(Another) slow week ahead

The past week or two have been a bit lean in terms of posts, haven't they? Sorry about that. I've got a lot of looming deadlines at the moment, and when that happens I tend to concentrate on the writing that pays rather than on the writing that doesn't. (What a concept, eh?)



Anyway, next week will, sadly, be even leaner, although I promise to publish at least one post per day. Also, things will be back to normal the following week, so at least there's that.

You know what Dragon Quest X needs? A strawberry slime!

Actually, this upcoming Wii release could feature a whole slew of fruity slimes--such as a banana one, a grape one or even a pear one--don't you think?



I'm not exactly sure how their, er, fruitiness would alter their battle tactics, though; maybe they'd distract combatants by launching their succulent fruit of choice at them?

The Great Gaymathon Review #9: Super Princess Peach (DS)

Game: Super Princess Peach

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Tose

Publisher: Nintendo

System: Nintendo DS

Release date: 2005

It doesn't happen often, but every once in while I ignore the bad buzz surrounding a game and buy it anyway--simply because there's something about said game that makes me believe (hope) that it has to be better than everybody says it is. As I'm sure you can imagine, sometimes that works out well and sometimes it doesn't. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light is a good example of the former, while this game, released in Japan in 2005 and elsewhere in 2006, is a good example of the latter. That's too bad, because Super Princess Peach could have been a worthy addition to the ever-growing, Nintendo-dominated list of "world's best platformers." It certainly looks like it belongs on that list, at least to an extent. Yes, its graphics have that generic sheen typical of developer Tose, but they're also colorful and well drawn. It also controls well and features quite a few interesting and unique gameplay quirks--the most noteworthy being that Peach can use her chatty parasol to protect herself and to dispatch foes in a plethora of ways--that separate it from the platformer pack. Unfortunately, all of those positives are let down by the game's negatives, which include boring, derivative and uninspired level design and nearly non-existant difficulty.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Raccoon Mario returns?

During his keynote speech at the 2011 Game Developers Conference a few minutes ago, Nintendo's Satoru Iwata mentioned that a new Mario game is being developed for the 3DS. (I know, what a shocker!)

Along with a few, small screenshots of the still-in-the-works title, Iwata shared the following logo:



Does this mean the next game in this vaunted series, which is being developed by the folks responsible for Super Mario Galaxy, will mark the return of Raccoon Mario? I sure hope so.

Lanky Pokémon

Well, Pokémon Black and White--or Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, if you go by Nintendo of America's official verbiage--will hit the streets in the US in just a few days. Will you be getting either of these games--or maybe both of them?

I caved and pre-ordered Pokémon Black--for no other reason than I like the looks of the Black City more than I like the looks of the White Forest--last week after I heard I could get a $5 promotional credit--which has since been bumped up to a $10 promotional credit--for doing so.

Anyway, enough about all of that. My main reasons for posting this were: 1) to see if any of you plan on getting either of these games and 2) to show you this interesting illustration, created by artist Reed Bond, of a rather lanky Pikachu, Charmander and Bulbasaur.



See more of Bond's work on his blog or on deviantart or Flickr.

Pre-order: Pokémon Black Version and/or Pokémon White Version