Konnichi wa, minna-san!

I'm doing yet another First Impressions tomorrow night for Tales of Xillia. I'm busy now! :P

Finally, after skipping an entire console generation, Pikmin 3 has arrived. Initially, it was announced in 2008 for the Wii. After its announcement, nothing was heard again until E3 2011 when Miyamoto announced that work on Pikmin 3 had shifted to Wii U. It was originally announced as a "launch window" game (Wii U's launch - March 2013). However, by the time the Wii U's launch came around, still nothing regarding Pikmin 3's status. Finally, in February, Nintendo announced that the game would come out in the second quarter of 2013. However, yet another delay would follow later on; the game would be pushed back until Q3 2013. At last, Nintendo decided on August 4 as their release date for Pikmin 3.

It was a good feeling this morning to rip the plastic wrapping off a brand-new Wii U game. I haven't done that since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate back in March. Going with Nintendo's recommendation, and my own preference, I started playing with the Wiimote/Nunchuck. I played Pikmin 2's remake on the Wii and I got used to using the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo with the game and it works very well. It really feels like this game was meant to be played with the Wiimote/Nunchuck; I don't know how people managed with the GameCube's controls. I just tried playing with just the Gamepad itself and it felt a little awkward not being able to fully control your cursor. The only disadvantage of using the Wiimote/Nunchuck is that there's no real camera control aside from centering the camera. Camera angles aren't too much of a problem though.

For anyone who doesn't know about the Pikmin series, basically the game is a combination of adventure and real-time strategy. It seems like an odd combination and it is, but if anyone can nail something like this, it's Nintendo EAD. Your goal in Pikmin 3 is to collect fruit for your planet since the planet's food supply is running low. Apparently, the government of the planet are willing to spend money on probe droids and send them across the galaxy rather than ask a nearby civilization for food. But anyway, the only friendly creatures that inhabit the planet you land on is the Pikmin. The Pikmin serve as your units in this game and there are 5 different types of Pikmin, each with their own strengths and weaknesses like in any other RTS game. You unlock more types as you make your waythrough the game and you'll need to take advantage of each Pikmin's unique skills in order to progress, like any other adventure game. Instaead of an opposing player to play against, your enemy is the clock and of course the creatures of the planet. You can't stay around at night since the predators of the planet come out and feed during that time so you have to take advantage of the limited daylight. Another thing to keep in mind in this game is your food supply. By collecting fruit, you get bottles of fruit juice that your crew consumes at the end of every day. So you have to make sure to stockpile enough juice to keep your crew alive.

So far, I'm liking the game. I did run into a problem on the third level since your crew is split up and the only way to get them back together is to buld a bridge. Easier said than done, since the pieces for the bridge are scattered around everywhere and you have to split your attention between two crew members. I'm going to try again sometime later, using my years of Starcraft playing to try and make it thorugh that level. As for tomorrow...

Tales of Xillia and Dragon's Crown are out tomorrow and I'll be picking up both games. I've been waiting for Tales of Xillia for quite some time so I'll be playing that right away tomorrow. You may be thinking: "You just got Pikmin 3, so why grab another game right away?" Because I'm stupid and crazy, that's why!

Mata ato de!

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

One thing I want to get out of the way before I talk about Project Diva F. After more than a month, I finally beat Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, accomplising my goal of beating it before Tales of Xillia's release. While I preferred mk2's story and pacing a lot more, Victory's gameplay is the best in the series. The game's developers, Compile Heart, seem to really like Victory's combat style and they're using it for two more games: Fairy Fencer F and Hyperdimension Neptunia: Re;Birth. The latter game is a remake of the first game on the Vita using Victory's combat system. I'd love the opprtunity to properly experience the story of the first game since the gameplay completely turned me off the first game. If it gets localized, a Vita purchase may be due. I'm actually serious. I love this series that much.

So, now to Hatsune Miku Project Diva F. If you know at least a little bit about Japan's otaku culture, you'll know who Hatsune Miku is. If you don't know the name, you may know the character. She's the holographic girl with turquoise hair and twin tails. Anyway, earlier this year, Sega announced that they were thinking about localizing this game in the Wesst but they wanted to see support for it. So on FaceBook, Sega said to like and share their post to see how much interest they could get. I did it right away, and shared it with my anime club where I knew word would spread around. In early June, Sega said they felt the game has enough support and so they would release it in the West, I'm sure to many fans' pleasure. I myself am not currently a Vocaloid fan but given my new love for J-pop, I'm sure it won't be too hard to get me to like it.

The demo has been out for a while now, but with my focus being on Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory, I forgot to download the demo until now. The demo has three songs to play through. I haven't played a real rhythm game in quite some time. I tried playing HarmoKnight on the 3DS earlier this year, but the game doesn't give enough margin for error to be much fun. Anyway, my rhythm skills have gone down the drain and I failed a couple of times before I got into the rhythm of things again.

Most of the time, I love it when games are colourful. But in this case, it might be a little too colourful. Since the song plays alongside a music video, the colourful anime backgrounds sometimes distract me from the notes that appear all over the screen. It was especially problematic in one particular song since the background had a building on fire and I'm trying to hit red notes. Thankfully, I have some sense of rhythm so even if I can't see, I just hit the buttons out of instinct and can still play the song fine. If I find the time in between Tales of Xillia play sessions, I'll see if I can learn how to play the game better. I do like the music though; I may become a Vocaloid fan after playing this game.

So, tomorrow, my Wii U is finally going to get some real use with me picking up Pikmin 3. And then the day after tomorrow, Tales of Xillia and Dragon's Crown come out which means my consoles are going to get a real workout.

Mata ato de!

(Sorry if some of the spelling is off, I was drinking beer at the time and I was too lazy to edit if I didn't catch the error right away :P )

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

So... just one month left until school starts. Hard to believe that it's already time to head back to school. I feel like I just got off! But, until then, gaming must continue! Next week, I'm picking up three games. Three! I have no clue where I'm going to find the time to play them especially considering one of them is an RPG. And those three aren't the end of it either. I still got others to pick up! So here they are:

August 4: Pikmin 3 (Wii U). Developer: Nintendo EAD, Publisher: Nintendo.

I can't ignore a game from Nintendo EAD. Besides, the first two Pikmin game caught my attention with its simple and funny premise but with a lot of depth. A love RTS games and Pikmin is as much an RTS as anything else. Except with anoter player trying to kill you. The game is already getting very good reviews and I'm excited to play the next Pikmin. And to actually buy a retail game for my Wii U since Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in March!

August 6: Tales of Xillia (PS3) and Dragon's Crown (PS3).

Tales of Xillia: Developer: Namco Tales Studio (now a part of Namco), Publisher: Namco.

Dragon's Crown: Developer: Vanillaware, Publisher: Atlus.

I've dipped my toes in Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Graces f, but I want to actually finish playing this one. While there aren't any official reviews out for Tales of Xillia yet (game reviewers have been focusing on the other two first), from what I hear, it'll do well critically.

Dragon's Crown is a game that captured my attention by its hand-drawn animation and its gameplay style. An homage to the beat-'em-ups of old, Dragon's Crown has already wowed critics with its gameplay and beautiful animation.

August 13: DuckTales Remastered (Multiplatform but picking it up for Wii U). Developer: WayForward Technologies (Original NES game by Capcom), Publisher: Capcom.

I picked up the original DuckTales a few months ago and I must say, it's a quirky, but fun platformer. I look forward to playing it in HD and with WayForward's twist on it on the 13th.

August 27: Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F (PS3) and Killer is Dead (Mutiplatform but picking it up for PS3).

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F: Developer and Publisher: Sega

I remember when Sega first mentioned that they were thinking about localizing this game for North America and to like and share the pic of the game on FaceBook. I just said: "Challenge accepted Sega!" and promptly shared it with my anime club. A couple of months later, Sega said that the campaign was successful and they would localize the game, I'm sure to many Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid fans. Ir's been a while since I played a rhythm game; the last one I played was Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy for the 3DS last year. I personally haven't listened to any Vocaloid songs but this game will serve as my introduction. Given my recent love for J-pop songs, it shouldn't be too hard to get into playing this game.

Killer is Dead: Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture, Publisher: XSeed Games

I love Grasshopper Manufacture. Their quirky, over-the-top games are the source of hours of laughs and fun times. In order to prevent too much of the game from being spoiled, I've avoided most of the trailers for the game and I'm ready to just hop in. XSeed Games are quickly turning into my heroes of the localization world, thanks to their efforts in bringing in games that otherwise would have been missed by Western audiences.

So those are my games for August. I'm picking up everything I want, thanks to the government helping pay for my schooling again this year. I'm liking it right now but come after school is over... Thousands of dollars in debt... But that's in the future! :D I can worry about that later!

In an effort to make my blog more diverse, I was thinking about starting a new segment of my blog titled Franchise Thoughts. This will just be a chance to talk about video game series I've been playing and my thoughts on the series. I have a lot to say about certain video game series and franchises. I was thinking about starting off small and niche; first up will be Hyperdimension Neptunia since I'm really in the mood to talk about it. Once I finally beat Hyperdimension Neptunia: Victory, I'll do it. I've been grinding over the last few nights in an attempt to make it through the final level so I can beat the final boss properly. This game just wants you to max out your level...

Busy, busy, busy days are coming up for me in gaming. I plan on just gaming my heart out in August to make the money I spend on these games worth it. I may put my anime watching on hold just because of the massive amount of games I realized I have in my backlog and what I'm picking up. I should just finish the series I'm currently watching though... Anyway...

Mata ato de!

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

Now, this may be a little controversial but I don't care. I'm going to speak my mind. So, we all know that Sony kicked butt at E3 this year. They spanked Microsoft with their used game statements during their press conference, and they showed off some pretty cool games for the PS4. But, is the massive number of pre-orders for first day so neccessary? I sure don't think so. Let me give a few reasons why I think gamers are over-reacting to the PS4.

1. Graphics

Some people are already saying how much "better" the next-gen games look compared to their current-gen counterparts. It is true, they do look better, but is that a big reason to go out and spend over $400 for a new console? It's not like we went from 480p to 720p or 1080p like the 360 and PS3 did. The PS4 still uses 1080p graphics, just like the PS3. If PS4 used 4k or something, then it would be different. But the games only look slightly better thanks to better processing power.

2. Launch and launch window games

Ok, so the PS4 has a decent launch line-up. The standard sports games that come with each console launch, Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4, and Killzone Shadow Fall among others. But, with the exception of Killzone, are you really going to go out and buy a PS4 for Watch Dogs or Battlefield 4 when you can already play it on the current platforms? How about waiting for some big name game to come out on the system before you buy it? The only reason I bought a Wii U early was to finally say a bought a console at launch and a couple of games I wanted were due out in just a couple of months. Even now, I'm kind of regretting buying the console so early simply because of the lack of games. So, my rule is: buy a console for its games. If you can already play a game on a current console, why spend so much money buying a brand-new console? Buy a console when you simply can't wait to play that one (or multiple) game that you can't play on current platforms.

3. There's no backwards-compatibility, so why are you trading in your current console?

Since I work at EB Games/GameStop, I'm noticing a big increase in console trades. I can understand trading in your console if the next is backwards-compatible; you can play your games on the next console if you want. But the PS4 won't feature backwards-compatibility, at least not in the conventional way. In fact, I don't even understand how they're working backwards-compatibility in with the PS4 (if someone knows, can they please explain it to me in the comments). Sony has already stated that they plan on supporting the PS3 for at least the next couple of years (if they don't, they're breaking their tradition). To me, that signals that, at least for the next little while, we can still expect some games on current consoles. Grand Theft Auto V, Batman Arkham Origins, and Rayman Legends aren't featured in the PS4 lineup. Gamers are going to miss those experiences simply because they don't have a PS3 to play them on anymore. A console isn't dead until its produced its last game. Unless you're truly done with the console, I see no reason to get rid of it.

I think I've gotten everything I wanted to say about the PS4 off my chest now. Don't take this the wrong way; I too am looking forward to the PS4. But people's reasons for buying it on day one are ridiculous. So I thought I would rant about it. Anyway, if there's any future topics I want to rant about, or if I remember a couple more reasons why I think people are over-reacting to the PS4, I'll be sure to do this segment again.

Mata ato de!

*contains spoilers for certain games*

... kind of. I'm not a very resentful person. But there are some video game villains that I absolutely despised and I did want to see them dead at my feet. When video game developers manage to create a villain you really hate, to me, that's a sign of a good villain. Interesting villains are ones I really hate, or ones I can feel some kind of sympathy for depending on their actions. Perhaps I'll do a list for the latter reason later, but for now, let's begin with this list. These villains are from games that I've played so, sorry if you're most despised villain isn't on the list. Let's start with a couple that I just don't like.

10. Bowser (Mario series)

Let's start off with the Nintendo bosses who really make it on my list just for their sheer persistence. Boswer has been around since Super Mario Bros. and it doesn't seem like he's going away anytime soon. But how could he anyway? He's one of the most recognizeable villains in video games. Whether he's kidnapping Princess Peach, stirring up trouble in Mario's parties, or getting in the way in Mario's sports games, he's the constant source of trouble in the Mario world.

9. Ganon (The Legend of Zelda series)

Much like Bowser, Ganon makes it on here just for the number of times he's been the main villain in The Legend of Zelda games. No matter how many times Link stabs Ganon in the face and kills him, he always gets resurrected, coming back for more. Ganon is always bent on destroying or taking over the world and it's up to Link to take him down every time. The story is often repeated but, there's always a part of us that doesn't mind saving the world again and again.

From here on in, these are the villains I'd like to crush under a rock. ;)

8. Gruntilda (Banjo-Kazooie series)

Since I was really young when I played these games, I don't remember much of the story but I do remember Gruntilda, the annoying witch who wants to be young. She kidnaps Banjo's younger sister and she tries to steal her youth. My wish was granted at the end of Banjo-Kazooie; Gruntilda does die, but is brought back to life by her sister in the sequel. And then she tries to steal life from the good citizens of the world. I was more than happy to see her killed off again in the game.

7. Porky Minch (Mother series/Earthbound)

While I technically haven't made it too far into Earthbound and I haven't even played Mother 3 yet, I can kind of break my rule for this one. Porky is nothing but a cowardly, evil kid. He's the annoying neighbour who doesn't fight with you, then he becomes Giygas' underling to become immortal. In Mother 3, he performs his most evil acts yet by killing Lucas's mom, then kidnapping and indoctrinating Lucas's brother against him. While he never does die, he does lock himself in a time capsule that cannot be opened from the outside or inside, effectively sealing him away forever. That's an even better outcome then I can hope for.

6. Jasper Batt Jr. (No More Heroes 2)

If you don't hate this annoying, bratty rich kid then there's gotta be something wrong with you. He arranges the killing of Travis's best friend just so Travis can rejoin the UAA to fight him. He's also got one hell of an annoying voice to boot. He's also a really tough boss to beat. I was hoping to really mutilate him after I defeated him in battle but his death is so ordinary unlike some of the other bosses.

5. CFW Trick (Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2)

This villain was the inspiration for this list. First, I'll start off with what this villain represents. Trick is the embodiment of player's frustrations. As gamers grow more frustrated, he gains more power. He loves cheaters and enjoys it when players cheat their way through a game instead of trying hard to beat the game. Now onto his character. If you want a definition of a lolicon, this guy is it. (Anime term: Lolicons are young girl lovers.) He wants nothing more than to hang out with little girls and use his ridiculously long tongue to lick them. Digusted yet? Yes? Good. He kidnaps and then tortures Rom and Ram, the youngest members of your party. Every time I faced him, I went in thinking: Time to die, you freaking pervert! Killing this guy twice wasn't enough for me. Thankfully, I did get to see him get beat up in the Hyperdimension Neptunia anime. That was a satisfying thing to watch.

4. Gangrel (Fire Emblem: Awakening)

Gangrel, known as the Mad King of Plegia, is quite possibly my most hated Nintendo villain. This guy is absolutely insane. Knowing that the Fire Emblem can grant its user incredible power, he tries to steal it from Chrom's country and when that doesn't happen, he kidnaps Chrom's older sister, the ruler, to force Chrom to give up the Fire Emblem. Chrom's sister committs suicide to stop Chrom from giving up the Fire Emblem. When it was time to face off against him,I sent Chrom in, wanting him to get revenge for his sister's death. And it felt so satisfying to kill him off. Even when it was possible to recruit him later, I still went against his reasons for trying to use the Fire Emblem.

3. Lucien (Fable II)

This guy is completely unlikeable right from the beginning. The way he greets you and your sister into his castle, results in him shooting and killing your sister and then forcing you out the window. He then enslaves people to rebuild the Tattered Spire, a structure known to grant wishes to whoever owns it. Slave life there is harsh and thousands die in its contruction. You witness all of these events and you can help decide the outcome of a couple of people's lives. At the end of the game, when you stop him from achieving his goal, you can listen to him rant on about life and stuff like that, but I shot him off the edge before he went too deep into his speech. I'm not going to let you say what you want you prick!

2. Loghain Mac Tir (Dragon Age: Origins)

F***. This. Guy. This was the first villain I truly hated. He intially serves the king's military advisor but when the king chooses glory over strategy, Loghain, instead of supporting the king in the king's new strategy, he simply leaves the king for dead just because he doesn't like the king. He then leads the country even though he possess no charisma whatsoever. He leads with an iron fist and he ignores the pleas of his subjects. If your country is at war, and you choose not to send forces to help out places under attack... What kind of sense does that make? You can choose to save him and make him join you near the end of the game but why would I want this a-hole on my team? Off with his head!

1. The Reapers (Mass Effect series)

The Reapers. This was a rather easy choice for me to make. While most of these villains were bent on world domination, the Reapers' entire purpose is to exterminate all organic life in the universe. They constantly repeat the cycle every 10,000 years to prevent organics from becoming too powerful. Because they are machines, they know no other purpose except to destroy all organic life that stands before them. They even help uplift species so they can discover the Citadel and mass relays, the hubs of the galactic community. Every species' upbrining into the space age is because of the Reapers. The species are lulled into a false sense of security before they are destroyed by the Reapers' invasion. The Reapers number in the millions and it takes an entire armada just to face a few Reapers. The games slowly build up to the final confrontation with the reapers and it is epic, especially if you manage to recruit a lot of allies. No matter what anyone says about Mass Effect 3's endings, the entire series was highly enjoyable. Of course, when the decision time comes at the end, destroying the Reapers is the only real option. Exterminate those machines so future generations can live in peace!

That concludes this list. What do you think of my villains? Let me know in the comments! I also still need answers as to what to do with my Top 10 DS list. Do I finish what I started or do I play some of the recent games I've acquired first before doing the list? (999, The World Ends With You, Radiant Historia, etc.)

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

Yes, that's a pretty long name for a top 10. But after seeing one of my most hated villains reappear in an anime, after killing him in the games, has inspired me to make this list. I'm sure we all have a list of video game villains that we just wanted to kill more than anything because of the crimes they committed, their personality, or we just plain hated them. No real rules for this list: Of course, they're going to have to be from games I've played, but other than that, I'm putting in any villain that I just plain hated.

Now... I'm debating whether to finish my top 10 DS games list. I've recently acquired Radiant Historia, 999, The World Ends With You, and the Castlevania games. So now I've got a few of the more famous games to make top DS lists. I could finish what I've initially started and simply revise the list later down the road, or hold off until I've completed these games (but who knows how long that might take?) It's up to you guys since you're the ones who will read it. What do you think I should do?

Mata ato de!

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

Whenever Nintendo has these Nintendo Direct Minis, I usually never find them since Nintendo doesn't say they're having them. But anyway, today's Nintendo Direct was a bunch of updates on 3DS and Wii U games as well as updates to the 3DS. New trailers were shown for Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, The Wonderful 101, and Pikmin 3. Nintendo announced changes to Nintendo Zone which allows you to StreetPass with the last person to visit the Nintendo Zone, increasing your chances of StreetPassing. Nintendo had also announced last week that they're bringing Pikmin 3 to select GameStop/EB Games locations this weekend. While I would love to go to another one of these events, I'm busy this weekend with work and friends. Maybe I can convince them to go to one of the Pikmin 3 events... Not likely since they're not big Wii U, let alone Pikmin, fans like I am. And there's no way I'm missing out on my first 8 hour shift outside of Boxing Day for it too. The last announcement was Earthbound's release... which is today! I wasn't expecting Earthbound until the end of the year so I'm very excited that it's out now. I'm dropping everything after this to go play.

As for my top 10 DS games, I ran into a little snag and time problems so it's been slightly delayed. I've been working more since we're short-staffed at work again, and now Earthbound gets announced today. And I just bought Shin Megami Tensei IV as well... Speaking of which, that game is quite difficult. I do like the demon recruiting aspect of it. While I don't like having to give stuff to them to have them join me (or they run off with my stuff), it's a cool system since you have to think about what the demon wants, what you want, and the demon's personality. So, that's it for now! It's Earthbound time!

Mata ato de!

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

I think it's safe to say the DS line is done. The 3DS is going full-steam ahead, showing no signs of slowing down. So I think it's time to look back on one of gaming's best handhelds. A lot of people doubted the DS when it wad first released. Then Nintendo worked its magic and at its end, the DS line became the best-selling handheld system to date and the second-best selling game system of all time, only behind the legendary PS2. I don't know a single gamer, in my circle of friends, who didn't have a DS at some point.

It's the best-selling handheld for a reason. There were so many games released for it that appealed to pretty much everyone. I have owned more games for the DS than any of my other systems. As such, this will be my toughest top 10 yet. There were so many great experiences on the DS. In order to help me narrow down my decision, I'm making a couple of rules. Only one game per franchise. However, this is not limited to spin-off titles. And of course, I must have played the game for it to count. So that means some popular games like The World Ends With You, 999, New Super Mario Bros., and Mario Kart DS will not be on my list. Dont ask why I didn't play those games especially The World Ends With You, I simply couldn't afford them and when I could, I couldn't find them anymore. So sorry to disappoint some people ahead of time.

I'm going to need a little while to compile my list together. I need to find out what games really made their impact on me and what made the experience so great. The DS deserves its place in history of one of gaming's best systems and I want to make a list worthy of its legacy.

Mata ato de!

Edit: I completely forgot that I had already started this list about 6 months ago! :P I just need to make a few revisions and I should have it done in a week.

Konnichi wa, minna-san!

With half the year over, the frantic fall and holiday season remains. This year will be the most frantic yet as PS4 and Xbox One release. As a sales associate at EB Games/GameStop, I'm not exactly looking forward to this holiday. It's going to be ridiculous. With my current income and the fact that I'm a university student as well, there's no way I'm going to pick up PS4 or Xbox One. I'm going to just barely, if that, be able to afford what I'm picking up this summer and I'm going to have to scrape together money to pick up what I want in the fall and holiday season. Looks like it's time to sell a few collector's items I've been sitting on...

I'm a determined gamer though; I WILL get what I want. And what I want are these:

Shin Megami Tensei IV. Developer and publisher: Atlus (3DS): July 16

Pikmin 3. Developer: Nintendo EAD. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): August 4

Tales of Xillia. Developer and publisher: Namco (PS3): August 6

Dragon's Crown. Developer: Vanillaware. Publisher: Atlus (PS3): August 6. Will depend on funds.

Rune Factory 4. Developer: Neverland. Publisher: XSeed (3DS): August 13

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F. Developer and publisher: Sega (PS3): August 27. Undecided and will depend on funds.

Killer is Dead. Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture. Publisher: XSeed (PS3): August 27. Might not pick up right away because of money.

Rayman Legends. Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier. Publisher: Ubisoft (Wii U): September 3. Still upset at Ubisoft for the delay of this game. I may wait for a sale or a pre-owned copy so Ubisoft doesn't get my full support.

Rome II: Total War. Developer: The Creative Assembly. Publisher: Sega (PC): September 3. I may not have the time to play this game properly if I do get it, so I may hold off on it for a little while.

The Wonderful 101. Developer: PlatinumGames. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): September 15

Pokemon X/Y. Developer: Game Freak. Publisher: Nintendo (3DS): October 12

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD. Developer: Nintendo EAD. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): October

Ducktales Remastered. Developer: WayForward Technologies (Original game by Capcom). Publisher: Capcom (Wii U): Fall

Watch Dogs. Developer: Ubisoft Montreal. Publisher: Ubisoft (Wii U): November 19. Still angry at Ubisoft. Plus this game is almost guaranteed to go on sale during Boxing Day.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Developer: Retro Studios. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): November. I'm personally not very interested but my co-worker has offered to split the game with me in exchange for lending my Wii U to him. To be determined.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Developer: Nintendo EAD. Publisher: Nintendo (3DS): November

Super Mario 3D World. Developer: Nintendo EAD. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): December

Unannounced release dates but confirmed for this year:

Mario Golf: World Tour. Developer: Camelot Software. Publisher: Nintendo (3DS): Q2/Q3. This will depend on money and I'm not all that interested in it. But I've loved every other Mario Golf up to this point. Heh, only Mario can make golf fun.

Sonic: Lost World. Developer: Sonic Team. Publisher: Sega (Wii U): Q3/Q4 2013

Unannounced release dates and MAY come out this year

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse. Developer and publisher: WayForward Technologies (3DS): TBA 2013

Untitled Yoshi game. Developer: Good-Feel. Publisher: Nintendo (Wii U): TBA 2013

So yeah. I'm bound and determined to own all of these games at some point, be it on release day or down the road. We'll see how my wallet holds up after all of this since it may not be able to support my every wish.

Mata ato de!

Note: I get off-topic quite a bit. It's what happens when you rant. :P

With the PS4 and the Xbox One coming out this year, we are about to close the chapter on this console generation. It's been quite exciting as it's the generation that truly made me a gamer. It's the first generation when I've owned every console available. It's also been the smallest console generation but still. Having given every single console and company a shot, it's helped me shape my gaming tastes until they are what they are now. As most of you know, I've chosen Nintendo as my company of choice for the forseeable future. Having been raised on Nintendo, and with the Wii being my first console of this gen, I've become quite the hardcore Nintendo fan. I don't consider myself a fanboy since I do see the benefits of being with Sony and Microsoft as well. However, Nintendo still provides me with rewarding gaming experiences that are unmatched with a few exceptions. The unfortunate part is, because of Nintendo's business and marketing strategies, Nintendo is often seen by most gamers as being the child of the Big 3. This was further shown with the Wii which many associate as being for the casual gamer because of the market the Wii ended up getting. Sure it helped Nintendo pretty much crush the competition for the first 3 years of its release but the marketing that followed ensured many gamers thought the Wii was a console only meant for the casuals. If you take a good look at the Wii library you'll find quite a few awesome gems hidden underneath the shovelware. Not just Nintendo's games but third-party games like MadWorld, No More Heroes, and Muramasa. But that's beside the point. I'm writing this to talk about the pains of being a Nintendo fan and about defining next-en which I'll talk about later.

If you're a part of the game industry in some way, you know about what most "gamers" think about Nintendo. "Nintendo is for kids." "Nintendo sucks." "Another Mario/Zelda/Pokemon game? Do something original!" Those are comments I see a lot on gaming sites. And they don't seem to be going away anytime soon. As a hardcore Nintendo fan, it's hard to go into public and talk to "gamers" about Nintendo because the topic usually changes to how bad Nintendo is. I know for sure, I couldn't talk about Nintendo at all in high school unless it was with my friends who wouldn't mock me for my choice. Indeed, most Nintendo fans are pretty underground. But we all group together for Nintendo events. Whenever I go to a Nintendo event, I feel at home with everybody there. There's no better example than Nintendo's "E3 Experience" event I went to a month ago. Usually, I'm pretty shy in public. But it was quite easy to strike up a conversation with almost anybody there. It's easy to talk about the experiences we had playing any Nintendo game. I personally think that Nintendo has the most loyal, and most pleasant fans around. And since Nintendo has such a rich history, a lot of Nintendo fans are gaming history buffs. That's the part I like about talking with Nintendo fans is the ability to talk about pretty much anything with them. But anyway I'm getting off-topic. Back to my problems.

When I think about Sony and especially Microsoft gamers, I primarily think of them as fans of action/racing/sports/shooter games. As I work at EB Games/GameStop, unless the customers who regularly come into my store are outcasts from the main crowd, that is the norm. It wouldn't be too unusual. Considering the North American environment, it seems to foster those kind of fans. Those are also the most popular genres of games nowadays at least in North America. My main problem with that is that because that's all these people play, they've never experienced any other kind of game. And it's often these kind of people who rail on Nintendo. Also, most of these people have never played a Nintendo game before. It really pisses me off whenever I see kids coming into my store and buying these M-rated games. I just want to yell at the parents and say "What the hell is wrong with you?!" And then there's those teenage kids and I point to a Mario game and ask if they've played one before and they say no. I die a little bit inside when I hear that... I'm getting off-topic again. So anyway, if these people have never played a Nintendo game before, why are they making fun of the company? Is it because it's not rated M? Is it too cutesy? Not enough blood? Or is it because it doesn't feature guns? Regardless of the reason, Nintendo is often the target of ridicule of not being mature enough for most people. To me, gaming is not about the level of violence or mature content. Gaming should be all about the experience. While money has prevented me from doing so recently, I always follow the good games wherever they are as long as I'm interested in the genre. It's the reason why I have all the consoles this gen. Each console this generation provided unique experiences that could not be found on their counterparts. The console exclusive franchises also helped make each console special. Speaking of franchises...
I think there's some serious double standards in the gaming industry. I'm sure we've all seen the comments about Nintendo making another Mario game, another Zelda game, or another Pokemon game. Sure we see these games pretty often, but nobody seems to really complain about another Assassin's Creed, another Battlefield, another CoD, another any sports game, about another Need for Speed... I could go on. Well, perhaps not CoD anymore; I think most people are sick of it by now. And Assassin's Creed does mix things up by providing us with a brand-new setting and story every time. I have the biggest bone to pick with sports games. At least Mario and Zelda games do something different each time, be it a different world, a different art design, something. But sports are sports. They're not going to change. Sports games change very slightly with changes only those who are truly into them will notice. Yet these people complain that Nintendo does nothing to innovate. I facepalm a lot when I read comments on gaming sites.

Okay, last topic: what defines next-gen. In my opinion, and I'm pretty sure this is right by all gaming standards, next-gen entails a successor to a console. It doesn't matter when it is, as long as it succeeds the current console. Whichever console comes first is when the next-gen time period starts. Technically, we've already started next-gen with the release of the Wii U last year. Unfortunately, most "gamers" have this idea that next-gen means it has to be some kind of super-powered machine for it be considered next-gen. That's why most "gamers" and even some gaming analysts write off the Wii U as not being next-gen simply because it matches or slightly exceeds the power of the PS3 and 360. And to some other "gamers", because it came out last year, it also doesn't count as next-gen. What kind of logic is that? So I guess the Sega Genesis wasn't next-gen. And neither was the Dreamcast and the PS2. Or the Xbox 360. By that logic, the Wii was "more next-gen" than the Xbox 360 because it came out a year after the 360. Because of people like this, I lose hope in the game industry.

Well, I think that's all I have for today. I've had it with most "gamers" these days. I feel like the industry is stained with "gamers" who have no idea what goes on in the game industry outside their own bubble. Thankfully, there are a few people who I can have a real conversation with about the game industry so I don't feel like I'm all alone. And of course, I'm not saying all gamers are like the people I've talked about. It's more of a generalization of people in this industry now.

It's actually refreshing to get everything out of my system in writing. Perhaps my next topic will be about the PS4 and the massive over-reaction to it... I'm going to piss off a lot of people but I think I might still write about it...