Thursday, November 06, 2014

I think yesterday's Nintendo Direct sold me on Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. (3DS) and Splatoon (Wii U)

I'm especially enamored with Splatoon, which reminds me of something Sega's geniuses might've concocted back in the day, after encountering the footage below during yesterday's Nintendo Direct.

Honestly, what was shown of this upcoming Wii U title at this year's E3 event didn't impress me much. The following video, though, did just the opposite and even caused a huge grin to spread across my face.



As a result, Splatoon, which is being made by the software-development group at Nintendo of Japan that previously produced Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Nintendo Land, is now on my "Wii U wish list"--despite the fact that I still don't own a Wii U.

Who knows, maybe I'll finally buy one when the luscious-looking Kirby and the Rainbow Curse drops in February? (Which would give me a few months to break in the system before Splatoon hits the streets.)

Yesterday's Nintendo Direct also sold me on Project S.T.E.A.M. for 3DS, which will be hitting both physical and virtual store shelves throughout North America this coming spring (alongside The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, curiously enough).



As was the case with Splatoon, the E3 reveal of Project S.T.E.A.M. left me more than a smidge cold--which is pretty sad when you consider it's being developed by the mad scientists at Intelligent Systems, makers of the Advance Wars, Fire Emblem, Paper Mario and WarioWare franchises.

The trailer (above) shown as part of the most recent Nintendo Direct, though, went a long way toward defrosting me in regard to this tactical title. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's now a shoo-in purchase for me, but it's at least a "probable pick-up" at this point.

How about all of you? Did yesterday's Nintendo Direct sell you on Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. or Splatoon or any of the other 3DS or Wii U games that were showcased?

Looks like I'm finally going to play The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

I don't know if you heard, but Nintendo finally, officially announced a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask for 3DS during yesterday's Nintendo Direct.

That "revelation" excited me less than it excited some folks, I'm sure--in part because Nintendo has been teasing this sucker for what seems like eons now--but it excited me nonetheless.

Why? Because I've never played this particular Zelda adventure. My older brother and I owned a copy of the Nintendo 64 original back in the day, but I never actually played it myself--though I did watch him play through a good chunk of it.



Anyway, I've wanted to experience it for some time now, but I've failed to do so because, well, I just haven't been all that interested in picking up a copy of the game and then shoving it into and playing it on my mothballed Nintendo 64. (I know I could buy it via the Wii's eShop, too, but I'm even less interested in going that route these days.)

Are any of you also Majora's Mask virgins who will be, uh, addressing that issue when the 3DS remake drops next spring?

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

You don't need to be a Mega Man fan to dig this custom-painted PlayStation

I should know, as I haven't been much of a fan of Mega Man, the character or the series, since Mega Man X was released in 1993.

What can I say? The change in aesthetics just didn't appeal it for me, which I realize is an admittance that's akin to blasphemy.



Still, I'm bowled over by the custom-painted PlayStation that's showcased in the photo above.

It was produced, of course, by the artist who calls himself Oskunk. To see more photos of this creation, check out this post on Oskunk's blog, Custom Art.

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

If you're going to own an EarthBound-inspired keychain (or two), it may as well be one of these

Although I need a bunch of keychains like I need a hole in the head, I'm seriously considering pre-ordering the "Mother 2 Kizetsu Plate" set shown below.

After all, these aren't your typical EarthBound/Mother 2 keychains; rather, they feature the game's four main characters--Ness, Paula, Poo and Jeff--in their "unconscious" states, halo-topped noggins and all.



For me, though, the standout of this set is the "teleport failure" keychain. That's the one I'd be sporting if I were to pick up these Takara Tomy Arts-made gashapon figures.

Thankfully, I've got a bit of time before I have to make up my mind one way or another, as it appears they won't be made available until February of next year.

Should any of you already know you want them, though, you can pre-order a complete set (for $22.90) via shopncsx.com.

Monday, November 03, 2014

Someone bought this rad FM Towns II computer via eBay late last week and now I'm sad

I'm sad, of course, because, in a perfect world, I would've won this particular auction, as I've wanted to own some sort of FM Towns system since I first laid eyes on one in an old issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine.

Granted, if I were to drop my hard-earned dough on one of maker Fujitsu's FM Towns machines, which were released in Japan between 1989 and 1997, it probably would make more sense for me to pick up an FM Towns Marty console rather than the PC variant seen below, but the latter won me over with its "original Macintosh" looks.



Anyway, this entire conversation is moot due to the fact that I only discovered this auction after it had wrapped up--and even if I'd come across it earlier, I wouldn't have had $960 to blow on it.

As for which games I would've bought alongside this FM Towns II (in the hypothetical situation that would've allowed me to do such a thing): the system's arcade-perfect Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands ports, for starters. I'd also love its supposedly spot-on Splatterhouse conversion, although I've heard copies tend to be pricey.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)