Pereira signaled this was coming too. Regardless, it’s sad to see a dedicated gaming source leaving us for good. (Source: Variety)

Phoenix Wright 5 is in development; stars Phoenix Wright and will be released in America

Hot off the news that Capcom was releasing the first three Phoenix Wright games for iOS, the developer announced this week that they are hard at work on the fifth game in the series. Set to appear on the 3DS, the game will once again star Phoenix Wright, and will feature 3D graphics for the first time in the series. No word yet on how that will change gameplay, but sleuths can bet the cases will be just as entertaining as always. A confirmed release date for the game has not been given. (Source: Kotaku)

Some people are apparently attempting to put together a Mario timeline

Not wanting The Legend of Zelda to hog all the timeline hubbub, there are fans out there trying to piece together each of Mario’s adventures into one timeline. I had never given the idea of a Mario timeline a thought because the games don’t tell a story like TLoZ, but that didn’t stop some from trying to put it all in one line. It’s an interesting read, with some obvious yet maybe overlooked details; the Yoshi’s Story games have to be first because Mario is a baby then. Definitely worth a look, if for nothing more than to see how many games Mario has appeared in. It’s a crazy amount! (Source: Kotaku)

Borderlands 2 will be getting four DLC packs; buy now and save $$$

DLC is the standard these days: you buy a new, triple A game and you can expect a handful of updates to come down in the form of DLC. Just as with the first Borderlands, Borderlands 2 will also feature four DLC packs. If you purchased the “Season Pass” though, instead of paying face value for each DLC pack ($10 each), you can save some cold hard cash, only paying $30 total. I think I might actually invest in this deal because I thought the first games’ DLC packs were all worthwhile (expect Mad Moxxie’s). Still though, this is a good deal for Borderlands fans indeed. (Source: Joystiq)

Zelda for Wii U is coming in 2014; will be the biggest Nintendo project ever

The title is very early in development, but gamers can expect a brand new Legend of Zelda title for Wii U in just two years. According to an anonymous source, Zelda Wii U will feature a brand new engine developed from the ground up to work especially for Wii U. It will also feature the most advanced graphics Nintendo has ever dealt with, and will fully utilize the Wii U’s unique tablet controller. The article stated the game won’t have any multiplayer functionality but will support Nintendo’s Miiverse social application. I think this isn’t a big surprise, seeing as Zelda is easily one of Nintendo’s biggest franchises, but I am excited to see Link yet again and am curious to see how Nintendo takes full advantage of it’s Wii U hardware. More to come when information becomes available! (Source: Gamespot)

Laters,
Jsick