Let’s be clear about one thing right from the start. This article is by no means making a blanket statement that all piracy is okay. Piracy in the broadest sense is theft and is wrong. But with most things, it’s not just a black and white, yes or no, right or wrong topic. There is that gray area up for debate and here, we are going to take a look at piracy specifically as it relates to the video game industry.

If a game is about to be or has just been released to retail, is it okay to download off of a torrent site because someone leaked the code out from the manufacturer or was able to rip the files off the disk? Is it okay to use a key generator to claim ownership of a disk so you can play a copy that has been passed around your dorm? No. These are blatant acts of theft. These are where people are trying to mess with the system for their own personal benefit and denying payment to the people and companies behind the created game.

Some will argue that games are too expensive nowadays and piracy is their way of “sticking it to the man” to show them they aren’t okay with high prices. The truth of the matter is that, in relation to inflation, games are cheaper today than they were twenty years ago. During the heyday of the NES and SNES where larger cartridge memory required higher manufacturing costs resulting in some games costing well above even today’s norm price of $59.99. Don’t believe me? Go ask anyone in finance (or even your third grade math teacher) if something that cost $79.99 in 1990 is cheaper than something that today is sold for $59.99 and expect a slap in the face from them.

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Kirby is the most adorable mascot in the Nintendo pantheon. He is a cute, pink little ball that sucks up enemies and can use their powers. I always assumed he ate the souls and gained their strength, and that underlying creepiness always punctuated his cuteness.

In honor of the Mascot’s 20th anniversary, Nintendo has announced plans to release a special commemorative disc to Wii consoles this fall. No word on what titles we can expect in this set, but the game will no doubt encompass the earlier era of the character.

In an official statement Nintendo executive VP Scott Moffitt had this to say:

A new Mario game and a big Kirby celebration will help make 2012 an especially great year for Nintendo fans. Whether they’re playing at home on Wii or using Nintendo 3DS to have fun on the go, players can look forward to experiencing some of our biggest franchises in exciting ways.

This release should be similar to the 25th anniversary Mario set that was released a while ago. Although we certainly hope for a more in-depth set of games than the Super Mario World free Mario set. On the flip side though, that collection included some nice bonuses, so if all we get are NES era Kirby Games, a soundtrack, and a Pink Wii-mote, this celebratory set should still be worth it.

Welcome to another edition of On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage during the week. Let is know if we missed something interesting.

• Want to geek up your next romantic evening? Make it so with the Lightsaber Candlesticks.

• It’s the 90s all over again as Beavis & Butthead make it back to the airwaves. here’s another trailer to get you ready.

• Speaking of retro, here are some of your favorite current games done like the were old NES games. A God of War side-scroller would actually be pretty awesome…

• Paying respects to the man himself, here’s a collection of Apple products depicting the late, great Steve Jobs.

• Love everything about the film Drive? Then you’re going to have to get one of the scorpion jackets from the film. Just drive safely.

• AMC’s Walking Dead makes its triumphant return to TV in just a few weeks, so why not check in with the world of zombies with their original webisodes.

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Most of us can look back and remember the glory days of video games. Before memory cards. Before hi-res 3D models.

Back when you had to blow the dust out of the cartridge to get it to turn on. Back to the NES. The Nintendo Entertainment System.

It’s been almost fifteen years since the last NES cartridge was produced. Many college kids break out their old systems and play the classics like Super Mario Bros. and Dunk Hunt still to this day. But someone felt like giving the old system one last try.

Sivak Games brings Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril to the NES. True to its 8-Bit ancestors, Battle Kid puts a simple protagonist against overwhelming odds in this platform adventure as players must navigate through the game’s more than 550 rooms.

For a mere $30, players can order the slick see through green cartridge complete with classic black slip case and instruction manual just like we remember begging our parents to buy us back in the days of our youth from RetroZone.  Quantities may be limited.

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Anyone who comes to this site knows we love to pass along anything that touches the bottom of our geek hearts. Many times, these come in the way of fan films.

But today it’s a special treat with a free PC game. Through his website Eric Ruth Games,  a developer has posted his portfolio of 8-Bit style games which includes, you guessed it, a classic NES style version of 2008′s megahit, Left 4 Dead.

Entitled Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead, players step in to an 8-bit version of the four original campaigns of L4D. Either single or two player from one keyboard (sorry, no XBox Live or Steam connectivity here), gamers get to take a peek at what this genre defining game would have looked like had it come out twenty years ago in the days before graphics accelerators and first person shooters.

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