Since Greg begged and pleaded for Assassin’s Creed 2 for On Tap proper (and with good reason), I’m featuring New Super Mario Bros. Wii for the junior version this week. This is one of those games I think can bridge the gap between generations as parents who grew up with Mario side scrolling can introduce it to their kids and they can play together. I’ll eventually get this game, just a matter of when. Plus, another LEGO game hits with Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues, which, if Oldest Son finds out about it, will likely result in a purchase, though that might be an idea for Santa.

The staying power of Wii Sports just amazes me. I come home from my Ultimate Frisbee game and see Oldest Son and his friend from across the street playing on the Wii. And it was Wii Sports. Years after release, Wii Sports continues to be a fun distraction for the kids and it makes you realize the genius behind the Wii and that game itself. Sure, Nintendo has some issues with the Wii right now, but with the strong first party games selling well, and the way that families can still play together on it, they’re likely still printing money for some time.

I do wonder, though, if The Big N will ever consider going the SEGA route and get out of the hardware business. They really don’t seem to care about making the leap to HD, which will really leave them behind in the console wars as HD becomes more and more standard. Sure, they’d lose the money they make on console sales, but you have to think that bringing Mario and Friends to all the other consoles could make up for it, and cut back on R&D costs, allowing them to continue to print money for years to come. It’s baseless speculation, but it’s so out there that if it ever actually happens, I can claim to be a visionary. If it doesn’t, you’ll forget I even wrote this, and I certainly wouldn’t remind you about it. Time to speculate, and…. GO!