Here's how I spent my 2014 (3DS edition)

In case any of you are wondering: no, I won't be publishing other editions of this "series," as none of the other systems I used in 2014 were capable of recording how many hours I spent playing games on them.

At any rate, here's how much time I spent playing various 3DS games in 2014 (as per the "Activity Log" files on my Japanese and North American systems):

• Tomodachi Life ... 127:43
• Bravely Default ... 99:45
• Fantasy Life ... 88:08
• Etrian Odyssey IV ... 59:20
• Solitiba ... 57:30
• THE "DENPA" MEN 3 ... 42:19
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ... 20:30
• Yoshi's New Island ... 12:31
• Super Mario 3D Land ... 12:10
• Rusty's Real Deal Baseball ... 6:30

The only "results" that surprised me were Etrian Odyssey IV and Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, as I had no idea I spent so much time with either title. Also, I'm kind of shocked I've yet to put more than six hours and 30 minutes into Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3. I guess that means I have to devote a bit more time to it in the coming days and weeks.

One last tidbit some of you may find interesting: apparently I spent just over 580 hours playing 62 "titles" (which includes the eShop, Activity Log and other apps, by the way) on my pair of 3DS systems in 2014.

Now that I've shared how I spent my 2014 (in regard to 3DS gaming, at least), please feel free to share how you spent yours in the comments section of this post.

Ready Player Two

The following game-inspired illustration was produced by artist Glen Brogan of the Albino Raven blog for his just-closed Gallery1988 show.

The focus of this stylish piece isn't a tanooki-suited Mario, by the way; it's a fox-suited Luigi--or whatever the hell it is Mario's main bro turns into when he grabs a Super Leaf power-ip in Super Mario 3D Land.

Why did Brogan devote an entire canvas to the most famous "player two" in all of gaming? Here's what he had to say in a recent blog post:

"As a kid I often found myself playing video games as player two, usually either because the other kid was older or because I was (and am) pretty shy and non-assertive. Because of that I still to this day have a fondness for Luigi, the ultimate second player character."

For those who may be interested: Brogan's selling 8-by-10-inch digital prints of this piece via Gallery1988's website for $35 each. (Mounted versions of the print can be picked up here for $55.)

Five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013

Well, it's that time of year again. No, not the time of year when I bore you with posts dedicated to my favorite games that were released in the last 12 months (that doesn't happen until next week). Rather, it's the time of year when I grouse about all the games I failed to complete during that same time frame.

The five games (some of which were released in 2012 and some of which were released earlier) that are causing the most grousing at the moment:

1. Corpse Party (PSP)--Why did I stop playing this digital-only title after thoroughly enjoying its introduction? To be completely honest: I got stuck. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem for me, but for some dumb reason I was stubborn this time around and refused to turn to a walkthrough to get myself out of the situation. As you probably can imagine, I only put up with that for so long before moving on to something more enticing. I swear, though, that I'll return to Corpse Party sometime soon--especially since the sequel is set to hit PSN anytime now.

2. Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360)--You might think I gave up on this quirky adventure for the same reason as the one stated above, but that actually wasn't the case. Instead, I walked away from Deadly Premonition early in the year because I just couldn't take any more of the combat scenes it was throwing at me. That said, I didn't intend to stop playing the game for good; I just wanted to take a bit of a breather. So, expect me to tackle this Hidetaka "SWERY" Suehiro-designed title with renewed vigor sometime in 2013.

3. Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--I honestly have no idea why I stopped playing this one just a few hours into it. I'm guessing another game caught my attention and wooed me away from it--although for the life of my I can't come up with which game accomplished that feat. Anyway, much like Deadly Premonition, I quite liked what I'd experienced of Kirby Mass Attack's unique gameplay and charming (as always) graphics before the game inexplicably fell by the wayside, so I think it's a fair bet that I'll pick it up again sooner rather than later.

4. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)--Some of you are sure to be shocked to hear that I moved on from this game before seeing its end credits. Well, prepare to be shocked even more: Not only haven't I finished it, but I only conquered a few of its worlds before turning my attention to Mario Kart 7. What was it about this particular Mario adventure that left me feeling a bit cold? I'm not entirely sure, although I think the tiny levels that I recall encountering had something to do with it. I've since been told to stick with the game, though, so that's what I plan on doing as soon as my 3DS backlog dwindles at least a bit.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--Here's another headscratcher--or at least it is to me. The reason: I loved the hell out of this open-world RPG before it dropped off my radar. This time, though, I have a valid reason for walking away from a game I was thoroughly enjoying beforehand. Basically, I went on vacation--and when I returned, I was swamped with work and ... well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened next. Considering my jaw was regularly planted on my chest while I worked through the first 10 or so hours of Xenoblade Chronicles, I don't think it'll take much arm twisting to convince me to go back to it at some point in the next 12 months.

How about you gals and guys? Are there any games that you failed to finish in the last year or so that you'd like to wrap up in 2013?

A few thoughts on the 3DS

Now that I've spent a bit of quality time with my 3DS, I thought I'd share a few early impressions of the system and its built-in software:

1. I love how shiny and vibrant system is--Honestly, my "flame red" 3DS looks like a jewel ... or (as I've said before) like a giant cherry Jolly Rancher that plays games. Unfortunately, the system's propensity for being smudged probably is going to drive me nuts.

2. I'm not crazy about the system's design--I've never much cared for the 3DS' ice-cream-sandwich-with-an-overbite construction, especially when compared to the original DS and the oh-so-slick DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL. That said, I don't plan on sitting and staring at my 3DS all that often, so who really cares if its design is kind of wonky?

3. The 3D effect is surprisingly cool--As well as a bit disorienting, at least at first. After spending a few days with it, though, it's much easier to take. Now, I can't seem to get enough of it. I especially like how it's put to use in Super Mario 3D Land.

4. The included software is awesome--I'm especially fond of Find Mii at the moment, although the AR games, Face Raiders, Swapnote and Pokedex 3D are cool, too. I can already tell, though, that I'll be obsessed with Find Mii (and Find Mii II) for a while.

5. The slide pad is better than I expected it to be--I've read lots of complaints about it on line, so I expected to dislike it, too. Thus far, though, it has yet to disappoint me. In fact, I don't even think about it while I'm using it--which signifies to me that it's pretty well made.

So, those are my initial thoughts on Nintendo's latest handheld system. What do all of you think of it so far?

What gaming-related gifts did you get?

With Christmas and the rest of the season's gift-giving holidays now behind us (or nearly behind us, since Kwanzaa just started) what gaming-related presents did all of you get?

I received just two gaming-related gifts this year, but one of them was a doozy: A "flame red" 3DS. (The other was a copy of Super Mario 3D Land. Read about it and the 3DS in yesterday's final "12 Games of Christmas" post.) You can bet I'll be spending some quality time with both of them today as the hubs and I fly back to Seattle.

I'll share all of my 3DS details--mainly my friend code, or whatever Nintendo's calling it this time around--shortly after we get home.

In the meantime, tell me in the comments section below what gaming-related gifts, if any, you received from your loved ones!

For the twelfth game of Christmas, the UPS man brought to me ...

... the brand-spanking-new copy of Nintendo's Super Mario 3D Land seen in the photo below.

Oh, and a "flame red" 3DS system to play it on.

I know I went on and on in previous posts about wanting a coral/misty/pearl pink 3DS, but I have to say I'm more than happy with the shiny red 3DS I got instead. It looks like a giant cherry Jolly Rancher that plays games! How could I not be pleased with such a device?

Anyway, I've yet to pop Super Mario 3D Land into my system, so I can't say anything about it at the moment. I plan on playing it tomorrow, though, so look for a post about it on Tuesday (or sometime later in the week).

I'll also share some thoughts on the 3DS itself later this week, in case anyone cares.

In the meantime, I hope all of you have enjoyed this seasonal series of posts. If not, at least it's over today, right?

See also: Previous '12 Games of Christmas' posts

Mario Kart 7 or Super Mario 3D Land?

A question to all of you who have played both Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land: Which 3DS game do you think I should buy first?

Don't worry, I intend to own both of them at some point, but at the moment I'm planning to buy just one of them between Christmas and, say, the end of January (assuming I can hold out that long).

As for which way I'm currently leaning: Super Mario 3D Land seems like the better bet as a "first game," given its single-player focus. That said, Mario Kart 7's online multiplayer modes sound awfully appealing, too.

Oh, hell, maybe I'll just get them both at the same time. Should I cave at the last minute, though, I'd greatly appreciate hearing which of the two above-mentioned games all of you would buy first if you were me.

Japan's crazy Super Mario 3D Land commercial

Super Mario 3D Land will hit the streets in the Land of the Rising Sun in just a few weeks (on Nov. 3, to be exact). As such, Nintendo's Japanese arm is revving its promotional engines in the hopes of piquing the public's interest in their mustachioed plumber's first 3DS-based adventure.

I don't know if the following commercial will catch the attention of Japanese consumers, but it's certainly caught the attention of this consumer.



Here's a far more conventional commercial for Super Mario 3D Land, if that's what you're after.



Super Mario 3D Land will be released in North America on Nov. 13, by the way. (It'll follow suit throughout Europe on Nov. 18 and in Australia on Nov. 24.) Pre-order it here.