1Up Box Subscription Box - Survival [June 2016 Unboxing]

1Up Box released a $5 off coupon in the last week of June, so I decided to go ahead and order! I can never resist a good discount! The theme for June 2016 was Survival and they promised a Funko Pop vinyl figure.

I thought the contents were a bit sparse this time, and probably because they had to spend more money to include a Funko Pop. There were four Pops available from the video game Bioshock Infinite. I don't play the game so I'm unfamiliar with the characters; I was glad I didn't receive something creepy like a zombie from The Walking Dead though! I got Booker DeWitt - unfortunately, my sister who is a fan, already purchased this one!

The remaining contents were all filler items: a Jurassic Park sticker, a 1Up Box exclusive Daryl Dixon vest key cover, a Vault Boy keychain and the June 2016 Survival button.

The t-shirt was a black Gildan shirt with a mashup between Jurassic Park and The Walking Dead.

The July theme is Squad and will contain a Funko Pop again! There definitely will be items from Suicide Squad. Sign up for the 1Up Box here.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move - $9.99

For fans of puzzle games, Nintendo is offering Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move for the bargain price of $9.99, available exclusively on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS. Given that most Nintendo DS games run anywhere from $24.99-$39.99, $9.99 is a great deal for hours of entertainment! I have played the previous game, Mario Vs Donkey Kong: Mini-Lan Mayhem, and it's definitely a lot of fun. This new game, released May 9, 2013, has over 180 puzzles, four unique game modes, the option of creating and sharing your own puzzles, as well as downloading new ones to play. Find out how to purchase the game here.

Nintendo Cross-Canada Tour (Jun 8 - Sept 2)

Nintendo is taking the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS on a cross Canada tour this summer. It's your chance to play some of Nintendo's newest games including New Super Mario Bros. U, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, LEGO City: Undercover, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and also some titles that will be released later this year (Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Game & Wario and Pikmin 3). There will be a photo booth for you to take fun photos to share with your friends, and also even win some fun prizes including tshirts, candy and photo frames when you spin the prize wheel.



The Nintendo tour will be in Vancouver August 24-25, 31-September 2 at The Fair at the PNE from 10:30am to 11pm.  

Play Dead Island Riptide for $1 a Day

EB Games is offering a great trade in value for Dead Island Riptide for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Purchase the game for $49.99, and get a trade-in value equal to the purchase price less $1 for everyday you keep it. So that means if you're a serious hardcore gamer, you can finish it by the end of the week and trade it back in stores for $42.99!

Nintendo 3DS only $99.99!

Futureshop and Best Buy have an online only sale to ring in the new year, and one of the items that jumps out is the Nintendo 3DS in purple for only $99.99! The Boxing Day sales have this handheld console for $129.99 (regular $169.99), so this is an amazing sale! The sale starts on the website today at 5pm PST and ends 7am January 2nd.

Resident Evil 6 for PS3 and XBox 360 are also on sale for $19.99 each, $20 less than the regular Boxing Day sale, and $40 off the regular price!

There are plenty of other great sales that are available online only, so make sure to check it out!

Nintendo Wii U Launched Today

The Wii U is now available in stores, perfectly times for the holiday shoppers. The new console from Nintendo comes in two formats, 8gb and 32gb in black or white. With a price point of $299.99 and $349.99, it may be a pricey gift this Christmas. The console comes with a giant GamePad controller.

It looks like you will need to purchase all new accessories, as none of the Wii-motes or nunchuks from the first generation of the Wii console will work with the Wii U. The prices for the controllers are the same (Wii U remote - $44.99, Wii U nunchuk - $24.99, Wii U Pro Controller - $49.99), but it seems like a steep price to pay. Games start at $59.99. I think I might wait until the prices go down, as I'm not too sure about the GamePad! The Wii U is backwards compatible so you will still be able to play your games from your Wii.

Are you planning to purchase a Wii U? You might not have to - I currently have a contest on my blog here where you can win a Wii U!

Free $20 Toys R Us Gift Card with Halo 4 Purchase (Nov 16/12)

It's moonlight madness at Toys R Us this Friday, November 16th! Deals start from 7pm until 12am. This is the perfect opportunity to get started on that Christmas list and get some great sales while you're at it!

One of the most popular Xbox games this season is Halo 4. Retailing for $59.99, if you purchase it starting at 10pm this Friday, you'll receive a free $20 Toys R Us gift card to use on your next visit! Great deal!

Call of Duty Black Ops II Midnight Launch Party @ Futureshop (Nov 12)

Futureshop is once again hosting a midnight launch party for the newest game coming out, Call of Duty Black Ops II! Happening at the Robson and Granville location in Vancouver, be one of the first to play COD: Black Ops with the street teams! There will be cool COD swag to win including an LG 47" Smart TV and home theatre system for anyone who lines up! There will be limited edition games available for both Xbox and PS3 (limit 3 per store). A bonus with purchase of the game is a Nuketown 2025 map. The line up will start at 9pm to midnight. See all you gamers there!

Nintendo DSI $89.99 @ Shoppers Drug Mart

The Nintendo DSI console is on sale this week at Shoppers Drug Mart for only a mere $89.99! This is a great price for the handheld consoles, even though it’s a few generations old. This price is comparable to the newest one that is sold at $199.99! Hurry to your nearest Shoppers because it’s sure to go fast, especially since it’s almost the holiday season and shoppers are always on the hunt for great prices on Christmas presents!

Call of Duty Black Ops II Midnight Launch @ Best Buy (Nov 12)

Best Buy is also hosting a midnight launch party for Call of Duty Black Ops II on Monday night! The Xbox street teams will be on location at the Best Buy on Cambie St starting at 9pm so you can be one of the first people to play the game. Dress up and you can win an Xbox COD package ($180 value!). One of the game developers will be there for a meet and greet at 10pm. As well, get your picture taken with a green screen to have yourself in the game! There will be swag for those who line up, including t-shirts, posters, dog tags and more! Anyone who lines up will also have the chance to win a 250gb Xbox console!

The first 100 customers to purchase the game will receive a free COD t-shirt. There will also be 10 patches and 50 posters for the first customers in line. If you're looking for a special Hardened edition of the game, there will be 10 available per store (5 for Xbox and 5 for PS3). 

Halo 4 Midnight Launch @ Best Buy (Nov 6)

Best Buy is also having a Halo 4 Midnight launch, with stores opening at midnight, November 6. Some goodies include a free Halo t-shirt for the first 50 customers to purchase the game and a free Halo poster to the first 100 customers. There will also be a minimum of 10 limited edition Halo 4 games per store. There may be a launch party happening in your city too - check the Best Buy website for details!

Halo 4 Midnight Launch @ Futureshop (Nov 5/12)

Halo 4 is being released on November 6th, and to celebrate, Futureshop on Robson and Granville is hosting a midnight launch party. Starting on Monday, November 5 and 9pm, line up to play Halo 4 and win some cool Halo swag! The midnight opening bonuses include a steelbook case (minimum 10 per store) as well as a $10 online credit towards Tomb Rider and Metal Gear Rising. There will be a 4 multi-player Halo 4 tournament with prizes such as posters and tshirts, with the winner going home with an Xbox 360 limited edition Halo 4 console! Not only that, there will also be a random draw for a LG 47" Smart Cinema 3D LED TV home theatre system! For more details about the launch, check out the Futureshop website.

Choose Your U! Wii U #Giveaway Event

Choice Your U Event

Hosted by Mom Powered Media

Big thank you to our supporting co-hosts: A Medic's World, Raking In The Savings, Mommy Bear Media, Capri's Coupons, Monica's Rants, Raves & Reviews and CountingtoTen

~ Introducing the Wii U ~

Wii U is the next great gaming console from Nintendo coming out soon. It has an innovative new Wii U GamePad controller, it will not only introduce entirely new ways to play games, it will also transform how you connect with friends and enjoy entertainment.

Play Games

• Discover new ways to play together with the innovative Wii U GamePad controller
• Enjoy brand new games from your favorite gaming franchises
• Experience up to full 1080p HD for the first-time ever on a Nintendo gaming console
• Play almost all of your favorite Wii games & accessories on the Wii U console

Connect & Share

• Interact with friends, family, and people around the world via Miiverse*
• Download add-on content, full games, classic games, and applications from the Nintendo eShop*
• Communicate in real time with the video chat feature*
• Make and share Mii? characters* *Broadband Internet access required for online features. For more info, go to support.nintendo.com

Transform Entertainment

• Search your TV, cable, video-on-demand and DVR content from one convenient place
• Control your TV with the Wii U GamePad as a remote control
• Browse the Internet on the Wii U GamePad and share your activity on the TV screen
• Find, watch, and enhance your video entertainment

Wii U GamePad Controller

• Connects Wirelessly with both the console and the TV
• Built-in touch screen
• Motion Control
• Buttons and control sticks built right in

One lucky reader will receive a Wii U Console with Wii U GamePad Controller!

Giveaway ends November 30th at 11:59pm, open to Continental US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

$100 off Xbox 360 Console

Currently Futureshop and Best Buy are both offering $100 off the Xbox 360 consoles if you purchase online, or a $100 gift card if you purchase in store. This makes the 4gb Xbox 360 console only $99! This offer applies to the consoles with larger memory size as well. Keep in mind that a newer version of the Xbox will be coming out in the future, but this is definitely a great deal for those who just want the console to play games on it now, especially with Christmas just around the corner...!

Nintendo Wii Fortune Street - $17.43 on Amazon.com

Any game that features Mario becomes one of my favorites, and Fortune Street, which came out less than a year ago, has Mario and the gang, as well as characters from Dragon Quest, or your own Mii. The game had a list price of $49.99 but now the price has dropped to $29.99 at Best Buy. However, you can get it for even less on Amazon.com - only $17.43! For those who regularly purchase things from the US site or have a US mailbox, this is a great deal!

Meet Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin @ NHL 13 Launch (Sept 10)

Vancouver Canucks Henrik Sedin will be at EB Games at Metrowtown on September 10, 2012 to sign autographs for the release of the NHL 13 video game. You can pre-order the game from EB Games for an alternate NHL 13 "Henrik Sedin" cover sleeve, which you can pick up at midnight at the Metrotown location.

Other locations around Canada will also have a special signing. Visit the EB Games site for a complete listing and for more details!

Video Game Deals (Aug 31 - Sept 6)

Here are some deals that stand out for more this week:

Best Buy
- Mario Kart 7 for 3DS - $29.99
- Super Mario 3D-Land for 3DS - $29.99
- Just Dance 3 - $19.99
- Halo Anniversary - $19.99

Shoppers Drug Mart
- Wii Fit Plus - $79.99 (also is 20x the points weekend!)
- Select Xbox Kinect games - 2 for $39.99

Door Crashers at EB Games

EB Games is having an amazing sale this weekend with tons of door crashers!

Here are a list of the games that stand out:

Professor Layton & The Diabolical Box (Nintendo DS) - $16.99
NHL Slapshot Bundle (Wii) - $1.99
Kinect Disneyland Adventures (Xbox) - $9.99
Duke Nukem Forever: Balls of Steel Edition (Xbox/PS3/PC) - $14.98
Assassin's Creed Revelations (PC) - $19.99

Quantities are limited, so act fast! Click here to see the complete list of games on sale.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - $19.99 @ Best Buy

There is a summer happening at Best Buy right now, and one of the games that I thought was a good price is the latest Assassin's Creed: Revelations, for only $19.99 (regular $39.99). The price is the same for both the Xbox and PS3 format. Check out the Best Buy website for more video game deals.

Nintendo Wii Games on sale @ Futureshop

This week at Futureshop, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns are $20 off the regular price, on now for $29.99. As well, the Nintendo Selects titles are Buy 2 Get 1 Free! There are 10 titles to choose from, and go for $19.99. With the sale, it only works out to only $13.33 each, which is the cheapest I've seen it!