12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (Nintendo 64)

I picked up this copy of the game known to most North American's as Mischief Makers shortly after I brought my old Nintendo 64 system from my childhood home to my adult one earlier this year.

Why did I opt for the Japanese version of this Treasure-developed platformer rather than the US release? For me, it all boiled down to box art--as in, I much prefer the art that graces covers of import copies of the game, so that's what I bought.

You should expect to see some similarly strange pick-ups appear on this blog next year, by the way, as I've had my eye on import copies of Mario Story (aka the original Paper Mario) and Yoshi's Story for some time now, and I'm not sure how long I can hold out on buying them.

Anyway, back to the Japanese Nintendo 64 game at hand. Its box art is awesome, don't you think? Its instruction manual (a glimpse of which can be seen in the second photo, above) is pretty nice, too--which means, well, you know what it means.

By the way, a few more photos of Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (including one of its cartridge) can be found on my Flickr photostream.

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Chack'n Pop (Famicom)

Let's start this series off with a bang, shall we?

Actually, "bang" is a good word to use in relation to this particular pick-up, as the titular Chack'n (the yellow thingamabob with blue wings and pink legs that can be seen on the box cover below) is all about dropping bombs as he meanders his way through the series of maze-like levels that make up this Taito-developed title.



As you may remember from this "Second Chances" post, I haven't always been a fan of this Bubble Bobble precursor. Once I had the little change of heart that I expounded upon in the aforementioned post, though, I knew I had to own the game's Famicom port.



Looking at this version's packaging, it's probably easy to understand why I decided to go with a "complete in box" copy of Chack'n Pop. I'm especially enamored with the cover art, of course--although I think the illustration that appears on the game's cartridge label (above) is nearly as nice.



How's Chack'n Pop's instruction manual? Funny you should ask. This copy of the game came with one, of course, but I can't remember whether it's good or bad. I'll have to dig it out of my stash after the holiday frenzy has died down and let you know either way, OK?

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this trailer, but (I think) I like what I see anyway

The trailer in question is for Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit, by the way--which is being developed by Arkedo and published by Sega. It'll hit PSN and XBLA in late September (Sept. 25 and 26, respectively and specifically) and PC on Oct. 3. Oh, and all three releases will have $14.99 price tags attached to them.



I loved Arkedo Series - 03 Pixel!, so I'm seriously considering picking up the XBLA version of Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit. The only things that may keep me from doing so are the above-mentioned price tag and the fact that so much is going on in the trailer above that I'm a bit worried that playing this game could be an overwhelming (in a bad way) experience.

Warm up your Xbox 360s, boys and girls: Spelunky's finally on its way

And when I say "on its way," I mean it: This highly anticipated part-platformer-part-roguelike title, made by Derek Yu and Andy Hull, will hit XBLA a week from tomorrow (that would be Wednesday, July 4) with a price tag of 1,200 Microsoft Points.

Although I've never played the original freeware version of Spelunky, I've looked forward to the release of this XBLA-based remake ever since I first heard about it this time last year.



Here's the trailer that announced the XBLA re-imagining of this platformer-cum-roguelike, by the way. It includes footage of both versions--in case you've never heard of, let alone seen, Spelunky before now.

Curious about the history behind this well-regarded game? Check out Russ Frushtick's recently published (over at theverge.com) article, "Spelunky: The Everlasting Platformer."

The Great Gaymathon Review #55: PC Genjin 2 (PC Engine)

Game: PC Genjin 2

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Red Company

Publisher: Hudson Soft

System: PC Engine

Release date: 1991

Back when it was released in 1991, I considered PC Genjin 2 (aka Bonk's Revenge) to be miles better than its predecessor. Today, I'm not so sure. Oh, there's no doubt that the second PC Genjin is a more polished affair than the first one, but that doesn't mean the former is superior to the latter--or at least it doesn't in my mind. Which elements make me think Bonk's, er, PC Genjin's first pixelated outing bests his second? For starters, as much as I like the sequel's cuter and cleaner graphics, I prefer the grittier ones found in the original. (I'm especially fond of the original's enemy designs--although the bosses that can be found in its successor are also quite fabulous.) If forced to do so, I'd also choose PC Genjin's "chunkier" soundtrack over the comparably subdued one that was produced for PC Genjin 2, although I feel less strongly about that area of this pair of platformers than I do about others--such as gameplay. Speaking of which, that's another thing Hudson's 1989 release does better than its 1991 follow-up. Specifically, both titles feature a spin move (press a button to make the big-headed protagonist jump into the air and then press another, repeatedly, to make him spin/hover/fly) that is not only more useful in the older game, but more enjoyable, too. (In the newer game, the move is gimped--thanks to a slight delay that was, for some strange reason, added into the mix--to the point of annoyance.) Now, the HuCard otherwise known as Bonk's Adventure doesn't beat its descendant in every category. Case in point: The stages in PC Genjin 2 are the antithesis of straightforward, and the majority of them are a joy to explore. Also, many of said stages harbor bonus rounds and other secrets that are just waiting to be discovered. Finally, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention my favorite part of PC Genjin 2: The power-up that plasters the main character with makeup and provides him with a "kiss attack" that turns enemies to stone. In the end, I now think I prefer Red Company's initial effort to its subsequent one. That said, I consider both to be well worth buying and experiencing.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

If only Nintendo's Takashi Tezuka had such fond memories of Super Mario Bros. 2

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but in case I haven't: Super Mario Bros. 2 is my favorite of the two-dimensional Super Mario Bros. games. (Note: I don't consider Yoshi's Island to be a "mainline" Mario game.)

I'm not alone, apparently. Although he doesn't say so in the description he penned for the work-in-progress painting (below and here) that he posted on deviantart.com earlier this year, I have to imagine WayForward's Austin Ivansmith has similarly fond memories of the game that's known in Japan as Super Mario USA.

(By the way, I have to admit that I very much like Ivansmith's painting as is. I love that I knew, the second I saw it, which characters, and which game, it was supposed to bring to mind--despite the fact that it's made up of just outlines, noses and eyes. OK, and a pair of pixelated mustaches.)



Another person who seemingly prefers Super Mario Bros. 2 to the rest of the classic series' releases: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. At least, that's what "the man who made Mario" says in this recent ign.com article.

Sadly, it seems unlikely Miyamoto's colleague, Takashi Tezuka, feels the same way. In the aforemented article, for instance, Miyamoto says, "The Mario games of that type are really in the hands of Mr. Tezuka at this point. Because he didn't work on [Super Mario USA] ... he doesn't have memories of developing it that he would draw on to re-create concepts in the New Super Mario Bros. series now."

Are any of you as crushed as I am to hear that it's unlikely Nintendo will be making another Mario game that's akin to Super Mario USA/Super Mario Bros. 2 anytime soon?

Manual Stimulation: PC Genjin 3 (PC Engine)

Despite my undying love of the first PC Genjin (Bonk's Adventure to all of you TurboGrafx-16 fans) and the second (aka Bonk's Revenge), my heart's never skipped a beat for the series' third release, known in Japan as PC Genjin 3 and in North America as Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure.

The main reason I've long given this Red Company-made platformer the cold shoulder: In current verbiage, it's because PC Genjin 3 feels a little to much like an "expansion pack" for PC Genjin 2.

PC Genjin 3 tries to differentiate itself from its predecessors in at least one area, thankfully: Its instruction manual (the cover of which can be seen in the scan below).



How so? Well, for starters, PC Genjin 3's manual is about twice as long as PC Genjin 2's. Also, PC Genjin 3's manual features a comic that runs across the bottom of pretty much every page. Because I don't understand a word of Japanese, I can't say if it's a good comic or not. Regardless, it features a number of nice drawings, so at least there's that.



The rest of this manual's many pages, though, are filled with your usual assortment of instructions ("here's what the I and II buttons do," "here's what happens when you eat a giant hunk of meat," etc.) and illustrations.

Second Chances: Kirby's Adventure

No joke: Despite my avowed adoration of adorable games, I avoided playing Kirby's Adventure, which was released all the way back in 1993, until I downloaded it via the Wii Virtual Console five years ago.

What kept me from giving this precious platformer a go? I honestly don't remember, although I'm guessing it had something to do with the fact that I, like many gamers, already had moved on to the SNES by the time it hit the shelves of my local ShopKo.

Anyway, for some reason I also can't recall, I finally picked up Kirby's Adventure in 2007 ... and promptly found myself bored by it. Oh, it looked nice enough, and it sounded nice enough, too, but the early levels were so easy that I couldn't help but wonder if I'd wasted my hard-earned money on the gaming equivalent of a lemon.

Rather than hanging in there to find out if later stages were less of a calk walk, I pretty much gave up on ol' Kirby and moved on to other pursuits.

After playing and thoroughly enjoying both Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land, though, I decided to give this cudly character's first console release a second chance. I'm glad I did, because I now consider Kirby's Adventure to be wonderfully captivating experience.

Don't get me wrong, I still think it's easy. That said, I'm pretty sure that's the point. It's not supposed to be difficult; it's supposed to be fun. Not only that, but players are simply supposed to enjoy hopping and bopping through each of the game's colorfully charming stages--or at least I'm guessing that's what players are supposed to get out of the game.

Now that I understand that, I happily, leisurely and regularly play this HAL Laboratory-developed NES title as I believe its makers intended it to be played: Smiling and swaying my head to its lilting soundtrack as I stroll through and take in, with no small amount of awe, its lovely, almost dream-like landscapes.

(Note: All of the images above were taken from theflatness.com, a great little blog that sadly hasn't been updated since early 2010.)

Manual Stimulation: PC Genjin 2 (PC Engine)

As much as I like the instruction manual made for the first PC Genjin game (see it in all its garish glory here), I like the ones made for its successors even more.

One reason for that: PC Genjin's manual is painfully short. Also, it's surprisingly mundane. Given this PC Engine platformer's over-the-top in-game graphics, I expected its manual to include similarly wacky imagery. Sadly, that's not the case.

Calling PC Genjin 2's manual "wacky" may be a bit of a stretch, but it's certainly wackier than the one created for its predecessor. It's also quite a bit more colorful--a fact that's made clear with a simple glance at its cover.



The manual's first real inside page is mighty colorful, too. I especially like the pop-up effect its designer(s) employed.



Although I've always felt a bit crotchety (you know, in a "you whippersnappers get off my lawn!" sort of way) about the way PC Genjin's graphics were cleaned up and otherwise changed in PC Genjin 2, I'm far less conflicted about the overhaul ol' Genjin himself received in that interim. (To see what I'm talking about, compare the illustration below to the ones found here.)



The main thing of note on the following two pages of the PC Genjin 2 manual, in my opinion: The drawing in the lower-left corner of the first page that seems to show Genjin in drag. (To be honest, I'm not sure if players are supposed to think he's in drag or if we're supposed think he's literally turned into a girl. I prefer the former possibility, so I'm going with that.)

Manual Stimulation: PC Genjin (PC Engine)

Like many folks, PC Genjin (aka Bonk's Adventure, if you're a North American like I am) was the game that prompted me to pick up a PC Engine (or, rather, a TurboGrafx-16) back in the day.

I liked everything about it: The big-headed protagonist, the prehistoric setting (and the dinosaur-based baddies that populated it), the punchy, synth-heavy soundtrack. Oh, and I even liked the North American version's box art.

That said, I like the Japanese version's box art even more. And, of course, since the instruction manual of pretty much every PC Engine game serves as its box art (this system's HuCards are housed in fairly typical CD cases), I'm quite fond of the cover of PC Genjin's manual, too.



How does the inside of this platformer's instruction manual compare to its outside? Pretty darn well, if you ask me.



The colorful illustration above is nice enough, of course, but I much prefer the map that takes up the booklet's next two pages.

A somewhat gay review of Escape Goat (XBLIG)

Game: Escape Goat

Genre: Platformer/Puzzler

Developer: Magical Time Bean

Publisher: Magical Time Bean

System: Xbox 360

Release date: 2011

I'm sure this will sound weird to some, but games like Escape Goat were chiefly responsible for me getting off my butt and picking up an Xbox 360 just over a year ago. I know Microsoft's second console has plenty of high-quality "packaged" games, but I didn't buy the system for those. (Deadly Premonition being the exception, of course.) Rather, I bought it so I could play the accessible, attractive and cheap titles that are par for the course on the system's XBLA and XBLIG services and that can called upon whenever I find myself longing for a little digital entertainment but don't have a ton of time to expend on it. Well, the focus of this particular review checks all of those boxes and then some. For starters, Escape Goat keeps things simple by providing players with a fairly small set of moves--the titular (purple) goat can run, jump, double jump, dash and air dash, while his beady-eyed friend (an orange mouse) can squeeze into otherwise inaccessible areas--which allows them to focus on the devilishly puzzling stages that are packed into this downloadable title. Actually, I shouldn't suggest all of Escape Goat's Rube Goldberg-esque single-screen stages, each of which takes place in a prison of sorts (you've been locked up for practicing witchcraft, apparently) and tasks players with making their way from a starting point to a (typically blocked or locked) door while pushing blocks, hitting switches and avoiding various obstacles and enemies, are devilish--in reality, a good number of the first ones are quite easy. Many later levels are sure to stump all but the brainiest of gamers, though. Thankfully, the sounds and views that can be heard and seen while playing Escape Goat are appealing enough to make even the most stressful and confounding moments enjoyable (or at least acceptable). The title's wonderfully rendered graphics, for instance, evoke the good ol' days of the Genesis--always a good thing in the opinion of this aging gamer. Also a good thing: The little touches that are strewn throughout this title's 50 levels, like the humorous animation that's triggered whenever Mr. Goat nears the edge of a ledge. The game's soundtrack is similarly noteworthy and is comprised of a number of suitably-epic tunes. With all of that said, the only negative comment I can make about Escape Goat is that it ends a little too quickly and that it likely won't be a game you'll return to after beating it. Considering it'll set you back just a buck (80 Microsoft Points), though, that's really not much of a problem, is it?

See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews

I'd love to have a chat with the person selling this sealed copy of Bubble Bobble Part 2

Said conversation would begin, of course, with me asking the seller, "You're completely bonkers, aren't you?"

I can't think of a better question to ask someone who is trying to sell (via this auction) a factory-sealed copy of Bobble Bobble Part 2 for the oh-so-reasonable (insert eye roll here) price of $19,999.99.

Sure, the seller is accepting offers from interested parties, but I can't imagine any of them are going to walk away with this particular copy of the game for, say, a few hundred dollars (which, although a lot more than I'd personally be willing to spend on an NES title, is sure to be closer to what this one is worth) when all is said and done.

And then, of course, there's the fact that this eBay auction is for a copy of Taito's Bubble Bobble Part 2, a game that pales not only in comparison to its predecessor, but in comparison to that release's "real" sequels, Rainbow Islands and Parasol Stars, too. (Truth be told, I'd much rather play the oddly-expansive GameBoy title that goes by the same name than this ugly duckling of the series.)

Even if this not-made-by-Fukio-Mitsuji pseudo-sequel were the best game ever made, though, I guarantee you I wouldn't spend nearly $20,000 on it.

Much more likely to be bought by yours truly: The Famicom version of Bubble Bobble Part 2--in part because it can be purchased for a lot less than $19,999.99 and in part because I find its box art (which can be viewed here) a lot more appealing than the art (see above) that's plastered across the front of the North American release.

Manual Stimulation: Hany on the Road (PC Engine)

After thinking about it for quite some time, I've come to the conclusion that the manual made for FACE's weirdo platformer, Hany on the Road, is, without question, among the best ever produced for the PC Engine.

That's due in large part to the game's awesomely colorful, clay-figure-populated cover:



Thankfully, those same clay figures (or at least I think they're clay figures) appear throughout Hany on the Road's manual, as is evident from the very first pages (such as the ones below).



Another thing I'm thankful for when it comes to Hany on the Road's instruction manual: It features (in the lower-right corner of the following page) a modeled-out-of-clay 10-ton weight. OK, so the crying dragon--also made out of clay, of course--is kind of cool, too.

Surprise, surprise: The first (and only) Vita game that interests me is an odd, niche-y one

I haven't exactly been shy about the fact that I'm a bit "ho hum" when it comes to the PS Vita. Oh, I find the hardware itself interesting enough--if a smidge over-priced--but its software catalog bores me to tears.

Actually, I take that back. What I should have said is that this bulky handheld's current software line-up bores me to tears. I find one of its upcoming releases, though, pretty darn intriguing.

That upcoming release: Gamearts' Dokuro (Japanese for "Skull"), which looks to be some sort of platformer-puzzler combo.

I'm a sucker for puzzler-platformers, so that aspect alone makes me want to keep an eye on this particular title. The reason I want to purchase it (at some future point in time, of course), though, is the art style--which makes everything look as though it was created using chalk. (Said art style is somewhat apparent in the illustration to the right, although it's much more so in the screenshots shown here and here.)

The story is pretty cute, too, with Dokuro focusing on an evil "Dark Load" (er, I think that's supposed to be "Lord") who kidnaps a princess and then puts her behind bars until they can get hitched. Guarding the imprisoned princess is a skeleton named, you guessed it, Dokuro, who sets her free after seeing her cry and then attempts to lead her out of the Dark Load's tower.

I'm not entirely sure how Dokuro (and the players controlling him) will accomplish the above-mentioned task, although I'm guessing from the screens that have been published over at andriasang.com that it will involve some amount of screen swiping and tapping. (Sadly, this recently-released teaser trailer doesn't include a single second of gameplay.)

Regardless, consider me curious.

See also: 'Raise your hand if you picked up a PS Vita yesterday'

I guess it's time to dust off my Xbox 360

Sorry, I couldn't help myself while coming up with the headline above--which is my tongue-in-cheek take on the old chestnut that used to escape the lips of many a "hardcore gamer" in regards to the Wii (as in: "Hey, Super Mario Galaxy will be out soon. I guess it's time to dust off my Wii!").

So, why am I saying something similar about my Xbox 360? For starters, I'm saying it because the last game I played on my big, black, bulky, Microsoft-branded box was ... Wizorb? Or was it Escape Goat? Regardless, it's been a while since I've booted it up.

I'm also saying it, though, because a rather awesome game is going to be released via the system's XBLA service soon. Which awesome game, you ask? SEGA Vintage Collection: Monster World.

Said collection, which has a tentative release date of April 25 (I'll believe it when I see it, honestly), will include a trio of Monster World/Wonder Boy titles: Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy in Monster World, and Monster World IV.

Among the many reasons I'm excited about this rather surprising development: This will be the first time English-speaking audiences will be able to understand what's going on while playing the previously Japan-only Monster World IV. Also, each game in the collection will feature achievements, leaderboards and trial modes.

Will any of you be purchasing SEGA Vintage Collection: Monster World upon release (or shortly afterward)? If so, which of these classic platformers are you planning to play first?

Five things I love about Kirby's Return to Dream Land (thus far)

You may remember how I mentioned in this recent post that I've already "beaten" Kirby's Return to Dream Land. I've hardly experienced all it has to offer, though, as I haven't found each and every "Energy Sphere" (this game's take on the star coins that populate the New Super Mario Bros. series) and I've barely spent any time in its "extra mode."

Still, I've played enough of this rather precious Wii platformer to know that I completely love the stuffing out of it--with the five following aspects being chiefly responsible for said love:

1. The graphics--I know some people have complained about the graphics in this game. Specifcally, they've called them "GameCube graphics." Those people are stupid. Even if these were GameCube-level graphics, they'd be wonderful ones, in my opinion, and as such gamers certainly shouldn't complain about them. Well, unless they're stupid.

2. The locales--Honestly, the settings in this game are the best I've experienced in a Wii platformer thus far. They're all bright and colorful, as I suppose should be expected of a Kirby game, but what I didn't expect was all of the little (and sometimes big) details. The background on one late-in-the-game level--which finds Kirby strolling through a cloud-based stage while a neighboring planet spins in the distance--especially blew me away.

3. The abilities--In particular, I'm completely obsessed with the stone one. It is unfathomably fun to jump into the air and turn Kirby into a statue, or a stone fist, or a boulder that then squashes an unsuspecting enemy. (Sliding down a hill and bowling over baddies is a blast, too.) Yeah, I'm evil like that. Also mighty impressive: All of the super abilities that are made available to Kirby throughout the game--each of which are more enjoyable than they have any right to be.

Reason #401 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

Let's make this one simple, shall we? Thanks to my recent acquisition of the Famicom Disk System version of Ice Climber, I now own three copies of this Nintendo-made platformer.

Why on earth do I need three copies of one game? Well, I wouldn't say I need them, for starters. Also, all three copies aren't exactly the same.

That said, two copies of the game are pretty much the same. You see, the first copy I bought was a "loose" one--consisting of just the Japanese Famicom cart. The second copy, picked up in early November and detailed in this previously published post, on the other hand, is of the "complete in box" variety.

The third copy (seen at right), though, is of the Famicom Disk System version of the game. That makes it different from the others in format, of course, but did you know the disk version differs from the cart version in other ways, too?

For instance, the FDS iteration features an animated intro screen--seen at the start of this video--that shows Popo and Nana chipping the words "Ice Climber" out of a block of ice (or something like that). It also includes a stage-select screen, level layouts that differ from those found in the cartridge version, occasional weather effects (wind and snowstorms that impede your progress through a particular stage) and more. (More info on the differences between these versions can be found in the description of this YouTube video, by the way.)

Does all of the above make me any less bat-shit crazy for owning three copies of a game I used to despise? Probably not, but I don't care. Now please forgive me while I attempt to get past this version's fifth stage...

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer and previous Ice Climber posts

Hey, Nintendo of America: Where's my free copy of 3D Classics Kid Icarus?

The question in the header above popped into my head while reading these hands-on impressions of the Japanese version of 3D Classics: Kid Icarus over the weekend.

I know I probably sounded less than excited when I wrote about this 3D-enabled update of one of my all-time favorite Famicom and NES games early last month (in this post), but I have enough interest in it to want to give it a try, especially if it's free.



For some strange reason, though, Nintendo has yet to extend to North American 3DS owners the same offer--folks who register at least two of about 13 3DS games with Club Nintendo by a certain date receive a free copy of 3D Classics: Kid Icarus as a reward--it recently extended to Japanese and European 3DS owners.

Here's hoping the company's North American branch throws us a bone--or maybe I should say eggplant?--soon.

(Via siliconera.com)

The Great Gaymathon Review #49: Super Mario Bros. (Famicom)

Game: Super Mario Bros.

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

System: Famicom

Release date: 1985

My question to anyone who owns a Famicom (or an NES) but doesn't own a copy of this game: What on earth is wrong with you? I know a large number of "must own" titles were released for Nintendo's first world-conquering console, but this one is the granddaddy of them all, and no Famicom/NES collection is complete without it. There are countless good reasons for that, of course, with the main one being that the game is supremely playable (and enjoyable) thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto and company's masterful programming--which makes all of the running and jumping and everything else in Super Mario Bros. feel so sublime--and level design. (Anna Anthropy, aka auntie pixelante, expertly expounds on the latter abilities in this blog post, by the way.) There's more behind the game's must-own status than that, though, or at least there is for me. I believe that another reason so many people have been enamored by Mario's first console outing over the years is how surreal it is. I mean, it's a bit like playing a dream, isn't it? A bizarre dream, admittedly, but a dream nonetheless. How else would you describe a game in which a mustachioed plumber battles walking mushrooms and flying turtles and once in a while plucks a flower from the ground that allows him to shoot bouncing balls of fire on his way to rescuing a princess named Peach?

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

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