Ten Franchises Nintendo Needs To Update

1. PilotWings

There was nothing like it on either the Super NES or N64. Bizarrely, Nintendo haven’t updated this in recent years, but the Wii is crying out for this game. Actually, I’m crying out for this game, but they’re essentially the same thing as far as I’m concerned.

2. Star Fox

Let’s get this straight: nobody wants to see a repeat of Starfox Adventures (when did that ever seem like a good idea?) What we all want (and what would be for everyone’s own good) would be a Lylat Wars style incarnation of the game. With online co-op. Please. Now. Please.

3. F-Zero

Probably not likely because it’s Nintendo at their most hardcore - but dammit Nintendo! - we need a disgustingly fast version of this, with a thumping soundtrack. Something to make the masses (and WipEout) quake. Like F-Zero X.

4. Super Tennis

Okay, so we have Wii Sports, but Super Tennis was the ultimate. I want to be able to control my own character, thanks Nintendo. And I want characters that are openly bad losers.

5. Animal Crossing

Ok, this one is on the cards already and given the tack that Nintendo have taken with the Wii, this is a shoe in. Noodling about writing letters and growing stuff, when you think about the Wii’s other funtions, it actually almost seems built around this game.

6. Kid Icarus

Ok, I never played it and it’s only bloody available on the US Virtual Console at the moment, but everything that I’ve heard makes me want to play this. Hopefully the inclusion of Pit in Super Smash Bros. Brawl will make this more likely but, well, did that happen for the Ice Climbers? Oh, and please make it in spangly 2D.

7. Pikmin

This was born for the Wii. The Gamecube original was a fantastic game, that was once again overshadowed by it’s stable-mates. Actually, wait - if they release this, then I won’t be able to get anywhere near the Wii because my mates will be hogging it. Don’t do it Nintendo!

8. Wave Race: Blue Storm

I played this for hours on the N64. The combination of stunts, waves and some breathtaking tracks plus customisable jet skis hooked me in a way I never expected, despite the really annoying commentator.

9. 1080 Snowboarding

One of the most overlooked Nintendo franchises, this and Wave Race are a double-whammy of extreme sports racers.

10. Luigi's Mansion

Much better than people gave it credit for. Just because it didn’t star Mario, wasn’t a platform game and was a launch title for the Gamecube, people overlooked all of the good stuff, most particularly the sense of humour and strangely creepy comedy horror vibe (is it me, or is Evil Dead II creepier than most straight horror films?) The only gripe is that it was a little too slight. Seems ripe for some online hide-and-seek hilarity too.

Windows 7? Is Vista Really That Bad?

Now I thought Bill Gates was done with Microsoft? I guess not. Speaking at a meeting at the Inter-American Development Bank he hinted that a 'Windows 7' might be released "Sometime in the next year or so"

So what does that mean for Vista? Was it all just one big screw-up? Will there be no 'Vista '09'ish type update in the same vein that Windows used to update its software?

Assuming that we don't see any new software from Microsoft until sometime in 2010 (as they have been known to be a bit over confident with release dates in previous years) that would still be just three years since the release of Vista. XP was around for a good five-six years before it was succeeded.

So what do you think? Is Vista that bad a version of Windows that it needs replacing ASAP, or is this just a sign of the speed technology moves at these days?

Are Hydrogen Planes The Way Of The Future?

The worlds first ever manned hydrogen-powered plane took to the air yesterday. It was only a small jet, but it was a huge step for aviation as we know it.

Obviously these kinds of tests are being done in order to develop more planet friendly aircraft (and transport in general). But at the moment Boeing, whose aircraft it was, said that fuel cells are not suitable for larger aircraft like the 747's.

Whether hydrogen power will lead to cleaner fuel for air travel is a bit of an unknown right now, but what this latest test does show is that the big corporations are looking into it. Twenty years ago tests like this would have been unheard of. In todays climate however, the demand for cleaner energy is affecting everybody.

Welcome To The World Of The Virtual Tube

There is a whole underground world that you didn't know about. It's a virtual world based around the London Underground system (The Tube) and apparently, a ride on one of it's trains can help those with anxiety and paranoia issues.

Could virtual reality and specifically, Tube World, really help with medical disorders? Dr. Daniel Freeman, lead researcher of the project thinks so...

"Paranoid thoughts are often triggered by ambiguous events such as people looking in one's direction or hearing laughter in a room.But it is very difficult to recreate such social interactions.

Virtual reality allows us to do just that, to look at how different people interpret exactly the same social situation. It is a uniquely powerful method to detect those liable to misinterpret other people."

One things for sure, a ride on the virtual tube sure looks like a lot of fun. And you can even apply to be a driver!