And they said it would never happen: I (finally) got a Switch!

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram likely already know this news, but for the rest of you: I finally got a Nintendo Switch!

Shocking, I know. Especially since I never bought a Wii U despite regularly saying I would do just that. Also, back when Nintendo revealed the Switch, I declared I likely wouldn't purchase one until its price dropped to at least $250. I've also suggested on more than one occasion that I'd prefer to wait for the inevitable hardware revision to be released before I pick up a Switch.

Well, all of that went out the window after a Super Mario Odyssey Switch bundle was announced during the most recent batch of Nintendo Directs. (Read this post for some of my thoughts on those broadcasts.)

That's not to say this bundle caused me to go weak in the knees or anything like that. I'm probably as interested in Super Mario Odyssey as the next Nintendo fan, but I'm not so interested in it that I'm champing at the bit to own a pair of "Mario red" Joy-Con controllers or a Super Mario Odyssey-themed carrying case.



However, when I realized this bundle was going be pretty widely available--you can still pre-order it via gamestop.com--I couldn't help perk up a bit.

So, I pre-ordered it. Within days, maybe even hours, though, I discovered Walmart had almost surreptitiously started selling a Splatoon 2 bundle.

This same bundle--featuring a copy of Splatoon 2 as well as a set of neon green and pink Joy-Cons and a Splatoon-branded carrying case--has been available in Japan for some time now, but Nintendo of America's never even breathed a word about it since the game's late-July release, so I assumed it wouldn't be an option for me. (To be honest, I'm not entirely sold on Splatoon 2. I am, however, sold on the pink and green Joy-Cons.)

Anyway, everything changed once I knew about the availability of this Splatoon 2 bundle. I kept an eye on it for a few days and after it became clear it wasn't going to sell out immediately, I canceled my pre-order for the Super Mario Odyssey bundle and pre-ordered this one instead.



It arrived yesterday, but I've yet to even open the box, let alone turn on the Switch and give it a go. Don't worry, I plan on doing that soon, though perhaps not for a few more days. I want to wait for the screen protector I just bought to arrive (and be applied) before I put this lovely piece of hardware through its paces.

Once that's out of the way--watch out! The first thing I'll do is make my way to the Switch eShop and download the Octopath Traveler demo. (See the latest Octopath Traveler trailer and read some of my thoughts on it here.)

After that, I've got to decide what I'm going to do with the Splatoon 2 download code that's packed inside the pretty box seen throughout this post. I want to play the game at some point, don't get me wrong, but at the moment I think I'd rather use whatever money I could get for it on something else (like a physical copy of Super Mario Galaxy).

Do any of you have a Switch? If so, what do you think of it? Also, do you have any advice or recommendations to share with a newbie like myself? If you do, please share them in the comments section below.

A long overdue update on my quest to learn Japanese

Those of you with good memories may recall this series of posts from early 2013 about my initial attempts to teach myself the Japanese language.

In the last of that trio of write-ups, I declared that I'd finished learning the hiragana and katakana syllabaries. Near the end, I suggested my next steps would be to tackle basic vocabulary and grammar.

Fast forward to today--more than four years later--and, well, let's just say things haven't quite gone to plan. Actually, I did learn a bit of vocabulary and grammar in the weeks and months that followed my last blog post on this subject, but that's it.

Thankfully, although I didn't learn anything new in 2014, 2015 or even 2016, I also didn't forget what I'd previously mastered.

That's hardly worth crowing about, of course. As nice as it is to be able to understand a handful of Japanese words and phrases, the point of this "quest" was to become as fluent as possible in this challenging language.

So, one of my only goals for this "sabbatical year" has been for me to get off my lazy butt and return to my Japanese studies. Although it took me a while to actually do that, I'd say I've spent the last two or three months diligently learning kanji and sentence structure.

I'm still basically clueless when it comes to translating passages in games or on websites, mind you, but that's OK. I finally feel like I'm making progress, and that thrills me to no end.

Are any of you curious as to which apps and books and sites I'm utilizing as part of my studies? Here are the main ones, if so:

GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese--This is what I turned to after I mastered the katakana and hiragana syllabaries. It's basically a text book, and it isn't exactly cheap (about $50 on Amazon), but it's really helped me expand my vocabulary and overall understanding of how the language works.

GENKI Vocab Cards app--I've also spent a lot of time with this companion app, which mirrors the lessons presented in An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese. It was $5.99, and I consider that money well spent due to how easy it is to use and how much it's bolstered my knowledge of the language. (GENKI also sells kanji and conjugation apps via the Apple and Android stores, by the way, and I plan to buy both shortly.)

Japanese Ammo--I randomly stumbled across this site a few months ago while looking for answers to some questions I had about sentence structure. Not only did its "How to Build a Sentence in Japanese" guide help with that dilemma, but it turned me on to tons of other articles and pages about vocabulary and grammar and even culture that I'm sure will prove similarly helpful down the road.

Remembering the Kanji 1: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters--This is one of three (including the GENKI book discussed above) resources I'm currently using to learn kanji. Remembering the Kanji 1's main claim to fame is that it can quickly teach you the meaning and writing of over 2,000 kanji. It does this by ignoring pronunciation, which is covered in Remembering the Kanji 2. Although I'm not going through this book as rapidly as author James Heisig seemingly intended, I'm finding it really useful--and interesting. The associative stories Heisig offers up in Remembering the Kanji 1 make more sense to me than the ones used by WaniKani. Also, I like that Heisig teaches stroke order, which I have found helps me both learn and recall individual kanji. As such, I'll definitely pick up Remembering the Kanji 2 as soon as I finish the first.

WaniKani--This is another of the resources I'm using to learn kanji. WaniKani isn't perfect--it doesn't teach stroke order and I don't always agree with the mnemonics it provides to help you memorize meanings--but I like it well enough to refer to it on a daily basis. One cool aspect of this site: you can go through the first three levels for free. That probably doesn't sound like much, but it is. I'm still working my way through the second level, for instance, and already I've learned more than 50 kanji and 40 related vocabulary words. Once I've finished with the third level, I'll have to pay either $9 a month or $89 a year to continue using the site and complete its remaining 57 levels, but I'm more than OK with that given my positive experience so far.

In addition to the above, I used the Dr. Moku apps to learn the katakana and hiragana syllabaries. They're $3.99 each, or $6.99 as a bundle (if you're an iPhone user). Yes, you can learn both syllabaries for free via various sites and blogs and even apps, but I went with Dr. Moku's because of the clean interface and the ability to do randomized quizzes. (On a related note, I see there's now a Dr. Moku kanji app. I'll likely buy it soon and add it to "the pile.")

Are any of you trying to learn Japanese? Or have you already learned it? If so, and if you want to share any advice with me or anyone else who is in the same boat, please do so in the comments section of this post.

Pardon the interruption

Hello, everyone. Some of you likely have noticed that I haven't updated this blog since July 8. Rest assured all is OK with me, my husband, my family--even my cat.

As for why it's been a whole week since I last published a post here, the answer is pretty straightforward: I've spent that time driving across the country (from Wisconsin to Texas) and moving into the cute little home my husband and I bought about a month ago.

The house in question is showcased in the photo above. Actually, so is my rather handsome (if I do say so myself) husband.

Want to see some more snapshots of my house, my husband, my cat, myself and some of the amazing things we've seen this year while living in various parts of the southern and southwestern US? Check out the photos I've shared on Instagram.

Don't worry, I'll return to publishing two or three blog posts a week shortly. In fact, things should get back to normal on Monday or Tuesday--as soon as we gain access to the Internet at our new abode.

I'm never again selling a game system via eBay and here's why

If you've occasionally poked your head into the comments section of this blog or followed me on Twitter for any length of time, you've likely heard me say I never sell consoles or games once they're in my grubby little hands.

Although that isn't far from the truth (for the last decade or so, I've only sold doubles of games or games I really dislike and know I'll never want to play again), I made a few exceptions earlier this year when my husband and I decided to pack up our stuff, sell our home, quit our jobs and travel the country for the next eight to 12 months. (For more on this situation, read this post.)

One exception involved me auctioning off one of my 3DS systems via eBay.

I had five at the time (embarrassing, I know), and I rarely used this particular one, so I figured, "why not sell it to someone who would actually enjoy it?"

Before I continue, I need to say that this 3DS basically was in brand-new condition. I'd only played it a few times and, as such, there were no marks or scratches of any kind on its screen or body. The system's outer box and its contents were similarly pristine.

Anyway, someone recently bought it. Thrilling! I quickly packed it up--protecting it as much as I was able with bubble wrap and the like--and sent it on its way.

Nine days later, I got an email from eBay. The gist of its message: the buyer wanted to return the 3DS and be given a full refund because it wasn't working.

I was stunned. After all, I tested the system immediately before I shipped it and knew nothing at all was wrong with it. Still, I thought I'd be OK. While setting up the eBay auction for this system, I checked the box that informed interested buyers I wouldn't accept returns. Also, like I said earlier, I knew it was in perfect working order when it left my hands.

Note: this isn't the 3DS being discussed in this post

I did wonder if maybe something had happened to the package as it made its way from me to the buyer, but that didn't worry me because I'd paid for insurance (out of my own pocket, I should add) that would come to my rescue in such a case.

After exchanging a few messages with the buyer and doing a bit of research, though, I was back to despairing. First, I found out the package was not damaged during shipment, which meant that insurance I paid for was now all but useless. Second, I discovered that eBay pretty much always backs buyers in this sort of situation--meaning I may well be forced to accept the return and cough up a full refund.

That would've been fine with me if I believed my old 3DS was broken or otherwise made dysfunctional in transit, but I didn't. Instead, I was worried the buyer had done something to damage it and wasn't fessing up. (Which in my mind would mean it's his or her problem, not mine.)

The problem is, I have absolutely no proof the system I sold was in perfect, nearly new condition before I shipped it. Sure, I have photos of it from various angles (a few of which showed both of its screens in action), but even the most recent of them were taken a couple of months ago, just before the auction in question first went live. But I have no video footage that could be used to prove I hadn't knowingly and purposely sold a defective item. (And even if I did have it, would it really help me?)

My main fears: that the buyer had somehow damaged the system and that I was going to have to take it back--leaving me with a broken 3DS that obviously would be of little interest to anyone on eBay or elsewhere.

Thankfully, after hearing more from the buyer, I think it's possible I'll be able to fix the problem he or she is experiencing without too much hassle. Even if that's how the situation plays out, though, there's no way I'm re-listing the system.

Also, I'm now of the mind that I'll almost assuredly never sell a game system through eBay again. Although it seems like this particular buyer isn't trying to pull a fast one on me, what's to stop someone else from doing so down the road?

The fact is, there's nothing stopping someone from doing so in the future. Worse, there's little I could do before or after I list an item to protect myself as its seller from such a scam artist.

So, I'm basically done selling game hardware on eBay. And I may be done selling games (expensive ones, especially) on eBay, too. Which is too bad, as I've never had a bad experience as an eBay seller before now.

Should you follow in my footsteps? That's up to you. I would warn you to do whatever you can to protect yourself from situations like the one I just went through (I'm still going through it, actually, as it's yet to be fully resolved) before you auction off any of your games or consoles, though, especially if they're worth a bit of money.

Can you believe this is the beginning of The Gay Gamer's 11th year as a blog?

I certainly can't believe it. Regardless, it's true. I published my first post here all the way back on Feb. 1, 2007. I can't say my early write-ups were very good but, hey, you've got to start somewhere, right?

At any rate, I'm glad I launched this blog 11 years ago. I did it, by the way, because I desperately needed a place to geek out about all of the games and systems and related stuff that excited and interested me.

I also wanted to create a space where others would feel safe to do the same. Admittedly, I assumed at the time that the "others" in question would be limited to LGBT folk, so it's been a pleasant surprise to see a lot of "straight" people stop by this blog over the last 10-plus years as well.



Speaking of which, I'd like to thank everyone who has visited, followed or commented on this blog at some point or other between 2007 and now. I appreciate it more than you can imagine.

If you've never left a comment, by the way, why not start now? I respond to each and every one, and if I'm to be honest, I prefer engaging in those conversations to focusing on my own blatherings.

You don't have to limit those conversations to this blog, of course. I'm also active on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter, so give me a holler (or whatever) on any or all of those sites if you're up for such social-media shenanigans.

A little heads-up about me, this blog and 2017

You may have noticed me grousing here and on Twitter about being busy and stressed out over the last couple of months.

As annoying as it likely was, there were reasons for the whining. One of them: my husband and I decided to sell our house. Another: we decided to quit our jobs.

Now we're preparing to head out on an adventure that will take us to a number of different US towns and cities and will take up most, if not all, of 2017.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean I'm killing this blog. On the contrary, I'll likely publish posts more frequently than I have in years. And not only that, but the content of those posts should be meatier--or at least more interesting and informed--thanks to the fact I'll probably play many more games than I have in years.

Speaking of which, I'm planning to introduce a couple of new columns or series to this blog in early 2017.

I'm planning to do a lot more of the above in 2017

Rather than aping my "Aural Gratification," "Manual Stimulation" or "Nice Package!" series, though, these will be more akin to my "Year of the GameBoy" posts. In other words, they'll focus on specific game systems. Can you guess which ones?

One downside to this soon-to-start 2017 sabbatical: I won't have access to all of my many systems or games for nearly a year. The bulk of my "collection" will be in storage while the hubs and I are on the road.

Still, I'm bringing a bunch of games and systems with me. Specifically, I'm bringing my Japanese and North American 3DSes, my DS Lite, my Japanese PSone (I think), my Vita and my WonderSwan Color.

I'd love to bring my PSP, but its pesky UMDs pose a serious problem for a guy who has to cram a year's worth of treasured gaming possessions into a medium-sized duffel bag.

Anyway, that's what is in store for me, this blog and my gaming habits next year. If you'd like to keep track of the non-gaming portion of this upcoming adventure of mine, by the way, follow me on Instagram.

About that GameBoy-centric podcast I recorded ages ago with Jeremy Parish...

I don't know if you've heard, but a podcast I recorded with Jeremy Parish, of 1UP.com and USgamer fame, made its way onto the Internet yesterday.

We actually got on the horn, as the old saying goes, and recorded the 'cast this time last year. Why is it only now seeing the light of day? Here's the explanation Parish shared in a related usgamer.net article:

"I've sat on this audio conversation all this time for a few reasons—chief among them being that I wasn't sure I really wanted to commit to another podcast project. And as much work as I'm putting into detailing the GameBoy's history, building yet another retrospective layer seems a bit like overkill."

You may have noticed that he described this as being part of a larger project. That's because it was--originally.



Parish approached me about a year-and-a-half ago to see if I'd be up for combining forces to create an on-going podcast that would complement his Game Boy World site and books. I agreed on the spot, of course.

It actually took us a good number of months to coordinate the recording session that produced the podcast that can be listened to here. (It covers the system's Japanese launch as well as its first four games--Alleyway, Baseball, Super Mario Land and Yakuman.) I want to say it was about six months, but it doesn't really matter in the end, does it?

Speaking of the end, despite what Parish himself said in the USgamer write-up mentioned above, it's possible he and I will reconvene to chat about Nintendo's first handheld system--and its underrated catalog of games--in future Retronauts Micro episodes.

In the meantime, give this "almost lost" pilot a listen. If you enjoy it, please let me know in the comments section below or on Twitter. Even better: pass it along to others who you think may get a kick out of it.

See also: every blog post I've published about the GameBoy

Yay me! (aka this is the beginning of The Gay Gamer's 10th year as a blog)

Just in case you haven't been keeping track (and, really, why would you?), I published my very first post here all the way back on Feb. 1, 2007.

In other words, this is the start of my 10th year as a blogger.

OK, so that's not entirely accurate. What do I mean? Well, I took a bit of a break from The Gay Gamer after putting about six months into it, and I didn't come back to it again until the beginning of 2009.

Regardless, I'm pretty proud of reaching this milestone, so I'm going to celebrate it. Uh, yay me!

I'm also going to thank everyone who has visited at one point or another--especially those of you who have felt comfortable enough to leave the occasional comment.

If you've yet to leave a comment, why not start now? I've had some really wonderful conversations with folks in that section of the blog between 2007 and now, and I'm a firm believer in the old idiom, "the more the merrier."

Whether you come here to chat or lurk, though, I appreciate the attention all the same. Thanks again for helping make the last nine years of my life wonderful.

11 questions, 11 answers and 11 supposedly interesting facts about myself

About a week ago, my blogging friend YvoCaro, proprietress of A Lady in Gaming, let me know via Twitter that she had nominated me for something called a "Liebster Award."

Apparently, "liebster" is German for "loveliest" and is a tag commonly used by that country's bloggers to highlight works they find especially appealing.

Anyway, according to YvoCaro, those who are nominated for a "Liebster Award" have to answer 11 questions and also share 11 interesting facts about themselves. Oh, and at the end of it all they have to nominate a few others to do the same.

I've always been an agreeable chap, so here are my responses to the 11 questions YvoCaro came up with for me, followed by 11 supposedly interesting facts about myself.

1. Can you tell something typical about the country you live in?

I'm going to take a few liberties with my answer for this one, if you don't mind, as I live in the US and I doubt I could share anything "typical" about my country that isn't already known by everybody and their brother.

So, I'll say something typical about the city in which I currently live: Seattle. (Which is in the state of Washington, on the northwest coast.) Anyway, something that's typical of Seattle is that it rains a lot, as you've likely heard. In fact, it rains on and off for about eight or nine months of the year.

That said, it rarely rains hard--it's usually just drizzle, or really light rain--and it doesn't rain every day. Instead, it'll rain (drizzle) for a couple of hours one day, be dry the next, drizzle a bit more the next day and then be dry for the next two or three days.

This probably surprises some of you, as Seattle's always had this reputation for being wet all the time. I can tell you it's not. That said, the fact that it's likely to drizzle on and off over the course of nine or so months each year can get on the nerves of us Seattlites, especially as summer approaches--which never really begins here until July 4.

Once summer finally kicks in, though, we get three solid months of sun and warm temperatures--and pretty much no rain at all. Seriously, it pretty much doesn't rain here from the beginning of July through sometime in October, which is another thing that's sure to surprise some of you, too.

2. Why did you take up blogging?

Although I had some friends who enjoyed playing video games when I was younger, as an adult I've rarely had friends (or even acquaintances) who had any interest in them. That's meant, of course, that I haven't had many opportunities since college to "talk games" with living, breathing humans.

So, in 2007 I started this blog in the hopes that it would be a place where I could "geek out" about all of the systems and games that cause my heart to race, bring a smile to my face and all that jazz.

At the time, I never thought anyone would follow me, or comment on one of my posts or anything like that. I just wanted to share my feelings and thoughts and obsessions with that void known as the Internet. As a result, it's been really cool to connect with so many people not only here, but on Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr and elsewhere over the last few years.

3. Do you set yourself a goal of number of blogs per week or month?

Oh, yes. I used to try to push as many as I could in a week--which sometimes resulted in more than 10 being published within a seven-day period. That wasn't all that sustainable, though, so a couple of years ago I scaled back to about five per week.

Now that I'm no longer freelancing full time, even five posts per week isn't always possible. I still try to publish at least three each week, though, and usually succeed in meeting my goal of publishing four or five.

4. Where do you get your inspiration to write?

I write about games and systems that interest me. Period. If I'm not interested in a system or a game, I don't write about it, even if I think it'll attract more attention to my blog.

This is why you'll sometimes see me temporarily focus on one system or company at the expense of others. Like anyone, I have periods where I'm obsessed with, say, the DS or the PSP or the PC Engine, and for a number of weeks or even months that's all I want to talk about in my posts.

Eventually, though, my interest wanes and I move on to something else. So, if you ever find yourself getting bored with my obsession of the moment, rest assured another game or system will steal my attention sooner rather than later.

5. Do you own more then one gaming device, and which ones?

Oh, boy, do I. Off the top of my head, here's are the systems I current own (in alphabetical order, naturally): 3DS, DS, Dreamcast, GameBoy, GameBoy Advance SP, GameBoy Micro, GameBoy Pocket, Game Gear, Genesis, Nintendo 64, PS2, PSone, PSP, SNES, Twin Famicom, Vita.

I have three 3DSes at the moment, by the way, and two DSes. I also have two of the original GameBoys (although the screen of one of them is in awful condition), two PSones (one North American, one Japanese--and both have monitors) and two PSPs.

6. What are your favorite kind of games?

When I was younger, I loved RPGs and platformers above all else. Now, my favorite games are puzzlers and RPGs, although I rarely have the time (or attention span) needed to finish games in the latter category these days.

I still like a good platformer, though, and I also really like "life sims" (à la Animal Crossing) and roguelikes.

7. What are your three favorite movies?

Oh, this is an interesting one! Also, don't hate on me too much if you think my answers are stupid or silly, OK? Anyway, I'd say the three movies I most enjoy watching are Aliens, Groundhog Day and Working Girl. If I were allowed to add a fourth and fifth, they would be the original Alien and The Evil Dead.

8. What is your go-to music when you feel sad?

Actually, I don't tend to listen to music when I'm sad. If I did, though, I'd probably turn to Sinead O'Connor. I used to be obsessed with her, and a number of her older albums provoke strong emotional responses from me. I love that so many of her songs are about love and loss and being treated like shit and then picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and moving on with your life.

9. Does your work or study match your blogging topics?

Not at all. As a writer, I've rarely gotten to write about video games. Actually, I had a few gigs early on that allowed me to write about them, but they've since ended. Oh, well.

Instead, most of what I write professionally is aimed at people in business world--executives and the like. Specifically, I've written a lot of articles for sites and magazines maintained and published by non-profit (or not-for-profit) associations.

That probably sounds boring, but I really enjoy it. I get to interview a lot of people who are passionate about what they do and in the meantime I get to educate myself about all sorts of topics I'd never know about otherwise.

Guess what? I'm (back) on Tumblr, too...

Because I apparently hate having any free time whatsoever, I recently decided to start making use of the tumblr--TheGayGamer, aka gaygamer.tumblr.com--I launched ages ago and then promptly dropped like a hot potato.

I'll be honest: at the moment, I'm mostly turning to it to help promote posts that are published here, but I'm also regularly favoriting and passing along others' posts that I find particularly interesting or that are in line with the kind of content I tend to produce.



Well, except for the not-safe-for-work stuff (that I favorite or pass along, not that I publish myself)--which you may want to watch out for if you aren't into bara and the like.

One more thing: if you're on tumblr, or if you follow any tumblrs you think I'd enjoy (NSFW or otherwise), let me know in the comments section below.

Guess what? I'm also on Google+

I have a feeling very few of you are on Google+, but if you are, I thought you might like to know that I'm now on sharing links, thoughts and things of a like nature on that oft-ignored social-media site via google.com/+BryanOchalla.

I've actually had a Google+ account for ages now, but I only began using it in the last couple of weeks due to learning that the powers that be at Google apparently give added weight to links and shares and such that come from their social-media offering.

I don't make a dime from this blog at the moment and probably never will, so I'm not sure why that matters to me, but I guess that's a conversation that's best left for another day and another post, wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, if by some chance you do have a Google+ account, I'd of course love it if you'd add me to one or more of your circles, share my links now and then or simply make a comment should you ever feel the itch. Also, let met know your name, username or Google+ handle so I can follow you back and ensure ours isn't simply a one-way social-media relationship.

In case you haven't heard elsewhere: I'm now on Instagram!

The very first thing I did after setting up my newly acquired iPhone a week or so ago was download as many games and apps as the wireless router in our basement could handle.

And given my love of photography, one of the first apps I nabbed was Instagram.

Should you be the sort of person who likes to follow others on social media, and should you specifically be the sort of person who wants to follow someone like me on Instagram, you can do so by punching my handle, rainbow_blight, into whichever smartphone you tend to choose.

You'll be seeing more of this sucker in tomorrow's post.

Or, if you don't have an Instagram-able smartphone, you can view my photostream (or whatever verbiage Instragram uses here) by aiming your browser to instagram.com/rainbow_blight.

I've only uploaded three photos so far, one of which is seen above, but more will be added in the coming days, weeks, months and (hopefully) years, I can assure you.

On a related note, I'm also on all sorts of other social media sites these days, including Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, so check them out if any of them are your kind of thing.

Happy birthday to me!

Yep, not only is it Thanksgiving here in the U.S., but it's my birthday, too.

Which is kind of weird, to be honest, but I've never been big on celebrating my birthday, so that's OK.

It's especially OK now that I've opened the presents my parents gave to me this morning, one of which contained the copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call that can be seen in the photo to the right.

I'm kind of surprised Amazon et al still had copies of this game's limited edition, to tell you the truth--not that I'm complaining!

Anyway, it's a pretty safe bet that I'll spend some quality time with it tomorrow--along with Fantasy Life and Solitiba, of course. (Yes, I'm still putting a ton of time into both, especially Fantasy Life.)

My parents also gave me a nice chunk of change, I have to add. Would it surprise you to hear I've already spent a portion of it on Japanese 3DS games?

Don't worry, I'll write about all of them here after they finally arrive on my doorstep (and after I've spent at least a little time with them).

In the meantime, I hope all of you have a wonderful Thursday--whether it's Thanksgiving in your neck of the woods or not.

The Nintendo Power article that's responsible for my interest in Japanese culture and video games

Here's a piece of news that should shock no one who has visited this blog on a somewhat regular basis: I've been interested in--some would say obsessed with--Japanese culture and video games for a very long time.

How long? According to the filled-out-but-never-turned-in "Player's Poll" I just found in my well-worn copy of Nintendo Power's premiere (July/August 1988) issue, the answer is 26 years. (On the above-mentioned poll, I listed my age as 11.)

As for what the first issue of Nintendo Power has to do with all of this, well, if memory serves, the article above--which I just scanned from said issue--is what prompted me to fall in love with the Land of the Rising Sun in general and its video games in particular.

Seeing that throng of people standing in line, waiting for their copies of the just-released Dragon Quest III set my hear aflutter, as did the screenshot of the Famicom game's overworld. (For whatever reason, making all four party members visible while traversing said overworld completely blew my young mind.)

Assuming at least some of you have a similar fascination with Japan and its games, what pushed you in that direction?

Cruise with me baby

I'm not entirely sure why, but I've rarely shared any photos of myself here or on Twitter. Of course, I also rarely share them on Facebook or Flickr, so maybe I'm just not a "share photos of myself with the masses" kind of guy.

Still, after seeing the photos my sister-in-law snapped of me and my husband, David, during out recent cruise, I felt compelled to share a few of them here. Hopefully you'll get a kick out of them.

And if not? Well, things will return to normal tomorrow morning. I promise.

This photo (above) was taken while our ship, the Island Princess, made its way through a segment of the Panama Canal. Why am I so peppy, you ask? I'm guessing it's because I was on my third soda of the day--and it was only 10 am.

In this photo, David and I are demonstrating our prowess (or not) at paddle tennis. I'm pretty sure we were the only people on the entire ship (of just under 2,000 passengers) to try our hands at this rather idiotic sport.

Do you see the look on David's face in the photo above? That's the face of a guy who has beaten his husband at ping pong (or "table tennis," if that's how you roll) in 1,000 out of 1,024 matches. Sigh.

Me and the hubs working on our tans (or not) in Aruba. You can't really tell by looking at this photo, but I was sweating like a pig at the time. What can I say? My body was meant for cooler temps.

I don't know about you, but I think this last photo should be used to promote tourism in Aruba.

So, there you have it: 10 days of fun whittled down to five photographs. Do you feel as though you know me a bit better as a result? Probably not, but at least now you know I'm an actual human being and not just a NSFW bara manga character.

From the back of my boyhood closet, part seven

The last of the seven game-related treasures I unearthed from my boyhood closet during a recent trip to see my parents is the complete-in-box GameBoy system seen in the photos below.

This "find" actually shocked me because I distinctly remember selling my first GameBoy and most, if not all, of my GameBoy titles as a teen. After inspecting this system's box, though, I realized it couldn't be the GameBoy in question, as a handwritten note on its backside indicates that I acquired it in 1994--five years after Nintendo's pioneering portable was introduced to North America.

As such, I'm guessing I did sell my first GameBoy--which came in a completely different box and which I received as a gift within a year of its release--and then I bought the "basic" system seen in the photos above and below at some later date.

Anyway, enough about that. The real news here is that I found an original GameBoy--along with its box, manuals and other paperwork--in the back of my childhood closet.

Oh, and did I mention that the system is in nearly perfect condition? I say "nearly" because although superficially everything is rather immaculate, things aren't as flawless beneath the surface. Specifically, the system's screen is missing a few lines of pixels. I don't know if that's due to its age or if it's due to the fact that at some point I seemingly left some batteries in it for a long period of time (resulting in some massively corroded innards), but it doesn't much matter now, does it?

What does matter: It still works well enough that I can play a game on it if I so desire.

See also: Previous 'from the back of my boyhood closet' posts

From the back of my boyhood closet, part four

I know what many of you will think when you read what my fourth "find" was while digging through my childhood closet a few months ago: That's it?

Yes, that's it. For some reason, though, finding a complete-in-box copy of Pokémon Red really made me happy. Not "I've just won the lottery" happy, mind you, but definitely "oh, cool, a game I used to like when I was younger" happy.

I think part of my happiness can be attributed to nostalgia (I played the hell out of this game, y'all) and another part of it can be attributed to the fact that the game's cartridge is a most wonderful cherry red.

One final reason for my over-the-moon-ness upon finding the copy of Pokémon Red in the photo above: Its instruction manual and supporting brochures were stuffed inside the box, just where I probably left them however many years ago.

That's important because I had forgotten how extensive this game's manual was. It's huge! Not only that, but it includes a ton of information and illustrations. I guess we all know which game will serve as the focus of a future "Manual Stimulation" post.

See also: Previous 'from the back of my boyhood closet' posts

From the back of my boyhood closet

While at my parents' home over the holidays, I spent a bit--OK, a lot--of time digging through my old bedroom closet in the hopes of finding a few game-related treasures.

Some of the games and systems I found during that expedition surprised me, while others simply brought a smile to my face thanks to the fond memories I have of them.

Anyway, I shipped most of these finds back to Seattle before I left my hometown (McFarland, Wisconsin) a few weeks ago. Said shipment just arrived, and I'm so excited about it I could spit.

As such, I think I'll document each of them in a short series of posts that will be published over the next few weeks. Expect to see the first one appear tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, have any of you found any long-forgotten games and/or systems while digging through your childhood bedroom or basement?

Note: The photo to the right isn't of the contents of my boyhood closet, although I wish it were.

1,500 (or so) posts!

Here's a bit of random news for all of you: This blog crossed the 1,500-post threshold back on Dec. 13. Woo hoo!

I intended to mention this achievement shortly after it happened, but I lost track of it due to the impending holidays and our similarly impending trip back to my hometown of McFarland, Wisconsin.

I think I'll celebrate tonight by having an extra glass (or maybe two) of wine for dinner. Or maybe I'll celebrate by buying a game I've been lusting after for a while. Or maybe I'll do both of those things.

Anyway, thank you all for visiting and commenting on this blog. Without you, I likely would have given up on it long ago!

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