P4: Gritty Reboot

I'm in the eighth gym now. Team is all about Level 40 with a couple a few levels higher. Samurott Scrafty Victini Galvantula Archeops Krookodile I'm pretty comfortable with my team, but if I'm ever able to grab that Leafeon from the Global Link then I'll probably drop Krookodile for him. I am really loving this Pokemon game; there is just so much to explore and do it's insane.

I really did not care for the Incredibles that much. Even Cars wasn't amazing, but my son loves it so much that I've seen it more than any other Pixar film. Anyway, the Cars 2 trailer makes me think it'll be the worst Pixar film yet, but who knows.

I just registered you

Interested in Zelda, Cave Story, and possibly Splinter Cell out of those.

Day 28:

It's really the same as any other hobby; an enthusiast knows differences and nuances that an outsider may not. People call the pop-era Def Leppard "heavy metal," and I cringe, yet I'm not gonna go all crazy on someone for not making a distinction between "glam" metal and the NWOBHM. Obviously, unless someone means something offensively or with a negative connotation, there's no reason to go crazy about it, whether the distinction is justified or not.

Just saw this last night for the first time; pretty good movie. Bought Roper's only album for $3.73 with free 2-day shipping off Amazon Prime. Also picked up Catcher in the Rye for $3.99 with free 2-day shipping for the wife.

I can't seem to ever find my comments on the new layout. http://kotaku.com/#!5791210/talk-amongst-yourselves?comment=38310606

Holy fuck! We have a dashing warrior here, folks! All kidding aside, you gonna get banned! Ah, well. Not like what was on it was made up or anything, no? That would be pretty cool. I rarely post over there, plus I have a second starred account

I just posted it on Kotaku's TAY. Flame suit ENGAGED

No, he's not fat... He just has a little extra chocolate storage!

Really? I am soooo ready!

I was playing BF2 before Modern Warfare came out, so yeah. I would put some credit towards that. However, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and especially the R6: Rogue Spear games did the more realistic-leaning modern shooter far before any of them (and did it extremely well too.)

I swear, InuYasha was like a pre-Twilight in my experience. Girls you would never think had an interest in anime, well, they liked InuYasha. I bet what probably helped was that Kagome had power over Inuyasha whenever he acted up, "Sit, boy!" Still, it actually was entertaining. I contribute that to the demons, and (personally) Miroku. Dude was a bona fide ass-man. Funny that you say that; we watched the first 10 episodes over the weekend and came to the conclusion that Stephanie Meyer "heavily borrowed" from the show for Twilight.

This was the other scene I was considering; escaping the collapsing castle only to face gigantic Ganon is amazing.

Stepping off the boat in Morrowind.

It's even worse when you have played the game, and they try to argue that it's not that good based on reviews or something. "Well, IGN said that it sucked!"

The only anime I've ever watched is Pokemon. My wife was a big Inuyasha fan back when she was younger, so we've been watching those on Netflix now and they're pretty entertaining.

Wii Sports is deeper than you think it is. Spend a few hours in tennis and that's obvious. Regardless, some of that is subjective, but Galaxy's and TP's motion-sensing (and pointing by the way, an equally integral feature of the system) are both done quite well, subtle as they may be sometimes. As for the 3DS, MottZilla gives some good examples of improvements above. The ability to switch out of games on the fly, the Virtual Console, the more robust download store, a completely new OS that by all accounts operates much more smoothly, vastly superior rendering capabilities, an analog stick, a higher resolution screen, an accelerometer and a gyroscope, better friends list management, an internet browser, cameras & SD card storage (for those of us not yet on DSi), and an improved online experience all add to the package. If the 3DS isn't your thing, that's cool, but I find it hard to believe you don't see "any [improvements] whatsoever" unless you're just intentionally ignoring or downplaying them (especially since you put forward XBOX Live as an integral 360 improvement.) *sigh* I'm talking real improvements. We could sit here and argue until we're blue on the face and count even the tiniest, most insignificant change and addition an "improvement" (including things added as far bas the DSi now? I must say you sound a bit grasping here). I'm talking a significant improvement. Look at what the changes were from the GBA to the 3DS. An entirely new method of input as well as a radically different display method that was actually used very well by first parties, leading third parties into creative, meaningful implementation of said improvements. I would definitely like to hear how adding internet browsers and SD card storages do any of that. I'm talking significant changes to gameplay-altering aspects to the overall experience, not things like "switching applications on the fly". Those are tweaks, not significant improvements. I look at Pilotwings Resort and see nothing that couldn't have been done on DS hardware not counting pure graphical fidelity. Grab a game like Henry Hatsworth and try to fit it on a GBA and see what you get. I'm still not sure why we're arguing XBox Live's integral importance and significance to the 360 platform. You do realize LIVE has provided a very significant (read: IMPORTANT) changes to the gameplay experiences on the platform, no? If you have a hard time seeing this, compare the Xbox 1's and 360's library and see the vast differences in gameplay afforded by the integral implementation of online. You can't possibly compare that to the changes meant to be significant (read: not "better resolution on the 3DS screens") brought in the 3DS. Try putting Pilotwings Resort on a DS and you'll find that there's no analog stick. As for an "entirely new method of input," I listed 3. I feel like we're talking past each other. I like your posts on these boards, Rocky, cause they're insightful and articulate (which puts them head and shoulders above 99% of internet discussion), so I'm not going to argue with you any further. I see you don't care for the 3DS's improvements, and I respect that. Again, I don't have one yet but I'll probably pick one up in the next year or so.

I could have read this without looking at your name and known it was you, GOH. Classic. Anyway, simple =/= childish.

Wii Sports is deeper than you think it is. Spend a few hours in tennis and that's obvious. Regardless, some of that is subjective, but Galaxy's and TP's motion-sensing (and pointing by the way, an equally integral feature of the system) are both done quite well, subtle as they may be sometimes. As for the 3DS, MottZilla gives some good examples of improvements above. The ability to switch out of games on the fly, the Virtual Console, the more robust download store, a completely new OS that by all accounts operates much more smoothly, vastly superior rendering capabilities, an analog stick, a higher resolution screen, an accelerometer and a gyroscope, better friends list management, an internet browser, cameras & SD card storage (for those of us not yet on DSi), and an improved online experience all add to the package. If the 3DS isn't your thing, that's cool, but I find it hard to believe you don't see "any [improvements] whatsoever" unless you're just intentionally ignoring or downplaying them (especially since you put forward XBOX Live as an integral 360 improvement.)

The reason they made it optional is because games that don't use it at all can use the consoles horsepower to look better. Also it has motion controls and using that with 3D wouldn't work. Doesn't solidify it as a gimmick at all. That's like saying anything on any console that doesn't force itself on all games is a gimmick which is ridiculous thinking. Not "anything on any console", the single biggest selling point of the system. The kind of lethargy surrounding statements like "we're not going to make games specifically for this feature", especially for Nintendo, doesn't bode well. Even with the Wii, which they at least went to some lengths to make games specifically surrounding motion controls, third parties couldn't be arsed to make a good game with good motion controls because Nintendo couldn't be arsed to do it themselves. Even their best games either used them very lightly or not at all. I still firmly stand by my "gimmick" assessment. For this specific implementation of the 3D, there's nothing that leads me to believe that it will be used for anything but cherry-on-top eyecandy. Sorry, but this argument is entirely inconsistent if you play any other console. I can't think of a single "selling-point" feature that is mandatory for any game on any system out today. Are 360 games required to use LIVE, a primary feature of the console? Of course not; not every game has multiplayer. Not every PS3 game is required to take full advantage of its Cell processor, which, if Sony is to be believed, is a major selling point of the console. We can only presume that not every NGP game is going to be required to push its hardware to the max, arguably the major reason to buy the handheld. And you know what? Who cares if it's eye candy? That's the entire freakin' point: to look pretty and wow consumers. I can't speak for most people, but I don't expect 3D graphics to revolutionize anything, but rather to augment an enjoyable gaming experience that little bit further. And there is nothing wrong with that. "Gimmick" is just a buzzword hardcore gamers use to make themselves feel less insecure over different demographics enjoying things like motion controls, dancing games, fake-guitarathons, and "casual" smartphone games. No, but if a hardware manufacturer is pushing some new technology, it's in their damn interest to actually take an interest in it. That's why Xbox Live is successful, and why the Cell didn't crash and burn. Had Microsoft's first party games not used XBL at all, or had Sony not used the Cell properly to the point of it hindering the experience, neither of these things would've mattered. That's one thing that Nintendo's getting consistently wrong. They bring in these new features and concepts, never expand on them, then they're surprised why nobody takes advantage of it. Again, it's why pretty much all first party Wii games worth a damn don't use motion sensing at all or only very superficially, and why developers do pretty much exactly the same thing. It's monkey see, monkey do. My point about "eyecandy" is that it won't make a damn difference in gameplay, and what the hell is the point in new hardware if its biggest selling point is literally eyecandy? At least with the 360 and PS3 there were a variety of other features added that actually DID directly affect gameplay (online infrastructure, prersistent statistics, etc.). Alternate Reality games are nice, but they're entirely possible without any 3D at all. There's nothing 3D affects in terms of gameplay. And I repeat, if new hardware comes along that does nothing to improve gameplay, then what's the point of the damn hardware in the first place? Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, Wii Party, the upcoming Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime 3, and other titles that I don't care to remember right now all use the motion control / pointing technology pretty well. You're also ignoring all the other improvements that the 3DS brings to the gameplay experience above and beyond the 3D; it's not just a DS with 3D tacked on. I don't care enough to argue the point any further, but you can't point at online and other features of other consoles to prove your point while you ignore the 3DS's upgrades (both implemented and coming soon). In any case, and probably slightly more on-topic, I will probably be picking up a 3DS before the holidays. Interested to see what Sony brings to compete as well.

Or maybe the games are actually pretty good? I can understand the demand for more innovation or change out of some of their IP's, but overall I think it's just a company that releases pretty fun games, known IP's or not.

Portal 2, Skyward Sword.

If Men in Black II is not a great movie, then I have lost faith in the power of cinema.