E3 Day 3 Couch Coverage: Nintendo's 3DS Presentation Edition

You're... welcome?

I'm torn.  Really torn.  Part of me wants to scream and yell and throw thing.  Hit things.  I want to cry and get angry.  My anti-anxiety medication works like a charm, it seems, because I'm not doing any of that.  See, everything they showed us at the 3DS presentation were things we knew (and they left out a rather big one, the English release of Fire Emblem) and things they already talked about yesterday in the brief 10-20minute cut-to of the 3DS.  Nothing new, really, for the eShop besides the Pokemon stuff (Updated - and paid - Pokedex 3D and the Pokemon Face Raiders thing, which I'll get...), though they did give a nod that today is the one year birthday for the eShop.

Here is why I am torn.  No big reveal, no amazing news that we didn't know, the entire thing was uncomfortable and put together oddly (they showed off Paper Mario: Sticker Star by having the guy talking about it play it at the same time.  I want you to sit down with a video game and try to sell it to me while playing it.  Now, do that and sound professional.  Doesn't work) and every joke made missed.  BUT, with all that... I want about 90% of what they are selling.  Paper Mario: Sticker Star?  Yes please.  Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion?  Oh, so much.  Scribblenauts Unlimited?  In my 3DS/Wii U NOW! New Super Mario Bros. 2? Loved it.  Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon?  Fantastic.  Heroes of Ruin?  I'm thinking about it.  Pokemon Black/White 2?  Not a... not a 3DS game but I still want them.  The eShop stuff ties in so, I see the connection.  I want all of these, and will be buying them all (Except maybe HoR, which I'm going to consider, and Scribblenauts U I'm not sure if I want on 3DS or Wii U, or both).  And nothing new hardware wise for the 3DS.  No big update to Mii Plaza (I get that Kat, Jerry, Collin and I may have moved through all the puzzles and mostly all the hats pretty fast, but I'm ready for an update) and no interesting apps besides the two pokemon ones, which they really didn't talk about.  They could, at least, hint at some VC releases happening the next couple of months.

Reggie Mii I found on Google.

See my conundrum?  They didn't tell me anything new but they showed me all kinds of things I am excited for.  No big reveal, but videos of beautiful games I WILL own.

The real kicker, though?  The thing that gets me down so much that I am, even with my new medication, a little depressed?  No information or date on Animal Crossing 3DS.

Now, the reason they didn't say anything about Fire Emblem: Awakening is because it isn't coming out this year.  Today was all about 2012.  Does that mean that Japan's Fall launch of Animal Crossing 3DS doesn't mean a US simultaneous launch?  Maybe they aren't sure?  I've never played an FE game, but I understand their appeal and I know people who will be excited for that.  Heck, I have Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones on my 3DS, I could play it.  I should play it.  Not my point.  Animal Crossing.

Animal Crossing.

Let me describe my love for Animal Crossing to you.  There was a time when I was thinking of selling my Wii.  I didn't play it, didn't care for it, and was upset with Nintendo for selling me something that seemed so useless.  Whenever I'd say "I'm going to hock this thing." I'd remind myself, "Wait, they are bringing out an Animal Crossing for it, aren't they?" and thus, it stayed.  A few weeks, maybe a month later I'd go through the same thing.  I even packed it up to take it in to sell once, then remembered, "Oh, Animal Crossing."  and thus I kept my Wii for that one game.

Kat and I played a combined 462 hours and 21 minutes.  We played nearly even so you could say we each played 231 hours and, about, 10.5 minutes.  AT LEAST an hour a day each, but often much more.  I.  Love.  Animal Crossing.  DS version?  Doesn't keep track but I kept a schedule for that game.

I'd set an alarm so I could wake up, do my morning chores in the game, go to work (this is when I worked at Wal*Mart).  Play as much as I could sneak during work, which was a bit here and there.  First 15min break was dedicated to a snack, drink, and Animal Crossing: Wild World.  Hour break was me eating in 10 minutes and playing the rest of the time.  Last 15min break was the same as the first.  Come home, hit the net, play before bed.  Get in around 3.5 hours a day.  When animals wanted to visit my house or there was another scheduled event I'd make it on breaks, and if I couldn't I'd just hide in the restroom while I did it.  I should also add that I worked really hard at Wal*Mart, so I sound terrible when you read this but I worked by butt off at that place.  A little sneak here and there and a few bathroom breaks when I didn't need the bathroom is not nearly as bad as what some people were doing there.  I, at least, did my job and came to work.  Anyway...

Animal Crossing for GameCube was bought simply for the memory card it came with.  I needed another memory card and AC came with one, and was cheaper than buying a card on its own.  The reason for this is because Animal Crossing on GameCube was such a large game it took THE ENTIRE CARD.  The card may have also been slightly smaller than a normal one, but the idea was that that card was for Animal Crossing and nothing else.  I never did save my town to that card, though.  Anyway.  I decided to pop the game in and fell in love.  Managed to convert a few friends along the way.  I played that game like crazy, so I really don't remember it as well.

Long story longer, I love Animal Crossing.  My favorite Nintendo franchises are Pokemon, Zelda, and Animal Crossing*.  I have every Animal Crossing item Club Nintendo of America offers and I want the ones offered by the CN'o Japan.  My friend Ed gave me a K.K. Slider key chain and it is one of my prized possessions

My Animal Crossing collection.

So, when there was no announcement of the game, in any way, I was bummed.  The games sell well.  Animal Crossing: City Folk was nearly always in the top three most played games on the Wii (Kotaku, maybe, used to list those numbers every month.  It was always up there with Smash Bros. Brawl and maybe Mario Kart Wii).  I know so many people who enjoy the games.  Not nearly as obsessively as I do, but people who will be happy to have the new one none-the-less.  People WANT this game, so where is it?

Alright, I think I got off topic a bit.  The presentation today was disappointing but also featured a lot of games Kat and I both want.   So, regardless, Nintendo gets my money.

E3 Day 2: Couch Coverage.

I haven't played my Wii in, probably, six months, but I do have games to play for it.  I take my 3DS everywhere with me and I get giddy like a school girl when I have a street pass - even though you people never have puzzles pieces for me.  I love Nintendo but the Wii was, kinda... I enjoyed it when I played it and I do have a pile of games to play (and buy) but it is far from my favorite system.  But I do love Nintendo.

Many people seemed disappointed with Nintendo's Wii U presentation today but I was really excited and impressed by it.  I really hope Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition comes with the stuff in the Game of the Year edition, because I'll just wait for that version.  Mass Effect 3 is exciting for Wii U, though I wouldn't buy that since all my data is on my 360.  I wouldn't buy it for PS3, either, though.  I... I should probably play that game, since I got the collector's edition when it came out - and didn't have the money to spend at the time.

I know people who aren't huge fans of platformers probably look at Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS and think "Same damn game!" but I can see that they are pretty different.  I am excited for both.  The Wii U pad control looks like fun... and Collin is not alowed to be in control of that.  For anyone reading this but unaware (who would that be?  I'm guessing Kat and maybe Jerry read this) the Wii U pad lets a player place blocks in the game to help, or hinder, the player.  Can't make a jump?  Place a block to cover it.  CAN make a jump?  Place a block to knock them in.

ZombiU looks exciting, even if it is another zombie game.  I'll get it.

Nintendo Land looks like a lot of fun, like Wii Sports was.  It will be really enjoyable for about a month or so, but lose it's luster after a bit.  It has an Animal Crossing world so I have to have it, even if it means a separate purchase, which I doubt it will for America and Europe.  Did you know Wii Sports wasn't packaged with Japanese Wiis?  They had to buy it separate.  One interesting thing I (and I'm sure others) noticed about Nintendo Land?  One of the icons for game worlds looks A LOT like Jack Frost from SMT.  I'm not saying it's Jack Brothers but... who knows?  Would be a sorta strange thing to add but I really can't think of a Nintendo property that also resembles Jack Frost.  I've probably just been playing too much Persona.

Nintendo also announced that you will be able to transfer all your saves and downloads, all of it, from the Wii to the Wii U.  I mean, I never thought they wouldn't but that is a nice addition.

Okay, I'm done.

E3 Day 1; Couch Coverage

Okay, since nobody asked, my impressions of today's E3 coverage.  Let me preface with this, I own a 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, and every Nintendo handheld, on top of an iPhone, so I play everything.  I also play all types of games, for the most part.  I don't care for sports titles, but I do play a mix of everything.  Anyway, here I go.

Let me see what I can remember.  I did watch the entire thing...

I have no interest in CoD, MoH, Farcry, Halo... or really any shooters BUT I was impressed with how much game play they showed.  We got to see how the games worked, information on what makes them new compared to the last iterations, and so on.  That was nice.

Over all Sony was bust for me.  Sony Smash Bros. looks fun enough but I don't care enough about any of the characters (except MAYBE Parappa) to warrant a purchase until it gets cheap.  I like that Sony is doing cross-play and cross-save with PS3 and Vita but (If I owned a Vita - which I may one day) I'm not going to buy two copies of a game.  I can leave the house without having to play Street Fighter x Tekken.

I don't care about sports titles at all so... moving on.

What else... what else...

I'll move onto x-box.  X-box didn't really seem to talk about anything of value to me?  Mostly connectivity and kinect.  I guess Microsoft hasn't gotten the memo yet, Kinect's fans are few and far between.

Game trailers/demos that excited me; The Last of Us, Ellen Page is Psychic, Resident Evil 6, Star Wars 1313, oh, and freaking RAYMAN LEGENDS for WII U!  And South Park: The Stick of Truth.  I am so excited for Rayman and South Park.

That is about it for today's impressions with me, I guess.

Also, Usher sucks.

We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story

Not really.  No dinosaurs in this post.

I brought my unread, unloved blog back from the dead?  Why?  Because I am so excited for something that I have to write about it, make it known.  The words must be typed to show how excited I am for this specific thing.  What is that thing?


My Little Pony Con 2012 in Orlando Florida*.

Che, che, check it!

At first I was all "Oh, sweet.  A MLP Con and it's close to me!" and then it kept building and climbing until it has reached critical levels of excitement.  I've been kind of blah lately but this had stirred something inside of me.  I am, for lack of a better word, stoked.  Do people still say that?

On top of that they are selling a limited edition MLPFiM figure of Ditzy Doo (Derpy Hooves to those of you who prefer that name, I don't.)

LE MLPFiM PonyCon 2012 Derpy Hooves

Seriously.  I am so excited for this convention that I can hardly contain myself.

*It took me longer to do the rainbow colored text than it did to write this entire post.