Happy 10th birthday SSBM!

It's been ten years since the North American launch of Super Smash Brothers Melee.  So many good memories...

I think I'll go downstairs, turn on the Gamecube, delete my save, and set the internal clock back to 2001 to commemorate this day.

I don't think I have anything else to say.

Skyward Sword

I just finished up The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword earlier today.  I don't think I'll tackle Hero Mode until the new year.  I don't know how to feel about it, I think I'll let it sink in for a little while longer before writing anything else. 

What I do know right now is... I really hated Fi.

Xenoblade in North America

In the Immortal words of Captain Falcon:

YES!

Backlogged: Pokemon Blue

Gotta catch 'em all... I swear one of these days I'll actually review a game I haven't finished before...

The post I never wanted to make

I haven't really been posting that much...

There's a reason for that. Backlogged had failed.

I was a weak minded fool.

It failed back in August, five months in. After a rather stressful week at work, I was at Staples. I was actually rather surprised that they sold video games there, and I decided to browse through their discount games. I saw the usual crap. Mini game collections for the Wii, but then I did a double take. I saw a certain game on clearance, Assassins Creed 2 for the PS3, for the low price of $9.97 plus an additional 20% off. I took it, thinking that maybe it was a labeling error, but it wasn't.

I bought it, and began to buy games again.

I've thought about if I should continue Backlogged. And I decided that I should just continue reviewing games that I have in my collection. Maybe I'll actually finish some games that I haven't finished before. Well... we'll see...

Manga Review: Pokemon Adventures Volume 8

The first volume of the Gold and Silver story arc. Seven and a half years late…

Manga Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Volume 2

Volume 2 of the Manga adaptation.

Caveat Emptor

So, while I was buying a new USB Memory stick, I stopped by the Wii Section of Best Buy and saw this...

It's been a few weeks since the Nintendo Selects came out, hasn't it?

Thinking about it now, I probably should have checked the UPC codes.

Something...

So... My day started with my USB stick deciding to desolder its self... it went down hill from there.

I asked a coworker to help recover the files.  And well, this was the result...

Manga Review: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Volume 1

The manga adaptation of the Nintendo 64 Classic.

Oh right, I have a blog & Backlogged: July 2011

Well... Yeah, it's another post detailing what I played the past two weeks.

Well crap...

Well, that sucks...

And I was looking forwards to it too...

The RPG Grind Part 2

This week I only played Dragon Quest IX.  I have now beaten the game and am currently about to enter the vast world of post game content.

I don't think I have anything else to say.

Notes about Blip and Videos

This was originally under video in the previous post.  However I figured it needed it's own post.

Backlogged: Sin and Punishment

Welcome to Project Backlogged.  I would appreciate any constructive criticism, to help me improve in the future.

Video after the jump:

Do the Level Grind

I was in an RPG/Square Enix mood this week... as you will no doubt see from the list of games that I played.

Insert title here

It's a post of what was played during the week.  The list of games after the break.

Backlogged: June 2011

Well... what a month June was...

Looking back, E3 sucked, and not buying anything until April of next year doesn't seem to be a problem.  That's actually rather disappointing... To be honest, I sort of wanted to feel tortured for doing this.

The Wii U is supposedly going to get back the core: (Spoiler: They arn't, especially if Nintendo has no commitment with their core fans right now.)  And to play any games I want, I'm considering soft modding my Wii, and importing.  Looking at the stats tab, I think I got more hits on my blog from people just searching for Xenoblade than anything else.  I really need to do something to change that...

And once again I got nothing accomplished.  This is just becoming a giant joke...

But hey!  Duke Nukem Forever finally came out after 12 years!  That's got to count for something! Geeze, I still remember having a friend over to play Duke Nukem 64... He went home afraid.  And from what I saw on youtube, it totally sucks and isn't about shooting.  Maybe if it is cheap, I'll pick it up used.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D: I'd said I'd buy whatever the thing was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Zelda, but I changed my mind.  The CD didn't exactly seem like that good of a deal to me.  I'll pick it up down the line.  That being said... this interview doesn't give me a good feeling about Skyward Sword.

Notably there is this line:  "This game's plot is something like a school drama, you could say," Aonuma noted with a laugh. "The flying sequence at the E3 demo is Link competing against his classmates. One of them looks kind of a like a bad guy, as you saw, and he shows up in other ways in the game too, since he has a major thing for Zelda."

School in a game that isn't named Persona, and a bully who is trying to prove that he has a bigger 'sword' than Link.  This isn't going to end well.  I'm getting the feeling that I'll just go here to get my daily dose of canon destroying crap instead.

inFamous 2: Also came out, but I'm still enjoying my play through of the first one.  But I'll definitely buy it when I start buying again.

Wii Play Motion: The videos I watched looked interesting.  If I had a need for an extra controller, and if it looked like Nintendo was actually supporting the bloody thing with more motion plus games, I would look into it and think about buying it.  (However, I sort of have 6 Wii Remotes all ready... 6 Wii Remotes, 1 of which is a Wii Remote Plus from Fling Smash, 2 of the motion plus add on, 2 nunchucks 2 Classic Controller Pros (GoldenEye and Monster Hunter Tri))  I'll probably look for the base game used, and pick it up if it's cheap.

And that's all the games that caught my eye this month...

Well, tomorrow is July, and Canada Day!  I have a long weekend.  Maybe I'll actually get something accomplished.  *insert canned laughter here*

Operation Rainfall

If anyone reads my blog, there is a fan campaign to raise awareness of Xenoblade.

http://oprainfall.blogspot.com/

It's amazing what has all ready happened.  Getting Monado/Xenoblade to the top of the Amazon selling list.  I wish for the best.

I probably would have preordered it on Amazon if it was up on Amazon.ca.   I personally think it's ingenious, putting your money where your mouth is.

Hopefully when I get back from camping on Tuesday, Nintendo will have done something... I doubt it.

Going camping...

In any case, here are the games that I played this week:

Super Smash Bros Brawl

I was at my cousin's for his birthday and was playing it.  That's about it.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

See above.

Back to anger

First Pokemon Adventures now Xenoblade...

Maybe I did those stages of grief preemptively.

As a customer I'm angry because the game is in the process of being translated into English.   The Wii is going through a painful drought in North America!

But apparently changing every mention of "Trousers" to "Pants" will cost too much money.

The only thing Nintendo has done is make me question buying the Wii U when it comes out, because I can just see this crap being pulled again.

I think something is wrong with these pictures...

But I just can't place my finger on it...

Acceptance

Ah well, what happens, happens.  I can always soft mod my Wii and import.  I shouldn't have to, but if that's the reality, all I can do is accept...

And now I'm done going through the five stages of grief over some video games...

Depression

Alternate title: "Along side time exists fate, the bearer of cruelty."

Why even care they're just video games...

Bargaining

Come on Nintendo of America! Release Xenoblade and The Last Story! I'll even buy them on the day they come out and conveniently forget about my promise to not buy any games until April of next year! I'll even buy two copies! Hell, I'll even buy a copy for each of my friends!

What do I have to do to convince you to take my money?

Anger

What makes you think that anyone will give a damn about the Wii U, when you don't even release your games on the Wii?

I can see it now: here's this awesome game for the Wii U, the catch, it will never come out in North America!  And we region lock our systems because, then people might actually play games before we can allow them to!  And we're also translating all of Square Enix's games because they can't be bothered!

Denial

Alternate title: "Entrusting his future to Nintendo of America, man clings to a dim hope.  Yes, the release schedule is the means by which all is revealed." 

Oh hi, there supposed Nintendo of Europe release date schedule... well this looks harmless enough.

*Opens up link to Neogaf thread*

Xenoblade Chronicles for August 26 and The Last Story TBA.

This can't be happening...

Xenoblade is coming to North America.  A voice actor confirmed it.  Nintendo of America is just being quiet right now.  That's all.  That's right... Their upcoming game list clearly says that it's a partial list.

Games played this week

Well, this week I played quite a bit... Stuff after the jump.

Game played during the week

I really only played inFamous on the PS3 this week.  I'm working on playing through the good path, once I'm done that I'll probably do the evil path on Hard.

There were a few rounds of Smash Bros against some CPU's to try and vent frustration after what I thought was an absolutely lackluster E3.  And here I thought it would actually make me resent doing this.  Hah. 

And if you could really call it a game, I fiddled around with the Pokedex 3D each day just to get the random Pokemon each day.

I also played that free download of Excitebike on the 3DS. 

I think I watched the trailers on the 3DS more than anything.  I actually really liked how they redid, shot for shot, the Ocarina of Time trailer.

Note to self

To avoid being afraid that I had lost the USB stick with everything on it, in the future attach to the same key chain that my keys are on.

Well there goes that plan...

I picked up Volume 13 of Pokemon Adventures... and it looks like VIZ is actually going to finish the G/S story arc in the next volume in August, instead of having the end of the third chapter bleed into Volume 15...

Fun...

Wii u

Well... First things first... My Nintendo E3 Press Conference Bingo!

Pokédex 3D review

Well, I guess I have some time to kill before the Nintendo E3 Press conference.  So, I'll do a Pokédex 3D review.

I predict that by the end of it I'm going to be sick of pressing ALT+1+3+0

3DS Update

Well... it finally was released... I managed to update and then download Excitebike 3D, before it promptly crashed on me. 

Tried going back in and it looks like it's under maitnence...

We'll I'm setting my alarm for the morning to wake up and try to download Pokédex 3D in what is hopefully going to be an off hour...

Fear my indifference

I've been watching most of the E3 press conferences.  I'm feeling severely underwhelmed so far.

*Checks for 3DS update* still not here... Okay I'm watching that OK Go Video one last time...

*Checks for 3DS update again* Still not here...

These are just my meaningless impressions and thoughts on what I'm looking forwards to seeing.

Pixel hunts suck

Another post detailing what I played the previous week.

Two things

There are two things, I wanted to post today. 

The first:

Well looks like I'm going to McDonalds soon...

I still have some of the Burger King toys kicking around somewhere, back from the first movie...  And I think I still have those gold plated cards and Pokeballs too.

The second:

The eshop opens for 3DS next week.  My rules for Project Backlogged was that I wasn't going to buy any games (save for Skyward Sword, and if anything is released for Zelda's 25th anniversary).  If any are free games, apps (for example), or demos I'll take them.

Backlogged: May 2011

What a month this turned out to be.  In the grand scheme of things, I got absolutely nothing accomplished.  My laptop practically melted, I bought a new one.  Spent more money on video editing software, couldn't find the windows 7 drivers for the Easy cap so had to buy a new video capture device...

I need a drink.

Looking at this month's releases, there was a grand total of one game I was interested in. 

BlazBlue Continuum Shift II for the 3DS.  Which supposedly only came out today.  Even if I wasn't doing this, I'd be waiting until I finished BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger to buy it.

And well, Chrono Trigger was released on the Virtual console, but I have the DS version, so I don't care.

I took Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off of work (I was going for all of next week, but there was a scheduling conflict, so I had to settle for this), so maybe I'll actually get something accomplished.

What I played this week

In an attempt to actually put some content on this blog… I decided every Sunday I’m going to post what I played the previous week, beyond what the current side bar says.

Nintendo E3 Predictions

A few years ago, after seeing Joystiq's E3 Bingo cards I decided to make my own during a night shift at Tim Hortons.

I was bored during my lunch this week (due to the lack of my computer and capabilities of editing a video) so I decided to do it early this year.  I figure if I wait any longer I'll have all of the announcements spoiled so here are my guesses.

Tales of Graces f

Wow... I have so many mixed feelings over how the Tales of Graces f announcement was handled.

In a few words: you could have avoided this.

The Wii owner in me is disappointed that Namco Bandai didn't just come right out and say, "No it's only on the PS3." 2 months ago, and that their own fault that people expected more console releases because they were constantly dodging the question, for some inexplicable reason.

The PS3 owner in me is pissed off that Namco Bandai's definition of "Coming soon" is the vague time frame of: 2012.  There are 366 days next year Namco Bandai.  Care to narrow it down a bit?

As an aside, maybe Nintendo is actually doing something right in only announcing details on the game a few months before release.  Hype won't last the remaining 7 months of the year.  Let alone the any additional months for whenever it is released.

I'm absolutely dumbstruck that they actually made a big deal of the platform it was coming to as though it was some mystery.  This is 2011, not 1990 where most people didn't know what games are out overseas and what wasn't being translated!


Finally in reality, besides just squishing some rumors on the internet about a Wii port:  WE STILL HAVEN'T LEARNED ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL YET!

On Tales of the Abyss:

The 3DS owner in me is going "I've all ready played through Tales of the Abyss on the PS2.  What additional content is in the game that will justify paying for this game again when I still have a functioning PS2?"

Laptop continued

I wanted to get a video out for today.  That unfortunately is now impossible.

While trying to record footage, the program crashed multiple times.  At first I thought it was just because I had been recording video footage for an hour straight.  But the program has now crashed several more times.  As little as 3 minutes into recording.  It's the same settings I've always used.

I'm going to open up my laptop, and just hope that it's just dust or cat hair or something.  Unfortunately, I can't find the proper sized screwdrivers here at home, so that's going to have to wait until my lunch break tomorrow.

Best case scenario: I open up the case of my laptop and find a lot of crap that can be blown away and it works.

Worst case scenario: I open up the case and even after cleaning everything, the laptop still doesn't record video footage on Monday night.  Tuesday I buy a new laptop, and hope to hell I still have the disk with the program that came with the Easy Cap somewhere.


And in case you were wondering what I was planning on doing, in honor of Mother's day I was going to review Metroid: Other M, and then the Metroid Manga, (since the two sort of go hand in hand...)  I've got up to the first part of the hell run, and looking over some of the later video footage, it seems like it skipped at multiple times.

Laptop

My laptop is overheating... it's four years old, and is probably reaching the end of the road.

Sigh, I foresee spending more money in the future.

Ever since I started Backlogged to try and save money, it just seems like the money is going into other places.  My car, and now probably a new laptop...

On the bright side, I can probably get something that is capable of running something more complex than Windows Movie Maker.  And I can finally be rid of Windows Vista!

Replicaaaaaaa

Tales of the Abyss 3ds is coming to north America. In the immortal words of Captain Falcon: Yesh!

Of course the realization of not buying any games for the year dawns upon me...

Zoroark Movie

So, I saw the Zoroark movie...

Some thoughts

These are my thoughts on the rumored controller for the Wii Successor.

Why?

Okay, this is news to me... so if anyone actually reads my blog, I apologize if you've all ready heard this: VIZ is releasing the Black and White chapter of Pokemon Special.  In July.

My thoughts after the jump...

Wii Successor

With all these wacky rumors going around about the Wii's successor being revealed at this upcoming E3, why is it that the only thing I can think of is characters I want in the next Super Smash Bros?

I also am fearing the day Nintendo discovers DLC for Smash Bros.  (By that I mean new characters, and stages, not the photo's, videos, and stages that we had in Brawl)

Hyped up for Ocarina of Time 3D...

Hidden in a press release from Nintendo:

"[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D] will also feature new challenges not included in the original game."

The next line goes on to talk about Master Quest.  I'm wondering if that line was referring to Master Quest, or new content.  A bonus dungeon would be nice... Maybe another Cave of Ordeals (it could be in that one cave with the rupees making an arrow in the water) or a boss rush or something. 

I'll stop myself here, since it will probably end in disappointment.

Well, that wasn't the response I was expecting...

I actually got this a while ago, I just didn't know how to respond to it...  Once again it's after the break.

Stupid quote of the day

"No self-respecting 20-something is going to be sitting on an airplane with one of those [Nintendo DS]. He's too old for that."
Courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Jack Tretton

What is this, 2004?

So, can someone send this self-respecting 20-something, somewhere by a plane?  Bermuda?  Japan?  Los Angeles for E3?  I'm not too picky, I'm just curious to see what would happen first:

1. I put the DS away because I'm too old for that.
2. I put the DS away because the battery runs out.
3. I put the DS away because we arrived at the destination.
4. I put the DS away because the stewardess asked me to because it is interfering with the plane or something.

Fill in the blank

Remember kids: VIZ thinks you understand words such as Curmudgeonly.  However, you still can't handle the concept of death in a Pokemon manga.  (Especially since the games have never had anything like that... Oh wait....)

Volume 12, (page 42) of Pokemon Adventures: "If we hadn't gotten saved when we did, we'd both be..."

Personally I always love when they use ellipsis, it allows me to make up my own ending to their sentence so their fate is a lot worse than if someone just simply typed in "dead".

That being said. 

Maybe I should have stopped buying Manga as well... I went in to pick up Volume 12 of Pokémon Adventures, and Volume 3 of Megaman Megamix, but came out spending $170 after taxes.

I need cheaper hobbies.

I wonder if I'll get a response...

I sent an e-mail to VIZ Media with regards to their absolutely stellar dreadful job of censorship in their second edition of Pokémon Adventures.  The e-mail I sent is after the jump...

Xenoblade Chronicles

*Insert very loud swearing here*

So the day before I start this, Xenoblade is announced, it's actually being translated!  Of course it's only announced for Europe right now. 

Please don't skip North America...

Shulk for Smash 4?

3DS Pedometer

Dear Nintendo:

The 3DS pedometer function gives 1 Play Coin for every 100 steps. 

The recommended daily step count for the average adult is 10,000 steps.

The daily play coin cap is set to 10, meaning 1000 steps.  This is in the user manual.

Also from the manual: the amount of play coins allowed in the system at one time has a cap of 300 for no particular reason.

You want people to carry the 3DS wherever they go.

Do you see a potential problem with this?

Sincerely,

Saber

P.S. If I want a game themed pedometer, I’m sticking with the Pokéwalker.  It is a lot smaller and much more practical to carry around.  Plus it doesn't stop giving me Watts until I reach 9999w (199980 steps).

Project Backlogged

I’m going to be blunt here; I spend a lot on video games.   I play a lot.  In my collection I have 338 games spread across 6 systems (PS2, PS3, GameCube, Wii, DS, 3DS).  This isn’t counting PC games, or Game Boy Advance games, or the original Game Boy games that I still have kicking around, and haven’t been sold at garage sales against my will or knowledge.   In the first three months of this year, I have all ready bought 56 games.

I’ve decided that this has to stop.

My problem is that I keep on buying; however I don’t complete them, so I have plenty of games that just sit there and collect dust.

While waiting in front of EB Games for it to open to buy a 3DS, I realized that this was pointless.  I don’t need to buy games as soon as they come out.  If they are good, they will be able to remain good down the line when I do pick them up, at a reduced price.  I mean, this hobby is freaking expensive!

On an impulse I decided to create Project Backlogged.

Project Backlogged is two things.

The first, for a whole year, from April 1st of 2011 to April 1st of 2012, I’m not going to buy any video games.  And while that may seem like a joke based off of the dates, I’m serious.

The second, this will help me go through the games that I want to finish, or play again, as I’m going to review the games as I go through this.  Hopefully, this will help as motivation to get through what I couldn’t finish the first time around.

Strap yourselves in; this is going to be a long and bumpy ride.

A few notes:

1. I should have more games; however I was a giant idiot, and sold my N64 and Sega Genesis and their games before I had a job for more money to buy more games.

2. Okay, there are 2 games during this period that I will buy...

·                     The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword: Nothing gets between me and Zelda... Of course, since we haven't gotten a release date yet, (only a vague release period of 2011) and the standard Zelda delay, I doubt this is going to be a problem...

·                     If anything is released for Zelda 25th anniversary, going by both the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and the Super Mario 25th anniversary, it is going to have a very limited run.  I'll buy it, however I won't play it until this is over.

Everything else that interests me get’s put under the “What I’m missing” tag.

3. In the event that a console breaks.  (Wii, PS2, PS3, DS, 3DS) it will be repaired.

Testing 1 2 3...

Well, here is the first post of the blog.  There isn’t much here right now.  I'm just messing around with everything to see how things work, and I'm trying to find a design that I like.  Don't be alarmed if things suddenly change...