Nintendo’s Heavy Hitters

It was pretty clear which titles Nintendo was leaning so heavily on this year.

The hardest part about rounding up everything for the Wii, 3DS, and DS systems this year is that Nintendo really didn’t try to outdo themselves whatsoever. Yes, there are some big exclusives, but overall things felt a little…barren. The year has now finished with Skyward Sword, Super Mario 3D Land, and Mario Kart 7, but other than Pokemon Black and White Versions on the DS in March and perhaps Ocarina of Time’s remake during the 3DS launch, there hasn’t been anything to really go on about.

Still, I should give the briefest summaries of the largest titles, starting with Skyward Sword. I’m up to the third dungeon and finding myself hard pressed to find time to play, not necessarily because I’m too busy but because my motivation to play is low, thanks entirely to Fi, the constant tutorial system that’s brought the game down from a solid recommendation to a cringe-worthy affair. Don’t misunderstand though, the game controls wonderfully and looks fantastic, but being forced to hold the game’s hand for so long, despite being a seasoned vet, is painful.

Super Mario 3D Land is an entirely different story. I can’t recommend it enough for Mario fans, platformer fans, or people with a 3DS and no clue why it’s so great. Super Mario 3D Land proves that the 3D function of the 3DS can truly be something special and walks that perfect line of fun and difficulty. As a Mario fan, I was able to complete the game 100%, but I know that such will not be the case with many other players. If you don’t have this game by now, then you must not have a 3DS.

Mario Kart 7 is much he same. I’m still waiting to get my copy, but that’s only because I had to wait until Christmas since there was a high chance someone was planning to get it for me. The consensus out there is that if you’re not tired with the Mario Kart formula, then Mario Kart 7 is one of the best games in the series with some of the absolute best tracks and an enjoyable hang gliding mechanic, whereas if you’re not really a fan or want something more advanced than Mario Kart DS, you’ll be disappointed. I loved Mario Kart DS and want its excellent wifi multiplayer back with a simple handheld game, so I’m set. Judge for yourself accordingly.

Pokemon Black and White Versions turned out to be predictably good and yet stagnant as always. I found myself sinking my teeth in once again and really finding a connection with some of the new faces, but still, it felt like the same old song and dance that we’ve seen before, and yeah, I’m getting too old to be catching them all again. Give me a new incentive, one that doesn’t require trading with half a dozen other versions and waiting for event-specific Pokemon to complete the central driving force behind the game. Still, I discovered that Black and White Versions make great companions when on exercise bikes. At this point exercise bikes should just come with Pokemon installed in the handlebars.

The Quieter Releases

Does it make me boring to actually like this game?

It’s not all high profile games with Nintendo, but the smaller, quieter titles are quickly forgotten in the rush of things. For instance, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, a great return to form for the franchise at last, has all but been forgotten now that the rest of the holiday releases have arrived. Kirby fans decided that Return to Dreamland was a nearly perfect game, and after playing the demo at PAX I can easily see why they’d think that. It’s fun, the controls are tight, and there’s flawless drop in/drop out multiplayer.

A title that’s been getting hammered a bit though is Fortune Street, a game I played at PAX and actually really enjoyed. The easiest comparison is to Monopoly, though add in Mario and Dragon Quest characters for good measure. Criticism has been leveled stating that the game is slow, boring, and looks shoddy. I disagree on all accounts, mostly because it’s not like Fortune Street is being billed as a competitor to Skyrim or Skyward Sword or something like that. If you love Monopoly and the concept of trading property and stocks, then yeah, you’ll absolutely love Fortune Street. If you’re looking for an engrossing single-layer experience, then you’re just being stupid.

And speaking of Dragon Quest, the DS got the remake of Dragon Quest VI, wrapping up a string of really great remakes from the Super Famicom era. I just recently acquired the title for my birthday but haven’t had a chance to plow through it yet, though it’s high on my list since it’s a gorgeous game that shows how to do sprite work on the DS, all while being a solid RPG, as the pedigree would suggest.

Launching the 3DS

The sooner you attach Ocarina of Time to something, the sooner I'll be pleased.

Nintendo’s only big stumble this year has been the launch of the 3DS. Billed as a revolution to the handheld market with 3D capabilities and graphical power that competes with the GameCube, Nintendo decided to go with a $250 asking price, a move that, combined with a pitiful launch library, resulted in abysmal sales to the point that every gaming journalist was quick to ask, “Is this the end for Nintendo?!”

Well, no, it wasn’t. After listening to customer complaints and realizing bold action was required, the price was slashed to $170, which is when I grabbed it. However, those who bought the system before the official price drop day were given a bonus in the form of the Ambassador Program, essentially giving early adopters 10 free NES games and 10 free Game Boy Advance games. The NES games were pretty standard with Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid standing out as some of the better titles, but it was the GBA list that made me most happy with titles like Wario Land 4, Fire Emblem, and F-Zero: Maximum Velocity.

Ocarina of Time’s remake is perfect in essentially every way, and Star Fox 64 3D is a near-identical recreation of the N64 original with the added bonus of the 3D graphics. Between those two, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, I’d say the 3DS has a pretty strong launch year library with a perfectly accessible price point and tons of great games expected in 2012, such as Kid Icarus: Uprising, Paper Mario 3D, Luigi’s Mansion 2, and Animal Crossing 3DS. I’m happy, so why aren’t so many others?

Why I’m Still a Nintendo Fan

I really doesn't take much to make me happy, and Nintendo knows this.

It all comes down to one simple program: Club Nintendo. In a time when just about every single game company is struggling to find a way to cut out the used games market and force gamers to buy new, Nintendo is the only company that’s thus far doing it right, all thanks to a simple concept. With most games, I’m punished for purchasing used. With titles on Nintendo systems, I’m rewarded for buying new. See the difference? Subtle, but effective.

Let me explain a bit better. If I were to purchase Battlefield 3 for either the Xbox 360 or PS3 used, I’d be unable to access the multiplayer features without buying a pass that unlocks them, whereas if I bought it new I wouldn’t have to worry about features being absent. Inversely, when I buy Mario Kart 7 this week, I will get a code that can be entered at my Club Nintendo account for coins, which can then be saved up and redeemed for items such as Wiimote holders, decorative fans, Game & Watch games, Mario-themed washcloths, amazing poster sets, or most recently, select games appearing on the Virtual Console and eShop marketplaces. At this moment I can snag the original Super Mario Kart on the Virtual Console for a cool 100 coins, or roughly two Wii games worth of coins (a poster set is 400 by the way, of which I have three).

I can’t stress enough how effective this simple tactic is to encourage me to purchase my Nintendo games new every single time. If there were a similar rewards system for Sony or Microsoft or individual companies, I’d be hard-pressed to buy used ever again because I love incentive programs. To my knowledge, only Nintendo has figured out this reward over punishment concept. Funny how that works.

Besides just loving Club Nintendo, I’ve found that I love my 3DS. I haven’t had an issue with the battery because I do a lot of my gaming in small bursts in bed, at the gym, or just hanging out. Sure, on a long trip I’d be frustrated, but I’m not enduring any long trips with my 3DS (and can’t due to motion sickness). I’m having fun with my system, and already I’ve bought two (soon to be three) killer games for the system, quickly beating my DS’s first year lifespan. That actually makes it more useful to me than my DS thus far.

Looking Ahead to 2012

Of course I'm already setting money of to the side; like I wouldn't?

Nintendo’s lineup for next year on the 3DS looks promising, as I’ve already mentioned, but their Wii showing is nearly nonexistent. Rhythm Heaven is lovely and Xenoblade Chronicles will come out to underwhelming sales (prove me wrong, you know it’ll have a terrible launch), but beyond that what is there to look forward to?

Oh right, the Wii U, Nintendo’s next console. The controller looks pretty crazy and the system is supposed to be Nintendo’s first HD console, but beyond that we don’t know anything else besides a launch window of possibly right around E3. As usual, I’m cautiously optimistic, so we’ll have to wait and see if another risky console gamble pays off.

And that’s it for Nintendo. There’s a lot to love here, but it’s Nintendo, so sometimes it isn’t obvious right away why they’re still in business. But enough from me, what are your thoughts? Did Nintendo have a good year? Or are they indeed doomed? Go ahead and leave a message while I go snag Mario Kart 7 really quick.

The Good

You'll be hard pressed to find a more colorful title anywhere else.

Can we not just take a moment and celebrate the return of the platformer? Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns. Man, I am a happy platforming camper! Let’s dissect those titles just a bit.

First off, Super Mario Galaxy 2 was and still is my choice for 2010 Game of the Year. I’m even going so far as to say that it’s my favorite Mario game, period. Hefty claims, sure, but I was so, so pleased with the final product that it’s hard for me not to sing its endless praises. You get your money’s worth from Galaxy 2, and while a lot of people keep complaining that it’s just more of the same from the first Galaxy, what the hell are you talking about? The basics are the same, but there are new elements added and over 95% of the game is entirely new. If you love Mario, you’ll probably love Galaxy 2. If you hate Mario, duh, you’ve been hating on Galaxy 2 for the worst part of 2010 and need to just step aside and enjoy whatever game you like instead. This is just MY favorite.

Metroid: Other M is mainly positive but what people have been talking about most is the stupidest aspect from the game: Samus talks. A lot. I’m of the camp that Samus absolutely should be allowed to talk, but not very much. No, it doesn’t ruin the game, but there are some elements that the Japanese team from Team Ninja fumbled pretty bad. Samus’ reasoning for running around the game depowered? Her superior officer, a guy named Adam, hasn’t okayed certain powers yet. Yikes. Samus, one of the strongest examples of a female not used like an idiot in video games, runs around in lava because her male superior said she couldn’t turn her heat suit on. That’s just, yikes. Otherwise the rest of the game is perfectly solid. But, ugh, can we get a collective facepalm here? *collective facepalm* Thank you.

With Kirby’s Epic Yarn, the emphasis was placed more on creating a game based around fun rather than a challenge. It was impossible to die in any level, making a handful of hardcore fans turn away, but those that stayed got a chance to see the Wii shine as a graphical marvel. Why? Because everything really, truly looks like it’s made of yarn.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is the near opposite of Kirby with platforming segments that’ll make you want to punch your co-op partner right in the face. Thankfully, Retro Studios pulled off a perfect recreation of the style from the original Donkey Kong Country games, making for so many good times.

By the way, thank you for bringing minecarts back. I appreciate that, I really do.

And while I didn’t do a review or anything of it (don’t ask me why, I must be a bad editor), Monster Hunter Tri sold exactly one gazillion copies and has quickly become the most-played title on the Wii. So good job Monster Hunter! Keep up that…monster hunting I guess.

In the DS department, holy cow, can we say Dragonquest IX and Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver? Two massively successful RPG’s both attuned to the DS sensibilities of simple gameplay and deep, lengthy adventures with craptons to do. Both games can easily reward you with hours in the abundance of hundreds worth of gameplay. You’d hardly have a reason to buy any other titles. Except Super Scribblenauts. You should have bought that one, too.

Hey, our good buddy Akira Toriyama! I get get behind this!

The Bad

So the big letdowns from Nintendo this year sort of come down to what they didn’t do. The Wii’s sales have begun to take a heavy downward slide, and while I could go on and on about how hardware sales don’t really mean much, the basic gist is that the Wii has hit its peak. Why don’t we have a Wii HD? I have no clue, but yet another year without one just gives ammunition to graphical nuts that demand every game look as amazing as possible, otherwise they have no reason to play it.

In addition to the omission of a new main console update, Nintendo has continued to do a really, really sucky jobs promoting 3rd party developers on the system. There have been some great games released for the system, such as Masamura The Demon Blade, and too few people ended up playing it to reward the developer with a reason to make another title for the Wii any time soon. You may argue that it’s not Nintendo’s job to promote 3rd party titles, but keep in mind that Microsoft and Sony do that all the freaking time and as a result, sales go up on their systems and on the games promoted. Nintendo is just shooting themselves in the foot with 3rd party developers at this point. Anyone remember what happened in the GameCube era? We got a lot of good Nintendo titles, Resident Evil 4, and not much else. All because Nintendo was being stubborn.

My point here with Nintendo’s “bad” category is that while they didn’t do anything inherently wrong this year (thankfully they already got their stupid motion control system release out of the way), they didn’t particularly do anything to inspire confidence that their console titles will be much to look forward to in the future. Also, yet another year they haven’t hired me as a Localization Writer/Editor. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

C'mon Reggie, you know I'm gold with a keyboard!

Somewhere In Between

With Nintendo, they usually just shift toward a definite “Good” and a definite “Bad.” Of the games that came out this year that fall somewhere in the middle, Epic Mickey sort of defines the middle ground. It isn’t a bad game by any stretch of the term, but it also isn’t quite the title people were hoping it would be. Plus, Warren Spector started griping about people griping about the camera, and that just bugs me. A bad camera is a bad camera, no matter what. Deal, Warren.

What's all this "we" business all of a sudden?

Another Not Quite Bad, Not Quite Good title was the Wii remake of GoldenEye. This was supposed to be the exalted return of the FPS to a Nintendo console but it turned into a big heavy “meh.” You can certainly do worse, but it’s not even interesting enough to mention more than what I just did.

Finishing off the Somewhere In Between are Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers and No More Heroes 2, both titles that have their fanbases but both titles that I completely forgot existed since the beginning of the year. But hey, go play those if you feel inclined. They’re probably in the cheap games pile by this point, so you have nothing to lose.

Looking Ahead

Where Nintendo really hit the hardest is their lineup for next year. I’m sad they have no plans for a better home console (announced anyway), but I am getting a 3DS at launch even if I have to give up a lung, a kidney, and a testicle. Might as well since Nintendo has me by the balls so frequently.

Anyway, enough of that imagery for you, the 3DS had demos for a new Kid Icarus title, a new Paper Mario title, a remake of both Star Fox 64 and Ocarina of Time, possibly a new Metal Gear Solid game, and perhaps the most impressive graphical feat, a Resident Evil title that’s sure to make a lot of those aforementioned graphics nuts very, very pleased. Damn do I want a 3DS.

Well, I'm a happy if not hypocritical camper.

The Wii doesn’t really have anything new I’m hoping for other than Skyward Sword, the new Zelda game, though that assumes it doesn’t get pushed back as usual to make room for…actually I’m not sure why Zelda games get pushed back so frequently. Make with the new Zelda titles already! Dance, monkey, dance!

Oh, and lastly, new Pokemon games. The 5th generation is already out in Japan, but the US will be getting Pokemon Black & White in the early months of 2011, so keep an eye out for when those come out and dominate the sales charts yet again.

What sort of rating does Nintendo get this year? I’m a diehard fan, so of course I’m handing Nintendo its A’s like I fixed the test in its favor. From a business standpoint though, Nintendo is scraping by with a D, which means it’s passing but it’d have to retake the course for credit toward its major. Simply, Nintendo needs to make friendly with the 3rd party developers as soon as it possibly can, otherwise it’ll be all alone again and we’ll have to watch as Microsoft gobbles the market (yeah, eat it Sony fanboys!).

Want more undying love for nintendo? Check out these articles:

-Let’s Think Deep: The Great Zelda Schism

-Smash Bros: A Retrospective

-Tips From a Grandmaster: Super Mario Galaxy 2

The Do’s

One should always remember that a touch screen must read and respond to messages from the operator. That takes plenty of computing power to do, especially when lots of power is used to keep the screen lit. It may take a second or two.

Like magic, but it takes practice.

Handle a touch screen like you would a glass of water: delicate (otherwise the glass breaks/the touch screen dies slowly) but firm (so the glass does not slip/so the touch screen reads your messages clearly).

The Don’ts

Do not stab violently at the delicate machinery, nor do not gingerly swipe with the very tip of your nerve endings. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hands, thus…wait, that’s from something else entirely.

The point is, a touch screen is exactly what it is. You touch it, but it is also a screen (give a penny to the smart writer, now). People are either afraid of touching screens due to conditioning, or they brazenly jab at them, thinking that they must be structurally sound.

The Tools

A stylus is your best friend, depending on the device that features a touch screen. But styluses can also cause problems. Anyone ever try to sign your name on a touch screen debit card machine? Yep, that’s the kind of problem we’re talking about here.

It's simple, but yet again, it takes some practice.

The original DS came with a “thumb cap” accessory, which would be ingenious if it worked well enough. The problem is that touch screens only respond well to the sharp point of a stylus, or the warmth of human touch. I wouldn’t be surprised if the thumb cap gets a re-do in a year or two.

The Drawbacks

For a person like me (I have what guitarists and ASL experts call “stupid fingers”), touch screens are a big problem. I continually hit the backspace button on my phone when I try hitting “M.” It becomes a game of one step forward, two steps back.

To add to the headache, touch screens drain batteries on phones, music players, etc., especially if there is a zoom feature. Personally, I wish that Apple would integrate a real keyboard on my iphone. Then it would be close to perfect for me.

To conclude, touch screens aren’t a necessary step forward in technology. They are a fun novelty, and if you aren’t having fun with that novelty, you just shouldn’t have one. It isn’t worth it. I guess it may be a good thing that the next big vogue is going to be motion controls. I look forward to a world where we all swipe at menus too violently or too soft, like Tom Cruise in “Minority Report.” At least we’ll look cool while getting frustrated.

Want more articles about instructions? Check these out:

-The Purity of Poker

-Game Rentals: The Poor Man’s Guide

-Tips From a Grandmaster: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Will the Nintendo 3DS be this advanced? Probably not, but it's fun to wonder.

You’re all probably very much aware of Nintendo’s new handheld set to be revealed at this year’s E3 conference. Regardless of how much info is out there, a good deal is also unknown. I figured it was my duty as a regular writer of a small-time blog site to give those same known details yet again, as well as give my expert opinion on what I think the 3DS will have and what I’d like it to have. Like I said, it’s my duty, so let’s start with what we know for sure.

What We Know For Sure

Nintendo is definitely releasing a new handheld system very soon, and it will not be the Nintendo DSi XL but a completely new system. In fact, Nintendo has said that this new system, tentatively called the 3DS, will be the next generation of DS systems rather than just a new version of an existing product. The main draw of the system will come from the use of 3D images. Somehow Nintendo is promising a handheld system that is capable of creating 3D images without the use of 3D glasses.

How it’ll do this we still don’t know. There have been hints that it could be as a result from new technology Sharp is currently developing. Apparently, Sharp is listed as part of the 3DS core specs, so that may be where the new tech is coming from. Then again, it could just be like the DSi game Hidden Picture, a Japan-only title that allows you to move the DSi around, effectively moving the screen as well. This is enabled due to the DSi’s dual cameras, allowing for the system to recognize when it’s being moved. I personally have no problem with that if that turns out to be the extent of the 3D games.

This is apparently what Sharp's new screens can do. Replace those deer with Mario and I'm sold.

Also, the 3DS will be compatible with all previous DS games, meaning it will have to have a touch screen as well as the option for two screens, whether that will be its selling point again or not. I’m always happy to have the option of backwards compatibility, something the PS3 lost me on when it lost the ability to play PS2 games. But that’s neither here nor there, isn’t it?

My Own Thoughts

That pretty much covers everything we actually know about the system. I can make a few safe claims, such as the obvious knowledge that new Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon titles are in the works for the system. That’s just a gimmie. However, we don’t even know what level to expect the graphics. A lot of places are going with GameCube level of graphics, which is pretty darned impressive all things considered. Kotaku even has a nice little mock-up for what Wind Waker would look like on a handheld. If that turns out to be true, I’d be rather happy.

Seriously, that just looks amazing. If only these mock-ups were the real thing.

But what do I really want? Honestly, I don’t want there to be an overabundance of gimmick titles for the system built purely for the sake of using the 3D engine. I know there will be shovelware from all the usual places, that I don’t have a problem with, but I don’t want to see more games like Spirit Tracks or Star Fox Command where suddenly everything has to be controlled with the stylus whether you’d like it or not. If there could be games that use the 3D without overcomplicating things I’d be quite happy.

Another big point for me will come down to price. I need to know that the system will run me under $200 and come with a game, a good game. I didn’t buy the DS when it first came out, instead waiting to get it as a Christmas gift, then I spent a year without a game until Mario Kart DS came out, prompting me to start getting real DS games. I don’t want a repeat of that, and further, I don’t want to be punished for buying the system early. If a new SKU of the 3DS is released within two years of its launch and it becomes apparent that the launch system sucks compared to the new system (similar to the DS Lite being way better than the DS Phat), then I’m going to be ticked. Sadly, I can make the safe claim that that’ll definitely happen.

By the way, here's Hidden Picture, currently a Japan-only title. Looks really cool.

Otherwise I don’t really have a long wish list of features. I’d be good with less touch screen interfaces and more button usage but that’s just wishful thinking. Also, an elimination of the Friend Codes would be wonderful, but now I’m really asking for unicorns and rainbows.

What do you want to see from the new system? And for that matter, what don’t you want to see? I’m on the fence whether I want the system or not, but what about you? Are you already signing up for preorders? Leave a comment and let me know. Just don’t make the font 3D just yet.

Is the Wii a bad system? Let's Think Deep.

At this moment in time, the Nintendo Wii is set up to be known as the “winner” of the current console cycle due to the unexpected amount of sales and complete reversal from the previous console cycle. I for one couldn’t be happier for reasons I’ll get to eventually. Regardless of sales numbers, the Wii is nearly universally panned by gamers due to the high amount of shovelware populating the system. But does that make it a bad system? It got me thinking. What exactly makes a system good? Sounds to me like this would be a good opportunity for us to Think Deep. So Let’s, hmm?

“But The System Has So Many Bad Games”

The complaint I hear most often regarding the Wii has to do with the controls. Specifically, they don’t work. Publishers constantly release games that force the player to use either the Wiimote motion controls or even worse the Balance Board from Wii Fit that “works” about 25% of the time. This results in games that would otherwise end up being decent games turned into broken messes. It was a Godsend when Nintendo decided that Smash Bros Brawl would support GameCube controllers in addition to just about every other controller type they had. The complaint about controls is a valid one, but that doesn’t instantly mean the system is bad.

Right now we have the luxury of living in an age where there are three perfectly excellent systems to choose from. Even better is the effect the Internet has had on everything since reviews can come out before a game is even released, meaning that you know whether a game will be good or not. Think back to the time of the NES when the only system you could choose from was the NES. It wasn’t very simple to get reviews or news about specific games, so when you went to buy or rent a game, you did so almost entirely on the artwork and the description on the back of the box. How many NES games do you think were great? The NES was full of shovelware titles, as someone like the Angry Video Game Nerd can attest to, but I doubt anyone would ever call it a “bad system.”

Are you going to be the one to say the NES sucked? I don't think so.

Now we have the ability to know everything about a game before we even play it, plus there is an excess of reviewers out there contributing to the overall rating of a game (thankfully my silly little summaries aren’t counted in a game’s Metascore). The bad games get more press than they used to and the numbers we’re dealing with are heavily skewed. Simply put, the rating system isn’t perfect right now, but it does give us the ability to know more about our games in a way we didn’t have 20 years ago.

The Hardships of Luxury

So what does this mean for our friend the Wii? It means that everyone knows when a bad game comes out and gives the gaming community an opportunity to see the system’s shortcomings. The question remains though, “What makes a system good or bad?” Do bad games make a system bad? No, otherwise every system would be considered awful. As of now, all systems are roughly within the same general average game rating area between 65 and 75%, and that number is constantly shifting as new games come out. While the Wii may not be at the top of the list, it doesn’t mean it’s a crummy system.

The is the counter-argument for any Xbot speaking ill of the Wii.

Here’s the thing: People believe their favorite system is the best because it’s their favorite. What are your favorite games? If you love God of War and Metal Gear Solid, you probably believe that the PS3 is the best system and the other two are inferior. Huge on Halo and Gears of War? The 360 is clearly the best. Are you like me and love Mario and Zelda? How could the Wii not be the best system out right now? It’s all relative to what you like playing most.

To answer why I’m happy to see the Wii in first place right now, it all has to do with my favorite games. No, I don’t think the Wii is the best system out there, but I do consistently prefer it’s biggest and best games, such as Super Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3, and especially Smash Bros Brawl. I’m ecstatic to hear that Nintendo’s doing so well because it means my favorite franchises will be around for a long time to come.

This is very much like the Console Wars of the early 90’s where it was either SNES or Genesis for the win. It didn’t matter what people said one way or the other about graphics or sound; it came down to whether you liked Sonic or Mario better and that was the decider. After the Genesis, Sega sort of lost its mind and ran everything that’s considered good about it into the ground. Sure, the Dreamcast was a nice glimmer, but it still failed due to Sega’s poor tactics in regards to marketing and just plain doing their fanbase justice. It’s only just now that they’ve announced Sonic 4, a game that fans have been telling them to make for over 10 years. I just can’t imagine the amount of agony a Sonic fan must have endured for over a decade, watching Mario fans get more or less exactly what they want while Sonic turns into a Werehog (which would mean “Man-hog” by the way).

Like him or not, this guy has ridiculous staying power.

The Year of The Usual Promises

2010 is promising to be a big one once again as Microsoft is releasing Project Natal and Sony is releasing whatever the heck its motion controller is called. If the Wii’s controls make it a bad system, why are its competitors, companies run by intelligent people, rushing to match the same “gimmick” that defines the system? Money, of course. The Wii has managed to bring in a share of the market that was previously untapped and created new gamers from the casual sector. If this means I have to deal with a few dozen shovelware titles so that I get a new Metroid this year, so be it.

It’s becoming very tiresome to hear every company or analyst decide that “2010 is the Year of the PS3” or the “Age of the Xbox” or whatever. Do systems ever have a year that is undeniably its year? Other than the Atari or the NES? And even if it has a good year, does it instantly make up for the previous years or any years to come? No, it’s just a gage for fans to based judgment off so that they can argue that their system is winning or losing or what have you. I love the Wii, but I’m currently playing tons of great games on the 360, and in a month I plan to spend an epic weekend with one of my best friends beating God of War III on the PS3. In the meantime, I still spend my nights playing my DS before bed.

So which system do I think is best? I couldn’t tell you. I can’t even decide which I enjoy playing the most. It comes down to my tastes at the time. I am plowing through game after game on the 360 because I missed out on a lot at the beginning of the console cycle, but I keep going back to my Wii to play Brawl every so often. Both systems have a valued place in my home, but I couldn’t tell you which is the better system. I think both have too many faults for me to consider either of them “the best,” but they’re nowhere close to “the worst.”

When Project Natal is released and has the typical smattering of titles built to demonstrate its capabilities and titles built to get money, will it ultimately decide the 360’s fate? No way. Fans will stick around and haters will claim the system is falling apart. It’s a cycle that will never end.

Has there ever been a system that you feel is perfect? For me, I was always happy with my GameCube. It was one of my favorite systems despite its lack of first-placeness. But what are your favorite systems and why? I loved my GameCube because I was addicted to the games and felt its titles were best suited for the sort of games I play. Still, that’s just me. I don’t think we’ll ever have a perfect system, but we can have systems that do what their fans need them to. Now it’s time to hear from the fans, so leave a comment about what makes a system good for you. Represent!

Wait a minute, this looks somewhat familiar...

By now you already know that I take my Dragonball Z very seriously. I typically find myself playing any and every game associated with the Saiyans regardless of how good they may be. But should you be doing the same? This year we’ve had three new Dragonball games, so stay close while I give you the rundown for these three.

Dragonball Z Raging Blast:

Goku was able to transform into a Super Saiyan after becoming enraged at Raging Blast's controls.

Last year we got Dragonball Z Burst Limit for the PS3 and Xbox 360, a game done in the style of the first three Budokai games. The sad part was, the game fell guilty to my biggest sin for a Dragonball Z game: Not going through the entire story. It wrapped up at the end of the Cell Saga, meaning that a sequel was required to get all the characters you’d expect from a Dragonball Z game.

I expected Raging Blast to be the sequel with the proper roster of characters. Instead I was dismayed to find out that it’s not a Budokai-style game but a Budokai Tenkaichi-style game, which means that the game isn’t played with the characters side-by-side fighting with combos and things like that. No, it means you have an over-the-shoulder perspective of your character and more controls to figure out than centipedes have legs.

My biggest complaint with the three Budokai Tenkaichi games (which I played all the way through) is that the controls sucked, for lack of a better term. I hated the style of the games, mostly because they completely lost the feeling of really powerful moves being performed due to the perspective used for fights. And all the little touches of awesomeness, like dodging individual punches or performing a combo that resulted in a cutscene of your character basically destroying the world, were more or less removed. There were over a hundred characters, but none of them seemed to play that different.

Raging Blast disappoints me with the same problem of a loss of awesome. It can all be traced to the controls, too. I can’t figure them out. Sure, I can win fights, but I can’t do it the way the game intended me to do it with strategy and all that. No, I can find a few simple maneuvers and spam those over and over again and it should be no surprise but that gets boring really fast. The controls are just too much to learn, and the story is the same story DBZ fans have gone through over and over again. Forget this game and just go play Dragonball Z Budokai 3 on the PS2.

Dragonball: Revenge of King Piccolo:

Not bad. Now let me see you battle Freiza.

The Wii has recently been getting versions of the Budokai Tenkaichi games that involve motion controls and the option to not use the motion controls because they don’t work. Now the Wii gets its own Dragonball game. Take note that I said Dragonball, no Z included there. This is a game about the first series where Goku is still a kid. And the game actually isn’t too bad. It just isn’t very hard, is all.

You’ll find yourself running around areas as Goku in a classic beat ‘em up style that you don’t see very often anymore, doing exactly what it sounds like you’ll be doing: beating things up. It all works pretty well, assuming you aren’t looking for the best game out there. Dragonball: Revenge of King Piccolo isn’t a bad game by any means, but it isn’t winning any awards any time soon and by next year no one will remember it existed at all.

Overall there’s about six hours worth of playing here, which isn’t enough to warrant a purchase from me, but it does make for a good rental if you find yourself in the mood, and by “you” I probably mean your kids. The youngin’s will eat this stuff up with a spoon, but anyone past the age of maybe 13 and not diehard fans of everything Dragonball-related won’t find much here to keep them interested. Still a good gift idea.

Dragonball Z: Attack of the Saiyans:

Okay, I think we're done with the DBZ cash-ins, thank you.

Okay, I’m sorry, but the game already failed before it began for me on the basis that the title is “Attack of the Saiyans.” Dragonball Z fans, you know what this means right? You know where this ends up? The only point of the series where the main threat is a still-mysterious race called the “Saiyans,” of which there are three evil ones, one good one, and a halfbreed left, is the first plot arc of Dragonball Z. There are a total of four that span the 291 episodes. The Saiyan Saga spans episodes 1-36, which means that there’s still 255 episodes left of plot to go through. The game taps out at episode 36! That’s not even half way through the story. That’s not even a FOURTH of the story!

What makes this offense even worse is the fact that Attack of the Saiyans isn’t an action game; it’s an RPG. Those of you that love RPG’s probably love them because they have engrossing stories, right? Dragonball Z doesn’t have an engrossing story when they leave 88% of it out. Heck, it hardly has an engrossing story period if you don’t care about it. Anyone that would have any interest playing a Dragonball Z game at this point knows the story already and wants to see what more you’ll add to everything.

Sadly, just to fill out a game like this you’d need to pack in garbage that is hardly relevant to the game as a whole. No one likes playing through the periods of training, they like to play through the fights and the Saiyan Saga had a total of three villains and they were fought one at a time. Do the math for how many “epic” fights that can equal.

Technically, yes, the game is still okay. The battle system is solid enough to hold its own and the art style works to set up the DBZ world just fine. But like I said before, what more is there to say? The story is pretty simple, but even here you’ll be somewhat confused if you haven’t watched the show since they don’t spend any time dealing with character motivation or how one character relates to another or anything like that. There are just people who can fly and shoot energy blasts and you darn well better be okay with that. Period. You’re better off playing a Mario & Luigi game instead.

Don't forget to tell the man in red what you want for Christmas.

Do you have a loved one who’s into video games? Are you yourself into video games? Did you forget that Christmas is fast approaching? Yikes, looks like you could use a helping hand when it comes to what games to shop for. Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a handy little list here of some of the best games from 2009. I don’t have them all, mind you, but I have a good selection to choose from. So get those pens and papers ready and your wallets out and let’s go over my Holiday Game Guide.

Nintendo Wii Games:

The Nintendo Wii is always a good choice for the casual video game player. You’ll find a lot of family and kid friendly games on the Wii, as well as a very low failure rate for hardware or controllers (which is very nice). Also, the interface is about as simple as they come.

New Super Mario Bros Wii:

No, I'm not going to stop telling you to get this game until you do.

By now you’ve seen both my preview and review for New Super Mario Bros Wii, so you already know everything I could say about this one. This is the best title for the system at this point in time, either for one player or multiple players, though it will take some getting used to when you have two or more characters vying for limited platforming space. Basically though, this one is sure not to disappoint.

Rabbids Go Home:

Chaos is about to happen, you can be sure of that.

Ubisoft has been pumping out these Rabbids games for the past few years and unfortunately they come with the connotation of “Shovelware titles” since they’ve previously only been a collection of minigames. Well, Rabbids Go Home is an actual adventure game with a real plot, and the game handles itself really well to diversify the gameplay into great bursts of hilarious antics spliced with good fun. Kids will love this one.

Punch-Out!! Wii:

Get used to this view because you'll be seeing it a lot.

For those on your list with a Wii but an unquenchable thirst for punishment, Punch-Out!! Wii is probably one of the best titles you could get for them. I have a review article on Punch Out wii from a few months back that goes into my thoughts on the game, but I really can’t emphasize enough how brutally difficult the game is. But don’t misunderstand, that difficulty is a good thing. You want a challenge? A FAIR challenge? Punch-Out!! Wii is that challenge.

A Boy and His Blob:

Remember kids, cute alien blobs sound like a good pet at teh time, but they grow up someday.

Slightly less of a challenge is A Boy and His Blob (Hey, I wrote a review of that, too!), a game with hand-drawn artwork and just the right amount of difficulty for midcore gamers (which is somewhere in between casual and hardcore). Also, you might notice that A Boy and His Blob is slightly cheaper than some other titles on this list. Good for the more value-minded among us.

Metroid Prime Trilogy:

Can you handle the awesome power of the Power Glove? Samus totally can.

You want value? How about three games in one? Metroid Prime is a trilogy that I place great stock in as one of the best video game trilogies to date. Now that it’s been packed into one case, there is no better time to give the gift of Metroid. If you’ve heard a guy complain about the lack of “non-kiddie” games on the Wii, see if he’s played the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and if he hasn’t, bam- you win Christmas.

Muramasa The Demon Blade:

I don't know what the heck that thing is, but I'm pretty sure it needs to die.

Please don’t pass this one up because you haven’t heard of it. Muramasa The Demon Blade is another game with hand-drawn artwork in it and even though it pains me to say this, “It is important to support hand-drawn art in video games so that we get more of it.” Hacking and slashing your way through this game looks better than some 360 games, purely because of the amount of detail done with the art. Also, the game is great. It’s a bit on the short side, but it’s also not overly expensive, either.

Xbox 360 Games:

Most of you probably have an Xbox 360. The 360 has the best online system for play at the moment and the best exclusive DLC, usually getting things long before the PS3 does. If you’re looking for a good gift for a 360 owner, Xbox Live Arcade Points is always a good idea, as well as a Gold Subscription for Xbox Live.

Assassin’s Creed 2:

Just give up now; you're not getting away from this guy.

One of the newest games on this list, Assassin’s Creed 2 is a game for the murderous hitman in all of us (or at least every college male). The game sets about correcting most of the faults people had with the first game and does a rather good job of improving as a franchise. Stealthy kills and parkour over rooftops just makes for a great gift, wouldn’t you say? Also on the PS3.

Modern Warfare 2:

You better make your next move count because you're losing at the moment.

Assassin’s Creed 2 is a single player title, but Modern Warfare 2 is a game almost best played online. The only thing I can fault this gift idea with is the fact that most people already probably have it. If you have a gamer on your list that loves First Person Shooters, ask if they already have Modern Warfare 2. If they don’t then they’re just hoping to get it for Christmas, so make sure to right that wrong. Also on the PS3.

Halo 3: ODST:

Still delivering the spank to alien scum after nearly a decade.

The Halo franchise is still going strong this year with Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST. The star of the franchise, Master Chief, is gone from ODST, but surprisingly that doesn’t turn out to be a terrible thing. ODST is a good gift for anyone you know that can’t get enough Halo, but hasn’t been given enough Halo recently. Also, it makes for a good alternative to online play if you’re tired of Modern Warfare 2 kicking your butt.

Borderlands:

You know, I don't think those bird things should be up there. Better take them down just to be safe.

First Person Shooters and Role Playing Games don’t typically sound like things that go well together, but Borderlands proves the theory spectacularly incorrect. The art style (man am I talking about art styles a lot lately), is pretty fluid and the controls work as good as you could hope, but the selling point here is the sheer amount of guns you can collect. All the weapons in the game are randomized, making for constant switching and swapping to take place to find the gun that works best for you. Also available on the PS3.

Guitar Hero: Metallica:

I said it before and I'll say it again: No one can destroy The Metal.

Hardcore Guitar Hero fans, this is the game you wanted to play since Guitar Hero first came out. The entire tracklist consists of Metallica songs (gee, didn’t expect that), as well as a few selected songs from bands that toured with Metallica. The basic Guitar Hero format doesn’t change, but Metallica is the perfect band for causing yourself endless strife attempting some truly epic guitar parts. Also on the PS3.

Batman: Arkham Asylum:

Who doesn't love a good Joker choke?

I played through Arkham Asylum twice in one week. I don’t do that very often, but in this case I made an exception. In fact, I have nothing left to do in the game since I did everything possible. That’s how addicted I was to Arkham Asylum. It has the best combat system in any game I’ve played in recent years and excellent pacing to go along with it. Any Batman fans, this is the best gift out there. Actually, anyone with an Xbox 360 should have this one. Also available on the PS3.

PS3 Games:

The PS3 has recently dropped its price down to a reasonable $299.99, making it a decent option as a video gaming platform at last. And to go with that, it started getting some excellent games this year. But keep in mind that it’s still one of the best Blueray players currently on the market, so anyone you know with a PS3 is fair game for Blueray movies as well.

Uncharted 2:

Why does everyone insist on shooting you when you're running across dangerous bridges?

The best exclusive Sony got on the PS3 this year was without question Uncharted 2. I gave my review already, so you’re well aware of its system-selling qualities. It’s a game that plays like a movie, and a fun movie at that. It improved over the first game, making sure to fix everything fans disliked about the previous installment. Support companies that do this. It’s hard to find a video game developer that actually listens to its fans.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time:

Ready to waste more enemies Ratchet & Clank style? You should be.

While Uncharted 2 may be a bit violent for the younger crowd, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get an equally amazing game as well. The Ratchet & Clank series is solid all the way through, and A Crack in Time only continues this trend with great platforming and fun characters. Basically, Ratchet & Clank is the Mario for Sony consoles.

The Beatles Rock Band:

Remember kids: Don't do drugs.

Oh The Beatles, how more iconic can you get than the band that just about everyone respects? Somehow through some deal with demonic forces, Rock Band was able to make a version filled out entirely with Beatles songs (a feat I find difficult to imagine considering how tough it can be to get those rights). You can even buy instruments that look like replicas of The Beatles’ actual instruments. And the game adds harmonizing to the vocalists among us, a welcome new feature that should have been in Rock Band from the start. Perfect for Beatles fans, obviously. Also available on the Xbox 360 and Wii.

Killzone 2:

This is the reason you don't typically sleep at night.

Sony’s been looking for a worthy combatant to Halo’s crown, and Killzone 2 does a fine job of letting PS3 fanboys know that they have an awesome First Person Shooter as well. Killzone 2 was a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait. Don’t listen to any hype surrounding the game. Just be aware that the game is good and needs to be played should you own a PS3.

InFamous:

Yeah, I'd do about the same thing if I got electrical powers.

While it sounds a lot like Prototype, InFamous did its own thing with a sandbox-style game involving a character with crazy electrical superpowers that let him shock people, heal people, and even fly. That makes sense, right? Ah who cares? InFamous is a great gift for fans of super heroes that have to make many moral decisions between helping people and shocking people. The correct answer? Always shocking people.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2:

Man, being a ninja must be rough.

I was pretty bothered when I saw the ads for Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 since Ninja Gaiden 2 was SUPPOSED to be a 360 exclusive and I just can’t stand lies such as that. But then I found out that Ninja Gainden Sigma 2 isn’t just a port to the PS3. It’s actually a completely retooled game with extra characters and features. The game even got a little easier, which makes it accessible to a whole wider audience than the 360 version. They also scaled back the blood a little bit, but that doesn’t mean the game isn’t still meant for mature audiences only, since it absolutely is.

PSP Games:

The PSP is a powerful little handheld system, but it does have trouble coming up with solid titles to call its own. This year, Sony released the PSP Go, a new version of the handheld that eliminated the UMD drive altogether and does everything based on an internal memory system. Beware of this new system as it is incredibly limited in what games are available to download for it. Rest assured though, these three games are among the downloadable titles.

Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny:

Dang Kratos, why you gotta be like that?

I reviewed Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny already and mentioned how it is a perfect transition of the Soul Calibur series from consoles to handhelds. The big selling point is the inclusion of God of War’s Kratos as a playable character, but beyond just that the game is an excellent choice for fans of Soul Calibur that own a PSP.

Little Big Planet PSP:

Parents, better learn who Sackboy is now before it's too late.

Little Big Planet is a strange game. It’s a platformer that relies entirely on the player to generate content, forcing you to create levels to play after you complete the single player mode. This is the strength of Little Big Planet. The content is endless and the amount of things you can create is staggering. If you know someone that wants to get into designing video games and has a PSP but not a PS3, then Little Big Planet PSP is the gift to get.

Final Fantasy: Dissidia:

I can't even begin to explain this one.

Final Fantasy: Dissidia is a love letter to the fans of the long running series. It takes heroes and villains from every numbered Final Fantasy title and throws them into huge battles against each other. The gameplay is very similar to Kingdom Hearts and looks utterly confusing when viewed from the outside in, but once you get used to the mechanics of the game everything works great. This is a game that every Final Fantasy fan wants to have if they don’t already own it.

DS Games:

The DS is the cheaper of the two main handheld options, but it’s also the less powerful of the two. Typically that doesn’t stop it from pumping out some memorable titles as often as it possibly can and this year we got a nice selection. The DS in general is cheaper than the PSP or the three consoles mentioned earlier, games included, so it makes for good gift ideas such as cases or fancy styluses.

Scribblenauts:

Oh how delightfully absurd!

I gave a preview of Scribblenauts a while back (it should count as a review as well), in which I said you should buy Scribblenauts. I stand by that statement as the game came out and put me into shock with the kind of things I actually got to do. This game is for the creative puzzle solvers in your family and seeks to push them to think up new items to write in as much as possible. Yes, there are some control-based hiccups that can become downright infuriating, but overall the game is a great option for casual gamers looking for short play sessions.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars:

Seriously kids, don't do drugs.

The Grand Theft Auto series is usually only console-based, but Chinatown Wars burst out on the DS and showed that it can be just as good on a handheld. The style harkens back to the pre-GTA III days when the perspective was top-down but the action remains fast-paced and fantastic. However, this is GTA, so it’s not for the young kids out there. There is violence and theft and drugs and all sorts of bad things, but if the gamer is old enough to play, they’ll enjoy themselves here. Also recently released on the PSP.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story:

Please, just listen to me already. Why won't you just listen to me?

I’m just a Mario fan, and I’m guilty of telling everyone to go play the Mario & Luigi games more than I probably should, but I haven’t overdone my telling of you to buy this game for people you know and love. Bowser’s Inside Story is an RPG with Mario and his crew. Battles are turn-based but you constantly have to press buttons at the right time to either increase your attack or dodge an enemy, which keeps things from getting boring. Plus, the writing is as funny as ever. Great for kids and people that enjoy having fun while playing games.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks:

A great way to end the year.

On December 7th Nintendo will release The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks to a nation of people that so sorely need a new Zelda title. After giving a preview of the game, I got a chance to see a lot more in terms of what the game is about and how it’s played. At this point I’m happy to say that Spirit Track is infinitely better than Phantom Hourglass, making it a great experience for DS owners and Zelda fans. I want this game for Christmas, but I know I’m not the only one.

Obviously, this list isn’t entirely complete. My goal was to find a handful of good games for each system that show off the best the system has to offer in terms of everything. But I couldn’t include every single game that came out this year.

What games do you want for the holidays? What games are you buying for your loved ones? Do you have some suggestions or questions about any of these games or others? Post a comment and get the conversation going.

Nintendo has never shied away from making what some would call “risky” moves, something the Wii has shown us with gusto. I had the classic gray brick Game Boy as a kid until finally the Game Boy Advance did away with the need for any previous Game Boy iteration. But it wasn’t to last, as the Advance SP came out and made me extremely jealous of its backlit glory and rechargeable battery core. And then came the DS, and I was hooked all over again.

The first Christmas the DS was out, I was lucky enough to get it sneakily wrapped in a box with a shot put to throw me off, (no pun intended). I had the Alpha version of the system, so when the Omega came out as the DS Lite, I was jealous again but refused to drop the cash for the definite new upgrade.

Now we have the DSi, yet another upgrade to the DS, but this time we’re losing some aspects as well, and it makes me very sad. The drawing point of the DS for me was the inclusion of a Game Boy Advance slot, allowing me to play Advance games on my DS without having to spend copious amounts on batteries, as well as having it backlit at last. But the DSi doesn’t have a slot for Advance games, eliminating it to make room for two cameras and new internal memory. The loss of the Advance slot was what kept me from upgrading.

But we’re not just losing everything here. We are gaining the use of a new service that allows us to download DSiWare games, and while the majority of them are just fancy clocks, there are a few shining examples of excellent titles. Basically anything listed under the Art Styles logo is considered fantastic, but I still haven’t been convinced to plunk down my money for another full system when my original DS works just fine.

As noted, two cameras have been added to allow for you to take pictures and then dink around with them similar to the Game Boy Camera from the old days. But the quality is roughly the same as a decent cell phone, so the feature is somewhat underutilized at the moment, lacking the drawing power it’s attempting to sell the system with. It also gets an Internet browser, but once more, nothing a decent phone can’t do.

All in all, while the DSi isn’t a bad system, if you already have a DS there’s really no fantastic reason to buy the DSi, especially at $169.99. Then again, if you don’t already have a DS, now may be a good time to give it a try.

I am a Pokemon Master.  Good, we got that out of the way.  I went out and bought Diamond Version day 1 and instantly jumped back into the swing.  Well now Platinum Version is out and it’s time to let y’all know what’s up with it.  So let’s catch ‘em all again, shall we?

I hold my Pokemon games up to a very high standard, but I also realize the entire point of games, so I overlook a lot of things that other reviewers are going to slam on.  The graphics during Pokemon battles, (the meat of the game), are not improved nearly as much as they should have been 10 years after the first game, and the sound effects are still just computerized screeches, but like I said, I don’t care.  The new Pokemon games are just as good, if not better, than the originals.

Platinum Version is like the greatest hits version of Diamond and Pearl.  You’ll get slightly more story than before with a big emphasis on catching Girantina, the cover star of the game.  No, the story isn’t compelling or original, even by Pokemon standards, but if you’re playing for the story then you’re missing the point of a Pokemon game, which is to, (say it with me), “Catch ‘em All.”

You’ll be busy for hundreds of hours if you want them all.  There are 492 total Pokemon now, at least a dozen of which you can’t get unless you attend a special event, go to the Pokemon Center in New York City, or trade with a friend who cheated to get it.  If you really want all 492, you’ve got your work cut out for you, but it does definitely gives you something to do for the extent of the game.  You’ll never be bored, assuming you enjoy Pokemon.

Platinum is only a mild upgrade from Diamond and Pearl.  If you have either of those, it’ll be a tough sell to buy Platinum.  If you’ve been holding out, just go buy Platinum, or wait until the remakes of Pokemon Gold and Silver come out next year.

Well, the Japanese box sure looks promising.

Pokemon has rocked my world for well over a decade. I was introduced to the phenomenon just after it became required for me to know the difference between a Pikachu, a Jolteon, and an Electrode. If you know the difference, congrats. Either you’re also a Pokemon Master, or your kids are.

Nintendo releases a new game with the word “Pokemon” in the title every year, but they don’t release a fully new title in the franchise often enough. The first generation of Pokemon titles consisted of Blue, Red, and then Yellow Version. The second generation had Gold, Silver, and then Crystal. Generation 3 had Ruby, Sapphire, and then Emerald. Currently, we have Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. But we’re about to get Gold and Silver again on the DS.

New Is Relative

Heart Gold and Soul Silver are the two “new” versions being released in the US sometime next year. They are not “new.” They are remakes of Gold and Silver, games that are at this point around 10-years-old and probably the best games in the series (according to myself). Seriously, go pick up a copy of silver for yourself. While what fans REALLY want are entirely new video games, we’ll have to settle for rehashing…again.

Okay, don’t get me wrong, movies remake and update all the time. And sometimes it works well, such as I Am Legend. Other times, we get Rob Zombie’s Halloween. The Gold and Silver remakes will be good, but I doubt they’ll be anything completely awesome and definitely nothing new to Pokemon fans that reveled in the hay day instead of the current generation of “Meh.”

These people are still in the game.

Better Graphics, Same Story

Yes there will be updated graphics and yes there will be compatibility with the fourth generation titles (so that means hundreds of Pokemon and moves not originally in the game), but there will be no new Pokemon. It will become simpler to “Catch Them All,” but we’re not treading new ground. I already became the very best, like no one ever was, and I’m sorry, but I don’t really feel like doing it again.

Also expect a special pedometer to be included in the box that gives you a virtual Pikachu to take care of, but that also is not new. It’s a spit shine to a game that already stood out as a work of perfection. We don’t need that. What we do need is an evolution for the series, and we definitely are not going to get that any time soon.

Simple and Cheap = Perfect

Brain Age! What a game! In case you haven’t been paying attention to the world, Nintendo has been making quite a name for themselves by means of making games for their two major consoles that…aren’t technically “games” as the hardcore community sees fit.

Thus far, Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day and Brain Age 2: The Revenge of Brain Age (not actual title), have been released on the Nintendo DS and each stormed the sales charts for the past two years. Celebrities have done commercials and plugs for the games. You should know they exist by now. If you don’t, time to learn.

The entire concept of the Brain Age games revolves around simple exercises that supposedly “train your brain” to respond quicker and more accurately the more you practice. A standard test will consist of something like, “Subtract the numbers” or, “Count the number of people.” The goal is to complete the exercise as fast as possible while still being correct. The basic concept will become addicting to just about anyone.

Smarter In Minutes a Day?

This guy knows more about you than you think.

It’s so simple to use, but does it really work? Well, not really. Studies have been done and they are mainly inconclusive regarding how much your brain actually improves overall. However, I still believe that it works for getting your brain focused on a task. I’ve had people tell me that before a major test they’ll play 15 minutes of Brain Age to snap their mind into action and as a result they score higher on tests. So really, the game doesn’t make you smarter, but it can be a very useful tool.

Both the Brain Age games are extremely easy to find for really cheap. You could probably find either for $10 used at a local game store. A great gamers’ game, these are not. A fun time waster? Check and mate. Plus, they have Sudoku on them. Yup, now you’re sold.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is the third game of the series and it’ll be on the DS this September.  Surprisingly, the Mario & Luigi role playing games don’t get nearly as much credit as they deserve.

Look, I’m a Mario addict, especially anything that plays like Super Mario RPG.  The Paper Mario series is also great, but people forget about the Mario & Luigi games on the Game Boy Advance and DS.

So why should you be buying it?

The Mario & Luigi games are turn-based role-playing games that put you in control of Mario and Luigi.  Different from most RPG’s is the ability to increase the damage you can inflict on an enemy by timing a button press correctly, so when Mario is about to stomp on a Goomba for instance, a quick press of the A button before he lands will do increased damage.

Likewise during defense, pressing the A button will save Mario from damage if timed correctly.  For Luigi, just insert the letter B instead of A.

That’s where the fun comes in as you have to keep track of Mario and Luigi individually and time things right, so if an enemy swings a bat or something, you have to evade as Mario and then Luigi.

It’s tricky to figure out, but once you get going, everything just feels awesome.

The biggest draw of these games is the humor.  Few games are written with as much obvious humor as the Mario & Luigi games.  When people say, “Oh, this game is funny,” it’s hard to believe them.  But I promise, with these games, I’ve found myself guffawing multiple times, running to find someone to show off the funny thing that just happened.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is one of the few games I actually plan on getting the day it comes out.  It’s both lighthearted enough for kids to play, but offers a great deal of challenge for the older gamers.  Thus far the game has been fairly popular in Japan, but why gamers in the US haven’t gotten excited is completely beyond me.