I just picked up the latest Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. 2. It's a fun game that retains the same classic formula. The game leans a little on the easy side though. Most people have seen what this game focuses on. It focuses on getting as many coins as possible on each level. The average coins for each level hovers around 300 coins. That's 3 lives per level! Needless to say, you eventually gain a huge stockpile of lives as you go through each coin-filled level.

The Last Story is something else though... this game is simply amazing. And I'm not even 5 hours in yet! This game has a very strong start so I'm hoping it lasts the whole way through. It's easy to attach yourself to the characters, battles benefit from planning and strategy and the music is incredible. Although it's a JRPG, it doesn't feel like one. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the director behind the game, wanted to create a JRPG that would appeal to Western gamers. He's definitely accomplished that. The battles take place in real-time and you're free to maneuver around the battlefield as you like. You do perfrom auto-attacks but where you are attacking from can change how powerful your attack is. My only complaint about the combat is the fact that you have to tilt the analog stick in the direction the enemy is in. That means if you're trapped in a corner, there's no way to really escape because you'll end up hitting the enemy. The music by Nobuo Uematsu also bears mentioning. So far, the game's music has properly fitted each situation. Loud and epic during fights and solemn and slow during character interactions. These two make an amazing combination. And for those of you who don't know who they are, they are the director/producer and composer respectively behind the original Final Fantasy games. I feel like after their departure from Square after Final Fantasy X, the series has lost its relevance in the RPG genre and in gaming in general. When they were in control, the series was mainstream and everyone had to have the games in their collection. This is a great swan song for the Wii and for those of you who don't have it yet, especially if you live in Europe (it's been out for quite a while there) you should definetely play this game.

Fan Expo begins in a few days and I'll be going to it. Ean Expo is Canada's equivalent of Comic-Con. Veronica Taylor, the voice behind Ash Ketchum in the Pokemon anime, will be there and will be hosting a few Pokemon related events. I've already got something side aside for her to sign as well. As for the gaming side... WII U will be there! Ubisoft, being the awesome Canadian company they are, will have Zombi U available to try. That will be my first stop at Fan Expo after I'm done with my Pokemon events. I'll be posting up my impressions of both Zombi U and Wii U after I've played them. I hope I get to play them... the line will probably be epic. Hopefully it'll be worth it.

Until next time, keep gaming!

I recently ran into a stumbling block when it came to my countdowns. A got a couple of recommendations of what to do so I'm going off of those ideas as well as a couple that popped up in my head. I should have the next one up soon, it'll depend on if The Last Story and New Super Mario Bros. 2 can suck me in. Here's a list of countdowns I'm working on:

Best and Worst Pokemon (Gen 1- 5)

Top 10 Female Characters in Video Games

Top 10 Wii Games

Top 10 DS Games

Most of the time when I write in here it's usually off the top of my head but the countdowns I do are thought of in advance. Recently I've come to a block with the countdowns. There is one I'm working on but I'm stuck on that as well. If anyone can offer a suggestion of a countdown that would be great. Don't know if anyone reads this of course but never hurts to try.

I was just going to plug in Pokemon Battle Revolution just to watch my Pokemon beat up on each other when I began to think about new directions the Pokemon series can go into. With the 3DS out and the Wii U around the corner, there's lots of ways the Pokemon series and Nintendo series can expand. And while I was making this list, I began to think of just what games Nintendo needs to make in general. Now, I'm going to skip the obvious ones like Mario and Zelda since we all know Nintendo will never drop the ball on those series. So here's a few of the games Nintendo needs to make for next generation:

Pokemon Stadium 3 (Wii U)

I think we were all expecting Pokemon Battle Revolution to be more like Pokemon Stadium. While there were the stadiums and such, PBR was missing that Pokemon Stadium feel. We want the mini-games, Gym Leader Castle, and the ability to play our handheld games on the big screen.

A REAL 3DS Pokemon game (3DS)

I'm not even going to count Pokemon Rumble Blast as the first 3D Pokemon game. That game sucked. I want a real Pokemon game on 3DS whether that comes in the form of a remake like for Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, or a new game in the series. I don't even care if it's Pokemon Black/White 3 as long as its something on the 3DS. I still feel Pokemon Black/White 2 should be on 3DS so I'm still looking for a standard Pokemon game on 3DS.

A 3D Pokemon game (Wii U or 3DS)

Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness were geniunely good games on the GameCube that showed off what Pokemon games were capable of in 3D. After missing the Wii, it's time for another 3D Pokemon adventure. Whether or not it's a sequel to the two GameCube games or a brand-new series, I want another Pokemon game like that.

F-Zero (Wii U)

F-Zero missed both Wii and DS so that will be a full generation without Nintendo's fastest racer. While i'm not a huge fan of F-Zero since i'm not a racing fan at all, I know quite a few people who want the series back.

Starfox (Wii U)

Without Starfox on Wii, I feel a revival of the series is essential. Miyamoto has stated he would like to see Starfox on Wii U so that raises my hopes for a new Starfox. If Starfox is going to return, it will need to return as a rail-shooter and not an adventure game. While Starfox Adventures and Assault were both good, Starfox 64 is the definitive Starfox in my opinion.

Golden Sun (Wii U)

While the Golden Sun series on handhelds has been solid, it's time to give the series the big screen. When it comes to JRPGs, they look way better on the big screen especially if they include summoned monsters. In Golden Sun, sometimes the mosnters take up the whole screen (on DS both screens). That would be awesome to see on the big screen. The series are cult classics and it would be great to see it expand to a wider audience.

Earthbound/Mother series in some way (Wii U Virtual Console, 3DS/3DS Virtual Console, remake)

The one Nintendo series fans have been screaming for for a while now is the Earthbound/Mother series. It's baffling how the series has not made its way over here. While Mother 2 did, its sales were so low that it has become one heck of a collector's game. Maybe that's the reason why Nintendo doesn't want to release it here but fans now know about the series thanks to Ness and Lucas' appearances in Super Smash Bros. Now that the word is out Nintendo, it's time to release the series here either remade in HD, or simply ported over here in English. Even Japanese will work for me since I'll be learning Japanese in university for fun.

Ice Climbers (Wii U or 3DS)

While Nintendo has reminded fans that Popo and Nana still exist (the Ice Climbers) they seemingly have no plans to bring the series back. While I'm not sure how they could possibly make an Ice Climbers game today, it still would be a nice gesture on Nintendo's part especially since the Ice Climbers were in Super Smash Bros. If Pit can return so can Popo and Nana.

Duck Hunt (Wii U)

Remember that video Nintendo showed at E3 2011 with the Zapper? Who can say Duck Hunt Returns? ;) Shoot those ducks (and that annoying dog!)

New IP

While Miyamoto is working on something new for Nintendo, there should be more. A lot of people complain Nintendo relies too much on the past and its fans to keep their sales high. While it is true, Nintendo still makes what franchises they have excellent. But with the move to HD, there is potential for new franchises. While I respect Nintendo's kid-friendly style it wouldn't kill them to make an Mature-rated series for those who want Nintendo's take on it. Nintendo has published exactly 1 Mature game and that was Eternal Darkness on GameCube.

While it would be nice to see these games I'm not expecting all of them to be released. I'm only expecting a few of these to come to fruition. If ALL of these games are made, I will fly to Japan, go to Nintendo's headquaters and hug everybody in there. Yeah, I would be that happy. Don't judge me!

Until next time, keep gaming!

Sorry for the late update on Theatrhythm but I've been busy lately. Theatrhythm is a fun rhythm game and the controls feel responsive for the most part. While there are RPG elements in the game, they are barely noticeable so I don't really know why they're in there at all. The music tranks are great, pulling the more recognizeable tunes from each numbered entry. From the original opening of Final Fantasy to the end credit theme of Final Fantasy XIII some of gaming's greatest tunes are here. I've never been a huge Final Fantasy fan but even I have to admit the music is amazing which makes me all the more excited to play The Last Story which I also hope has a stellar soundtrack.

As a little gift for purchasing Dragon's Dogma on Xbox 360, it came with a code for early access to the Resident Evil 6 demo. I just finished playing through one episode of it and man does it feel different. The slow, deliberate movement of the past games is gone and this one is filled with run and gun tactics. I felt like I was playing a third-person shooter than a Resident Evil game. Of course it might just be the part I played but that's the way it felt to me. The controls feel a little wierd since it doesn't seem to match the fast pace of this game. I'm used to Resident Evil being more slow and deliberate so it was tough for me to play at first. It may grow on me in time but as of right now, not that impressed with it.

Until next time, keep gaming!

Ok, I'm posting this late (since the day is pretty much over) but I'm saying it anyway. Today marks Canada's 245th birthday (which really isn't that impressive compared to other countries lol and if I'm doing the math correctly in my head). So happy birthday Canada! You continue to be the greatest country on this Earth! :D

With summer here, it's time for things in the industry to slow down a bit. Most people would prefer to spend their days outside so they release less video games. That doesn't appear to be stopping Square Enix who will drop Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Sleeping Dogs this summer. The Last Story will also be released here in North America on July 31 so I can finally play this game. Darksiders II is also releasing this summer and it's a game I'm keeping my eye on. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron comes out around the end of August and is also a game not to be ignored. Finally for the Mario fans, New Super Mario Bros. 2 comes out August 19 along with the new 3DS XL.

Once the fall comes around there will once again be big names dropped every month like Borderlands 2, Resident Evil 6, Halo 4 and Assassin's Creed 3 just to name a few. As for me, I'll be grabbing Theatrhythm next week and I'll let people know how it is. I'm still playing Pokemon Conquest. Let me tell you, the game gets really interesting once the main story is complete. It becomes more difficult for one thing and it feels like way more of a challenge than the main story.

Last night I was just looking through random Wikipedia articles but I remembered Pokemon Conquest was coming out. So I checked the article and what I saw made a huge smile cross my face. Pokemon Conquest was getting great reviews. The score was hovering at 88% which is way higher than I expected it to be. I was expecting maybe 75s at best. Now that I have the game, I agree with those reviews. This game is amazing. Combining the depth of a strategy game with a tactical role-player is genius and it since both are a little more streamlined it makes it all the more fun. The animations look great when in battle and in the storytelling. The battles are strangely addicting and I'm finding I'm spending about half an hour per turn managing everything in my kingdom.

This game revives hope in me for great Pokemon spin-offs. I've enjoyed most of the Pokemon spin-off games but this is the first one to really suck me into its deep gameplay. My 3DS and DSi have been running all day today playing this game. Usually I take a break from playing but today there was none. With the exception of meals I was playing. I was even playing it at work when I should have you know... been working. :D

I was planning to do a countdown as I said before and I tried hard to remember some good theme songs from my childhood but it was too hard for me. As I said I never watched enough TV to make a good countdown so I'm just going to do a pseudo-countdown of nostalgic theme songs from my childhood. These are the songs that take me back to a more pleasant time.

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme (2003)

The reboot in my opinion wasn't as good as the original in a lot of ways but I still enjoyed it.

4. Digimon Theme (Season 1)

I never really watched the Digimon anime as a kid since I was more of a Pokemon fan but this theme song is too damn catchy. I would sometimes just turn on Digimon just to listen to the theme song.

3. Cardcaptors Theme - Cardcaptors (Cardcaptor Sakura)

I've already explained this anime in an earlier blog post so I won't take up a lot of time here. I like all 3 of the Japanese openings to this anime as well but the English one is easily the catchiest of them all. I have to listen to this theme song at least 3 times in one go. I know in different regions like in Australia the opening is actually different so I'm talking about the North American version.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme (1987)

I was really only able to catch a little bit of this cartoon when I was growing up but I owned a VHS of this cartoon so I memorized the theme song at a young age. This is also the North American version of the theme song.

1. Pokemon Theme

The obvious number 1, this song just screams awesomeness. I don't know a single person my age who doesn't know this theme song. While I'm sure it's embarrasing to sing alone get a group together to sing it and it will easily catch on.

That ends this short countdown. The Last Story got delayed here in North America which is actually somewhat of a relief for me since I bought a bunch of games lately and I've got Pokemon Conquest coming out in a few days. That's one game I'm looking forward to playing. I think a Pokemon strategy game has been a long time coming. It's almost a perfect fit. I am glad that Koei is bringing their skills at the Nobunaga's Ambition series into the game. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Until next time, keep gaming!

I'm usually not a huge fan of re-releases as long as its outside the current console generation. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the best example of a game with too many re-releases. However, I approve if it's something outside of the current generation. So when I heard they were re-releasing Pikmin 2 I got excited. I own a lot of the GameCube's best games like Metroid Prime, Viewtiful Joe, Resident Evil 6 etc. However I only had so much money back then so I missed out on the Pikmin games. I've played all of Nintendo's franchises on the GameCube either I own them or my friends brought them over. But I've never played them before. I heard they were great though so I went into this expecting a lot. Boy, is Pikmin fun! I don't know if I would have liked the first Pikmin because of its time limit but this one allows you to have free reign over everything you do without being pressured by time. Well, in a certain way. At night you have to leave the planet because it gets very dangerous at night. But there is no day limit so you can do as you please. I enjoy a good RTS and in a certain way, Pikmin is a RTS. Tossing in your Pikmin to kill enemies and then harvest them always excites me for some reason. This type of game isn't for everybody but I love it. I am now really excited for Pikmin 3 and playing it on Wii U.

I also got another game, Lollipop Chainsaw. It's one of my most anticipated titles this year simply because the guys who made it. Suda51 and his crazy, over-the-top Japanese style always provides more than a few laughs at his absurd jokes. As for the name, you play as a cheerleader who kills zombies for fun. The game reminds me a lot of No More Heroes and I'm sure that's where the influence of the game came from. It's a little bit tougher than I thought it would be since zombies can take multiple hits from your chainsaw to kill. I've gotten used to it now but I had a little bit of trouble at the beginning. In typical Suda51 fashion the absurd thing about this game is the fact that the zombies can still talk to you. They say the most ridiculous things upon death and the zombie bosses defy tradition and don't die despite you having sliced straight through them. One boss in particular is a punk rocker and he screams at you. But not in the usual way. When he screams at you, the words become physical and he uses them for projectiles. That's another thing I love about Suda51 games: the original bosses. I can almost guarantee you won't find these kind of bosses in other games. The game is repetitive but fun to play and listen to.

Well, that will be it for now. I got a couple of games to play now and next week I've also got Pokemon Conquest and The Last Story coming out. Until next time, keep gaming!