Generally, I don't take issue with the way Gamespot does their reviews. In fact, most of them are right on the money. However, when it comes to virtual console games, they seem to forget what they're reviewing. Virtual Console games are old and the hardware they were originally designed to play on had limitations. Obviously, if you compare a virtual console game to an xbox 360 game (or even a PS1 game) there are going to be a lot of things that are lacking. A big example I just ran across (which prompted this writing) is Breath of Fire II for the SNES. While not as good as some other old-school RPGs, the Breath of Fire series was always one of my favorites. While it does have some translation issues, what old-school japanese game didn't? This was just par for the course in the 90s. Maybe instead of giving it a 6.5 because it doesn't meet today's standard, they should have considered the fact that it wasn't designed to meet today's standards and rated it against other games of its era.

Here's my one request for the new year:  The NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl on the Wii Virtual Console.  That's it.  Not only is Tecmo Super Bowl the best football simulation EVER, it's also one of the most frustrating games to play because the NES will undoubtedly reset your season in week 14 during an 80-7 pummling of the browns.  So here's hoping that Tecmo and Nintendo are on the same page.

Here's my question: Why do people wait in line for weeks, pay lots of extra money, or pre-order systems months or years in advance just to get it on the day it comes out?  It just doesn't make sense to me.

Point 1: You'll inevitably save money.

While this isn't always going to be true, it is for those people buying the new system on ebay, or those who are forced to buy expensive bundles which include games you don't want.  Plus, if you wait a year, the price will most likely have dropped, giving you even more savings.

Point 2: There will be less bugs

There are always stories of consoles dying right after you bring them home, or in the Wii's case, right after you get a firmware update.  If you are willing to wait a little while, most of the bugs in the software will be fixed and you'll be able to enjoy your new games with no interruptions or hassle.

Point 3: The games.

How many people have bought crappy games just because they were the only titles available for your system and you needed something to play?  Take the PS3 for instance, there isn't one game that looks even remotely interesting.  The Wii isn't much better off, it is only saved by having great franchises like Zelda to lean on.  It takes most developers a while to get used to a new system, so great games won't start appearing for at least 6 months.  In the mean time, you've wasted 150 on games that you never really wanted to play.

OK, that being said, I guess I do have to thank all you crazy people for going out and buying the system right away so there isn't a big rush for it in 6 months when I pick mine up.  But for now, I'll be playing Final Fantasy XII on my PS2 and laughing at all you people trying to figure out what's wrong with your $15,000 playstation 3 you bought on ebay.

Before I begin, its important to note that I do not consider myself a nintendo fanboy, or any other kind for that matter.  I enjoy just about everything...

Now, that being said, gamers all over the world need to be thanking Nintendo, and I foresee that because of this generation we will all want to kiss their feet.  After this generation of games have passed, they should be recognized as the force who saved the industry from certain destruction once again. Why? Daring Ingenuity. 

The DS and the Wii should be heralded as the true next-gen consoles because they are the only ones to actually change anything.  Are they perfect? No, far from it. the DS makes things incredibly hard to control at times and I'm sure the Wii will be no different.  So far most of the games I've played on my DS have been fun, but not great.  That's all beside the point. 

What Nintendo is giving us is hope.  Hope that we won't have to play the same drivel over and over again until the end of time.  Hope that prices won't continue to skyrocket.  Hope that there is still something truly new and exciting and un-played.  What we have now in the game culture is endless repetition of tired old tales that have been told a thousand times.  Nintendo's daring gives hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The DS has been wildly successful and there doesn't look to be an end in sight.  What we need to do is give the Wii a fighting chance by getting behind Nintendo with our voices and pocketbooks.  Even is this first incarnation of change isn't perfect, if it is supported enough there can only be improvements.  If we buy, examine and give good feedback within the community we can insure they will continue to make progress. With each step in this direction there are infinitely more possibilities opened up that should give us 20 more years of great games.

Too bad we didn't pay any attention to the Virtual Boy, then we could already be there...

Memo: To anyone 15 and younger, or anyone who thinks HD graphics are necessary...

I understand that you may not have been priviledged enough to experience the greatness that accompanied the birth of the modern video game era with the NES, SNES and Sega Genesis...but please try to have some respect! 

Graphics do not make games good! 

The only thing that graphics accomplish is making an already good game a little bit better.  Games are made great by having fun experiences, good controls and replayability.  These are common to all great games!  And for RPGs, you need a great story, not just a good story, a great story that captures human emotions and makes you really feel for the characters!

If anyone calls themselves a gamer, they need to learn how to look past the crap that companies like sony and microsoft are feeding us and remember that in order to make a good game, you need fun and originality...not good graphics!